Category: blaze media

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer against an illegal alien who killed a college student in a hit-and-run accident and received a light prison sentence, Blaze News has exclusively learned.

‘This monster should never have been in our country and has had a final order of removal since 2018.’

On April 2, Rosali I. Fernandez-Cruz, a 24-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, was driving his pickup truck when he struck and killed Nathaniel Baker, a 21-year-old University of South Carolina student, who was riding his motorcycle in Richland County, South Carolina.

Fernandez-Cruz, who illegally entered the U.S. through the Mexico border in December 2016, fled the scene of the crash without attempting to administer aid.

Three of the four charges against Fernandez-Cruz were ultimately dropped, including failure to render aid, failure to yield right of way, and driving without a license.

He pleaded guilty to hit-and-run resulting in death and was sentenced to just one year in prison. He was also given credit for 131 days of time served.

Fernandez-Cruz’s scheduled release is set for March 2026.

RELATED: Inside the Portland ICE facility under siege by Antifa extremists

Rosali I. Fernandez-Cruz. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

A Department of Homeland Security press release revealed that ICE has lodged a detainer against Fernandez-Cruz to ensure that he is deported following the completion of his prison sentence.

An immigration judge issued a final order of removal in 2018.

RELATED: Chicago mayor creates ‘ICE-free zones’ meant to impede federal agents — White House fires off brutal response

Nathaniel Baker. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

“21-year-old USC student Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Baker was driving a motorcycle when he was hit by a truck driver who fled the scene,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated. “The hit-and-run driver, Rosali Isaac Fernandez-Cruz, was in our country illegally and received just one year in prison for taking Nate’s precious life. ICE lodged a detainer to ensure as soon as this killer completes his one-year prison sentence that ICE is notified to arrest him and get him OUT of our country.”

“Nathaniel was a 21-year-old college student with his whole life in front of him. This monster should never have been in our country and has had a final order of removal since 2018,” McLaughlin added.

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​News, Immigration and customs enforcement, Ice, Department of homeland security, Dhs, Illegal immigration crisis, Illegal immigration, Immigration crisis, South carolina, Rosali i. fernandez-cruz, Rosali fernandez-cruz, Nathaniel baker, Nate baker, University of south carolina, Hit-and-run, Politics 

A flyer allegedly created by far-left radicals calls for activists to use laser pointers against law enforcement helicopters in Portland, Oregon.

Portland has been the site of violent rioting against officers of Immigration and Customs Enforcement by Antifa protesters. The situation has deteriorated to the point where the Trump administration has ordered National Guard troops to protect federal facilities and the White House has threatened to cancel federal funding to the city.

‘All you need is a laser. Leave home — they can see where the laser is coming from.’

On Thursday, a flyer surfaced on social media that seems to call upon activists to commit a federal crime.

“Every night for weeks we are forced to listen to the threatening rhythm of helicopter blades as the federal regime spies on us. The only limit power knows is our refusal to submit. This Saturday, October 11th, at 9 pm you are invited to fight back. All you need is a laser. Leave home — they can see where the laser is coming from,” the flyer reads.

“Go to a park, a field, or some other public place, and once the clock strikes 9 unleash your beam at the cop copter. Mask up,” the flyer continues. “Coordinate with friends to throw a laser party!”

The flyer can be traced back to a post on a website titled Rose City Counter-Info that publishes “anarchist and anti-authoritarian” material. The website also publishes material promoting Antifa.

Leftist protesters have previously used laser pointers to attack federal agents in Portland, most notably in 2020. In July of that year, several protesters were arrested for violence including the use of lasers as weapons.

RELATED: Nick Sortor threatens legal action against the Portland Police Department after his arrest over Antifa attack

Photo by John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Journalist Andy Ngo captured video showing Portland protesters using high-powered laser pointers at that time.

“It’s not surprising to see Antifa announce their intention to commit a federal crime,” national correspondent Julio Rosas told Blaze News. “Their goal is to cause disruptions to the federal government in any way they can. It would be amusing to see if they follow through on it as four illegal aliens in Portland were recently arrested for doing the same thing.”

Rosas spoke at a roundtable about Antifa at the White House on Wednesday to describe his experiences in dealing with the left-wing group.

Blaze News’ requests for comment from various Portland Antifa websites were not immediately answered.

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​Antifa flyer, Laser attack on pilots, Portland antifa, Antifa anti-ice attack, Politics 

A Canadian gym that claims the fitness industry is dominated by white people has removed a pricing structure that was based on race.

R Studios released a statement in response to online backlash after reports circulated that showed the company offering classes for “BIPOC … Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour” at half its typical rate. Its usual rate was $30, but the “BIPOC” rate was $15.

‘Our mission has always been to create spaces that feel safe.’

As reported by the Daily Mail, not only did the Halifax, Nova Scotia, studio offer a special “BIPOC drop in rate,” but a screenshot of an alleged chat with the company revealed users could get a “reduced” membership cost simply for being “a black person.”

“Yes, we offer a BIPOC membership option,” the company allegedly responded, according to the image.

In response, the fitness studio posted a series of statements to its Instagram account, seemingly admitting to the pricing program.

“Our mission has always been to create spaces that feel safe, inclusive, and welcoming for all people,” the post began.

The statement then immediately positioned the company as implementing diversity programs as a method to fight bigotry. Not only did R Studios claim that the fitness industry has “long been predominantly white and often inaccessible,” the company seemed to state it has engaged in race-based hiring practices as well.

“We have taken pride in being leaders who actively promote diversity through our hiring practices, in-studio equity and inclusion training, and the creation of our IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) Committee.”

Further cementing that customers are to “feel seen” at the business, R Studios then addressed “feedback and criticism” surrounding its efforts to create a “discounted membership” created by its “BIPOC team and IDEA Committee to help foster diversity and inclusion.”

RELATED: DEI in space? How Biden hijacked NASA for a woke agenda

City of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 2023. Photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images

The post continued, claiming that while R Studios’ “initiative was built from a place of compassion and community,” the company said it understood that some have interpreted the pricing tiers to be “exclusive.”

The company then justified the decision by saying part of its work means recognizing “true inclusion,” which involves creating “intentional space for those who have been historically marginalized or excluded.”

R Studios further announced that it would be removing all discounted memberships and replacing them with an allegedly “even more inclusive” program to provide memberships for those who face “financial or systemic barriers” but “regardless of background.”

On the final page of the post, the company said it remains committed to DEI.

This commitment is still displayed proudly on the R Studios website, where it boasts a land acknowledgement.

“The Rstudios community is currently working to be more inclusive,” the statement reads. The company also declares in the acknowledgement “that we are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.”

It adds, “This territory is covered by the ‘Treaties of Peace and Friendship’ signed in 1725.”

The Mi’kmaq have been noted as being scalpers for pay who tortured prisoners of war from other tribes, which was of course common at the time.

RELATED: Serena Williams disgusted over cotton plant inside hotel — then it quickly backfires

Local political candidate from the People’s Party of Canada Jeff Evely commented that he felt the fitness studio was in violation of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act.

“R studios in Nova Scotia charges double for white people, in violation of Sections 5(1) of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act,” Evely wrote on X.

Notably, the studio’s owner, Connie McInnes, was celebrated by national Canadian bank TD Canada in 2019 for her efforts to create “safe spaces for women.”

R Studios did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment regarding race-based pricing and hiring practices.

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​News, Canada, Woke, Dei, Diversity equity inclusion, Gym, Yoga, Fitness, Racism, Bipic, Politics 

Pro-Hamas protesters who allegedly became violent during a march in Boston on Tuesday evening will remain in custody unless they can raise sufficient funds to cover their high bail costs.

‘I think that effectively, the far-left promotes violence.’

Thirteen agitators were arrested earlier this week while participating in a pro-Palestine rally on the two-year anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack that caused the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis.

Some of the charges against the protesters included disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and disturbing the peace.

Four officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries, including broken bones, in scuffles with the protesters.

John Gately, the host of the “John F Gately Show,” captured footage of the demonstration and estimated that roughly 175 people attended.

“There was a kerfuffle. There was a report of pepper spray; I didn’t see that,” Gately told Blaze News on Wednesday. “It was a fight in the middle of Tremont Street.”

RELATED: Masked pro-Hamas agitators turn violent — 4 cops injured, 13 arrested in Boston

Image source: John Gately

“From my perspective, this is all the same ball of wax: Antifa, free Palestine, trans-tifa. They’re all the same effectively, far-left/communist agitators,” Gately said. “It’s all the same oppressor versus oppressed dialectic.”

“I think that effectively, the far-left promotes violence,” he added.

On Thursday, the Boston Herald reported that the arrested protesters were slapped with high bail amounts. Three individuals, 26-year-old Osama El Khatib, 19-year-old Styx Hatch, and 21-year-old Roder Atwood, were held on $10,000 bail. Atwood is accused of assaulting a police officer and causing bodily harm.

Atwood, a Tufts University senior, pleaded not guilty. His attorney requested that Atwood be released, noting his lack of prior criminal record.

Blaze News reached out to Atwood’s attorney, Peter A. O’Karma.

RELATED: ‘BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!’ Trump brings an end to another bloody war ahead of Nobel Prize announcement

Image source: John Gately

Atlanta Carrig-Braun, 24, and Haley Macintyre, 24, were held on $7,500 bail. A few other individuals, including 27-year-old Madeline Weikel, 22-year-old Jacob Pettigrew, and 28-year-old Gabrielle Smith, were held on $5,000 bail.

Owen Woodcock, 26, and Amun Prophet, 25, were held on $1,000 bail. Prahlad Iyengar, 25, Laith Hintzman, 19, and Benjamin Andre Choucroun, 20, were held on $500 bail.

In a statement previously provided to Blaze News, Mayor Michelle Wu (D) said, “We are extremely grateful for the work of the Boston Police in keeping the city safe and in supporting the right to peacefully protest. Boston will not tolerate violence, and we categorically condemn those who came into our community to attack our police officers. The individuals who engaged in these attacks must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

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​News, Pro-hamas, Hamas, October 7 terror attack, October 7, Pro-palestine, Palestine, Boston, Massachusetts, Protest, Politics 

Jackie Hill Perry is a Christian author whom BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey has admired and agreed with on many issues, but whose stance on racial justice became abundantly clear in 2020 and led to her blocking Stuckey on social media.

Now, in a recent episode on her “With the Perrys” podcast, Perry explained that she doesn’t believe Charlie Kirk is a martyr — and Stuckey couldn’t disagree more.

“They misunderstand. ‘Why don’t you think he’s a martyr?’ And it’s like, because I heard what he said. And so, it’s not that I don’t appreciate his stances on abortion, on sexuality, on marriage, but it’s also, I hear other things alongside that that don’t give martyr,” Perry said.

“I want to get to the bigger point here, which is really important, and that is about martyrdom. Was Charlie a martyr? She says that other things that he said ‘didn’t give martyr.’ And I take issue with how that is phrased because that’s such a flippant way to be talking about the assassination of a brother in Christ,” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey comments.

“What does the Bible say that a martyr is?” she asks. “When we look at the etymology of martyrdom and that word, what does it actually mean? Is a martyr someone who only says things we agree with? Is a martyr someone who never says things that are offensive? Is a martyr someone that has to be perfect and totally sinless? Is that how we define martyr?”

“Because it seems to me from that conversation that that is how they are defining it. Charlie Kirk said things that they don’t agree with,” she adds.

However, the biblical definition of a martyr is much different from the one Perry was basing her rejection of Kirk on.

“A martyr is one who bears testimony to faith, one who willingly suffers death rather than surrender his or her religious faith, especially their Christian beliefs,” Stuckey reads.

“When we look into the Greek term ‘martys’ — so when we look at the etymology, the study of this word, ‘martys’ literally means witness. So a witness to the truth. And what does witness mean? It means someone who attests to a fact, to an event, from personal knowledge. So one who so testifies. Now what does testify mean? To affirm the truth of,” she continues.

“What is not the definition of a martyr is someone who always agrees with us. Someone who never offends us. Someone who is sinless. Only Jesus was sinless. Someone whose words meet our definition of gentle or loving or kind. It is also not someone who never talked about politics or who voted a certain way,” Stuckey explains.

“That’s not how we define martyrdom,” she adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Sharing, Video phone, Free, Camera phone, Upload, Video, Youtube.com, Relatable with allie beth stuckey, Relatable, Allie beth stuckey, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Charlie kirk, Charlie kirk martyr, Martyrdom, Religion, Christianity, The bible, Jackie hill perry, Charlie kirk assassination 

Over a week into the Democrat-induced government shutdown, President Donald Trump revealed just how far the administration is willing to go.

During a Cabinet meeting Thursday, Trump said Democrats will get “a little taste of their own medicine.” The government has officially entered its ninth day of the shutdown, and neither Democrats nor Republicans seem to have budged. As a result, Trump is turning up the pressure.

‘They wanted to do this.’

“Despite all of the damage that it’s caused, the shutdown, it’s been, you know, pretty damaging, I mean, not yet because it’s early, but it gets a little bit worse as it goes along,” Trump said.

As a result, Trump said his administration will “be making cuts that will be permanent.”

RELATED: Pam Bondi tears into Democratic senator: ‘I wish you loved Chicago as much as you hate President Trump’

Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

“We’re only going to cut Democrat programs, I hate to tell you,” Trump said.

“We’ll be cutting some very popular Democrat programs. … They wanted to do this, so we’ll give them a little taste of their own medicine,” Trump added.

Democrats have voted several times to keep the government closed since the October 1 funding deadline. The Republican-led funding bill is a clean continuing resolution with no partisan anomalies. The only change in the GOP’s bill is a bipartisan increase in security funding for lawmakers following Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

In contrast, the Democrat-led funding bill boasts a $1.5 trillion price tag and aims to reverse most if not all legislative accomplishments achieved through Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

RELATED: Trump praises Blaze News reporting during Antifa roundtable at White House — and slaps down MSNBC, CNN

Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“Chuck Schumer proclaimed this morning that every day gets better for them,” Trump said. “No, every day it’s actually getting worse for them, and they’re having a rebellion in the Democrat Party because they want to stop.”

“This is a confession that he’s acting, not to serve the people, but to serve the partisan interests of his party,” Trump added. “And I don’t think he’s serving them well because … they just lost an election in a landslide.”

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​Donald trump, Cabinet meeting, Chuck schumer, Schumer shutdown, Government shutdown, One big beautiful bill, Congress, Shutdown, Funding bill, Continuing resolution, Mass layoffs, Russ vought, Office of management and budget, Senate democrats, House democrats, Senate republicans, House republicans, Charlie kirk, Charlie kirk assassination, Politics 

A Democrat state representative in North Carolina has been accused of raping a teenager, prompting some in his party to demand his resignation.

On Wednesday, state Rep. Cecil Brockman, 41, was booked into Guilford County jail on four charges: two counts of statutory rape of a child between the ages of 13 and 15, a class B felony, and two counts of indecent liberties with a child, a class F felony.

‘The profound seriousness of these criminal charges makes it impossible for him to effectively represent his community.’

Court documents allege that on August 15, Brockman “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did engage in a sexual act with” and “did commit and attempt to commit lewd and lascivious act upon the body of” a 15-year-old victim. Whether the alleged victim is male or female is unclear.

Court documents further claim that Brockman has attempted to make contact with the alleged victim, even going so far as “attempting to locate the juvenile in the hospital” and “attempting to use his status” as a state lawmaker “to gain information” about the victim’s whereabouts.

Brockman was not given bail upon his arrest. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday afternoon.

A spokesperson from Brockman’s legislative office declined a request for comment from Blaze News.

Since his arrest, high-profile members of his party from around the state have already called for his resignation.

“The profound seriousness of these criminal charges makes it impossible for him to effectively represent his community,” the North Carolina Democratic Party said in a statement, according to WRAL.

House Minority Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham) hedged a bit, saying that if the allegations are proven true, then they “would disqualify him from public office.” But Reives said first, “It is important to let the legal process unfold.”

RELATED: Evil unchecked always spreads — and Democrats are proof

Photo by Maxine Wallace/the Washington Post via Getty Images

The calls for Brockman to resign stand in stark contrast to the heated political situation in Virginia, where Democrats around the state have stood by Jay Jones, their candidate for attorney general, despite previous violent statements about a Republican colleague and his family.

Last week, a text conversation from 2022 resurfaced between then-House Delegate Jones and Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner. During their exchange, Jones said:

in a hypothetical scenario in which he has two bullets and must choose whether to kill then-Speaker Todd Gilbert (R), Adolf Hitler, or Pol Pot, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.””Put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.“Gilbert’s two kids are “little fascists” who should die so that “evil” Gilbert will change his mind on some political issues.if his Republican colleagues should die before he does, he would “go to their funerals to piss on their graves.“

​Cecil brockman, Jay jones, Abigail spanberger, North carolina, Virginia, Democratic party, Politics 

New York City police said a 25-year-old male admitted to beating a man to death inside a Brooklyn subway station, ABC News reported.

Police said officers arrived at the Jay Street station just after 3 p.m. Tuesday after getting a call about an “aided male,” the news network said.

Police added that suspect had a katana sword — with a blade of more than 20 inches in length — resting in his lap at the time of the arrest, WABC reported.

Upon arrival, officers “observed an unidentified male, unconscious and unresponsive, with trauma about the body,” police added to ABC News.

Paramedics transported the victim to New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in “critical condition”; he later was “pronounced deceased,” police told the news network.

The suspect punched, kicked, and stomped 64-year-old Nicola Tanzi — and allegedly admitted to detectives that he did it because he didn’t like the way the victim looked at him, police told WABC-TV, which added that Tanzi suffered a fractured skull.

Authorities named the suspect as 25-year-old David Mazariegos late Wednesday afternoon, WABC reported, adding that he’s been charged with murder, robbery, and grand larceny.

Authorities added that Mazariegos has 17 prior arrests, including for assault earlier this year, petit larceny, and graffiti, WABC said.

RELATED: ‘White boy,’ ‘cracker’: Subway rider dares to glance at hollering female behind him — so she veers into beatdown mode: Cops

WABC said Mazariegos was arrested around 10 p.m. Tuesday after NYPD officers assigned to the subway in Times Square saw him sitting on the sidewalk.

Police added that suspect had a katana sword — with a blade of more than 20 inches in length — resting in his lap at the time of the arrest, WABC reported.

What’s more, police told WABC that Mazariegos also was in possession of four of the victim’s credit cards — including one the suspect allegedly used to make a Target purchase Tuesday night.

RELATED: 4 females — ages 13 to 15 — arrested after they beat, tried to rob 71-year-old woman while she was on her way to church: Cops

Detectives also are looking into similarities between Tuesday’s murder and the death of a worker who confronted a shoplifter at a Morton Williams in Hell’s Kitchen last month, WABC said.

More on what led to the deadly attack, according to WABC:

Police say the suspect was pulling on the exit gate at the Jay Street-MetroTech station, attempting to gain entry around 3 p.m. Tuesday when Tanzi approached.

The two exchanged words, and the suspect sucker punched the 64-year-old, knocking him to the ground.

According to investigators, video from MTA security cameras recorded the suspect then punching, kicking, and stomping the victim’s head 15 times while he was on the ground.

Police say the suspect was then seen boarding a Bronx-bound No. 2 train.

Candles burned at the scene of the crime Wednesday in memory of Tanzi, WABC said, adding that others said he was a security guard and a nice guy.

— (@)

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch credited the department’s domain awareness system, which sent photos of the suspect to officers’ phones, after which the suspect was arrested, WABC reported.

“Right after this horrific attack, the entire NYPD received an emergency alert to their phones with photos of the suspect and a physical description,” Tisch said on X. “Eagle-eyed cops working near Times Square recognized this perp from the photos they had just received and immediately brought this dangerous criminal into custody.”

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​Subway, New york city, Man beaten to death, Looked at me the wrong way, Arrest, David mazariegos, Murder charge, Crime 

The federal government collects samples of wastewater to protect citizens from communicable diseases, it says.

The seldom-discussed operation is called the Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance program, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

‘… 72-hour period from collection to detection is unacceptable.’

The program is twofold; the first portion involves collecting and monitoring wastewater samples from select U.S. airports.

In San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, New York City (JFK), and Washington D.C. (IAD), either airplane wastewater or airport bathroom wastewater is collected. In other cities like Newark (EWR), Miami, and Seattle, only nasal swab samples are collected from willing international travelers.

The CDC explains that samples are shipped to a laboratory for “digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR)” testing to ensure there are no pathogens that are of concern to public health. Samples that do have certain pathogens undergo sequencing to determine variants, strains, or mutations that could be dangerous.

“Basically, if you use the washroom on a plane, they’ll pull the material from the plane; the fecal matter and the urine, and we can actually run that through a device that can actually sequence it and detect the presence of a threat or whatever viral material you might have shed,” Jake Adler, CEO at Pilgrim Labs, told Blaze News.

Adler, the biodefense entrepreneur behind the clay-based hemostatic dressing Kingsfoil, described the program as largely ineffective, however, that is mostly due to the sheer time it takes for the samples to make it to labs for analysis.

RELATED: Biotech founder sliced open his own legs on camera to prove his product is safe for US troops

Jimmy Arias, 46, from Venezuela, washes his face in the bathroom of a makeshift shelter operated by the city at O’Hare International Airport on Aug. 31, 2023. Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

“They’re going to be pulling the wastewater, or basically the material from the bathroom, and then bringing that to a local laboratory and monitoring for the presence of viruses,” Adler detailed.

“That means they have to drive roughly four hours to each portable sampling unit — which we have, I think, close to 3,000 or 3,500 across the country … then they do the testing and then 72 hours later we know whether or not we’ve detected a threat. Now obviously, a 72-hour period from collection to detection is unacceptable,” the CEO explained.

Adler has a solution, however. The biotech expert said he is working on a chemical threat detection system that will not only work for military operations, but would have domestic implementations, as well.

RELATED: Chinese informant allegedly alerted FBI to Wuhan lab leak in early 2020: Report

Bathroom aboard a United Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Calling it Argus, Adler described the program as a “next-generation, fully autonomous and near real-time bio-surveillance platform” that detects the presence of bio-aerosols, viruses, and pathogenic bacteria in the air.

This would massively cut down on the time it takes to identify a threat, Adler told Blaze News. In airports especially, tracking the presence of viruses in the air for “real-time sequencing and analysis” to understand how the virus could spread through the population via movement patterns would be a game changer.

Adler strongly affirmed that any product released through his company would not only be safe, but it would have to be something he was willing to experience himself.

That is why, when he released Kingsfoil, the biotech entrepreneur was willing to cut his own leg open in order to showcase the product.

“I’m a human, right? So I am a relevant model,” he said about testing the product on himself. Shockingly, Adler said that he has already told his team that he intends to “probably do it again, as needed.”

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​Return, Airports, Biohazards, Pathogens, Genome, Tech 

Former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) failed spectacularly in her bid last year to secure a U.S. Senate nomination, placing a distant third in a Democratic primary that she suggested was rigged. Evidently keen to reacquire power, the leftist law professor is in the running to become the next governor of California.

While recent polling suggests that she leads other Democrats as well as Republican candidates Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, Porter’s sizable edge in the gubernatorial race appears threatened by mounting evidence both of her nastiness and unwillingness to answer reasonable questions.

‘Is this a disaster? Yes.’

This week, Porter threatened to walk out of an interview with CBS News California after reporter Julie Watts asked, “What do you say to the 40% of California voters — who you’ll need in order to win — who voted for Trump?”

“How would I need them in order to win, ma’am?” Porter said before laughing at the notion of appealing to the millions of Republicans living in California. “If it is me versus a Republican, I think that I will win the people who did not vote for Trump.”

When Watts dared to ask follow-up questions, Porter said, “I feel like this is unnecessarily argumentative.”

After Watts noted that she was posing the same questions to Porter that she had posed to other candidates, Porter became visibly agitated, looked to someone off camera, and stated, “I don’t want to keep doing this. I want to call it.”

RELATED: California’s superstate creates waste, not solutions

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

When asked whether she was going to continue the interview, Porter said, “Not like this, I’m not. Not with seven follow-up questions to every question you ask.”

“I don’t want to have an unhappy experience with you,” continued Porter. “And I don’t want this all on camera.”

Gale Kaufman, a Sacramento-based Democratic strategist, told Politico, “Is this a disaster? Yes.”

“And the reason it’s a disaster is because it amplifies what her reputation already is.”

Three other California Democrats jockeying for the governor’s mansion — former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and former California state controller Betty Yee — were among those who made hay out of Porter’s interview.

Villaraigosa said, “We need a leader who will solve hard problems and answer simple questions.”

Becerra, apparently referencing Porter’s scoffing at the prospect of courting Republican voters, stated, “I’m not interested in excluding any vote.”

“Katie Porter is a weak, self-destructive candidate unfit to lead California,” tweeted Yee. “It’s time for her to drop out of this race.”

Yee added, “After watching the interview, it’s clear — Katie Porter doesn’t have the temperament to be Governor.”

Blaze News has reached out to Porter’s campaign for comment.

Critics have far more than just the CBS News interview to cite as evidence of Porter’s cantankerous disposition.

Footage obtained by Politico on Wednesday has gone viral showing Porter viciously berate a staffer who interrupted her July 2021 meeting with then-Biden Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.

In the video, which was taped for the Biden administration, Porter, occupying much of the foreground, spotted a staffer in the background, then screamed, “Get out of my f**king shot!”

The staffer apparently wanted to correct something Porter had said about electric vehicles. After the chastised staffer volunteered the correction, Porter said, “You also were in my shot before that. Stay out of my shot.”

The final, edited version of the video published by the Biden administration omitted the unhappy experience.

“It’s no secret I hold myself and my staff to a high standard, and that was especially true as a member of Congress,” Porter told Politico in a statement. “I have sought to be more intentional in showing gratitude to my staff for their important work.”

The problem of Porter’s temper has not only been raised by former staffers — one of whom was apparently scolded after contracting COVID — and by the former congresswoman’s ex-boyfriend Julian Willis, who called her a “monster,” but by Porter’s ex-husband, Matthew Hoffman, who alleged in court filings that Porter was abusive, prone to “extreme anger,” and had in a 2006 incident apparently dumped a bowl of steaming hot mashed potatoes onto his head, burning his scalp.

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​Katie porter, Porter, California, Leftism, Nasty, Girl boss, Democrat, Democratic, Primary, Governor, Politics 

This week’s column is meant for anyone younger than 40, which ropes in most Millennials and all of Gen Z and more. But they won’t listen to Olds like me at 51, so maybe you good readers can find a way to slip this into their Ovaltine if they’re your kids or grandkids.

I suppose if I were smart and wanted to market this well to that crowd, I’d call what follows a “guide to adulting.” But I won’t, because using the non-word “adulting” is the kind of kiddie nonsense that young people should have stopped doing before they started doing it.

You’d think this set was raised in a joint custody arrangement between 2 Live Crew and a band of cockney orphans in Dickensian London.

The new 17?

We’re in an era of unprecedented infantilization. Chronological adults are grown-ups in years only; they have the minds of children. No, it’s not “just like it’s always been.” I’m not saying “the same things old people have always said.” There has never been a time in history before the Millennial generation when helpless, unskilled, and babyish behavior was tolerated in adults, let alone culturally praised as it is today.

The average 35-year-old in 2025 has the tastes, habits, and deportment of a 17-year-old from my youth. They bond over cartoon comic book superheroes; they giggle in the corporate office tower over Stanley-brand water cups and clicky acrylic nails like girls used to do in ninth grade in the bathroom.

I’ve had enough.

Let’s get to it.

OK, groomer

Fifteen years ago, I hired 24-year-old “Olga” for a secretarial job at my company. She was great and worked for us for years. But I almost fired her on the first day. She walked into the office wearing a belly-baring crop top and jeans slung so low she might have been modeling for a depilatory cream ad.

“This is not appropriate office wear; this is an outfit for the clubs,” I said as she looked at me shocked. Her mother had never told her that it wasn’t cute to wear provocative clothing to a professional job, because mom was too busy trying to look her daughter’s age.

Prescription for young ladies:

No exposed belly.No excess cleavage — no more than half an inch should be shown, if any.Wipe 75% of that makeup off, and absolutely no false eyelashes in broad daylight. That’s an evening look for women of questionable reputation.Pry off those acrylic claws and keep your nails no longer than what’s standard for a French manicure. In fact, just do that — the French manicure.Take that nose ring out.

Prescription for young gentlemen:

No dyeing your hair — not for fun, not to cover gray. Dyed hair on a man gives the impression that he’s unstable or untrustworthy. Do not sass me about this.Shave your face, or, if you wear a beard, trim it neatly. You may not do handlebar mustaches or biblical patriarch 4-foot long trailing vines. Honestly.Wash your hair. Repeat: Wash your hair.Then comb it.No long hair. No, a ponytail will not do. A gentleman’s hair should be short and neat. You may rock a fade, a modified slick ’50s pompadour (my favorite), and similar, but that’s all.Buy jeans that fit sufficiently to remain above your butt crack, and tuck your shirt in.No jewelry except a wedding ring or a class ring. No, you may not wear “just one diamond stud in my ear.” Do you want to look like a gentleman or a Brooklyn pimp from 1972?

That’s fashion and grooming sorted. Let’s move on to speech.

Talk stupe

If you’ve been alive for 50 years, you’ll notice how different America sounds today. You’ll notice how immature and declassé even newscasters sound now. As a young man, my friends mocked me for my sharp, nasal upstate New York/upper Midwest accent. Sample of me speaking at 17: “Oh my Gad! I’ll have a side seel-id with reeyinch dressing!”

I deliberately cultivated a (then-normal) “newscaster from nowhere” flat American accent, the kind that all professionals of every race and background strove for. It served me well in two ways.

First, my speech no longer made me sound like what I was (a welfare kid from a semi-rural trailer park), removing class-based preconceptions from the minds of people I needed to impress. You can object to that all you want, but it won’t change reality. If you talk like you’re down-market, you will be perceived as down-market.

Consider the widespread fashion among American young people to mimic low-class (and particularly black low-class) pronunciation and mispronunciation. It sounds “street.” It sounds vulgar. It sounds uneducated. Many of them think this is positive. It is not.

Second, since my aim was to communicate clearly and respectfully with my fellow adults, I no longer peppered my speech with up-to-the-minute slang and obscure in-jokes. Today, however, nearly everyone young (and too many older people) seem more focused on broadcasting how “cool” they are to their peers than in expressing their thoughts with elegance and precision.

Remove these from your vocabulary:

“Adulting,”“Not a good look,”“Comfy,”“My journey,”“Lived experience,”“Do better,” and“Super” as a replacement for “very.” In fact, drop “very” as well.

Glottal stop it

Amend incorrect and grating mispronunciations. The worst feature of modern accents are the glottal stops that everyone under 40 is suddenly inserting into words. You’d think this set was raised in a joint custody arrangement between 2 Live Crew and a band of cockney orphans in Dickensian London. If you don’t know what I mean, click here to listen to examples of glottal stops.

In all the following, people are dropping the ‘T’ sound and putting in a glottal stop. It’s nails on a chalkboard. The only kids who did this when I was in school came from ignorant households and were still saying “puh-sketti” at 12 years old.

Not “buh’in,” but “button.”Not “impor’enh”, but “important.” (And never “impore-dent.”)Not “kih’en,” but “kitten.”Not “moun’uhn,” but “mountain.”

Extra credit: Stop dropping your G’s. You are “swimming,” not “swimmun.” This doesn’t sound “authentic;” it sounds stupid.

RELATED: How not to be socially awkward

Bettman/Getty Images

Missed manners

A trip to any store will convince American adults of a certain age that remedial etiquette lessons are necessary. A great many parents have not instructed their children in the most elementary forms of manners and interpersonal communication.

Prescription:

Look people in the eye when they speak to you. Stop looking at your phone or at the floor.But do not perform the Gen Z stare. If you’re not mentally retarded, you may not goggle at people with a blank expression as if you didn’t know how to respond to the greeting “hello.”When someone says, “Hi, how are you,” you must respond. It’s easy. Just mimic the form back to them: “Hi there, I’m great. How are you?”When placing a phone call, you identify yourself first. It’s intensely rude to call someone and ask for “Josh” without first saying, “Hi, this is David Smith from Smith Capital. I’m looking for Josh, please?”The proper response to “thank you” is “you’re welcome.” It is not “no problem,” and it is never “no worries.”

Whine moms

Extra credit: Work on your pitch and intonation.

It started with the valley girls of the ’80s, but now everyone, man and woman alike, is speaking in what I call “gear-shift tonality.” Recall how a car engine winds up higher and higher as you shift a manual from first gear to second to third, etc. The pitch gets higher and higher until you shift, then it drops back down and starts again.

That’s for manual transmissions, not for human speech. Gear-shift tonality makes even declarative sentences sound like questions. It’s also known as “upspeak.”

Whatever you want to call it, stop doing it. Anyone not in your age set finds it annoying and wearying. It makes you sound child-like, tentative, unsure, or manipulative. Remember, Margaret Thatcher took vocal lessons to lower her speaking register in order to be taken seriously in world politics.

That concludes today’s instruction. Keisha and Valerie, you will stay behind and clean the chalkboards to work off the demerit for chewing gum (open-mouthed too). All remaining pupils may close their desks and take their primers home. Class is dismissed.

​Etiquette, Manners, Adulting, How to be a grown up, Comportment, Men’s style, Women’s style, Grooming, Diction, Speaking, Lifestyle, Culture, Intervention 

In 2003, the all-female country music band the Dixie Chicks committed career suicide when the lead singer, Natalie Maines, told a London audience during a concert that the band was “ashamed the president of the United States [George W. Bush] is from Texas.” The girls returned home to boycotts and threats. It took them years to rebuild their brand.

Just a few days ago, country music star Zach Bryan pulled a stunt that’s been dubbed by many as a Dixie Chicks 2.0. On October 6, the “Pink Skies” singer posted a snippet of his new song “Bad News” on Instagram. Some of the lyrics he chose to feature triggered a visceral reaction in his largely conservative fan base.

“I heard the cops came / Cocky motherf**kers, ain’t they? / And ICE is gonna come bust down your door / Try to build a house no one builds no more / But I got a telephone / Kids are all scared and all alone / The bars stopped bumping, the rock stopped rolling / The middle finger’s rising and it won’t stop showing / Got some bad news / The fading of the red, white, and blue.”

From DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to fellow country star John Rich, Bryan received heat for the lyrics, especially considering that he’s a U.S. Navy veteran. X users and MAGA supporters suggested boycotts, the DHS mocked him by using his song “Revival” in an ICE recruitment video, and figures in conservative media like Tomi Lahren and Fox News slammed him as unpatriotic.

When Rick Burgess, BlazeTV host of “The Rick Burgess Show” and “Strange Encounters,” got wind of Bryan’s latest scandal, he couldn’t help but admit that “this one’s going to hurt a little bit.”

“He can write about whatever he wants, but the people, like I say, can respond however they want to,” he says.

But the people who make up Byran’s audience are largely conservative, as are the majority of country music fans, which doesn’t bode well for the Oklahoma troubadour.

“If he writes a song to his fan base condemning ICE and getting on that wagon, we’ll see,” says Rick.

While Rick’s producer, Adler, understands the argument that America was built on immigrants, the reality is: “We are not in a nation-building phase.”

“The entire world [is] coming here to live off of our welfare programs, and you can’t sustain a country if you do that,” he says.

“Plus legal immigration is how the country was built, not illegal,” adds Rick.

To hear more of the panel’s analysis, watch the episode above.

Want more from Rick Burgess?

To enjoy more bold talk and big laughs, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The rick burgess show, Rick burgess, Zach bryan, Dixie chicks, Country music, Anti ice, Ice, Blazetv, Blaze media 

A detailed analysis of the Jan. 6 pipe bombs found new problems with the FBI evidence and advances the notion that the case could turn out to be a government-created hoax.

A video engineer who spent more than a year examining the pipe bomb evidence submitted a 26-page report to the House Select Subcommittee to Investigate the Remaining Questions Surrounding Jan. 6.

‘The dial is upside down and not oriented in a way to wind it or attach the clips.’

Known on social media as Armitas, the analyst was asked on Oct. 4 to submit his report by the legal counsel for the House Committee on the Judiciary. Armitas said he has been working with a Washington-based FBI special agent since March on a forensic re-examination of a case that had seemed no closer to a solution than it was over 1,700 days ago.

Armitas carefully laid out every step the hoodie-wearing suspect took in planting devices at the Democratic National Committee and the Capitol Hill Club, a private Republican social club, on Jan. 5, 2021.

His report includes a number of surprises, including the contention that the DNC pipe bomb was planted on Jan. 5, retrieved a few hours later so it wouldn’t be discovered too soon, and placed again just in time for two police officers to discover it at 1:05 p.m. Jan. 6.

He also says video released by the FBI was digitally altered to make it more difficult to identify a suspect.

The pipe bombs saga began with an account of a ham-handed 5’7″ suspect wearing a grey hoodie and rare Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers who allegedly planted live pipe bombs on the southwest side of the Democratic National Committee headquarters and the rear of the Capitol Hill Club adjacent to the Republican National Committee headquarters.

In the months and years since, the FBI and Metropolitan Police Department put up a $500,000 reward for clues leading to an arrest in the case. No arrests have been made.

Video probe maps out FBI problems

Armitas said he was told that his report needed to be submitted prior to Oct. 7. He addressed the report to U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), chairman of the House Select Subcommittee to Investigate the Remaining Questions Surrounding Jan. 6.

‘The physical profile of the device is in the opposite orientation from how it was discovered.’

Armitas’ report says video footage released by the FBI of the hoodie-wearing suspect was digitally altered. Software was used to crop the image area and reduce the video frame rate, he said.

The suspect planted a device under a park bench on the southwest side of the DNC headquarters at 7:54 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021. While sitting on the bench, the suspect retrieved a phone from a backpack and appeared to send a text message before bending down and laying the device in the mulch.

“After they sit down near the park bench, they plant the DNC device with no apparent attempt to wind or set the device up,” Armitas wrote. “However, the physical profile of the device is in the opposite orientation from how it was discovered.”

RELATED: Bongino may have given big hint about nature of J6-related pipe bomb case

The Jan. 6 pipe bombs found under a bench at the Democratic National Committee (left) and hidden next to garbage bins behind the Capitol Hill Club.FBI photos

The pipe bombs each had 60-minute egg timers attached, a detail that makes no obvious sense considering that the devices were planted at least 16 hours before they were discovered.

“We see the short end facing out on the 5th, but on the 6th you see the long end facing out,” the report said of the DNC device. “Notice also that the dial is upside down and not oriented in a way to wind it or attach the clips.”

Video released by the FBI from the southern DNC security camera was originally high-definition footage with a 16:9 aspect ratio, but it was manipulated by software to a 4:3 aspect ratio with a much lower frame rate, Armitas said.

The hoodie-wearing pipe-bomb suspect appears to wave at a Capitol Police SUV along 1st Street Southeast at 8:14p.m. Jan. 5, 2021.BlazeTV/The Mandate

A map video released by the FBI used two camera angles with videos supposedly in sync, but they were actually out of sync by “around 15 seconds,” he said.

“The DNC video has been doctored so much and so hard that it is no longer representative of events in real time,” he said in the report.

The DNC pipe bomb was not found during a Secret Service K-9 security sweep of the DNC building early Jan. 6 for a pending visit of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

DNC device apparently retrieved — and replaced by a cop?

Armitas said he believes the DNC device was placed Jan. 5 but retrieved from under the bench shortly before 4:40 a.m. on Jan. 6. The location of the DNC device was too public, and the device had been broken on Jan. 5 when the suspect tried to plant it next to the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, he said.

There was too much of a risk of the bomb being discovered after daylight. Given the Secret Service, Capitol Police, and Metropolitan Police Department presence at the DNC on the morning of the 6th, it seems most likely that the device would be discovered too early, he said.

“There’s almost no possible way that the bomb could have been at the DNC for 17 hours and it not be discovered,” Armitas said.

The pipe bomber originally tried to plant the device under a bush next to the Congressional Black Caucus Institute in the 400 block of New Jersey Avenue Southeast, according to Armitas’ video research.

RELATED: How the Capitol Police were set up to fail on January 6

The DNC pipe bomb was retrieved by a man with a red Nike backpack just prior to 4:40 a.m. Jan. 6, who walked north and handed it off to someone in a Dodge Charger, a researcher says.U.S. Capitol Police CCTV

The device broke apart, leaving a piece behind under the bush. The broken component was noticed just after 1 p.m. on Jan. 6 by a construction worker and a short time later by a Capitol Police countersurveillance officer, he said.

Based on his video analysis, Armitas said the DNC bomb was retrieved by a man wearing a red Nike backpack, who took it a couple of blocks north, crossed Capitol Street Southeast, and handed it off to someone in a dark-color Dodge Charger. Armitas tracked the red backpack man to the Rayburn House Office Building after the device handoff.

The device was re-placed at the DNC between 12:50 and 12:52 p.m., about 13 minutes before a Capitol Police countersurveillance team noticed the bomb at the base of a park bench.

According to Armitas’ video analysis, the individual who placed the device there appeared to be a law officer.

Journalists and GOP congressional investigators have pointed out for years how the U.S. Secret Service teams at the DNC to protect Vice President-elect Harris acted like the bomb was a dud. After being notified by Capitol Police of the device’s placement feet from the southwest side of the DNC building, Secret Service agents sat in two SUVs finishing their lunches before getting out to investigate.

A K-9 unit search along the front of the Democratic National Committee building the morning of Jan. 6 found no evidence of a pipe bomb that would later be found at 1:05 p.m.U.S. Capitol Police CCTV

The agents milled around the adjacent DNC driveway, on a sidewalk near the park benches, and on the sidewalk along Capitol Street Southeast. Pedestrians walked right past the bomb for more than five minutes. Vehicle traffic on streets surrounding the DNC continued as normal. Several commuter trains rumbled across the trestle just feet from the DNC property.

Agents did not secure Harris and evacuate her from the front of the building for 10 minutes. No buildings were cordoned off, and no safe blast perimeter was established. A uniformed Capitol Police officer tiptoed up to the device to snap a photograph.

A perimeter was eventually established. The DNC bomb was destroyed by a bomb robot at curbside, just feet from the DNC building.

Adding to the confusion, Capitol Police CCTV security cameras on the Fairchild Building and on a traffic pole across from the DNC were turned away from the scene, apparently deliberately, making it nearly impossible to see who re-placed the bomb and who found it.

Camera 3173 — located directly across the street from where the pipe bomb was found at 1:05 p.m. — turned away from the DNC building at 1:29 p.m., before the bomb squad arrived. Camera 8020 — located on the Fairchild Building — was filming the assemblage of the bomb squad on E Street Southeast when it, too, was directed away at 1:44 p.m. to focus on some distant railroad tracks. Camera 8021, which was recording the operations of a bomb robot, suddenly panned away from the scene just before 2:21 p.m.

RELATED: Was the January 6 DNC ‘pipe bomb’ PLANTED by the Secret Service or FBI?

U.S. Capitol Police countersurveillance officers walk past the DNC building seven minutes before returning and discovering the pipe bomb. Once the bomb was discovered, the Secret Service acted as if it was not a threat. U.S. Capitol Police CCTV

Capitol Police camera 4502 — mounted on the nearby Capitol power plant — did capture parts of the initial aftermath of the bomb discovery and some of the bomb-robot operations.

Harris — who left the Capitol at 11:22 a.m. despite being a sitting U.S. senator and despite the historic nature of the certification of her election win — never spoke of the alleged danger she was in. Mainstream media never asked Harris if she felt her life was in danger on Jan. 6 after Politico disclosed her presence at the DNC.

According to the investigation done by Armitas, here is how the bombs hoax was set up and carried out on Jan. 5 and 6.

DNC pipe bomb timeline

7:34-7:42 p.m. Jan. 5 — The suspect walked north on New Jersey Avenue and looked down an alley adjacent to the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. The suspect set down the backpack and rose on tiptoes to look northwest toward D Street.

Armitas suggested in the report that the suspect may have been looking for an “overwatch” vehicle driven by someone who would be monitoring USCP radio traffic and security cameras and relaying that intelligence to the suspect.

The suspect then walked north to Capitol and D Streets and returned south after 20 seconds. The suspect got out a cell phone, ostensibly to send a text.

7:43 p.m. — The hoodie suspect sat on a bench next to the DNC and pulled a cell phone from a backpack. The motion of typing text on the phone was almost invisible because the video released by the FBI had been drastically down-sampled.

The video of the pipe-bomb suspect released by the FBI was cropped and had the video frame rate down-sampled, an investigator told Blaze News.Capitol Hill Club

7:46 p.m. — A Capitol Police officer arrived in the area that the bomber was peering toward minutes earlier. The officer parked a vehicle obstructing the crosswalk and entered the night entrance to the Longworth House Office Building, according to Armitas’ video analysis. The officer appeared to stay inside Longworth for three hours, exiting the building at 11:13 p.m. and returning to his vehicle.

7:47 p.m. — The suspect stood and traveled north back to New Jersey Avenue, then detoured west toward the CBCI alley. The suspect sat for about 20 seconds at the base of a large bush and leaned forward into the bush. It became apparent the next morning that a piece of the pipe bomb broke off the device and came to rest under the bush.

7:50 p.m. — The suspect left the CBCI alley, heading toward New Jersey Avenue, then rushed back into the alley to retrieve the backpack. “It is my belief that they received a text and were directed to the DNC,” Armitas wrote.

7:54 p.m. — The suspect sat on the left side of a park bench at the DNC, then stood and moved closer to the end of the bench. The phone appeared to be in the suspect’s hands. As the suspect sat back down, the suspect planted the bomb “with no apparent attempt to wind or set the device up,” Armitas said. “However, the physical profile of the device is in the opposite orientation from how it was discovered.”

The short end of the pipe bomb faced out after the suspect laid it down. When Capitol Police found the device some 16 hours later, the long end was facing out and the dial on the egg timer was upside down “and not oriented in a way to wind it or attach the clips,” Armitas wrote.

The suspect left the DNC, traveling north along Capitol Street Southeast, and moved the backpack from the right hand to the left to avoid it hitting a bicyclist on the sidewalk.

7:57 p.m. — Suspect was now wearing the backpack, a change in behavior that “indicates the person planting these devices views them as dangerous, and it means that there was only 1 device carried at a time.” The individual turned to look down the alley beside the CBCI, possibly scanning for the broken piece of the device left behind.

Capitol Hill Club device timeline

8:09 p.m. Jan. 5 — The suspect walked a route toward the Capitol Hill Club and Republican National Committee that minimized possible exposure to Capitol Police security cameras. The suspect entered Rumsey Court and spent four minutes not visible to any security cameras that have been made public.

8:14 p.m. — The suspect left Rumsey Court on the sidewalk along 1st Street Southeast and headed north. As the suspect passed in front of the green awning of the Capitol Hill Club, the suspect appeared to wave and point with the left arm to a Capitol Police SUV driving south on 1st Street. It appeared this waving motion caused a shoulder cramp, as the suspect wrapped the arm across the face and rubbed the shoulder.

Potentially showing familiarity with this neighborhood, the suspect took a mini-shortcut along a short path to the right of the “RNC rock” at 1st and C streets and proceeded east on C.

Two U.S. Capitol Police SUVs make a traffic stop across C Street while the pipe-bomb suspect walks down Rumsey Court to place a pipe bomb behind the Capitol Hill Club on Jan. 5, 2021.U.S. Capitol Police CCTV

8:15 p.m. — It appeared that the suspect attempted to plant a pipe bomb in a bush “outside a congressional dormitory on C Street,” Armitas wrote. He or she was cut short when a Capitol Police SUV with emergency lights on turned onto C Street from 1st Street.

The suspect, ostensibly not knowing that the Capitol Police vehicle was making a traffic stop, fled down the north entrance of Rumsey Court but remained in the area. Security cameras in Rumsey Court captured audio of the suspect’s Nike Air Max shoes emitting a squeaking sound.

Former FBI Special Agent Kyle Seraphin, who worked on the pipe-bombs case several months after Jan. 6, said the USCP vehicles appeared to carry out a blocking maneuver.

“I see a ‘blocking vehicle,’ then they acknowledge [the suspect] and circle back to set up a blocking position,” Seraphin said. “The other vehicle then doubles back to assist.”

8:18 p.m. — The suspect was captured on a security camera rounding the corner of a building on Rumsey Court to plant the device. A widely circulated photo of the suspect released by the FBI came from HD video footage that was cropped to change its aspect ratio, Armitas said.

The suspect planted the device between rolling plastic trash bins along the back wall of the Capitol Hill Club. The area was very remote and would be visible only to someone taking out the trash from the Capitol Hill Club or someone opening the wooden gate and entering the rear of the apartment building at 109 C Street. The building’s laundry facilities were located inside this entrance.

The suspect appears to depart Rumsey Court via a garden at St. Peter’s on Capitol Hill, a Catholic church at 313 2nd St. Southeast.

8:31 p.m. — According to internal USCP communications, the suspect was last seen turning east from 6th Street to D Street, heading toward Eastern Market at 227 7th St. Southeast.

12:40 p.m. Jan. 6 — The Capitol Hill Club pipe bomb was reported to the security officer at the nearby Republican National Committee building just after 12:40 p.m. on Jan. 6. Karlin Younger, then 37, a resident of 109 C Street who went in and out of the laundry room at the rear entrance that faces Rumsey Court, reported the device.

Younger approached the guard shack at the Republican National Committee building. The guards summoned the director of security, Ken Capolino, a former U.S. Capitol Police officer. Capolino snapped a photo of the device next to the trash bin. The photo was sent to the Capitol Police Command Center, former USCP Chief Steven Sund told Blaze News.

“Because this location is so remote, there can be no expectation for this to be discovered naturally at a precise time,” Armitas said. “You must have a dedicated person waiting to make the initial discovery, and that person must have a believable story on why they were at this remote location.”

RELATED: FBI sent 55 agents to the Capitol Jan. 6, none for ‘crowd control,’ former Chief Steven Sund says

The photo of the Capitol Hill Club pipe bomb was snapped by RNC security director Ken Capolino, a former U.S. Capitol Police officer, at about 12:40 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021.Ken Capolino via Armitas

Younger claims there was no device present next to the trash bins when she first went into and exited from the laundry entrance. This would mean the device would have had to be planted between her first and second trips to the laundry room.

She reported that the egg timer on the bomb read 20 minutes. She said she discerned this detail by leaning down to get a closer look at the device. She said she also leaned in to try to determine whether the bomb was ticking.

A man who works on the ground floor of the Longworth House Office Building, 1 Independence Ave. Southeast, left the Longworth and entered the alley of the Capitol Hill Club carrying a collapsed umbrella. The man was out of the view of security cameras for 18 minutes and departed the court before Younger returned to move her laundry from the washer to the dryer.

Upon returning to the Longworth building, the man was allowed to walk through security without going through the metal detector.

The FBI obtained a geofence warrant for all cellular devices present at the two bomb sites on Jan. 5 and 6. Data for a set of phones contained in the AT&T geofence warrant was allegedly corrupt and unusable, Armitas said.

AT&T referred the FBI to First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet, a cellular provider for law enforcement and first responders in the D.C. market. “The story of this event states that when a FirstNet employee tried to pull up data for the relevant sections of D.C., it crashed their server and corrupted the data,” Armitas wrote.

All of the civilian devices on the FirstNet system in D.C. were “investigated, apparently to the satisfaction of the FBI,” Armitas wrote, meaning the only remaining data was for encrypted devices belonging to law enforcement or first responders.

Younger, the woman who found the Capitol Hill Club device, was an employee of FirstNet at the time, Armitas wrote. According to online credit records, Younger worked for First Responder Network Authority from Oct. 1, 2016 until Aug. 15, 2021. Her job titles included state plans leads analyst, external affairs, and investment lead.

Blaze News reached out to Younger and the FBI for comment.

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​Politics 

Police in Alsip, Illinois — a village about 30 minutes south of Chicago — said officers were dispatched to the area of 124th Street and South Cicero Avenue around 10 p.m. Monday in response to a 911 call from a female saying she was being chased by an active shooter.

While officers were responding, the female made several more 911 calls saying she had a loaded gun, that she had killed a cop, and that she would kill another officer, police said.

‘Horrible situation. Sounds like a mental health crisis gone bad.’

The female caller’s phone was geographically tracked to the Burr Oak Cemetery, police said, adding that officers searched the cemetery and found the female in the west end of the cemetery.

As officers approached, the female fled, scaled a fence, and crossed Cicero Avenue, police said, adding that pursuing officers issued multiple verbal commands for her to stop.

However, she turned and pointed a firearm at officers, police said.

RELATED: Woman shot by Virginia police was holding fake gun

Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Faced with an imminent threat, police said one of the responding officers shot the female.

Officers immediately began lifesaving measures on her, police said, adding that the Alsip Fire Department arrived on the scene and continued lifesaving measures. The female was taken to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

A replica Colt firearm was immediately recovered at the scene, police said.

The incident appears isolated, police said, adding that there is no threat to the public.

The Alsip Police Department said it asked the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Unit to investigate the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

Police said those with information about this incident are asked to contact either the Alsip Police Department at 708-385-6902 or the Illinois State Police.

The woman’s identity has not been shared at this time, WFLD-TV reported.

Hundreds of comments were left on the police department’s Facebook post about the incident. Most commenters appeared supportive of police in a no-win situation, but a few others seem skeptical of things.

“Horrible situation. Sounds like a mental health crisis gone bad. Awful outcome for this woman’s family and the first responders involved,” one commenter wrote. “I wish people knew the emotional burden an officer takes on in this type of situation.””Prayer[s] for all officers/fire/dispatch involved in this call,” another user said, adding that a “very difficult decision was made.””Is there any body camera footage that anybody actually see[s] her pull a gun on the police officer?” another commenter wondered. “I’m just saying people lie to protect themselves.””Might be a cover-up of something bigger that happened,” another user stated.

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​Replica gun, Suburban chicago, Illinois, Police-involved shooting, Woman fatally shot, Threats, 911 calls, Pointed gun, Alsip, Crime 

The Louisiana Pharmacy Benefit Manager Monitoring Advisory Council met last month with an unusual guest — one who came with a clear conflict of interest.

Dr. Alex Oshmyansky, founder and CEO of the Mark Cuban-backed Cost Plus Drug Company, was invited to brief the council on PBMs. But his company directly competes with them. No PBM representatives were invited to speak or respond. What could have been an informed policy discussion turned into an unbalanced promotional session for a single competitor — and that does not serve patients.

The one-sided hearing

Pharmacy benefit managers have long been in Mark Cuban’s crosshairs. He claims PBMs create “an inefficient market” and lack transparency. Those complaints underpin his partnership with Oshmyansky to form Cost Plus Drug Company, a business designed to bypass PBMs entirely.

If Louisiana’s leaders want real reform, they must start by restoring fairness — and remembering who the system exists to serve.

At the hearing, Oshmyansky presented his company’s views on PBMs without challenge or rebuttal. The absence of PBM voices left the council with a distorted view of the system it’s supposed to oversee.

That imbalance creates two serious problems.

First, it deprives the council of a complete understanding of how PBMs work — what services they provide, how they negotiate lower drug prices, and how Louisiana’s new PBM regulations are already being implemented. Without hearing from the industry itself, policymakers risk forming conclusions based on partial information and advocacy, not evidence.

Second, when public bodies accept one-sided testimony, patients lose. PBMs manage drug coverage for millions of Americans, ensuring access to affordable medicines and stable pharmacy networks. When their perspective is ignored, regulations may raise costs, reduce access, or disrupt care for the very people the state claims to protect.

Political hostility and government bias

The broader political context in Louisiana makes this even more troubling. Gov. Jeff Landry (R) has pushed to ban PBMs entirely — an extreme measure that would upend how prescription coverage operates in the state. Meanwhile, Attorney General Liz Murrill has sued CVS, one of the nation’s largest PBMs, for warning consumers about the potential fallout of such a ban.

These moves reveal a pattern: State leaders are treating PBMs not as partners with critical expertise but as enemies. That approach replaces policymaking with politics and undermines public confidence in fair regulation.

RELATED: The maligned and misunderstood player that Big Pharma wants gone

cagkansayin via iStock/Getty Images

Reform through balance, not bias

The PBM industry isn’t above reform. Greater transparency and accountability are necessary. But good policy starts with balance. The council should convene a second meeting — this time with PBM representatives at the table alongside Cost Plus Drug Company. The proceedings should be public and transparent.

Patients deserve policies based on facts, not billionaire-backed bias. Regulation shaped by evidence, not resentment, is how states protect health, affordability, and trust.

If Louisiana’s leaders want real reform, they must start by restoring fairness — and remembering who the system exists to serve.

​Opinion & analysis, Health care, Health insurance, Mark cuban, Alex oshmyansky, Cost plus drug company, Big pharma, Drug prices, Prescription drugs, Pharmaceutical companies, Pharmacy benefit managers, Pbm, Louisiana, Jeff landry, Liz murrill, Republicans, Democrats, Bias, Billionaires 

As if the 402-acre Muslim compound called “EPIC City” just north of Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas wasn’t enough, the sleepy little town of Murphy, Texas, is now being targeted by Islamists intent on spreading their ideology.

“There is a residential neighborhood called Oasis Springs Manor. And if you move to Oasis Springs Manor, you can now live on streets such as Al Maun Drive,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says, explaining that the new street name is a reference to a passage or section in the Quran.

Another street is named Sadiq Drive, which is a reference to Jafar al-Sadiq, the sixth imam.

“A man who many Muslim writers credit for proclaiming the principle that whatever was contrary to the Quran should be rejected despite whatever evidence might support it,” Gonzales explains.

Osman Drive, another new street, is a nod to the former sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

“Now, remember, the Ottoman Empire used the concept of jihad or holy war to expand Islam into non-Muslim territories. Like, they were really big on that,” Gonzales says, before introducing the street Syed Drive.

Syed Drive “signifies a Muslim descendant of their prophet Muhammad.”

“And remember, Muhammad is a dude who married a child, had slaves. I’m sorry, you’re supposed to call them concubines. That’s the more PC way of saying that. Okay, so that’s what he had. I believe he consummated his child marriage when she was 9. Other than that, though, great guy,” Gonzales says.

“So that neighborhood has gotten the city to go along with naming their streets those names. Now, that’s sending quite a message, isn’t it? That neighborhood is sending quite the message. And the message is ‘We are not assimilating. … We are going to bring Islam everywhere’ because remember, that’s the whole freaking goal,” she continues.

Near this neighborhood is land owned by the Islamic Association of Murphy, where they’re also now building a 32,000-square-foot mosque.

“Now, the way that they have been able to build this mosque is because they purchased several lots of land that had homes on the land. They just demolished the homes. … They posted pictures on their website of all these homes just being ripped out from the ground, the yards, the trees, all of it, so that they can build a mosque there,” Gonzales explains.

“Oh, and by the way, when the city approved the mosque, the city said, ‘Okay, you guys are going to be responsible for the road repairs in the area,’ and the mosque threw this big fit. But when you read from the website for the mosque, it’s interesting, guys, because they boast that they worked with the mayor to reduce the share of the road improvement cost by the mosque from $800,000 to $396,000,” she continues.

“They just have to tell you how much the city is spending to just be a sitting duck,” she adds.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Camera phone, Video, Upload, Free, Video phone, Sharing, Youtube.com, Come and take it, Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Muslim compound texas, Muslim communities texas, Sharia law, Sharia law in america, Islamic takeover of texas, Murphy texas, Dallas fort worth, Come and take it with sara gonzales 

Country singer Zach Bryan responded to a wave of backlash over a snippet of a song he released that appeared to criticize the mission of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Bryan posted the short clip from his song onto his Instagram account and immediately received fierce criticism from many on the right. That included Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

‘To see how much s**t it stirred up makes me not only embarrassed but kind of scared.’

“Zach, I didn’t listen to your music. I’m happy about that today,” she said during a media briefing in Portland, Oregon. “That makes me very happy that I never gave you a single penny to enrich your lifestyle.”

She later offered further clarification in a podcast interview with Benny Johnson.

“I hope Zach Bryan understands how completely disrespectful that song is, not just to law enforcement but to this country, to every single individual that has stood up and fought for our freedoms,” Noem said. “He just compromised it all by putting out a product … that attacks individuals who are just trying to make our streets safe.”

On Tuesday, the social media account for DHS mocked Bryan by posting a video using one of his songs in order to highlight ICE operations.

Bryan, who is a military veteran, responded to the backlash with a video posted to his Instagram account also on Tuesday.

“I served this country, I love this country, and the song itself is about all of us coming out of this divided space. I wasn’t speaking as a politician or some greater-than-thou a*****e, just a 29-year-old man who is just as confused as everyone else,” he said.

“To see how much s**t it stirred up makes me not only embarrassed but kind of scared,” he added.

RELATED: Don Lemon stunned by black New Yorker’s response to mass deportations during live streaming video

Bryan went on to explain that the song was written months ago.

“This song is about how much I love this country and everyone in it more than anything. When you hear the rest of the song, you will understand the full context that hits on both sides of the aisle,” Bryan continued. “Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are. We need to find our way back.”

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​Kristi noem, Zach bryan, Anti-ice protest, Celebrities against ice, Politics 

Putting his doubters to shame once again, President Donald Trump has successfully brokered a peace in Gaza. The deal, which the Israeli government will vote on Thursday, was signed just days before the announcement of this year’s coveted Novel Peace Prize.

Israel has fought several wars with Hamas since the terrorist organization won Palestinian elections in 2006. The latest conflict between the two parties has been particularly brutal.

In the two years since Oct. 7, 2023 — the day Hamas slaughtered 1,200 Israelis, including hundreds of civilians, and took 251 hostages — Israel has lost at least 466 soldiers, including several colonels, in its Gaza counteroffensive. According to the Hamas-run Gazan health authority whose casualty estimates remain in question, there have been well over 65,000 Gazan fatalities.

President Donald Trump, who has earned a reputation not only for hating wars but for ending them, has worked ardently to secure peace in the Gaza Strip.

Late last month, he announced a 21-point peace plan for Gaza — a plan lauded by leaders around the globe.

Hamas promptly agreed to the deal, which requires an immediate end to the fighting; a return of the Israeli hostages; Israel’s release of thousands of Gazans detained after Oct. 7, 2023; a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza City, Rafah, and other heavily populated areas; and a resumption of aid to Gaza “without interference from the two parties.”

Trump revealed in a Truth Social post on Wednesday evening that “Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan.”

‘He deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for this.’

“This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” wrote Trump. “All Parties will be treated fairly!”

Trump emphasized that “this is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America.”

“BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!” added the president.

— (@)

As Trump’s name was reportedly chanted in the streets of Gaza and Israel alike, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “Through steadfast resolve, powerful military action, and the great efforts of our great friend and ally President Trump, we have reached this critical turning point.”

RELATED: Two years after October 7: God hasn’t been silent

Photo by BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images

“I thank President Trump for his leadership, his partnership, and his unwavering commitment to the safety of Israel and the freedom of our hostages,” added Netanyahu.

An Israeli government official told the Telegraph that Netanyahu’s government will vote on whether to certify the peace plan around 5 p.m. local time. Within 72 hours of the approval, the exchange of hostages and prisoners is supposed to commence.

Ahead of the Israeli vote, there have been renewed calls for Trump to finally receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump has brokered peaceful resolutions between Azerbaijan and Armenia; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Cambodia and Thailand; and India and Pakistan. He has also worked to smooth things over between Egypt and Ethiopia as well as between Kosovo and Serbia during his first term.

While any one these accomplishments would appear prizeworthy, a European diplomat told the Financial Times ahead of Trump’s Wednesday announcement, “This is different. Gaza would be a big deal.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick wrote in response to Trump’s announcement, “Undoubtedly, President Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog similarly noted, “There is no doubt that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for this.”

In his Sept. 30 address to military leaders in Quantico, Virginia, Trump said of the Nobel Peace Prize, “They’ll give it to some guy that didn’t do a damn thing.”

After suggesting that a decision by the Nobel committee members on Oct. 10 not to award him the prize would “be a big insult to our country,” Trump noted, “I don’t want it. I want the country to get it.”

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​Donald trump, Peacemaker, Peace, Middle east, Palestine, Israel, Hamas, Gaza, Gazan, Oct. 7, Terrorism, Bloodshed, Foreign policy, Politics 

Over the weekend, we learned that Jay Jones, the Democrats’ candidate for Virginia attorney general, had been fantasizing about killing his political opponents. Jones not only told colleagues he would shoot Republicans before shooting Hitler or Pol Pot but also expressed a desire to watch children die in their conservative parents’ arms.

These comments would be disqualifying in any sane political culture. But after the assassination of Charlie Kirk last month and the wave of anti-ICE violence that has followed, Democrats had a chance to show they could police their own rhetoric. Instead, terrified of losing a critical statewide race, they have rallied behind Jones. In just weeks, the left has gone from calls to “turn down the temperature” to endorsing a candidate who openly dreams of killing children.

For progressives, power is everything. No behavior is too vile if it helps them win.

Game theory offers a useful way to understand what’s happening. One of its key concepts is “tit for tat,” a strategy in which the first player opens by cooperating and then mirrors the other’s behavior — cooperation for cooperation, defection for defection. The system stabilizes only when both sides know defection carries a cost. Any other strategy invites chaos.

After Kirk’s assassination, many of us warned that serious action was needed before the left’s spiral of violence spun out of control. The Trump administration had to use lawful force to dismantle leftist terror networks — but conservatives also needed a mental shift. If the right allowed progressives to “defect” by celebrating an assassination without paying a price, the lesson would be clear: Violence works.

Predictably, the left denounced the call to enforce accountability as “political retribution.” Libertarians and establishment conservatives joined the chorus. The left’s objection was insincere — it never wants to pay a price for bad behavior. But libertarians, paralyzed by theory, condemned the idea anyway. And the weak-kneed right, terrified of being called hypocritical, repeated the same tired warning: If Republicans act decisively now, Democrats will retaliate when they’re back in power.

It’s an absurd fear in 2025. Progressives have already jailed administration officials, arrested a former president, removed him from ballots, imprisoned protesters and meme-makers, and assassinated a conservative activist. What more are these so-called principled conservatives afraid of? Allowing the left to defect without penalty has been a disaster — just as game theory predicts. Something must change.

When Kirk was shot, a handful of liberals managed the obligatory denunciations. But the “both sides” rhetoric made clear that they took no responsibility. Others reveled in the death of a husband and father, mocking his faith and legacy online. Some were fired, and Jimmy Kimmel was briefly suspended for lying about the alleged shooter — but both Kimmel and the culture that spawned him returned unchanged. Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Ilhan Omar quickly resumed their attacks on Kirk’s character.

The left paid no price for its rhetoric, and predictably, the violence resumed.

Now, Democrats are standing behind a radical candidate who gleefully fantasized about killing Republicans and their children. A few colleagues tut-tutted his words, but none demanded that he step down. Once again, no consequences. For progressives, power is everything. No behavior is too vile if it helps them win.

RELATED: Democrat’s vile texts wish death on GOP lawmaker

Photo by Craig Hudson for the Washington Post via Getty Images

Democracy depends on the ability to transfer power peacefully. Disagreements can be sharp — but they cannot be life-or-death. Yet progressives have made politics exactly that. Conservatives who still insist on “principles” over consequences are sleepwalking through history. Ignoring this escalation has failed. Political assassination has now become an accepted weapon in the left’s arsenal.

When Charlie Kirk was killed, the left dropped even the pretense of civility. They danced, sang, and laughed over his death. And now, with Democrats refusing to remove Jay Jones from the Virginia attorney general’s race, one suspects his murderous fantasies don’t shock them because they’ve also shared them privately.

The left’s immunity from consequence has bred a monster — a political culture that delights in destruction. If conservatives continue to shrink from imposing real costs, that monster will devour the last shreds of America’s social fabric.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Jay jones, Jay jones texts, Democrat violence, Left wing violence, Charlie kirk assassination, Charlie kirk, Charlie kirk assassin, Lawfare, Weaponization of government, Political violence, Democrats, Incitement, Game theory, Accountability, Law and order 

I should be dead. Buried in an unmarked grave in Romania. But God had other plans.

As a young attorney living under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s brutal communist regime in the 1980s, I spent my life searching for truth in a regime of lies. I found it in the Bible — forbidden in my country. I answered the divine call to defend fellow Christians facing persecution in an ungodly land.

If the United Nations is to mean anything again, it must rediscover the courage that once gave refuge to dissidents like me.

For that “crime,” I was kidnapped, interrogated, beaten, and tortured. I spent months under house arrest and came within seconds of execution when a government assassin pointed a gun at me. I survived and fled to the United States as a political refugee.

The UN once stood for something

In his recent address to the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly, President Donald Trump said the organization “has tremendous potential — but it’s not even close to living up to that potential.” He’s right.

When the United Nations was founded in 1945, its mission was noble: to promote peace, security, and human rights worldwide. It was meant to be a platform for honest dialogue, a beacon for humanitarian action, and a voice for the voiceless.

It once lived up to that promise. During the Cold War, the U.N. amplified the voices of dissidents behind the Iron Curtain and gave cover to lawyers like me defending Christians in communist courts. Its support for human rights cases in Romania helped expose Ceaușescu’s tyranny to the world.

That international pressure saved my life and countless others.

Bureaucracy replaced moral courage

Today’s U.N. bears little resemblance to that courageous institution. It has become paralyzed by bureaucracy and corrupted by politics. Instead of defending the oppressed, it often defends the powerful — or looks away altogether.

In Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen, millions suffer while the U.N. Security Council stalls over procedural votes. Permanent members protect their allies, veto resolutions, and block humanitarian intervention. Political calculations routinely outweigh moral imperatives.

When the institution created to prevent genocide can’t even condemn it, the crisis isn’t merely diplomatic — it’s spiritual.

Reform begins with courage

President Trump has proposed bold changes to restore the U.N.’s relevance. He called for adding permanent Security Council members — emerging powers such as India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany — to reflect modern realities and make the council more decisive.

He urged the U.N. to prioritize global security and counterterrorism while aligning its agenda with the legitimate interests of free nations. First lady Melania Trump, addressing the same assembly, launched Fostering the Future Together, a coalition promoting education, innovation, and children’s welfare.

These initiatives could help revive the U.N.’s moral voice and refocus it on its founding purpose: defending the oppressed and restraining the oppressors.

RELATED: Trump strongly defends Christianity at UN: ‘The most persecuted religion on the planet today’

Photo by seechung via Getty Images

Faith and courage still matter

My own survival came down to faith. When Ceaușescu sent an assassin to kill me, he pulled a gun and said, “You have ignored all of our warnings. I am here to kill you.”

In that moment of terror, I prayed: “Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.” Peace replaced panic. I began sharing the gospel.

That armed killer, confronted with God’s word, lowered his weapon, turned, and walked away. Today, he is a pastor — serving the same faith he once tried to destroy.

The lesson is simple: Hearts can change. Institutions can too. But it takes conviction.

If the United Nations is to mean anything again, it must rediscover the courage that once gave refuge to dissidents like me. It must speak for the enslaved, the persecuted, and the forgotten — not for dictators and bureaucrats.

God spared my life so I could keep fighting for truth. The U.N. was part of that story once. It can be again — if it remembers why it was born.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Un, United nations, United nations corruption, Un general assembly, Un general assembly donald trump, Dissidents, Tyranny, Bureaucracy, Donald trump, Melania trump, Romania, India, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Un security council, Cold war, Oppression