Category: blaze media

A life-size bronze statue of first lady Melania Trump in her native Slovenia has gone missing after someone apparently hacked it off at the ankles and took it away.

Police spokeswoman Alenka Drenik Rangus said on Friday that they were notified about the theft on Tuesday and had been working to identify who was responsible.

The original statue was made of wood and appeared in July 2019 but was destroyed in July 2020 when it was set ablaze in an apparent protest against Trump.

The Associated Press cited Slovenian news reports that said the statue had been sawed off at the ankles. Photographs appeared to show the stumps left over from the incident.

The original statue was made of wood and appeared in July 2019 but was destroyed in July 2020 when it was set ablaze in an apparent protest against Trump. A U.S.-based artist named Brad Downey then cast a bronze statue to replace the wooden one.

Downey had previously said that the art piece was intentionally political in nature, and he criticized the first lady for having her immigration to the U.S. fast-tracked while others had to wait.

RELATED: Artist displays massive, 43-foot-tall nude Trump outside Las Vegas, and it’s going on tour

Photo by Ales Beno/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Some of the locals told the New York Times that the incident could have been vandalism or could have been theft in order to melt down the statue for cash.

Others have previously said they didn’t appreciate the statue very much, and they reiterated that opinion after the statue’s disappearance.

“I think no one was really proud at this statue, not even the first lady of the USA,” said Franja Kranjc, who works at a bakery in Sevnica. “So I think it’s OK that it’s removed.”

“The image of the U.S. first lady was not something anyone was proud of,” said Sevnica authorities to BBC News.

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​Melania trump statue, Melania statue stolen, Melania statue burned, Locals dislike melania statue, Politics 

The U.S. Secret Service reportedly paid a visit to former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey over an image he posted on social media that many took as a threat against the president.

Secret Service agents escorted Comey to their Washington field office in Washington, D.C., on Friday for an interview, according to law enforcement sources who spoke to CNN. Comey was questioned about allegations that a message reading “8647” was a call for violence against President Donald Trump, the 47th president of the U.S.

‘We are aware of the social media posts by the former FBI director, and we take rhetoric like this very seriously.’

Comey posted the image of a number of seashells arranged to spell “8647” on Thursday, but he later deleted the post and claimed that he did not intend to advocate for any political violence.

The former FBI director appeared voluntarily for the interview and was not in custody, according to the CNN report.

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi released a statement about the incident.

“The Secret Service vigorously investigates anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees,” said Guglielmi to CNN. “We are aware of the social media posts by the former FBI director, and we take rhetoric like this very seriously. Beyond that, we do not comment on protective intelligence matters.”

Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem and current FBI Director Kash Patel issued statements saying that the Comey seashell threat would be investigated.

RELATED: Secret Service reportedly investigated elementary school teacher’s reply to assassination post after Trump won election

Photo by Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The president also lambasted Comey in a comment on Fox News.

“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant? That meant assassination,” said Trump to Bret Baier.

“And it says it loud and clear,” Trump added. “Now, he wasn’t very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant, and he did it for a reason. And he was hit so hard because people like me, and they like what’s happening with our country. Our country’s become respected again. And he’s calling for the assassination of the president.”

The term “86” has been in use for more than a century and could refer to the action of taking something off of a menu at a restaurant, but more recently it has also included killing something or someone.

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​Secret service vs comey, Comey seashell threat, Threat against trump, Comey vs trump, Politics 

The U.S. Supreme Court granted a temporary motion on Friday to pause deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 based on the lack of due process given to migrants.

The 7-2 ruling was issued unsigned, but Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas publicly dissented from the majority.

Alito dissented on the basis that the court had ‘no authority to issue any relief’ so early in the litigation process.

The lawsuit was filed by a group of Venezuelans from North Texas who were accused by the government of being gang members and thereby eligible for deportation without due process.

The court rejected a motion from the Trump administration to allow them to continue the deportation proceedings, and ruled that the government had not given the migrants the due process to challenge the deportations.

The ruling cited the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, where the administration said they had no power to return the man, despite admitting that his deportation was due to a clerical error.

The Supreme Court said that “the detainees’ interests at stake are accordingly particularly weighty,” given that the Trump administration had been “unable to provide for the return of an individual deported in error to a prison in El Salvador.”

Alito dissented on the basis that the court had “no authority to issue any relief” so early in the litigation process.

Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union argue that the detained migrants were not notified by the government in a language that they understand and were not notified of their rights, nor given enough time to exercise their rights.

The Supreme Court had unanimously ruled in April that migrants needed to be allowed due process to challenge deportation proceedings.

RELATED: Trump lashes out at Supreme Court for blocking deportations

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Defenders of the use of the 1798 law say that the scale of the millions of deportations needed to alleviate the immigration crisis is so great that due process cannot be granted to each migrant to be deported. Critics of the administration say due process is necessary to protect against mistaken deportations, as well as to allow suspects to challenge the designation and prove their innocence.

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​Scotus on alien enemies act, Alien enemies act of 1798, Scotus vs trump deportation, Supreme court, Politics 

Move over, ayahuasca.

The hottest new drug among the beautiful people doesn’t require a shaman or a week at a posh jungle resort.

Uncut ovulation … is said to induce feelings of mental clarity, attractiveness, heightened sexual desire, and overall well-being.

Instead, all you need is a set of XX chromosomes.

More and more women are ignoring Big Pharma’s shrill “Just Say No” scare tactics and tripping out on their own natural fertility cycles.

The latest acolyte to admit it is pop star Lorde. In an interview with Rolling Stone, the “Royals” singer described going off the pill in 2023, after taking it since she was 15 years old.

“I hadn’t ovulated in 10 years,” said Lorde. “And when I ovulated for the first time, I cannot describe to you how crazy it was. One of the best drugs I’ve ever done.”

Uncut ovulation — the period midway through a woman’s menstrual cycle during which the ovaries release an egg for potential fertilization — is said to induce feelings of mental clarity, attractiveness, heightened sexual desire, and overall well-being in those who regularly experience it.

Still, the New Zealand-born artist admitted she still grapples with residual shame about participating in a practice that has been linked to the Trump administration’s MAHA mandate.

“I’ve now come to see my decision was maybe some quasi right-wing programming.”

Such misgivings are a common occurrence in those with strict liberal upbringings.

In many traditionally “sex-positive,” Planned Parenthood-going communities, women who decline to disrupt their natural cycles with powerful and unpredictable synthetic hormones are often seen as a threat to “reproductive freedom.”

Here are some other famous female faces who’ve opened up about getting off on not chemically neutering themseves!

Annie Murphy

Araya Doheny/Getty Images

First prescribed the pill “no questions asked” at 16, the “Schitt’s Creek” star eventually realized it had been causing intense mood swings for years. “I would have goblin days where I just didn’t even recognize myself; I was feeling really, really sad, really down, really anxious.”

Hailey Baldwin Bieber

Taylor Hill/Getty Images

The model, socialite, and wife of Justin Bieber stopped taking the pill after she had to be hospitalized for a “mini-stroke” in 2022 at age 25. She later took to the media to share a valuable lesson: “Having a stroke is a potential side effect from birth control pills.”

Natalie Portman

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

In a speech at her alma mater Harvard’s 2015 graduation ceremony, the actress recalled some “pretty dark moments” during her own student days, thanks in part to “birth-control pills that have since been taken off the market for their depressive side effects.”

Khloé Kardashian

Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

The protein popcorn mogul went off the pill in 2017 after a doctor told her she had fewer ovarian follicles — key markers of fertility — than healthy women her age.

Nicole Bendayan

The Washington Post

The health and nutrition influencer was prescribed hormonal birth control at 16 but eventually stopped after years of doctors dismissing her concerns about side effects she was experiencing. “I would get yeast infections almost every month, recurring UTIs, feelings of anxiety and depression, low libido, and in the last three or four years I would bleed after sex … every single time.”

​Maha, Hormonal birth control, Lorde, Women’s health, Planned parenthood, Lifestyle 

Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said he was shutting down the bureau’s offices in Washington, D.C., and relocating 1,500 FBI employees to other offices.

Patel made the announcement during an interview with Maria Bartiromo on the “Sunday Morning Futures” show. He explained in a released preview video that having so much of the bureau’s workforce in the capital did not make sense.

‘When we do things like that, we inspire folks in America to become intel analysts and agents and say we want to work at the FBI because we want to fight violent crime.’

“This FBI is leaving the Hoover Building because this building is unsafe for our workforce,” said Patel.

The iconic headquarters of the FBI was first proposed in 1939, but the construction and approval were delayed for many decades. The first employees moved to the completed building in 1974 and the last employees moved in 1977. President Richard Nixon named the building after J. Edgar Hoover, the first director of the FBI, after his death in 1970.

“The FBI is 38,000 when we are fully manned, which we are not. In the national capital region in the 50-mile radius around Washington, D.C., there were 11,000 FBI employees. That’s like a third of the workforce. A third of the crime doesn’t happen here,” Patel concluded.

“So we are taking 1,500 of those folks and moving them out. Every state is getting a plus-up,” he added. “And I think when we do things like that, we inspire folks in America to become intel analysts and agents and say, ‘We want to work at the FBI because we want to fight violent crime, and we want to be sent out into the country to do it.'”

He said that he hadn’t planned on making the announcement on the show and added that the move would be implemented over the next three to nine months.

“We want the American men and women to know if you’re going to come work at the premier law enforcement agency in the world,” Patel concluded, “we’re going to give you a building that’s commensurate with that, and that’s not this place.”

RELATED: DHS, FBI investigating deleted seashell post from former FBI Director James Comey appearing to threaten Trump

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser with President Donald Trump. Photo by Annabelle Gordon for the Washington Post via Getty Images

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a statement maintaining that it was important to keep the FBI in the capital.

“Having the FBI headquarters in our nation’s capital and near the Department of Justice keeps America safer,” said Bowser.

“The District and our region have many sites where the FBI can fulfill their mission in safe, modern, and secure facilities, and we are ready to help them find both temporary leases and a permanent home,” she added. “A safe and beautiful D.C. requires a committed federal partner that will keep our nation’s capital a symbol of American strength.”

Video of Patel’s announcement can be viewed below.

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​Kash patel ends j edgar hoover building, Fbi leaving hoover building, Kash patel moving hq, Fbi director kash patel, Politics 

Music legend Kid Rock roasted Bruce Springsteen Thursday, then identified a possible contributing cause of America’s low fertility rate.

Fox News’ Jesse Watters confronted Rock with
footage from Springsteen’s Wednesday concert in Manchester, England, where the “Born in the U.S.A.” singer badmouthed the Trump administration and the president.

“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock ‘n’ roll in dangerous times,” said Springsteen. “In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about — that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years — is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.”

The geriatric rocker, whose
preferred candidate for president lost in an electoral landslide last year, urged his foreign audience to “rise with us” against “authoritarianism, and let freedom ring.”

Springsteen kept complaining and lecturing his audience over the course of his performance, declaring, for instance, that “they’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and plural society,” and “they’re abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom,”
reported CBS News.

When speaking with Watters about a sample of Springsteen’s polemics, Rock expressed doubt over whether the liberal musician would similarly slam the president at a show stateside and questioned his relative quality.

‘Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics.’

“Let’s break it down. Pound for pound, when it comes to heartland rock and roll, Bruce Springsteen’s made some good songs, I’ll give him that. Bob Seger
smokes him any day of the week in my book,” said Rock. “Bruce Springsteen is another one of these liberals who has mountains of money that so desperately wants to keep his good standing in the eyes of Hollywood and the elite but plays like this working-class guy.”

“His politics are so ass-backwards — just stay in Europe, Bruce,” added Rock.

Watters quipped, “Maybe ‘The Boss’ should go by ‘The Employee’ next time.”

President Donald Trump exercised less restraint than Rock in his response to the liberal performer’s rant.

“I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,” Trump
wrote on Truth Social. “Never liked him, never liked his music, or his Radical Left Politics and, importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL, and our WORST EVER President, who came close to destroying our Country.”

‘It all made sense.’

Toward the end of his message, the president leaned harder into his insults, writing, “Springsteen is ‘dumb as a rock'” — a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) [who] ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country.”

Later in the segment, Watters pressed Rock on the kinds of people he sees at his concerts, asking specifically, “Do you ever see anybody with blue hair, armpit hair — female armpit hair?”

RELATED: Kid Rock gets brutally honest with Glenn Beck about ‘cowboy culture,’ politics, and how to be an American ‘bad***’

Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images

“Listen, I was just watching your clips, and you know — we have this low birth rate in America, and it all made sense,” said Rock.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
revealed in a report last month that the fertility rate, only slightly higher than the record-low set in 2023, now sits at 1.6 births per woman over her lifetime. By way of contrast, in 1960, the U.S. rate was 3.7. The rate necessary for a population to maintain stability and replenish itself without requiring replacement by foreign nationals is 2.1.

“It just hit me right now because who’s going to sleep with these ugly ass, broke, crazy, deranged, [Trump derangement syndrome], liberal women?” continued Rock. “I mean, you look at these rallies, it’s like a bunch of women that no guy wants to sleep with and a bunch of dudes that want to sleep with each other.”

Rock recently sat down with Blaze Media co-founder
Glenn Beck for a wide-ranging nearly hour-long conversation touching various topics including Cybertrucks, Diddy, problems with Ticketmaster, and the ways that Gen X may save us all from the “pussification of America.” Watch the full episode of “The Glenn Beck Podcast” featuring Kid Rock below:

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​Comedy, Kid rock, Donald trump, Trump, White house, Bruce springsteen, Music, Liberal, Woke, Politics 

An Ohio state legislator has reportedly drafted a bill that would make it illegal for colleges to host football games before 3:30 p.m., except for special circumstances.

Republican state Rep. Tex Fischer is looking to ban the earlier kickoffs particularly because Ohio State is frequently booked on Fox’s “Big Noon Saturday.”

‘I said it would be a crime for FOX to put Ohio State vs Texas at noon. Promises made, promises kept!’

The bill, shared by Fischer through an account called the Rooster, explained that “no college football game” in Ohio would start before 3:30 p.m. unless one team is from a state university and both teams are ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll.

If a game does start earlier than the prescribed time without the stated provisions, a $10 million fine from Ohio’s attorney general would be handed down to either the host team’s football conference or the television network, “whichever party scheduled the earlier start time.”

RELATED: ‘A lot of people say it’s not happening!’ A definitive list of men who have dominated women’s sports

Ohio Stadium prior to the Ohio State Spring Game, April 12, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

According to USA Today, the earlier games are generally an annoyance to traveling fans and regular attendees who are forced to get up earlier and have their tailgating time cut into.

Blaze News asked Fischer if he thought the earlier start times cut into tax revenue surrounding merchandise or liquor sales and if the tailgating time was a hot-button issue for him. Fischer’s office did not immediately reply to Blaze News’ request for comment.

The Buckeyes have played 35 games in the noon time slot since 2019, when Fox began broadcasting the Big Ten conference games. The conference typically has allowed Fox to schedule more high-profile games in the earlier time slot without having to compete with the popular 3:30 slot dominated by CBS and ESPN.

Now that Ohio State is the defending national champion, the bill hopes to change the likelihood of more early games, especially considering their schedule included seven in the past season.

Fischer boasted about the bill’s text in his accompanying post: “A few weeks ago, I said it would be a crime for FOX to put Ohio State vs Texas at noon. Promises made, promises kept!”

RELATED: 26 NCAA softball players baptized together before going head-to-head in Conference USA tournament

— (@)

Another caveat was carved out for rivalry games, which includes Ohio State vs. Michigan, which has a traditional start time of noon.

“Division (B) of this section does not apply if an earlier start time of a college football game between two teams is a college football tradition,” the proposed legislation read.

“For this purpose, a ‘college football tradition’ is a start time of a game between the teams of two institutions whose football teams have competed against each other at least fifty times and the start time has been the same for at least ninety-five per cent of those games.”

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​Fearless, Football, Ohio, Ncaa, Tailgaiting, Ohio state, Republicans, Sports 

A Texas mother provided her 13-year-old son with ammunition and tactical gear despite the fact that he was exhibiting violent tendencies, according to court documents.

Officers with the San Antonio Police Department on Monday arrested 33-year-old Ashley Pardo. She was charged with aiding in the commission of terrorism after she allegedly provided ammunition and tactical gear to her son.

The boy described a ‘fascination with past mass shooters’ and their ‘manifestos,’ according to the affidavit.

Pardo was released Tuesday on a bond of $75,000, according to jail records.

In January, officials at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio became concerned over the boy’s “violent expressions and drawings,” according to an affidavit obtained by CBS News.

The boy allegedly drew a map of the school that he attended and labeled it “suicide route.” He also wrote the name of the school beside a rifle, the affidavit stated.

When interrogated by school officials about the alarming drawings, the boy described a “fascination with past mass shooters” and their “manifestos,” according to the affidavit.

However, his mother reportedly defended her boy’s alleged violent expressions.

“It has been expressed to the defendant the concerns of her child’s expression and desire to commit acts of mass violence,” the affidavit said of Pardo. “The defendant expressed to the school her support of (her son’s) violent expressions and drawings and does not feel concerned for his behavior.”

RELATED: ‘Haunt me the rest of my life’: Father reportedly kills family and himself in murder-suicide on same day as son’s graduation

Dmitri Toms via iStock / Getty Images Plus

Then in April, school administrators suspended the boy after it was discovered he had been using a “school-issued computer” to read about the 2019 mass shootings at two mosques which claimed the lives of 51 people in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Later that day, the boy “attempted suicide with a straight razor, causing significant injuries and requiring over 100 stitches,” according to the New York Post.

The middle schooler also had been staying with his grandmother “on various occasions.”

KHOU-TV reported that the grandmother on Monday contacted police after she witnessed her grandson “hitting a live bullet with a hammer.”

The boy allegedly told his grandmother he received the bullet from his mother and that Pardo had “guns and ammunition at her house,” according to the document.

The grandmother told investigators that Pardo had been taking the boy to a local surplus store and bought him magazines, a tactical black vest “capable of concealing ballistic plates,” a tactical black helmet, and Army clothing, according to ABC News. The mother allegedly purchased the ammo and tactical gear for her son as a reward for babysitting his sibling.

The boy on Monday told his grandmother that he was “going to be famous.”

RELATED: Parents of suspected Michigan high school shooter charged in mass shooting; prosecutor says they ‘contributed to this tragedy’

allanswart via iStock / Getty Images Plus

The grandmother then investigated the boy’s bedroom and found magazines loaded with live rifle ammunition and pistol magazines loaded with live ammo, the affidavit stated.

The grandmother also allegedly found an “improvised explosive device,” described as a mortar-style firework wrapped in duct tape. The affidavit said the IED had the words “For Brenton Tarrant,” referencing the shooter in the 2019 mosque attack.

The IED also allegedly had references to Nazis on it.

Multiple “SS” symbols referencing Schutzstaffel — a paramilitary organization in the Nazi Party — reportedly were on the explosive. Also the term “14 words” allegedly was on the IED, which references white supremacy.

The grandmother also found a handwritten note referring to previous mass shootings and the number of victims in each incident, the affidavit said.

Pardo “has been aware of threats made by [her son]” but was “dismissive” in conversations with local law enforcement, child protective services, and school officials, according to the affidavit.

On Monday, Pardo’s son arrived at school wearing a camouflage jacket, a mask, and tactical pants, according to an affidavit. He allegedly left the campus shortly after arriving.

Rhodes Middle School principal Felismina Martinez said in a Monday letter to parents that the boy was “detained off-campus and is being charged with terrorism.”

“Please know we take all potential threats seriously and act immediately to protect everyone in our care,” Martinez stated in the letter. “We will always remain vigilant to ensure our learning and working environment is safe and secure.”

Police said the middle school student was planning “mass targeted violence.”

RELATED: Boy, 15, claims brother killed ‘whole family’ before killing himself. But sister, 11, survives — and tells different story.

goir via iStock / Getty Images Plus

The boy is being detained at the Bexar County Juvenile Detention Facility pending a judge’s decision, according to police.

Pardo is set to appear in court for a pre-indictment hearing on July 17.

Previously, Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConaughey called for an end to school shootings.

“We cannot exhale once again, make excuses, and accept these tragic realities as the status quo,” McConaughey declared.

McConaughey urged Americans to “rearrange our values” to find common ground to change the “devastating American reality that has tragically become our children’s issue.”

“This is an epidemic we can control, and whichever side of the aisle we may stand on, we all know we can do better,” the actor continued. “We must do better.”

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​Guns, Texas crime, Texas, Nazis, Crime, Planned school shooting, Planned mass shooting, Middle school, Tactical gear, Mother and son, Aiding in the commission of terrorism charge 

The Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly preparing to scrap its recommendation that pregnant women and kids get the COVID-19 vaccines. Individuals said to be familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal that the announcement is imminent and will coincide with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention kicking off a new vaccine approval framework.

While the relevant agencies apparently did not respond to the Journal’s requests for comment, U.S. Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary provided a fairly strong indication this week that the change was coming.

Makary told Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk that he would “love to see the evidence to show that giving young, healthy children another COVID-19 shot — you know, a sixth COVID booster — would help them, but that evidence does not exist, and so we’re not going to rubber-stamp things at the FDA.”

“I don’t think you’re going to see a push at the CDC to be pushing COVID shots in young, healthy children,” continued Makary, adding that he expected an announcement on that front in the coming weeks.

Sources told the Journal that it would only be a matter of days.

At the time of publication, the CDC was still recommending that everyone ages 6 months and older get a COVID-19 vaccine.

‘Connected to serious adverse events, including myocarditis and pericarditis, failed pregnancies, and deaths.’

The agency states on its website that getting the shot is especially important for individuals who have survived this long without one, geriatrics, pregnant women, those planning to conceive, and breastfeeding mothers. The agency urges parents to get their children 6 months to 4 years of age loaded up with two doses of the Moderna vaccine or three doses of the Pfizer vaccine if they were starting fresh.

As of April 26, 14.4% of pregnant women had received a 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine and 13% of children 6 months to 17 years of age were up to date, CDC data shows.

RELATED: Jab first, ask questions never: Vaccine truths your doctor won’t tell you

EKIN KIZILKAYA/iStock/Getty Images Plus

The CDC stuck with its recommendations until now despite credible warnings from Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo and other experts; troubling scientific studies demonstrating the vaccines were not as safe and effective as advertised; glaring evidence that kids and teens were at low risk for COVID and could go without; and damning state-leveled allegations that one of the primary vaccine manufacturers sat on evidence that its COVID-19 vaccine “was connected to serious adverse events, including myocarditis and pericarditis, failed pregnancies, and deaths.”

Just last month, a preprint study backed by the Florida Department of Health suggested that adults in the Sunshine State who received the Pfizer vaccine had “significantly higher risk of 12-month all-cause, cardiovascular, COVID-19, and non-COVID-19 mortality” than those who received the Moderna shot.

A study conducted by the Global COVID Vaccine Safety Project — a Global Vaccine Data Network initiative supported by both the CDC and the HHS — and published last year in the journal Vaccine detailed troubling links between the AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer vaccines and medical conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, brain and spinal cord inflammation, Bell’s palsy, and convulsions.

Another peer-reviewed study published last year in the pharmacotherapy journal Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety indicated that “COVID-19 vaccination is strongly associated with a serious adverse safety signal of myocarditis, particularly in children and young adults resulting in hospitalization and death.”

“COVID-19 vaccines induce an uncontrolled expression of potentially lethal SARS-CoV-2 spike protein within human cells, have a close temporal relationship of events, and are internally and externally consistent with emerging sources of clinical and peer-reviewed data supporting the conclusion that COVID-19 vaccines are deterministic for myocarditis, including fatal cases,” said the study.

‘The current risks of serious adverse events or deaths outweigh the benefits.’

Texas cardiologist Peter McCullough, a leading critic of the vaccines, said in a statement Thursday, “Two presidents, three HHS Secretaries, three FDA Commissioners, and nearly five years into the disastrous COVID-19 vaccine debacle, women and children receive long overdue yet welcome news. After record vaccine injuries, disabilities, and death, America is wondering will any of these leaders be held accountable?”

Dropping the recommendations appears to be a half measure, given that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. previously fought to revoke authorization of COVID-19 vaccines altogether.

RELATED: Mandates, masks, and mayhem: Never again!

Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In a petition he filed with the FDA on May 16, 2021, Kennedy said the agency should revoke all emergency use authorizations and refrain from approving future EUAs for any COVID vaccine for all demographic groups “because the current risks of serious adverse events or deaths outweigh the benefits, and because existing, approved drugs provide highly effective prophylaxis and treatment against COVID, mooting the EUAs.”

Kennedy noted further that the agency should specifically spare children and pregnant women from the novel vaccines.

Kennedy’s warnings and requests evidently fell on deaf ears.

In its final weeks, the Biden HHS extended liability protection to COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers and administrators through Dec. 31, 2029, precluding vaccine recipients who reportedly end up injured or their surviving family members from holding those responsible to account. This was the latest of several such extensions.

The reports of the HHS dropping the vaccine recommendations and other moves made in recent months by the Trump administration have elements of the medical establishment clutching pearls.

Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told the New York Times, “I think that we are in the midst of watching the vaccine infrastructure being torn down bit by bit.”

“I think everything is a target,” said Tara Smith, an epidemiologist at Kent State University College of Public Health.

“Overturning the recommendation means that insurance companies will no longer have to cover these vaccines,” Dorit Reiss, a law professor at UC Law San Francisco, complained to the health publication Stat.

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​Vaccination, Vaccine, Pfizer, Moderna, Clot shot, Jab, Health, Hhs, Kennedy, Makary, Vaccine schedule, Recommendations, Vaccine injury, Covid-19, Fda, Cdc, Politics 

President Donald Trump said that former FBI Director James Comey “knew exactly what he was doing” when he posted a photo of seashells on the beach arranged to make a message many took as a threat.

Comey posted on his Instagram account a photo of the message spelling “8647” but later deleted it and apologized after receiving massive backlash from critics online. He claimed that he did not intend to advocate for any violence.

‘Now, he wasn’t very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant, and he did it for a reason.’

The president responded in an interview with Bret Baier on Fox News that will air in its entirety on Friday.

“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant? That meant assassination,” said Trump.

“And it says it loud and clear,” Trump added. “Now, he wasn’t very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant, and he did it for a reason. And he was hit so hard because people like me, and they like what’s happening with our country. Our country’s become respected again. And he’s calling for the assassination of the president.”

“Obviously, he apologized and said he wasn’t calling for violence,” Baier pointed out.

Related: Comey did Obama’s ‘dirty work,’ and Trump STILL came out on top

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Trump went on to say that any prosecution Comey might face would be up to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“I don’t want to take a position on it because it’s going to be up to Pam and all the great people,” the president continued.

“But I will say this: I think it’s a terrible thing. And when you add his history to that — if he had a clean history, he doesn’t. He’s a dirty cop. He’s a dirty cop. And if he had a clean history I could understand if there was a leniency, but I’m gonna let them make that decision.”

Comey’s defenders take him at his word that he did not intend to advocate for violence, but others say the threat was clear and that he should be prosecuted for the post. Some point out that it could have been a marketing ploy to gain attention ahead of his new book release in four days.

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary says the term “86” first appeared in the 1940s and referred to an item on a menu that had run out, but later came to mean getting rid of some item. Much more recent uses include the idea of killing a person.

According to Blaze Media politics senior editor Christopher Bedford, the term comes from a “little speakeasy called Chumley’s at 86 Bedford Street in Manhattan” where it was used to warn customers about police during prohibition.

“I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” wrote Comey.

Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel said that they would be looking into the incident.

Here’s the video of Trump’s response:

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​Trump vs comey, Comey seashell threat, 8647 threat, Trump threat, Politics 

Rosie O’Donnell did what many celebrities promised but never accomplished this year. She left the U.S. due to President Donald Trump 2.0.

If only Cher would take a hint.

Wait … it’s neither TV nor HBO. It’s … Max? Who’s this Max fella, anyway? Is he dating Carrie Bradshaw?

Sadly, the real estate mogul is still living rent-free in O’Donnell’s head, even though said head now lies on a pillow in Ireland, her new home.

The former comic can’t stop ranting about Trump on social media, where she fits right in with the other TDS victims. This time, she doubled down on the farcical notion that he stole the 2024 election, something even the conspiracy-theory-addled souls over at MSNBC and “The View” won’t say.

At least not out loud.

“If he admits one more time that the election was rigged… I mean why is he allowed to admit this over and over again, and no one does anything about it? It’s very obvious that it was.”

Oh, and she claims Trump is suffering from dementia. Yes, she made the claim during the same week a flood of book excerpts detail just how impaired President Joe Biden was during his one disastrous term.

It seems O’Donnell isn’t far away enough from Trump in Ireland to escape his orbit. Maybe she should join astronaut Katy Perry on her next moon flight …

Max off

Remember HBO? It’s not TV; it’s HBO, the pay channel told us in its heyday. Then, inexplicably, HBO became Max. Why? Ask the marketing whizzes who probably made themselves a pretty penny with the name change and, in the process, left millions confused.

Wait … it’s neither TV nor HBO. It’s … Max? Who’s this Max fella, anyway? Is he dating Carrie Bradshaw?

Now, Warner Bros. Discovery is ending the chaos. Sort of. The pay channel and streaming service will now be known as HBO Max.

Let’s label it New Coke and call it a day …

Fox faces ‘Fear’

Bulls beware! NBC’s most nauseating game show is being rebooted.

“Fear Factor,” famously hosted by Joe Rogan, is getting a new life courtesy of Fox. Everything old is slightly less old again in Hollywood.

We don’t have firm details yet, although Fox suits hope the podcaster will be part of the new series in some capacity. Don’t hold your breath. Does he really want to watch contestants wolf down bull testicles and other gag-inducing “foods” like he did during the show’s glory days?

Besides, we saw an unofficial “Fear Factor” reboot last year. Wannabe president Kamala Harris was offered the chance to appear on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast but chickened out at the last minute …

Loudmouth Leslie

Maybe Leslie Jones is still angry about her “Lady Ghostbusters” reboot flopping in spectacular fashion. That would explain the alleged comic’s return to “The Daily Show” this week. Jones launched into a tirade against all things GOP.

What’s up, y’all, did you miss me? Because I definitely have an opinion. I got a problem with these Trump folks. It’s not that they’re corrupt, although they are. It’s not that they’re evil, although they are. It’s not that they are women-hating, racist, unqualified d***heads who couldn’t run a Dunkin’ Donuts without burning it down. No, my problem is these people are goofy-a** mother[bleep]!”

It only got more intellectual from there ….

Cruise control

They don’t call him the Last Movie Star for nothing.

Tom Cruise is out promoting “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” this month, and he got dragged into tariff-palooza by an intrepid journalist in South Korea. The question?

“We all are aware of the tariffs that President Donald Trump has been imposing on overseas productions and films. So is this particular movie under that tariff? And how much of the film was shot overseas?”

At this point, a Sean Penn or Robert De Niro would have launched into a jeremiad against Herr Trump, complete with references to concentration camps and the end of democracy.

Not the Last Movie Star.

“We’d rather answer questions about the movie. Thank you.”

Simple. Direct. Refreshing. Somewhere, Rachel Zegler is taking furious notes. Or at least we hope so..

‘Boss’ baby

And Bruce Springsteen launched into his own tirade against President Donald Trump during a recent stop on his European tour. Experts predict it could have serious repercussions for the 2024 presidential election.

​Culture, Rosie o’donnell, Donald trump, Leslie jones, Joe rogan, Fear factor, Hollywood, Toto recall 

The Indianapolis Colts have bizarrely apologized for a seconds-long video that portrays Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill as a cartoon dolphin.

The Colts participated in a social media trend in which NFL teams created unique videos to launch the release of their upcoming schedule. For their video, the Colts decided to use the stylings of the ultra-popular video game Minecraft and animated it accordingly. For their Week 1 matchup against the Dolphins, the Colts included a short video that mocked a 2024 incident involving Hill.

‘We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek.’

The animation lasted just six seconds but featured a pixelated dolphin in the ocean with “Hill” captioned above it, wearing the wide receiver’s No. 10 jersey. A Coast Guard boat then approaches the dolphin/”Hill” as an officer rings a siren.

The short video was meant to mock Hill’s 2024 police encounter during which Miami-Dade Police handcuffed and placed Hill on the ground during a traffic stop before a home game. Traffic citations against Hill were later dropped.

RELATED: ‘Get out of the car!’ Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill considering legal action after release of intense police bodycam footage

Tyreek Hill addresses the media after he was apprehended by police before a game. Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

According to ESPN, not only did the Colts retroactively find its Hill segment to be mean, but also the team said it may have violated Microsoft’s intellectual property at the same time. Minecraft is owned by Microsoft, and the near-identical animations may have been enough to get a warning from the software giant, but that much is unclear.

“We removed our schedule release video because it exceeded our rights with Microsoft and included an insensitive clip involving Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. We sincerely apologize to Microsoft and Tyreek,” the team said in a statement.

Interestingly, the Los Angeles Chargers made a similar video for their schedule release but indicated through a disclaimer that they had Microsoft’s permission to use their animation style.

RELATED: NFL star Tyreek Hill sued by plus-size model who says he broke her leg performing offensive lineman drills in his back yard

Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, relayed to outlets that Hill actually thought the Colts’ video was funny and did not support its removal.

“He laughed about it and didn’t think they needed to take it down on his account,” Rosenhaus said.

‘The Colts bailed on their gag like cowards.’

Sports reporter Alejandro Avila certainly was not one of the allegedly offended parties, and he told Blaze News that if a team is going to attempt a joke like that, it should “go for broke.”

“Tyreek has landed himself in enough trouble over his bad decisions that we can all point and laugh,” Avila added. “The Colts bailed on their gag like cowards. Don’t take down a heavily produced video and apologize for it. Don’t apologize! If the joke doesn’t land, own it.”

Pouring a little more salt on the wound, Rosenhaus told the Associated Press, “Tyreek accepts the Colts’ apology.”

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​Sports, Woke, Cancel culture, Tyreek hill, Microsoft, Minecraft, Fearless, Indianapolis colts 

The U.S. Supreme Court
heard oral arguments Thursday in the case Trump v. CASA Inc., along with the related cases Trump v. Washington and Trump v. New Jersey, concerning President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens.

The court was focused on procedural questions — particularly with regard to federal judges’ apparent efforts to direct U.S. policy through the imposition of nationwide injunctions — rather than the constitutionality of the order, although its legality came up on occasion.

The court, which is
expected to render its decision by late June or early July, may end up blocking the order but possibly also reining in meddlesome federal judges.

Background

Trump issued the executive order ending birthright citizenship on Jan. 20.

Days later, a Seattle-based U.S. district judge, responding to a lawsuit brought by four Democrat-led states, deemed the order “blatantly unconstitutional,” and slapped it with a nationwide injunction — one among the 40 issued in recent months that have
prompted accusations of a “judicial coup.” A Biden judge and an Obama judge similarly blocked the order before courts ruled on the legal merits.

Denied additional sets of eyes on the matter by federal appeals courts, the Trump administration
asked the U.S. Supreme Court in March for a partial stay but also drew the high court’s attention to the efforts of district judges to “govern … the whole Nation from their courtrooms.”

‘Enough is enough.’

Attorneys for the government noted in their application for a partial stay that “such universal injunctions, though ‘a relatively new phenomenon,’ have become ubiquitous, posing ‘a question of great significance that has been in need of the Court’s attention for some time.'”

The Congressional Research Service
indicated there were at least 17 cases of national injunctions between Jan. 20 and March 27. That number has since risen to at least 40 — including 35 from the same five judicial districts. According to the government’s application, district courts issued more nationwide injunctions and temporary restraining orders in the month of February than through the first three years of the Biden administration. Throughout the entirety of Barack Obama’s presidency, only 19 were issued.

RELATED: Will the Supreme Court rein in rogue judges — or rubber-stamp them?

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Attorneys for the government argued further that nationwide injunctions, which have “reached epidemic proportions since the start of the current Administration,” transgress constitutional limits on courts’ powers; are incompatible with foundational limits on equitable jurisdiction; are bad for the rule of law; risk the perception of the federal courts as an apolitical branch; and “compromise the Executive Branch’s ability to carry out its functions, as administrations of both parties have explained.”

“This Court should declare that enough is enough before district courts’ burgeoning reliance on universal injunctions becomes further entrenched,” wrote the government’s attorneys. “Only this Court’s intervention can prevent universal injunctions from becoming universally acceptable.”

The ask: Narrow down injunctions to the actual parties in the case.

Dr. John C. Eastman, founding director of the Claremont Institute’s Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence,
noted in a Blaze News op-ed Thursday that both conservative and liberal justices on the high court have previously criticized the practice of single federal district courts lobbing nationwide injunctions to block policies enacted by the political branches.

Justice Elena Kagan, for instance, reportedly suggested, “It just can’t be right that one district judge can stop a nationwide policy in its tracks and leave it stopped for … years.”

On Thursday, the government appeared keen to draw out those outstanding concerns.

Showtime

There was some
discussion during oral arguments about the legality of the order, what it would look like if partially implemented, and the government’s primary contention that the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment related to the children of former slaves, not those of illegal aliens who — as U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer put it — “weren’t even present as a discrete class at that time.”

Sauer assigned more energy, however, to hammering home the point that the nationwide injunctions are a “bipartisan problem” that exceed the judicial power granted in Article III of the Constitution; require judges to make “rushed, high-stakes, low-information decisions”; require the “government to win everywhere while the plaintiffs can win anywhere”; and “prevent the percolation of novel and difficult legal questions” in the lower courts.

His efforts were not in vain.

‘We survived until the 1960s without universal injunctions.’

The justices seriously considered the legal basis for and impact of scrapping universal injunctions as well as alternative tools for expeditious legal action, including class action and certiorari before judgment.

After expressing a desire to temporarily “put out of our minds the merits of this and just look at the abstract question of universal injunctions,” Justice Samuel Alito suggested that there are 680 district court judges, and while dedicated and scholarly, “sometimes they’re wrong.”

“All Article III judges are vulnerable to an occupational disease, which is the disease of thinking that ‘I am right and I can do whatever I want,'” said Alito.

RELATED: The legal case against anchor-baby citizenship revisited

annedehaas via iStock/Getty Images

Whereas colleagues on a multimember appellate court could keep that “occupational disease” at bay, Justice Alito suggested that a trial judge is relatively unbounded and unchecked as “the monarch of that realm.”

New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum, who represented the states challenging Trump’s order, characterized nationwide injunctions as inconvenient, potentially frustrating but necessary — something that should not be “categorically off the table.”

Justice Clarence Thomas noted, however, that “we survived until the 1960s without universal injunctions.”

‘At stake is nothing less than the legitimacy of the last election.’

Chief Justice John Roberts added that in recent months, the Supreme Court was able to take expeditious action — the suggestion being a nationwide injunction is unnecessary to achieve a similar end.

Justice Neil Gorsuch cast doubt on the relative timeliness of a class action, noting that certifying a class takes time, and the process involves other hurdles,
reported SCOTUSBlog.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested that if Sauer was right in his assertion that Article III precludes universal injunctions, then class actions would similarly be illegal, a suggestion Sauer disagreed with “profoundly.”

While the conservative justices’ receptivity Thursday to the government’s arguments is no guarantee of a partial win on the matter of nationwide injunctions, it is a hopeful sign for critics such as Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff, who
asked earlier this year, “Is there no end to this madness?”

Eastman noted, “Whatever the court decides, the consequences will ripple through the hundreds of lawsuits filed against the president’s executive actions. At stake is nothing less than the legitimacy of the last election — and whether unelected district judges can override the policies chosen by the American people.”

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​Supreme court, Scotus, Politics, Birthright citizenship, Birthright, Alito, Thomas, Justices, Donald trump, Injunction, District court, Overreach, Judicial 

President Donald Trump introduced comedian Theo Von for a surprise appearance in front of U.S. troops in Qatar on Thursday.

Trump was in the region signing a $96 billion deal between Qatar Airways and Boeing, which, according to Time, involves 210 jets being bought by Qatar’s state-owned airline.

‘I can just speak freely, whether you agree or not. But I don’t have that right if people don’t stand up for it’

At Al Udeid Air Base, Trump told an audience full of armed forces members about a conversation he had with his son Barron, who told him, “Dad … you gotta do an interview with a guy named Theo Von.”

Trump continued, “I said, ‘Who the hell is Theo Von?'”

Immediately after, Trump surprised the audience and revealed that the comedian was in the audience, eager to come on stage. “Where is Theo? He’s around here someplace.”

RELATED: Theo Von explains why he is no longer a Bernie-loving Democrat: ‘There’s certainly an attack on white males’

President Donald Trump dances on stage at the Al Udeid Air Base on May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Von took the stage, an unorthodox one that included bulletproof glass, and immediately received raucous applause.

“This was definitely court-ordered,” Von told the crowd, explaining that he was unsure how he got there.

What followed was a mostly funny, off-the-cuff riff from Von that was, at times, shockingly edgy and unexpected, especially given the audience.

Von’s topics included the following:

Where the next 9/11 should happen.Doing cocaine off of a baby’s back.Joe Biden smelling children.

Given his topics, one might think Von’s material evoked shock and awe from the audience, but most of the jokes — especially those about Biden — drew laughter from U.S. servicemen.

Von was extremely appreciative of his reception and assured troops he would “do better next time” because, by his own admission, he did not have much material for a Qatari audience.

At the same time, the comedian was extremely thankful that he could perform on stage with any material he wanted.

“My job is, I can just say what I want,” Von said, closing the show. “I can just speak freely, whether you agree or not. But I don’t have that right if people don’t stand up for it.”

Von continued, “I wouldn’t be able to come here and do my job that well today if you guys weren’t here sacrificing your time and commitment.”

“Thank you for freedom of speech; I’ll try to use it a bit better next time,” he finished.

RELATED: Why the GOP is so frustrated trying to negotiate with the ‘SALT Caucus’

The comedian was praised online after he was seen taken dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of photos with American troops.

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​Align, Politics, Theo von, Qatar, Trump, Entertainment 

Negotiators from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday, marking the first meeting between the two countries since 2022 due to mounting pressure from President Donald Trump.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed the negotiators at Dolmabahce Palace on Friday, urging the two countries to reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible.

“There are two paths ahead of us: One road will take us on a process that will lead to peace, while the other will lead to more destruction and death,” Fidan said. “The sides will decide on their own, with their own will, which path they choose.”

‘Although tensions ran high, progress has been made.’

RELATED: Trump earns unlikely praise from House Democrat: ‘I got to give him some kudos there’

(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The war officially began under former President Joe Biden, but there was little movement throughout his term. Now, Trump has taken the lead to resolve the conflict.

Up until Trump’s inauguration in January, Ukraine was essentially bankrolled by the United States. That all changed during the infamous Oval Office meeting with Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Although tensions ran high, progress has been made with various proposed peace deals, though none have yet been agreed to by all parties involved.

RELATED: Trump pledges to lift ‘brutal and crippling’ sanctions on Syria, pushes for Middle East peace talks

Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

The Russia-Ukraine War is not the only conflict Trump is trying to resolve. The president spent the week touring the Middle East and meeting with various leaders, like President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

During these meetings, Trump encouraged the leaders to sign onto the Abraham Accords alongside Israel in order to restore peace in the Middle East. Trump also urged the leaders to expel foreign terrorists from Syria, to deport Palestinian terrorists, to aid the United States and prevent the resurgence of ISIS, and to take responsibility for the ISIS detention centers in Syria.

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​Ukraine, Russia, Zelenskyy, Putin, Turkey, Donald trump, Peace deal, Peace talks, Israel, Saudi arabia, Syria, Abraham accords, Middle east, Jd vance, Ahmed al-sharaa, Mohammed bin salman, Tayyip erdogan, Isis, Palestine, Politics 

Throughout former President Joe Biden’s term, Americans watched as their commander in chief tumbled down stairs and fumbled through lines often fed to him from a teleprompter.

Everyone could see the truth: Biden was not mentally fit for office. Although his decline was blatantly obvious to onlookers, Biden’s political allies in Congress, in media, and even in the White House bent over backwards to conceal it, essentially gaslighting Americans for four years.

Even after Biden’s infamous debate performance in 2024 against now-President Donald Trump, Democratic lawmakers turned a blind eye.

Now that the dam has broken, Democrats are flooding social media and news articles recanting their views on the former president’s condition.

RELATED: The Great Biden Book War has finally begun

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Just months after the consequential election, Democrats are finally admitting that Biden may not have been as young and spry as they all claimed he was. This shift has largely been greenlit by the upcoming book “Original Sin,” penned by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, detailing Biden’s decline during his presidency and on the campaign trail. Notably, Tapper was complicit in the cover-up that he is now credited with unveiling.

Now that the dam has broken, Democrats are flooding social media and news articles recanting their views on the former president’s condition.

On the topic of Biden’s cognitive decline, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut recently said there was “no doubt about it.” Ironically, Murphy was one of the most outspoken allies defending Biden’s fitness throughout his presidency and his re-election campaign, calling reports of his decline a “Fox News trope.”

RELATED: Trump earns unlikely praise from House Democrat: ‘I got to give him some kudos there’

Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Similarly, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California recently conceded that Democrats should not have allowed Biden to run in 2024 in light of “facts that have come out.” If there was any confusion about Biden’s health leading up to the election, his disastrous debate made it clear as day, Khanna indicated.

Khanna sang a different tune less than a year ago, defending Biden immediately after the debate and even likening him to fictional boxing champion Rocky Balboa.

“Rocky wasn’t the most eloquent in speech,” Khanna said. “But he was a fighter. His character conveyed his eloquence. Our message: Biden’s character is his eloquence.”

Other lawmakers complicit in the cover-up are looking for another off-ramp.

RELATED: Joe Biden was a puppet, not a president. So who signed the pardons?

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg admitted that Democrats “maybe” would have done better if Biden had never made a re-election bid but stopped just short of confessing culpability. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of the swing state of Michigan deflected altogether, saying she was “halfway across the country” in 2024 and was “busy working.”

Whether or not they’re willing to admit it, it’s clear Democrats are still trying to recover from a serious misstep.

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​Joe biden, Donald trump, Kamala harris, Democrats, House democrats, Senate democrats, Coverup, Biden’s decline, Biden’s mental health, Ro khanna, Chris murphy, Gretchen whitmer, Pete buttigieg, Politics 

A person of sufficient years learns that the world is full of people trying to sell you something you don’t need, charge you twice for it, and have you thank them for the privilege. The only thing that’s changed since the days of snake-oil salesmen is the venue — now they pitch from glowing screens instead of horse-drawn carts. The modern con man doesn’t wear a bowler hat and side whiskers; he sends emails, texts, and pop-up warnings, all designed to pick your pocket while you’re busy trying to read the news or order a book. While this advice applies to all ages, unfortunately seniors are often targeted by these hackers.

Since I’ve always found it easier to avoid a trap when I know how it works, here’s a bit of practical wisdom for keeping your hard-earned money and peace of mind out of the hands of hackers. Think of it as street smarts for the information superhighway.

1. The phishing expedition: Don’t take the bait

Phishing — it sounds almost friendly, like something you’d do on a lazy Saturday with a can of worms and a thermos of coffee. But in this context, you’re the fish, and the bait is an email or text designed to look legitimate. It might claim to be from your bank, the Social Security Administration, or even a grandchild in distress.

The tip-off is urgency: “Act now or lose access to your account!” or “Grandma, I’m stuck in Mexico and need bail money!” Hackers count on panic overriding common sense.

What to do? Trust, but verify — or better yet, just verify. If your bank supposedly emails you about a problem, don’t click the link. Call the bank using the number on your bank statement, not the one in the email. If little Johnny is allegedly locked up abroad, call his mother. Chances are, he’s safe at home, ignoring her texts like teenagers do.

2. Passwords: The digital equivalent of door locks

Your password should be like the secret word to get into an old speakeasy — strong, complex, and known only to those who belong. Yet too many people use passwords like “123456” or “password,” which are about as secure as a cardboard safe.

The best passwords are long, random, and unique for every account. I hear you groaning — “How can I remember dozens of different passwords?” Easy. You don’t. Use a password manager, which keeps them locked up tighter than Fort Knox. If that feels too technical, at least write them down — on paper, not in a file called “Passwords.doc” on your desktop.

And for heaven’s sake, don’t use your pet’s name, your birthday, or anything else someone could glean from your Facebook profile. Hackers love it when you advertise your password with a “Happy birthday to Fluffy, 10 years young today!” post.

3. Pop-ups and fake alerts: The digital shell game

You’re reading the news here on Blaze News, which means you don’t get harassed by pop-ups. But when you visit other websites, you might see a window pop up: “Your computer is infected! Call this number immediately!” It’s the digital equivalent of the three-card monte on a street corner. If you engage, the hacker either sells you useless software or, worse, takes remote control of your computer.

Rule number one: Close the pop-up. If it won’t close, restart your computer. Legitimate companies don’t alert you to viruses through pop-ups; your antivirus software handles that quietly in the background.

And if anyone claiming to be “tech support” calls you out of the blue, hang up. Microsoft, Apple, and other reputable companies don’t operate like cold-calling telemarketers.

4. Social media is the playground for con men

Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites are wonderful for keeping up with the grandkids, but they’re also fertile ground for scammers. That “friend request” from someone you’re already friends with? Likely a hacker trying to impersonate them. The quiz asking for your first pet’s name and childhood street? It’s fishing for answers to common security questions.

Be stingy with personal information. Review your privacy settings and lock down your profile so that only friends can see your posts. If you get a second friend request from an existing friend, call your friend — his account might be compromised.

5. The too-good-to-be-true deal

You’ve won an iPad! You’re entitled to a refund from the IRS! A Nigerian prince wants to share his fortune! The classics never die — they just get digital makeovers every few years.

If an offer seems too good to be true, it is. No legitimate organization will ask for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency. When in doubt, search for the exact wording of the message online — chances are, someone’s already flagged it as a scam.

6. Update or obsolete: Keep your software current

Think of software updates like annual checkups at the doctor’s — they patch up vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them. Ignore those update notifications at your peril. Yes, they’re annoying, but so is having your bank account drained.

Turn on automatic updates for your operating system, antivirus software, and web browser. This simple step closes many of the doors hackers love to sneak through.

7. Two-factor authentication: A second lock on the door

Two-factor authentication is like a bolt on the door. Even if someone steals your password, he can’t get in without the second factor — usually a code sent to your phone or generated by an app.

Enable 2FA wherever possible — especially for email, banking, and social media accounts. It’s a minor inconvenience for you but a major headache for hackers.

8. The phone scam: Old tricks, new medium

The telephone — that venerable instrument of human connection — has become a favorite tool for fraud. “This is the IRS. Pay immediately or face arrest!” or “Your grandson is in jail and needs bail money!”

The IRS doesn’t call people demanding money — it sends letters. And if your family members are really in trouble, they’ll call directly, not through a third party. When in doubt, hang up and call back using a number you trust.

9. Email attachments are the Trojan horse of the digital age

Opening an unknown email attachment is like inviting a stranger into your house and handing him your wallet. Even if an email appears to come from someone you know, exercise caution — hackers often spoof addresses.

If you’re not expecting an attachment, don’t open it. Call the sender to confirm he really sent it. Better safe than hacked.

10. Trust your gut

Finally, keep in mind the golden rule of self-preservation: if something feels off, it likely is. Hackers exploit confusion, fear, and urgency to cloud your judgment. Take a breath, step back, and verify.

In the end, avoiding hackers is like navigating any other part of life: Pay attention, keep your wits about you, and don’t trust a stranger who promises you the moon. The world’s always had its fair share of sharp operators — the only difference now is they come through the internet instead of down the street.

​Tech, Scammers, Hackers, Technology 

Reconciliation talks are beginning to boil over as Republican factions begin attacking the “big, beautiful bill” from all angles.

Up until this week, critics have been relatively quiet about reconciliation while the majority of Republicans embraced the bill, meant to codify President Donald Trump’s agenda.

To be clear, the bill does so to an extent. The tax policy is studded with pro-family provisions and includes the incredibly popular “no tax on tips” policy Trump floated during his campaign. There are Medicaid reforms intended to trim the fat and reduce fraud by enforcing work requirements. It even increases the endowment tax on elite universities like Harvard, subjecting the largest endowments to the 21% corporate rate.

But what was supposed to be the centerpiece in the Republican-led Congress has become a focal point for conflict, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is doing what he can to plug as many leaks as possible.

‘I understand that we have a thin majority, but we should deliver.’

RELATED: Vance tells Glenn Beck Congress needs to ‘get serious’ about codifying DOGE cuts

Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Some defectors who have been the most difficult to please are the SALT Caucus, a bipartisan bunch pushing to eliminate the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions. The blue-state Republicans in the caucus, like Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, have been particularly stubborn during these closed-door negotiations.

During one of their many meetings this week, the members even threw out their colleague Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York because she supported the proposed $30,000 cap increase that came out of the Ways and Means Committee. Notably, Malliotakis is the only SALT Caucus member on the committee and therefore the only member with direct influence over tax policy, the very thing the SALT Caucus is trying to change.

Even after holding several meetings throughout the week, Johnson said that he will likely have to work through the weekend to strike a deal with SALT Caucus Republicans.

RELATED: Big, beautiful bill advances after 18-hour markup marathon while SALT talks go south

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

Predictably, Johnson is also facing an uphill battle against conservatives on Capitol Hill, most notably those on the Budget Committee. The committee is the last to hold a markup on Friday morning, which consists of piecing together all the reconciliation portions that have come out of the 11 House committees’ markups.

There are no amendments allowed in the Budget Committee. They will simply vote to advance the bill in its entirety.

The problem is that several Republicans on the committee have already committed to voting against the bill’s advancement. There are 21 Republicans and 15 Democrats on the House Budget Committee, meaning Republicans can afford to lose only two votes if they want to get the bill across with a simple majority. Yet among those 21 Republicans, four of them said they are willing to tank the bill.

Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas told Blaze News earlier in the week that he couldn’t get behind the bill because it doesn’t do enough to rein in spending and address fraud in the Medicaid system.

“It has to be amended,” Roy told Blaze News. “I’m not going to be able to support it as it’s currently drafted, and those amendments are going to need to be, you know, relatively significant.”

“I didn’t come here to perpetuate a broken system,” Roy added. “I understand that we have a thin majority, but we should deliver.”

RELATED: Exclusive: Why Chip Roy can’t support the ‘big, beautiful bill’: ‘The swamp does what the swamp does’

Republican Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, and Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma echoed Roy’s concerns, saying they too intended to vote against the bill in committee.

Despite these naysayers, leadership is pushing on, with Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) saying he is confident the bill will pass committee on Friday.

“We did the hard work of setting real targets to restore fiscal sanity, and I’m confident we will have the votes in the Budget Committee tomorrow,” Arrington said in a statement. “The Republican conference is working in good faith through a few scoring and policy clarifications. With something this big and beautiful, you’ve got to get it right.”

If the bill manages to scrape by in the Budget Committee, it will be headed to the Rules Committee on Monday before eventually being put up for a vote on the floor before the Memorial Day target. Unlike the Budget Committee, the Rules Committee allows amendments, which Johnson, who has a historically narrow House majority, will likely need to make if he wants to get enough votes to pass the bill.

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​Donald trump, Chip roy, Ralph norman, Andrew clyde, Josh brecheen, Mike johnson, Mike lawler, Nicole malliotakis, Salt caucus, Salt republicans, Salty six, Ways and means committee, Budget committee, Rules committee, Big beautiful bill, Jd vance, Glenn beck, Jodey arrington, Jason smith, Fiscal conservatives, Government spending, Doce cuts, Maga mandate, Medicaid reform, Fraud waste and abuse, Harvard, Congress, House republicans, Politics 

If you’re a normal person, you might find the phrase “Republican SALT Caucus” unintentionally hilarious. One of our editors literally laughed out loud when she first saw it in last week’s copy. But yes — this circus is real. The so-called SALT Caucus is pushing to bust the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, a move that overwhelmingly benefits wealthy constituents and donors in high-tax blue states.

For the past two weeks, these Republicans have whined that the Ways and Means Committee won’t give them a deal in exchange for their votes. Now they’ve decided to bypass the committee and take their case straight to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). But they’ve failed to articulate a clear demand — and if they keep posturing, they’re heading for a painful lesson in how negotiations work under this speaker.

That’s the nature of legislating: Virtually everyone besides the fiscal hawks wants more for themselves and their districts.

The self-styled SALT Caucus lacks formal structure, but its members share a common trait: They all represent deep-blue, high-tax states like New York, New Jersey, and California.

No official list exists, but based on public comments and internal chatter, the ringleaders include New Jersey Reps. Jeff Van Drew, Christopher Smith, and Thomas Kean Jr.; California Reps. Kevin Kiley, David Valadao, Vince Fong, and Young Kim; and New York Reps. Mike Lawler, Nick LaLota, Nick Langworthy, Andrew Garbarino, Anthony D’Esposito, Claudia Tenney, and Donald Trump’s favorite, Elise Stefanik.

Of these, Kim, Lawler, LaLota, and Garbarino consider themselves “the saltiest” and even ejected New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis from one of their meetings for saying the 300% increase in the currently proposed annual deductions cap, from $10,000 to $30,000, was acceptable to her. Incredibly, Malliotakis was the only member of the SALT Caucus who has a seat on the Ways and Means Committee, which is charged with setting these numbers.

The funny thing about the SALT faction’s rejection of a $20,000 hike is they’ve not provided an actual number that would please them. They’ve only said that $30,000 “is insulting” and that without their votes for the president’s budget, the caps expire along with Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. They’ll tell you this fact makes their hand stronger, but the reality is that the tax cuts expiring would mean a massive tax hike, and the small number of wealthy but influential citizens who would benefit from no cap would end up paying more in the wash.

The few demands the SALT Caucus has floated shift wildly depending on which member is speaking.

Mike Lawler, for example, wants to raise the cap to $100,000 for individuals and $200,000 for married couples. That’s not just bad optics — it’s political malpractice. You don’t need a Ph.D. in political science to know that tax breaks for people paying $200,000 in state and local taxes don’t exactly scream “working-class Republican.” To most of the GOP conference — and certainly to red-state voters — that proposal sounds like a bad joke.

What’s more, Lawler’s demands are different from Kim’s, which are different from LaLota’s, and on and on.

The SALT Republicans claim it’s up to Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) to make them an offer, but he’s not the one with the ask here — they are. Further, they don’t even agree on what that ask is, except for “more.” And as mentioned, they kicked out the only member they had who is actually on Smith’s committee.

If you don’t have a proposal — just a demand for more — it’s hard to see how you’re actually in a caucus at all, unless the SALT Caucus is just united by opposition to Trump’s budget. How, for example, are they different from the California Republicans who don’t want the Congress to talk away former President Joe Biden’s energy handouts? Or those who want
this tax credit or that one? Do they get to have their demands met, or else?

Now that the committee has finished its overnight, 18-hour markup, dozens of members will be chased down the halls (and even convinced) by lobbyists who tell them this carve-out is necessary or that subsidy is essential. That’s the nature of legislating: Virtually everyone besides the fiscal hawks wants more for themselves and their districts.

And if you break for this group’s ill-defined demands (whatever they are), how do you say no to the others? What if they threaten to withhold their votes? You’ve opened the door for chaos.

Don’t forget this whole thing is going to the Senate when the House is finished. Several Republican senators have signaled they’re a “no” on the House bill right now, and that’s fine because guess what: It’s going to be changing!

So the SALT guys are still at it. They wouldn’t even talk to the committee before everyone was all together in Thursday’s meeting, which included the fiscal hawks over at the Freedom Caucus as well. Those guys, by the way, don’t want to raise the SALT cap a single dollar, and they’re eager to bust their blue-state friends back down to size (but are loath to incur the party conference’s wrath by sinking a final deal). It’s almost a good-cop/bad-cop dynamic.

Enter Mike Johnson. To read the coverage in D.C. newsletters, the SALT Caucus going around the committee chairman to deal directly with the speaker is some kind of win for them. A cursory knowledge of Johnson’s actual dealmaking abilities, however, pops that balloon right quick.

Johnson’s big problem is not that he’s intentionally duplicitous; it’s that he says “yes” to
everyone — even when he should not or simply cannot. This habit is terrible in negotiation and has nearly sabotaged his very few wins this year. The reality is that much of what little has been accomplished in this Congress has been because Johnson stepped back from the negotiations.

Now he’s supposed to save the day for the main part of the president’s entire legislative agenda. Seems like quite the request! Nobody was talking when members left Thursday’s great big meeting. Just another day in the salt mines!

JD Vance on ‘The Glenn Beck Program’: Congress needs to ‘get serious’ about codifying DOGE cuts

Blaze News: Why Chip Roy can’t support the ‘big, beautiful bill’

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Have we been missing a Soros-McCain family connection in front of our very eyes all this time?

Unlike his father, George, who operated behind the scenes and dismissed scrutiny as conspiracy theory, Alexander Soros flaunts his influence openly on social media. He’s proudly posted photos with Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), Bill and Hillary Clinton, and Democratic leaders like Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) — to name just a few. He’s also showcased meetings with newer faces, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), whom he called a “rising star.” Let’s hope he’s right.

What started as a quiet alliance between George Soros and John McCain has now become a visible partnership between their heirs, Alex and Cindy.

To paraphrase “The Big Short”: Alex isn’t confessing — he’s bragging.

His photos with high-profile Democrats have grabbed headlines, but it’s his posts featuring Cindy McCain that reveal something even more telling: a decades-long relationship between the Soros and McCain families.

On May 6, 2024, Alex shared a photo with Cindy at the McCain Institute Sedona Forum. The topic of the forum was “Securing Our Insecure World,” which used the “climate crisis” as a backdrop, and had a roster of speakers that included Democrats and RINOs such as Mitt Romney, Janet Yellen, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), David Axelrod, and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

In another tweet with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Alex indicated that stopping Trump was a topic of discussion, referring to Kelly as “inspiring as ever and attentive to the threat posed in November if Trump wins.”

Alex has also shared a photo of himself with Cindy McCain and his father at the Munich Security Conference. The two also appear in a photo discussing the World Food Programme. The earliest image of them together dates back to 2020, when Cindy served as chairwoman of the board of the Munich conference and Alex sat on the advisory council, according to the conference’s annual report.

The McCains have never hidden their disdain for Donald Trump or the modern Republican Party — views that earned them the “RINO” tag and de facto exile from today’s GOP.

RELATED: Alex Soros admits he’s more powerful than elected officials

Photo by Tom Brenner/Getty Images

Their ties to the Soros network don’t mark a new alliance, but they do prompt questions about how the relationship began. The answer may lead directly back to John McCain himself.

To understand the dynamic between Cindy McCain and Alex Soros, you first need to understand the relationship between John McCain and George Soros.

In 2001, McCain launched the Reform Institute — a nonprofit think tank that operated as a convenient loophole for accepting unlimited, unregulated donations. Many of the Reform Institute’s funders also contributed to McCain’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2008 as well as to his Straight Talk America PAC.

Hypocritically, the Reform Institute has claimed it wants to “clean up” campaign finance. In 2008, the Reform Institute even sent out a fundraising appeal blasting George Soros as a Democratic mega-donor. Yet, it was taking Soros’ money as it criticized others for doing the same.

The Reform Institute accepted multiple contributions from George Soros — some as high as $100,000 — as well as from the Soros-backed Tides Foundation. The maverick also took money from Teneo, a firm co-founded by Bill Clinton’s longtime “bag man” Doug Band.

What started as a quiet alliance between George Soros and John McCain has now become a visible partnership between their heirs, Alex and Cindy. Their shared disdain for Trump and mutual investment in globalist initiatives reveal what many prefer to ignore: Real political power often hides in plain sight — until it doesn’t.

With his ascension to the helm of his father’s Open Society Foundations, Alex Soros inherits a political infrastructure from the Democratic Party — and from RINOs like John and Cindy McCain.

Editor’s note: This article, part of a series, has been adapted from Matt Palumbo’s new book, “The Heir: Inside the (Not So) Secret Network of George Soros.”

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