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An Arkansas father who is facing second-degree murder charges for allegedly killing his teen daughter’s suspected sexual abuser has won the Republican nomination for county sheriff.

As Blaze News reported in October 2024, Aaron Spencer woke up to find his 14-year-old daughter missing from the family’s home. Police were notified about the missing girl.

‘Michael Fosler is [expletive] dead on the side of the road for trying to kidnap my daughter. I had no choice.’

Spencer got in his vehicle to try to track down his missing daughter and spotted a white Ford truck on the highway owned by Michael Fosler — the 67-year-old man accused of raping Spencer’s daughter.

The Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release, “While en route, deputies were notified that the father, Aaron Spencer, had located the juvenile in a vehicle with Michael Fosler.”

The affidavit said Spencer used his vehicle to rear-end Fosler’s Ford F-150 truck at an intersection, which forced it off the road and into a ditch.

Citing court records, USA Today reported that Spencer “then got out of his car and started firing a gun at Fosler. He fired 16 times, court records state, noting 15 bullets hit Fosler.”

Court documents said Spencer pistol-whipped Fosler in the face after firing the shots.

Court records show Spencer then called 911 and said, “Michael Fosler is [expletive] dead on the side of the road for trying to kidnap my daughter. I had no choice.”

Police said Fosler was pronounced dead at the crime scene.

Spencer was arrested, charged with second-degree murder in connection with Fosler’s death, and then released from the Lonoke County Detention Center after posting bail.

Court documents said Spencer went to the home of a female acquaintance of Fosler on July 8, 2024, told the woman that Fosler raped his underage daughter, and then demanded Fosler’s phone number and home address.

Spencer instructed the woman not to call anyone, including the police, according to court documents.

However, Fosler’s acquaintance revealed the situation to one of her family members, who was a mandated reporter. According to USA Today, “Mandated reporters are required to notify law enforcement officials or social services about suspected cases of child abuse.”

The mandated reporter alerted the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office about the rape allegations, court records stated.

Court records said two officers went to Spencer’s residence as part of the investigation into the rape of his minor daughter.

Court docs said the interaction between Spencer and officers was recorded on a police bodycam, and one of the officers is heard telling Spencer, “We still don’t live in a country where you can take the law into your own hands,” to which Spencer responded with an expletive.

Officials with the Wade Knox Children’s Advocacy Center interviewed Spencer’s daughter, according to court records.

USA Today reported that police obtained an arrest warrant for Fosler for a charge of rape and one count of internet stalking of a child — both of which are felonies.

USA Today said Fosler was arrested and then released from jail on $50,000 bond on July 17, 2024.

RELATED: ‘Want him buried’: Family’s explosive words surface after cheerleader’s stepbrother reportedly charged in her death on cruise

Spencer’s sister-in-law in 2025 launched a GiveSendGo crowdfunding campaign, which has raised over $100,000 in an effort to keep their “family afloat amid Aaron’s daunting legal proceedings.”

“Beginning in the spring of 2024, my then 13-year-old niece was targeted by a predator, groomed, and assaulted multiple times,” the crowdfunding listing said.

As Blaze News reported in October 2024, Spencer launched a political campaign to become the new Lonoke County Sheriff despite awaiting trial in connection with the alleged murder of Fosler.

The Arkansas secretary of state revealed that Spencer won more than 53% of the vote in last Tuesday’s three-person GOP primary, easily defeating incumbent Lonoke County Sheriff John Staley and David Bufford.

Spencer said of his victory, “Lonoke County sent a clear message last night, and we’re just getting started.”

“I’m running to restore accountability and integrity to the sheriff’s office, and the people of this county just showed they want the same thing,” the father said on his campaign Facebook page. “Let’s finish the job and build a safer, stronger Lonoke County together.”

Sheriff Staley congratulated Spencer by saying in a statement, “Tonight, the voters made their decision in the Republican Primary, and I respect the decision.”

Staley had been the Lonoke County Sheriff for the last 13 years.

Spencer — a husband, father, combat veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division, contractor, and farmer — now will face off against Democrat nominee Brian Mitchell Sr. in November.

Fox News noted that Spencer will be prohibited from serving as sheriff if he is convicted of the murder charge.

Spencer’s trial initially was scheduled for January but has been postponed. He has pleaded not guilty.

Spencer’s lawyers released a statement Friday: “Aaron did exactly what Arkansas law allows and exactly what any father would do: He protected his daughter and himself from harm.”

“We said from the beginning that Aaron was justified under Arkansas law in protecting his daughter, and every time the facts have come into focus, that conclusion has only become clearer,” the Lassiter & Cassinelli legal team proclaimed.

His lawyers also characterized Spencer’s supporters as “parents, veterans, and neighbors who watched the system fail and support a father who stepped up.”

“Lonoke County residents have rallied behind Aaron Spencer not just in his legal defense, but in his broader mission to bring accountability to a county government that has long operated without it,” the statement said.

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​Aaron spencer, Aaron spencer sheriff, Michael fosler, Justice, Child sex crimes, Child sex abuse, Rape, Child sexual assault, Crime, Arkansas, Lonoke county sheriff, Murder charge, Father and daughter, Republican primary, Election, Politics 

The U.S. Dept. of Justice said it had reached a tentative deal in the antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment on Monday.

Critics of the event ticket outlet have accused the company of seeking a monopoly in the industry in order to artificially maintain high sales fees.

‘We will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry.’

“Live Nation Ticketmaster created a dominant conglomerate with an unprecedented amount of control over the live ticketing market, resulting in monopoly power it has used to entrench its position in the marketplace,” Mark Meador wrote in 2024 before being nominated to FTC commissioner.

On Monday, a senior Justice Department official said anonymously in a call with reporters that the deal was a “win-win for everybody.”

Live Nation has agreed to divest itself of 13 amphitheaters in the U.S. as a part of the deal, which also includes a $280 million fine.

The official said a double-digit number of states have signaled that they will agree with the deal.

New York Attorney General Letitia James was among those who said they would not go along with the deal and continue their own lawsuits against the companies.

“My attorney general colleagues and I have a strong case against Live Nation, and we will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry,” James said.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) ridiculed President Donald Trump over the deal in a post on social media.

RELATED: It’s time to join the fight and expose Ticketmaster

“Donald ‘Art of the Deal’ Trump settled the Ticketmaster-Live Nation antitrust case,” Warren wrote.

“If you love going to concerts, Trump’s deal means you’ll keep paying a ‘Ticketmaster Tax.’ And artists will keep getting bullied,” she added. “It’s time to break up Ticketmaster-Live Nation.”

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​Trump deal ticketmaster, Live nation deal with doj, Tickemaster monopoly, Liz warren vs ticketmaster, Politics 

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) has refused to hand over an illegal immigrant with over 30 prior arrests to ICE.

The suspect, Abdul Jalloh, is an illegal alien from Sierra Leone with at least 30 arrests on violent charges.

“She is now saying that she will not turn over a guy who [allegedly] murdered a woman at a bus stop, stabbing her to death. Okay? Will not turn him over to ICE because they need a warrant. Can I ask you — and this is an honest question — why, why, for the love of Pete, are the Democrats so intent on protecting murderers, rapists?” Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck comments.

“The police knew who this guy was because they had arrested him so many times. He had been arrested like 40 times. One of them was for rape, and they let him out on the streets — returned him to the streets — because they want to protect him and his rights,” Glenn says.

Glenn admits that he doesn’t “understand.”

“Immigration policy can be really, really complicated. Border enforcement: complicated, okay? Work visas, asylum laws, all of that stuff. But in this case, it is not complicated at all. A woman standing at a bus stop, a normal American moment, waiting for the day to begin, waiting for a bus, and she’s stabbed to death,” he says.

“And this isn’t somebody who just slipped through the cracks one time. A guy who had been arrested again and again and again. … Assault, rape, and now [suspected] murder, stabbing,” he continues.

“Can I ask you: If it is not the government’s job to protect, what is their job?” Glenn asks. “Because they weren’t protecting you or this woman or anybody in Virginia. They weren’t protecting any American by putting him back on the street.”

“Now, here’s the question that every single American should be asking, and I mean this honestly: What possible justification exists for keeping somebody like this in our communities?” he asks. “Can you give me one single explanation that is logical, that is not evil, quite honestly?”

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.

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Communist China isn’t hiding its ambitions. Beijing wants to displace the United States as the world’s leading power. It flies spy balloons over our country, runs influence operations, steals technology, pressures neighbors, menaces Taiwan, and builds missiles and ships meant to drive America out of the Western Pacific.

The Pentagon’s newly released National Defense Strategy puts the People’s Republic of China at the center of the threat picture. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth frames the task in blunt terms: “peace through strength,” including a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific so that China can’t “dominate us or our allies.”

China won’t ‘take over the world’ in some comic-book way. But it will keep testing the seams of American power — and it will keep exploiting our habits of denial and delay.

That doesn’t mean the United States and China are “destined for war.” China’s weaknesses cut against that. It lacks the kind of soft power that makes alliances easy and coercion unnecessary. Outside its borders, China inspires far more fear than admiration. Demographic collapse also looms. The one-child policy left China facing an aging population and a shrinking workforce.

None of that makes Beijing harmless. A declining regime can still lash out. It can still intimidate neighbors, manipulate markets, and exploit American openness. It can also run influence operations in plain sight — through front companies, academic partnerships, lobbying, investment vehicles, and the slow capture of key choke points in tech and infrastructure.

That calls for something Washington too often refuses to do: enforce rules like a serious country.

Start with basic counterintelligence hygiene. Aggressively investigate covert foreign influence. Enforce FARA. Protect sensitive research. Tighten screening around critical supply chains. Treat strategic industries like strategic industries. Strip Chinese “paper Americans” of their citizenship and deport them.

This is where internal discipline matters as much as external posture. A national strategy collapses when parts of the bureaucracy slow-walk it, freelance against it, or treat it like optional guidance.

Consider the recent ouster of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater. She was in charge of the Department of Justice’s antitrust division until last month. But she butted heads repeatedly with Attorney General Pam Bondi. Their disagreements slid into insubordination. Slater allegedly lied to Bondi on national security matters that appeared to help China.

RELATED: Iran, China, and Trump’s ‘art of the squeal’

White House via X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images

For example, Slater opposed the Hewlett-Packard Enterprise acquisition of Juniper Networks, which national security experts say is essential to combat Chinese tech dominance. Blocking the deal would have hurt U.S. industry and helped Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Happily, the administration overruled her and approved the deal.

Washington can’t run a serious China policy with internal sabotage, bureaucratic drift, or officials acting like they answer to a different set of priorities.

The same standard applies to national security decisions in the tech arena. If competition with Huawei and China’s tech ecosystem matters — and it does — then Washington should evaluate mergers, procurement, and infrastructure policy through that lens, not just through abstract theories divorced from geopolitical reality. America needs to win the next generation of networks, not regulate itself into strategic dependence.

China won’t “take over the world” in some comic-book way. But it will keep testing the seams of American power — and it will keep exploiting our habits of denial and delay.

Peace through strength isn’t a slogan. It’s a posture: defend critical systems, enforce the law, remove vulnerabilities, and stop treating strategic competition like a seminar topic. The first step is simple and unglamorous: clean up our own house, then face Beijing with the seriousness the moment demands.

​China, Beijing, Communism, Trump, Foreign policy, United states, Spy balloon, China policy, Peace through strength, Opinion & analysis, Hewlett packard enterprise, Juniper networks, Merger, Acquisition, Gail slater, Pam bondi, Deep state, Administrative state, Department of justice, Antitrust 

As the joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes continue hammering away at Iran, some in the media are offering sympathetic portrayals of the bloodthirsty regime leaders, especially the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Among the worst examples was a post from the Economist that referred to the U.S. as the “Great Satan” and appeared to praise Khamenei for his perseverance.

‘Stop glorifying a doomsday terrorist nut job that murdered, raped, and tortured hundreds of thousands.’

“Increasingly, over the course of three decades, Ali Khamenei knew that he was personally in the Great Satan’s sights,” the outlet’s post reads. “This did not daunt him. He felt, always, that he had divine right on his side.”

Many online took exception to that framing and let the outlet know in no uncertain terms.

“And just like that, I’ll never read another Economist article ever again. Referring to America as the Great Satan and praising the brutal dictator in the same headline. Honestly impressive garbage,” journalist Walter Curt responded.

“What in the f**k! Let’s ignore the innocent people he killed in over a dozen countries using his proxy terrorists over the last 30 years, yes, he’s the victim,” another added. “We live in the dumbest of times.”

“Stop glorifying a doomsday terrorist nut job that murdered, raped, and tortured hundreds of thousands, including children, to stay in power. He lived like a scared rat, and died like one,” another user said.

“In related news, The Economist is hiring a new social media intern …,” writer Steve McGuire joked.

Although official death statistics from the crackdown on protests are unreliable, some believe tens of thousands might have been killed by the Irani regime for opposing their rule.

RELATED: ‘I might have forced Israel’s hand’: Trump denies being pressured by Netanyahu into war

Others replied with brevity and clarity.

“What the actual f**k is this s**t?” Mike Cote of NRO replied.

“The economist d**k riding the ayatollah, i have read it all,” another user said.

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​The economist crushed online, Khamenei death, Online vs media, Us-israeli attack on iran, Politics 

Two Pennsylvania residents with alleged ties to radical Islam were arrested in New York City on Saturday after homemade explosive devices were ignited in an apparent attempt to target anti-Islam protesters gathered outside Gracie Mansion, the residence of the city’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani (D).

The New York Police Department identified the two suspects as 18-year-old Emir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi.

‘All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds!’

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch claimed that Balat lit and threw an improvised explosive device toward a group of demonstrators participating in the “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” protest outside Gracie Mansion.

A video of the suspect appeared to show him yelling, “Allahu Akbar,” as he threw the smoking device toward the crowd. Balat then allegedly ran southbound, grabbing a second device from Kayumi. Balat was accused of lighting the second device and dropping it near police officers as he ran away.

Tisch confirmed that the devices were IEDs and “could have caused serious injury or death.” However, no explosions or injuries were reported after the devices seemingly malfunctioned.

Balat’s parents were born in Turkey and became U.S. citizens nearly a decade ago, CBS News reported. Balat, who was living with his parents, is a U.S. citizen. He reportedly traveled to Turkey recently and returned to the U.S. in January. He reportedly spent several months in Turkey last year.

Kayumi’s parents are reportedly from Afghanistan and became U.S. citizens over 15 years ago. He reportedly traveled to Turkey and Saudi Arabia in 2024.

RELATED: Counter-protester lights explosive amid anti-Mamdani protest, utters ‘Allahu Akbar’ — but NYC mayor rips ‘bigotry and racism’

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

FBI agents were observed on Sunday searching the suspects’ homes in Bucks County, ABC News reported.

Balat is a student in the Neshaminy School District, and Kayumi graduated from Council Rock High School North in 2024, CBS News reported. Both are located in Bucks County.

The federal criminal complaint revealed that Balat and Kayumi are facing several charges, including attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the use of a weapon of mass destruction, transportation of explosive materials, interstate transportation and receipt of explosives, and unlawful possession of destructive devices.

According to the complaint, while in law enforcement custody, Balat stated, “This isn’t a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the prophet. … We take action! We take action! … If I didn’t do it, someone else will come and do it.”

Balat, who waived his Miranda rights, requested officers provide him with a piece of paper, on which he allegedly wrote, “All praise is due to Allah lord of all worlds! I pledge my allegience [sic] to the Islamic State. Die in your rage yu [sic] kuffar! Emir B.”

The complaint explained that “kuffar” is an Arabic word that refers to “non-believers” or “infidels.” It also noted that “die in your rage” is a verse in the Quran often invoked by ISIS.

Balat also allegedly told law enforcement that he hoped his attack attempt would be “even bigger” than the Boston Marathon bombing in 2023.

RELATED: Liberal media covers for Saturday’s NYC terror attack suspects — then the facts come out

Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images

The criminal complaint accused Kayumi of stating that he was motivated by ISIS. After waiving his Miranda rights, he allegedly suggested to law enforcement that he was affiliated with the terrorist group. He also allegedly admitted to watching ISIS propaganda.

An FBI special agent explained in the complaint that a preliminary analysis found that the first explosive device, which Balat was accused of throwing into a crowd of protesters, contained triacetone triperoxide.

“Based on my training and experience, I know that TATP is colloquially known as the ‘Mother of Satan’; is extremely sensitive to impact, friction, and heat; and has been used in multiple terrorist attacks over the last decade,” the agent wrote.

Following the arrests of Balat and Kayumi, police identified a parked vehicle several blocks south of Gracie Mansion that had a New Jersey license plate registered to one of Balat’s family members.

Kayumi’s mother filed a missing person report on or about March 7, stating that she last saw her son at their Pennsylvania residence at approximately 10:30 a.m. earlier that day, the criminal complaint noted.

Balat and Kayumi remain in custody.

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​News, New york city, Nyc, Zohran mamdani, New york, Gracie mansion, Pennsylvania, New york police department, Nypd, Emir balat, Ibrahim kayumi, Jessica tisch, Islam, Radical islam, Turkey, Afghanistan, Muslim, Isis, Politics 

Cornell University says chatbots have the capability for gross misuse, and its researchers are proving it.

The school announced recently that it had created a large language model that demonstrated fluency and reasoning capabilities advanced enough to make scam phone calls.

‘ScamAgent constructs persistent personas, … and uses deception strategies that unfold over time.’

ScamAgent, Cornell wrote, is an autonomous AI that can generate realistic scam-call scripts that simulate real-life scenarios where a call recipient is on the receiving end of fraud.

Simply put, it works like a chatbot that has the goal to deceive and persuade the call recipient.

Scam scripts were transformed into “lifelike voice calls using modern text-to-speech systems, completing a fully automated scam pipeline,” Cornell wrote.

At the same time, the research explained that the chatbot showed the remarkable ability to circumvent or ignore safety guardrails built into the language model, meaning it would ignore certain prompts and content filters.

RELATED: Mamdani allies push to ban chatbots from answering questions about law, medicine, and psychology

“ScamAgent constructs persistent personas, maintains conversational context, and uses deception strategies that unfold over time. This design allows it to bypass existing safety guardrails by decomposing harmful tasks into benign subgoals and leveraging contextual carryover to avoid triggering filters.”

The agent was used in a series of real-world fraud scenarios that Americans have become all too familiar with, like medical insurance verification scams, impersonations, prize or lottery fraud, and government benefit enrollment scams. However, researchers used a different chatbot as the recipient, not real people.

Researchers also noticed that it was not very difficult to convert scripts into audio to be used for scams and recreate an automated call without requiring much technical expertise.

RELATED: This new laser farming technique could free us from pesticides — forever

Photographer: Kuni Takahashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

For those wondering what the purpose of building such a deceptive AI agent would be, Cornell researchers said they wanted to highlight an urgent need to detect and disrupt conversational deception powered by AI agents.

They added that even “state-of-the-art” AI models are vulnerable to being used for deception, while also calling for “proactive safeguards” and “regulatory oversight.”

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​Return, Ai, Chatbot, Language model, Scams, Scammers, Call center scam, Tech 

Another federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration after a group of fired employees filed a lawsuit to oppose layoffs ordered at Voice of America.

President Donald Trump nominated Kari Lake to oversee the federal multimedia broadcaster in March 2025 as part of an order to reduce redundant government agencies.

‘We don’t have anyone in our foreign bureaus. We don’t have anybody, basically, to cover the news.’

On Saturday, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the authority to order the layoffs, but it is unclear how the agency will proceed after the ruling.

“Only the Appointments Clause or the Vacancies Act’s exclusive structure may authorize service as a principal officer, and Lake satisfies the requirements of neither the statute nor the Constitution,” Lamberth wrote in the ruling.

Lamberth also noted that Lake had not been approved by the U.S. Senate.

The journalists who filed the lawsuit included Voice of America White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara, Kate Neeper, and Jessica Jerreat.

“We feel vindicated and deeply grateful. The judge’s ruling that Kari Lake’s actions shall have no force or effect is a powerful step toward undoing the damage she has inflicted on this American institution that we love,” reads a statement from the journalists.

“Even as we work through what this ruling means for colleagues harmed by her actions, it brings renewed hope and momentum to the next phase of our fight,” they added, “restoring VOA’s global operations and ensuring we continue to produce journalism, not propaganda.”

About 85% of the staff at VOA and the U.S. Agency for Global Media has been fired since March 2025, which includes about 1,400 workers.

“There’s about 120 working right now, and that’s all based in D.C.,” Widakuswara said. “We don’t have anyone in our foreign bureaus. We don’t have anybody, basically, to cover the news.”

RELATED: Judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibits to presidential home site

Lake excoriated the judge and indicated the government would appeal the ruling.

“The American people gave President Trump a mandate to cut bloated bureaucracy, eliminate waste, and restore accountability to government,” she wrote on social media.

“An activist judge is trying to stand in the way of those efforts at USAGM,” she added.
“Judge Lamberth has a pattern of activist rulings — and this case is no different.”

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​Voa chief kari lake, Voice of america layoffs, Judge royce lamberth vs trump, Trump mass layoffs, Politics 

An 11-year-old Florida boy who was just arrested for making a death threat was charged with the same crime in October, police said.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office noted in its news release last week that “we have a repeat visitor” before disclosing that it was the young suspect’s “second arrest for making a written threat to kill.”

‘If you can threaten to shoot 7 teachers you can take a perp walk. Parents, discipline your kids and I won’t have to.’

The sheriff’s office said the boy has been in a diversion program as a result of his last arrest in October at Southwestern Middle School after he sent a group message “IM GONNA SHOOT YOU” from another student’s communications account.

But officials said the 11-year-old on Thursday once again used another student’s account to send the message “imma shoot you” to seven teachers at DeLand Middle School.

The sheriff’s office posted video of a deputy perp-walking the handcuffed boy into a holding cell. Blaze News is not naming the suspect or showing his face because of his age.

RELATED: 10-year-old Florida boy arrested, perp-walked on camera over kill list, threatening to bring gun to elementary school: Cops

Image source: Volusia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office video screenshot, composite

Sheriff Mike Chitwood had strong words for those who “coddle” young people accused of such crimes.

“Now understand this. We have 63,000 students and 4,400 teachers in Volusia County Schools. I know some want to make excuses and coddle the select few who choose to make threats. You can pat them on the head and tell them everything’s going to be alright. My job is to look out for everyone else,” Chitwood wrote. “These idiotic threats disrupt our schools, eat up time and resources, and increase the chances a real threat slips through the cracks. If you can threaten to shoot 7 teachers you can take a perp walk. Parents, discipline your kids and I won’t have to.”

Such arrests seem to be piling up in Florida.

The day before the 11-year-old boy’s arrest last week, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 10-year-old boy and perp-walked him on camera after officials said he threatened to bring a gun to his elementary school and left a kill list in his classroom.Late last month the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said officers arrested a 12-year-old girl after she posted online a “detailed manifesto” about carrying out a mass shooting at a middle school due to bullying.Also in February, a pair of 15-year-olds were arrested after being accused of threatening to shoot up high schools, police said.In late October, an 11-year-old girl was arrested after writing a “kill list” at her desk at school, police said. Then just two weeks later, an 11-year-old boy from the same school district was arrested after allegedly creating a “kill list” at school, police said.Also in October, a Florida sheriff’s office came under fire for posting 9-year-old male’s mug shot on Facebook after his felony arrest for allegedly bringing a knife into his elementary school.Just a week prior, that same sheriff’s office said a 10-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, a third-degree felony, after bringing a pocketknife to school and threatening another student. The sheriff’s office posted the suspect’s name and mug shot.

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​11-year-old boy, Repeat offender, Death threat, Arrest, Florida, Volusia county sheriff’s office, Making written threat to kill, Crime 

The Department of War has identified a seventh U.S. service member killed in support of Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East.

The Department of War announced in a press release on Monday morning that Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Ky., died of his wounds on March 8 from injuries sustained during an enemy attack on March 1 at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

‘He gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved.’

Pennington was “seriously injured” during the attack, according to the U.S. Army’s press release.

“The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command is deeply saddened by the loss of Sgt. Pennington,” Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey, USASMDC commanding general, said. “He gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved. That makes him nothing less than a hero, and he will always be remembered that way. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.”

RELATED: ‘Heart of America’: Pentagon identifies 4 of the 6 US military members killed in Middle East

Photo by U.S. Navy via Getty Images

“Sgt. Pennington was a dedicated and experienced noncommissioned officer who led with strength, professionalism, and sense of duty,” Col. Michael Dyer, 1st Space Brigade commander, said. “Our deepest sympathies are with his family, friends, and fellow soldiers. We remain dedicated to providing comfort and support at this time and will forever honor his legacy and ultimate sacrifice for our nation.”

Pennington was assigned to 1st Space Battalion, 1st Space Brigade, Fort Carson, Colorado.

The Department of War said that the incident is currently under investigation.

Pennington was promotable and will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant, according to a USASMDC press release.

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​Politics, Us army, Department of war, Dow, Benjamin pennington, Kuwait, Saudi arabia, Operation epic fury, Middle east, Prince sultan air base 

A growing number of states are considering a new way to tax drivers: charging you for every mile you travel.

The idea is called a per-mile driving tax, and if it moves forward, the cost of simply using your car could rise dramatically.

To tax driving by the mile, governments need to know exactly how far a vehicle travels. That raises immediate questions about monitoring and data collection.

On a recent episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl,” Karl Brauer and I discussed how these proposals are spreading — and why they could mean both higher costs and more government monitoring of drivers.

Pay as you go?

States such as California and Massachusetts are exploring mileage-based road charges as a replacement or supplement to traditional fuel taxes. The idea is simple on paper: Instead of paying taxes at the pump, drivers pay based on how many miles they drive.

But in practice, that means a new bill tied directly to your mobility.

Estimates from California state Rep. Carl DeMaio (R) suggest the impact could be substantial. Under proposals being discussed in California, drivers could be charged six to nine cents per mile they travel.

For a typical driver covering about 15,000 miles a year, that translates to roughly $900 to $1,200 annually in new taxes. DeMaio notes that when those charges are layered on top of existing gas taxes and vehicle taxes, the total burden for a two-car household could exceed $4,200 per year just for the privilege of driving.

That’s not a minor adjustment. For many families, it would function like another recurring household bill — tied directly to how much they drive.

And unlike discretionary spending, driving often isn’t optional. Millions of Americans rely on their vehicles to get to work, transport children, care for relatives, and handle everyday errands.

Commuter looter

One of the biggest problems with per-mile taxes is who ends up paying the highest price.

The drivers most likely to rack up mileage are often the ones who can least afford it. In expensive states like California, many workers commute long distances because housing near job centers is out of reach. Living farther out keeps rent or mortgage payments manageable — but it also means driving more miles.

A mileage tax effectively punishes those drivers for circumstances they can’t control.

Karl points out the obvious math: The longer your commute, the higher your tax bill. That means lower-income workers who travel farther to reach their jobs could end up paying more than wealthier drivers who live closer to work.

I spy

There’s another practical issue: How would states measure those miles?

To tax driving by the mile, governments need to know exactly how far a vehicle travels. That raises immediate questions about monitoring and data collection.

Modern cars already gather significant amounts of information through connected systems, insurance telematics, and onboard software. But a statewide mileage tax would likely require even more precise tracking.

Older vehicles without built-in connectivity present another challenge. Any mileage-tax program would still have to account for them, which could mean external tracking devices, reporting systems, or other work-arounds.

However the system is built, the bottom line is that taxing miles requires knowing how many miles you drive — and that opens the door to broader monitoring of driver behavior.

Kill switch 2.0

During the episode, we also talk about how this issue overlaps with new driver-monitoring technology already appearing in modern vehicles.

Under provisions in the 2021 infrastructure law, new vehicles will eventually include systems designed to detect impaired driving. The concept is often described as a safety feature, but the broader concern is how much control these systems could exert over the vehicle itself.

If software determines that a driver is impaired or unsafe, it could prevent the car from operating.

Karl and I agree that no one wants impaired drivers on the road. But once vehicles are equipped with systems capable of monitoring behavior and controlling vehicle operation, the question becomes how those systems might be used — and who ultimately controls them.

For drivers, that raises an uncomfortable possibility: a vehicle that can track, interpret, and potentially restrict how you use it.

RELATED: Salvage title cars are showing up at dealerships. Should you buy one?

Mike Simons/Getty Images

Engine trouble

Even without mileage taxes, the cost of owning and operating a vehicle has been climbing.

Vehicle prices remain high. Insurance premiums have increased significantly in many states. Repairs are more expensive as cars become more technologically complex. Fuel prices remain volatile.

Layering a per-mile tax on top of those costs would make daily transportation even more expensive.

Take California, where drivers already pay the highest fuel taxes in the country. A mileage-based charge might not replace those taxes — it could simply add another layer on top of them.

A broader trend

Mileage taxes also fit into a larger pattern in transportation policy.

Governments are experimenting with new ways to regulate emissions, reshape travel behavior, and generate revenue from road usage. But the people who feel the impact most directly are ordinary drivers.

Policies that make driving more expensive or more restricted don’t affect abstract “vehicle usage.” They affect real people who rely on their cars every day.

That includes workers commuting to jobs, parents transporting children, caregivers helping elderly relatives, and small-business owners who depend on vehicles for their livelihoods.

The bottom line

For most Americans, a car isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.

That’s why proposals like per-mile driving taxes deserve close scrutiny. They could dramatically increase transportation costs while expanding the amount of information collected about how drivers use their vehicles.

If states move forward with mileage-based taxes, drivers will be the ones paying the bill — both financially and in terms of how their mobility is monitored.

Listen to the full episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl” below:

​Drive with lauren fix and karl brauer, Lifestyle, Auto industry, Align cars, Per mile taxes, Kill switch 

Many news outlets glossed over key details about the attempted bombing in New York City over the weekend, in some instances misleadingly portraying the attack outside Gracie Mansion as a threat to the city’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani (D), and omitting the motivations and apparent Islamic radicalization of the suspects.

Mamdani refused to acknowledge the suspects’ identities and instead focused his messaging on blaming the initial protest, “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City,” which the mayor claimed was “rooted in bigotry and racism.”

‘What any honest person would call an IED, the New York Times calls “smoking jars of metal and fuses.”‘

The media initially echoed Mamdani’s framing.

The New York Times released an early report titled, “Smoking Jars of Metal and Fuses Thrown at Protest Near Mayor’s House,” in which the outlet was quick to label the anti-Islamic protesters as “far-right” and led by “the far-right provocateur Jake Lang.”

The report detailed how the “turbulent scene” began with Lang’s demonstration, noting that one of his fellow protesters sprayed counter-protesters with mace before a counter-protester threw two smoking objects in their direction. The framing of the report suggested that the anti-Islam protesters were the initial aggressors in the confrontation.

The Times described the two suspects accused of bringing the “smoking objects” merely as “counterprotesters,” without delving into their potential motivations, political leanings, or signs of radicalization.

No explosions or injuries were reported.

RELATED: Counter-protester lights explosive amid anti-Mamdani protest, utters ‘Allahu Akbar’ — but NYC mayor rips ‘bigotry and racism’

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Photo by Leonardo MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images

Author Hans Mahncke criticized the Times’ headline, writing in a post on social media, “What any honest person would call an IED, the New York Times calls ‘smoking jars of metal and fuses.'” The headline of the Times’ article was later updated to “Homemade Bomb Thrown at Protest Near N.Y.C. Mayor’s House, Police Say.”

At the same time that early news reports were surfacing, videos posted to social media showed one of the suspects shouting, “Allahu Akbar,” while tossing an IED toward anti-Islam protesters.

Even with the release of this and similar videos, the media was slow to report that Islamic radicals potentially carried out the attempted bombing.

The media began covering this angle only after the New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the attempted bombing was being investigated as ISIS-inspired terrorism.

The Times later reported that the suspects had viewed ISIS videos online, according to two anonymous officials. The homemade bombs reportedly contained triacetone triperoxide, made from precursor materials that have been linked to ISIS in the past, including in the Paris attacks in 2015.

RELATED: Glenn Beck exposes commie Mamdani’s ‘free’ day-care scam: $36K per kid — 55% more than private — and the socialist trap coming

Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Tisch, who confirmed that the IEDs were real and potentially lethal, released more details about the suspects in a post on X.

“Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested on scene yesterday and are in custody in connection with this matter. The NYPD is working on this investigation with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI through our Joint Terrorism Task Force,” Tisch wrote.

Despite Tisch’s announcement, Mamdani held fast to his original position.

During a Monday-morning press conference, Mamdani again criticized “white supremacy” and condemned the anti-Muslim protest. While he denounced violence, he described many of the counter-protesters as “peaceful.” He did not mention that the suspects appear to be radicalized Muslims.

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​News, New york city, Nyc, Zohran mamdani, Jessica tisch, Islam, Radical islam, Jake lang, Gracie manson, Terrorism, Terrorist attack, Politics 

Since last month, the Department of Homeland Security has been hamstrung by a Democrat-led government shutdown singling the agency out. Now, citizens — and especially air travelers — are paying the price due to a lack of department funding.

Security lines at airports across the nation have reportedly been “out the door” in some instances in the past couple of days, as DHS highlighted on Sunday.

‘The best advice we can share with travelers is simple: plan ahead, arrive early and stay in communication with your airline.’

DHS wrote on X: “SECURITY LINES OUT THE DOOR. Americans are now missing their flights because of the Democrats [sic] shutdown of DHS. Their political stunt is forcing patriotic TSA officers to work without pay — leading to financial hardship, absences, and crippling staffing shortages. Enough is enough: Democrats must fund DHS NOW.”

TSA seconded the post: “Enough is enough. The Democrat shutdown of DHS must end!”

RELATED: ‘It’s about time’: Passengers who refuse to use headphones may be kicked off this airline

Photographer: Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Airports across the country have warned passengers to arrive at the airport several hours ahead of their scheduled flight.

For example, Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport posted an update on Monday morning telling passengers to plan to arrive three hours before their flight, adding that TSA security lines could take up to two hours to get through.

Likewise, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport cautioned passengers to arrive “4-5 hours before their flight to allow extra time for TSA screening.”

The warning added that TSA wait time “may exceed 180 minutes.”

Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for the City of Houston’s Department of Aviation, estimated that area airports are expecting 2.2 million travelers during the busy spring break season. The increased numbers of travelers paired with the decreased staff numbers at TSA because of the government shutdown have caused dramatic delays.

“The best advice we can share with travelers is simple: plan ahead, arrive early and stay in communication with your airline,” reads a statement from Szczesniak.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a White House article Monday morning showcasing the frustrations of federal workers and travelers alike at various airports. The article also mentioned that over 100,000 DHS employees are working without pay.

Phoenix TSA worker Jovan Petkovich told Fox: “We’re fed up. We’ve had enough. This is the third shutdown in a matter of six months. … How many delays is it? How many flight attendants are being impacted?”

The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account added to Petkovich’s statement, saying, “Democrats need to fund [DHS] and stop playing politics with people’s livelihoods.”

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​Politics, Dhs, Department of homeland security, Tsa, Airports, Airplanes, Air travel, White house, Transportation security administration, Democrat shutdown 

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that he is replacing Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security and nominating Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R) to the position, while reassigning Noem to a new role as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas.

When BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales got the news, her very first reaction was: “Why wasn’t it Pam Bondi?”

“That actually is the biggest shock to me. … You’re putting people on the chopping block, and Pam Bondi wasn’t the first one?” she asks.

While Sara will continue to “hold that hope” that Bondi will eventually be replaced, for now it’s Noem who has taken the hit.

Sara revisits President Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the shake-up:

“I mean, you gotta hand it to him. He is loyal. He does regard loyalty in the highest esteem. … He doesn’t want to actually fire anyone. That was just for the TV show,” says Sara, referring to “The Apprentice,” the reality series that aired on NBC from January 2004 to 2017, where Trump coined the iconic “you’re fired” gesture.

“He just makes up new jobs for these people to go take so he doesn’t have to be like, ‘Yeah, we just didn’t like her.’ … He’s like, ‘Well, she’s going to be the special envoy for the Shield of Americas, which we don’t actually have yet, but we should, and we will, beginning this weekend, because I fired her and had to find a spot for her,”’ she laughs.

But Sara’s got another big question mark hanging over Noem’s replacement.

“I don’t understand why we are pulling senators away from our already slim majority when you could have brought in Tom Homan, right?” she says.

“Are we trying to lose the majority? I don’t understand what the goal is here.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

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.

​Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Kristi noem, Blazetv, Blaze media, Trump, Noem, Dhs, Markwayne mullin, Pam bondi 

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is a vociferous opponent of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, sometimes referred to as the SAVE America Act, which would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

The unpopular senator has characterized the act — the passage of which President Donald Trump has made a condition of his ratification of other bills — as “Jim Crow 2.0,” a “fringe piece of legislation,” and as “extreme as it gets.”

‘Americans see the hypocrisy.’

Schumer was not, however, always opposed to measures protecting the benefits owed only to American citizens.

Decades-old footage has once again gone viral online, showing Schumer previously making the case that valid U.S. identification ensures against rampant fraud by noncitizens.

When discussing a proposed amendment to the Republican-sponsored Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in March 1996, then-Rep. Chuck Schumer stated, “Let’s admit the truth: Everywhere people go, they’re asked for a Social Security card. In fact, one way to prove you’re a bona fide person who can have a job is to ask for a driver’s license and a Social Security card.”

“This is an anti-fraud amendment. All over, where we go, people say, ‘Well, why can’t you stop illegal immigrants or others from coming here?’ And the number-one answer we give our constituents is, ‘When they come here, they can get jobs, get benefits against the law because of fraud,'” said Schumer.

RELATED: Illegal alien allegedly voted in 2024 federal election, when Trump and Kamala were on the ballot

Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images

In the video — an excerpt of which the White House shared online last month — the Democrat also blasts opposition to the “anti-fraud measure.”

Responding to the remarks made by the Schumer of yesteryear, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) wrote, “Americans see the hypocrisy. Pass the Save America Act.”

“The only thing that’s changed here is Democrat messaging,” wrote Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). “EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON recognizes that securing U.S. elections is commonsense.”

North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris (R) urged Schumer, “Listen to your past self.”

“I guess new Chuck Schumer changed his mind,” wrote Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

On Sunday, Schumer recycled his “Jim Crow 2.0” talking point and claimed that the SAVE Act would “disenfranchise tens of millions of people.”

“If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate,” continued Schumer. “Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances.”

A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll from February revealed that a supermajority — 71% — of U.S. voters support the SAVE Act, including 50% of Democrats. When polled on the particulars of the legislation, 75% of U.S. voters said they supported proof of citizenship; 81% said they supported voter ID; and 80% said they supported states removing noncitizens from voter rolls.

The poll also found that 85% of respondents, including a majority across all political parties, said that only American citizens should be able to vote.

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​Save america, Safeguard american voter eligibility act, Chuck schumer, Schumer, Hypocrisy, Democrat, Voter ide, Voter fraud, Election, Midterm, Donald trump, Illegal aliens, Noncitizens, Noncitizens voting, Politics 

Last year, Minnesota state employee Dylan Adams was arrested for vandalizing six Tesla vehicles, reportedly causing $20,000 in damage.

Despite the damage, Adams was punished by the state with only a single-day, unpaid suspension, according to a letter from the state Department of Human Services.

‘THAT’S IT. He’s not even being PROSECUTED.’

Dylan, an employee of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, was just one of several people arrested last year in connection with the destruction of Tesla vehicles in Minnesota.

The damage was in protest against Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his then-leadership role at the Department of Government Efficiency.

RELATED: Counter-protester lights explosive amid anti-Mamdani protest, utters ‘Allahu Akbar’ — but NYC mayor rips ‘bigotry and racism

Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

According to the investigative report, Adams claimed he was disturbed by Musk’s hand gestures to a Trump crowd in 2025, perceiving it as a Nazi salute. He said he vandalized the Teslas “in hopes that the owners of the vehicles would disassociate themselves from Elon Musk and Tesla,” the report said.

The suspension letter revealed Adams’ official punishment and the details of the damage.

“This letter is to inform you of our intent to suspend you for one (1) working day,” the letter read, for “the following facts”: “Your behavior of vandalizing (‘keying’) multiple (six) Tesla vehicles in March of 2025 which made local and national headlines.”

Adams was told that he had the right to appeal the suspension, but it does not appear he has done so.

The letter was signed by Heidi Hamilton, Disability Services director.

Adams has never been charged with a crime in connect with the vandalism.

RELATED: Mamdani walks back popular progressive campaign promise to pedestrians

Photo by Lab Ky Mo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office announced last year that prosecutors would opt for “diversion” instead, which officials said was typical in similar cases.

Daniel Borgertpoepping, spokesperson for Moriarty’s office, said, “We offered diversion, as we often do with property damage cases when the person has no record. Mr. Adams will have to complete the requirements of the program. He will also have to pay every penny in restitution to the victims. If he does not meet those requirements, we will proceed through the criminal legal system process.”

Critics noted the minimal consequences Adams is facing for his actions.

Nick Sortor wrote on X, “THAT’S IT. He’s not even being PROSECUTED. Minnesota is a FAILED STATE!”

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​Politics, Tesla, Elon musk, Doge 

President Donald Trump and members of his administration are attempting to defuse concerns over skyrocketing energy costs. The problem may, however, get a whole lot worse before getting better.

Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil normally transits the Strait of Hormuz, a stretch of water between Iran and Oman that links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.

The latest Middle Eastern conflict, now in its second week, has not only prompted various regional energy giants to temporarily shutter their operations but effectively halted traffic through the strait, as illustrated by Marine Vessel Traffic’s real-time map.

‘The sky is the limit.’

These interruptions to the global energy supply have driven up oil prices to over $100 per barrel of crude.

Prior to the opening bell on Monday morning, the international benchmark Brent crude saw an intraday high of nearly $120 per barrel. After trading at over $104 per barrel after opening, Brent fell closer to $102.

Citing data from over 12 million individual price reports, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at the price-tracking service GasBuddy, noted, “The nation’s average price of gasoline has risen 51.1 cents over the last week and stands at $3.45 per gallon.”

“The national average is up 54.1 cents from a month ago and is 41.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago,” continued De Haan. “The national average price of diesel rose 85.9 cents in the last week and stands at $4.599 per gallon.”

RELATED: Iran promises to cease attacks on neighboring countries as Trump warns it will be ‘hit very hard’

Photo by Alain JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images

De Haan projected the national average for gasoline prices might soon reach $3.65-$3.85 per gallon and suggested that the three remaining states with gas prices below $3 per gallon — Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arizona — won’t be able to maintain that ceiling for long.

When asked on Saturday whether he might consider utilizing America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to alleviate some of the pressure at home, Trump told reporters, “We’ve got a lot of oil. Our country has a tremendous amount.” The president then criticized former President Joe Biden’s massive withdrawals from the reserve.

Facing market signals that oil prices would continue rising, the president and his administration attempted the following day to downplay the issue and emphasize the short-lived nature of the cost increase.

Trump noted on Sunday, “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace.”

“ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!” added the president.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright told “Fox News Sunday” that coalition forces are “massively attriting” Iran’s ability to strike oil assets in the Middle East and “that rate of attrition will increase in the coming days” such that “energy will flow soon.”

Wright claimed further that the surging cost of oil and gas “has nothing to do with any shortage of barrels of oil or natural gas. It’s just fear and perception.”

The energy secretary also pushed this notion on CBS News, claiming that the price spikes are resultant of “emotional reactions and fear that this is a long-term war,” adding that “it’s a temporary movement.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt similarly emphasized that the cost increases will be brief, telling Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that the price rises amount to a “short-term disruption for the long-term gain of taking out the rogue Iranian terrorist regime and finally ending their restriction of the free flow of energy in the Middle East.”

Neil Atkinson, the former head of oil at the International Energy Agency, is among the analysts who believe this disruption has all the makings of a historic crisis.

“Though there are oil stocks around the world, the point is that if this closure of the Strait persists, those oil stocks, if they are deployed, will be depleted and we are going to be in a situation where, with the oil production actually shut in, in Iraq and possibly in Kuwait, and maybe even, in time, in Saudi Arabia, that we are going to be in a crisis the likes of which we have never seen before,” Atkinson told CNBC.

When asked about oil prices, Atkinson said, “There is no precedent for this. The sky is the limit.”

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​Oil, Gas, Energy, Market, Markets, Barrel, Crude, Iran, Iran war, Iran strikes, Strait of hormuz, Donald trump, Trump, Politics 

A 20-year-old Florida female gave birth in a toilet in her home last week, left her newborn girl there, waited until her baby stopped “crying and moving,” and watched her baby die, police said.

Authorities received a call around 4 a.m. Friday requesting a welfare check on Anne Mae Demegillo, 20, of Palm Coast, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.

‘May God bless this infant and hold and comfort the baby in his loving hands with the love the baby never received on earth.’

The caller told dispatchers Demegillo had sent messages to the caller stating she had been secretly pregnant and unexpectedly gave birth at home, officials said. The message indicated that Demegillo’s baby was born alive and crying, but Demegillo had done something to the infant, officials said.

Deputies arrived on scene and met with Demegillo, who told them she wasn’t sure she was pregnant but began experiencing severe abdominal pain around 3 a.m. Thursday and later delivered the newborn in her bathroom toilet, officials said.

Demegillo claimed she thought the infant was deceased, so she hid the infant in a duffle bag in her closet and went about her normal daily routine, officials said.

When Demegillo returned home from a theater performance in New Smyrna Beach, she buried the deceased infant in a shallow grave in her backyard, officials said, adding that at no point did Demegillo contact emergency services for assistance.

Detectives determined that Demegillo knowingly and purposefully allowed the newborn to drown in the toilet, officials said.

Chief Deputy Joe Barile of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office told WESH-TV, “It baffles me, to be completely honest. Sometimes you can’t explain everything.”

The newborn girl weighed three pounds, six ounces, and measured 18 inches long, the station noted.

“She goes to the bathroom, she thought she had cramps, pains, and … she goes into labor, and then delivers a child,” Barile said, according to WESH. “She sees it in the toilet, leaves it there, watches it, hears it cry, and waits until it stops crying and moving.”

RELATED: University of Kentucky cheerleader arrested after allegedly stashing her dead baby in garbage bag, hiding body in closet

Barile added to the station that “she hid the infant in a duffel bag in her closet and went about her normal routine. She went to her college.” Barile told WESH the suspect also went to the Little Theatre in New Smyrna Beach for a performance in which she played the character Virtue in the musical “Anything Goes.”

Detectives said Demegillo returned home around 10 p.m. Thursday and buried the baby, wrapped in a towel, in the backyard grave, the station said. Barile added to WESH that “deputies only had to remove, I’d say, four to five inches of dirt to find the baby.”

Deputies told the station the newborn appears to have died from abandonment.

Demegillo faces aggravated manslaughter charges, WESH said, adding that she showed no sadness or remorse. She appeared before a judge Saturday morning and was denied bond, the station reported.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for our community, for the family involved, and an emotionally difficult case for our team,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I want to remind our community, especially our expectant mothers: Florida law allows you to bring a child at birth to a local fire station, hospital, or law enforcement agency and surrender the child. That is a much better solution than what we are investigating today — for everyone involved, but most importantly the infant who was prevented from the life they deserve. May God bless this infant and hold and comfort the baby in his loving hands with the love the baby never received on earth.”

Under Florida’s Safe Haven Law, parents who cannot care for a newborn may safely surrender the child at any fire station, hospital, or police station, officials said. Palm Coast’s Safe Haven Baby Box allows for complete anonymity and is located at Fire Station 25, officials said. Parents can quietly and safely place their newborn inside the secure, climate-controlled box without having to interact with anyone face-to-face, officials said.

Those with information are encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at 386-313-4911.

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​Florida, Newborn, Toilet, Arrest, Birth, Aggravated manslaughter of a child, Bond denied, Jailed, Secretly pregnant, Flagler county sheriff’s office, Palm coast, Buried newborn, Crime 

A tense exchange between press secretary Karoline Leavitt and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins unfolded at a recent White House press briefing — and BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales couldn’t be more impressed with the way Leavitt handled it.

“You have CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who started out at the Daily Caller, was hired by Tucker Carlson. She was writing for conservative media, and somewhere along the way, her brain melted,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales explains.

“So clearly, it is her life’s mission now to just make Donald Trump look bad,” she says.

“Is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members?” Collins asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a recent press conference.

“No,” Leavitt answered. “It’s the position of this administration that the press in this room and the press across the country should accurately report on the success of Operation Epic Fury.”

“So we can all be very grateful that we have an administration and that we have men and women in our armed forces who are willing to sacrifice their own lives for the rest of us in this room and for every American across the country and for every troop that is based in the Middle East,” she added.

Collins then interjected that Pete Hegseth “was complaining that it was front-page news about these six service members who were killed.”

“That’s not what the secretary said, Kaitlin, and that’s not what the secretary meant. And you know it — you know you’re being disingenuous. We’ve never had a secretary of defense who cares more,” Leavitt responded.

Collins again interjected, reading Hegseth’s comment, which included that “the press only wants to make the president look bad.”

“The press does only want to make the president look bad. That’s a fact,” Leavitt said.

“We expect you to cover that as you should, Kaitlan. But you and your network know that you take every single thing this administration says and tries to use it to make the president look bad,” she added.

Collins continued to argue, but she was no match for Leavitt, who pointed out that “CNN’s overwhelming coverage” of President Donald Trump is “negative” and that the American people would agree with that.

“There’s no disputing that,” Gonzales comments. “The American people don’t want to hear from CNN, because we all know this is, of course, the agenda. This is the playbook. It’s the only playbook that they have.”

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.

​Sara gonzales unfiltered, Sara gonzales, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Kaitlan collins, Press secretary, Karoline leavitt, Pete hegseth, President trump, President donald trump, Cnn 

There’s good news at the Nelson residence. I no longer have to pay my rent!

That is, I don’t have to pay it the way I used to pay it. I now have options. I have been empowered. I can choose when I’m going to pay it. And how much I’m going to pay.

They are counting on you being stupid. And not being able to keep your head above water. That’s what they like to see. Millions and millions of heads, barely above sea level.

I can pay some of my rent now, and some of it later, according to my personal “cash-flow needs.”

Unlike in the past, I am released from the burden of coming up with all that rent money in one unwieldy chunk at the beginning of the month.

Now, I can spread my rent out into multiple payments, giving me freedom, flexibility, and financial control!

Flex my life

This has been made possible by a new product called Flex Rent, which my landlord has been pushing on me all month.

I have been receiving emails from Flex (the company behind Flex Rent) every single day. My landlord was helpful enough to give Flex my email address. Which leads me to conclude my landlord must really want me (and all his other tenants) to enroll in Flex.

Looking into it, I realize why. Because my landlord will get all the rent at the beginning of the month, just like he does now. Flex Rent will pay him.

Meanwhile, I can pay my rent to Flex Rent according to my “values” and my “financial goals” and my “monetary situation.”

In other words, when I’m not dead broke.

Land of the fee

Of course, Flex Rent is just trying to make a buck off renter Americans. Especially those in financial difficulties: people living paycheck to paycheck and doing so by a thin margin.

Flex Rent is trying to help those special people who, thanks to inflation, higher taxes, and job discrimination, are barely surviving financially.

Imagine you’re drowning. Onlookers call for help. Your friends at Flex Rent immediately arrive with a life preserver — only to ask for a small fee in order to throw it to you.

Ah yes, the small fee.

And what is that small fee? You start by paying Flex Rent $14.99 a month and 1% of your rent amount. Where I live that adds up to around $40/a month.

In exchange, they will front my rent money to my landlord. And I will get a few extra days or weeks to scratch up the rest.

With Flex Rent, everybody wins. My landlord gets his money. I am given “financial flexibility.” And Flex Rent — if the company can sign up enough people — will get rich off the growing number of financially desperate renters.

Klarna chameleon

Of course, Klarna started this trend. Klarna is that fun company that inserts itself between you and many of the companies you shop from online.

Let’s say you’re really hungry. You want to order a large pepperoni pizza. But you’re a little short on cash right now. Klarna magically appears in your pizza delivery app and offers to help.

Klarna will pay for your large pizza right now. All you have to do is pay Klarna back in installments. And there’s no interest! Not yet, anyway.

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You better, you bet

What’s interesting about Klarna and Flex Rent is that they exist in a crowded marketplace. Nowadays, there are many, many companies fighting for those last scraps of your paycheck.

All of which is happening during a time when your average American is having trouble even procuring a paycheck.

The various gambling websites are typical of these companies. They have figured out ways to transform your love of sports into highly addictive betting opportunities.

Outfits like Polymarket make it possible for you to gamble on non-sporting events. You can now bet on your local congressional race. Or who will win an Oscar. Whatever your interests, there are ways to lose money on them.

Meanwhile, Big Pharma also wants your last 20 bucks. As do your local streaming services. As does your local gas station.

It seems the less money Americans have, the more companies appear to fight over what’s left of it.

Stupid tax

Of course, the strategies used by Flex Rent and Klarna have existed as long as humans have exchanged goods and services. But these days, monetizing the moneyless is a growth business.

Even as I write this, more of these companies are coming into existence. There’s now a useful acronym used to describe their services: BNPL. “Buy now, pay later.” Here is just a sampling of some of the newer BNPL companies:

NOWpaymentsAffirmCredeeSezzleQuickFeeAfterpaySplitIt

Each of these new outfits has its own particular gimmick. But they all do the same thing: take advantage of your fiscal misfortune, while pretending they’re “empowering” you.

You might ask yourself, “Do these companies think I’m stupid?” And the answer is yes, they do.

They are counting on you being stupid. And not being able to keep your head above water. That’s what they like to see. Millions and millions of heads, barely above sea level.

But maybe it’s good that these companies will help you buy that large pepperoni pizza. Don’t you need your pizza? And why should the pizza maker get all your pizza money? The Klarna folks need money too. Aren’t we all in this together?

​Lifestyle, Men, Blake’s progress, Rent, Buy now pay later, Personal finance, Flex rent, Klarna, Polymarket