California Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom is furious over a report claiming that his “digital equity” program has allowed death row inmates to watch pornography and groom children on the outside.

The report at City Journal quoted prisoners and others who said the restrictions on tablets provided by the Newsom program were easily circumvented by those seeking porn and children.

‘We have the receipts — and this is something the governor’s office simply cannot defend.’

Newsom, who is widely considered to be planning a presidential run, railed against the report on Wednesday.

“This is flat-out FALSE. This MAGA nonprofit provides ZERO evidence for its outrageous claims,” read the statement from his press office on social media.

“Their ‘sources’? Convicted murderers and a random guy who doesn’t even live in California. FACT: Prison tablets DO NOT provide open internet access. FACT: Communications are monitored, recorded, searchable, and investigated,” he added.

“FACT: These tablets are are [sic] used for education, rehabilitation, family communication, and reentry support proven to reduce crime — conveniently omitted from this propaganda post,” the statement concluded.

BlazeTV host Christopher Rufo, one of the authors of the report, fired back at the governor.

Rufo posted a list of all the sources cited in the story, including a “former high-ranking California prison official,” a dozen current inmates who say they are accessing porn on the tablets, and “federal prosecutors, who are pursuing charges against a prisoner for grooming a minor through his state-issued tablet.”

RELATED: Gavin Newsom tries to dunk on Trump and gets obliterated with online ridicule

One of the inmates who spoke about his tablet use was infamous rapist and serial killer Robert Maury, who claimed he had been able to get a topless photo from a psychology student in Germany. Maury said the female student hoped to get his comments for a class project in exchange. “Prisoners are using the state-issued tablets for nefarious and lurid purposes,” wrote Rufo on social media. “We have the receipts — and this is something the governor’s office simply cannot defend.”

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​Gavin newsom, California inmate tablet program, Digital equity, Christopher rufo, Politics 

A bombshell report against the head of the U.S. Border Patrol preceded his resignation announcement Thursday.

Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said that he was leaving the office to spend time with his family and touted his success at shutting down the border.

Sources said he had been investigated twice but that the latest probe had been shut down after Kristi Noem came to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

“After over 37 years in public service to the people of the United States America, it is time for me to retire and return home to Texas to focus on my family and ranch,” wrote Banks in an email to Border Patrol employees.

The Washington Examiner reported that Banks had been under investigation for allegedly bragging about engaging with prostitutes while visiting Colombia and Thailand. Sources said he had been investigated twice but that the latest probe had been shut down after former Secretary Kristi Noem came to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

A former Border Patrol agent told the Examiner that Banks had allegedly tried to persuade the agent to join Banks on the prostitution trips.

“He’s going to third-world countries to take advantage of poor f**king women, which disgusts the hell out of me,” the agent claimed.

Banks had previously worked as the border czar for Texas during the Biden administration before being tapped for the federal position under President Donald Trump.

“To the men and women that will continue to wear the uniform and protect this great nation defending our borders and our sovereignty know this; you are protecting and defending the sovereignty of the greatest nation in the history of the world,” Banks continued in his email, “the nation that allowed a poor kid from a trailer park in central Georgia to not only serve his country in the military, but ultimately lead the finest law enforcement agency in this country as the Chief of the United States Border Patrol.”

Customs and Border Protection did not respond to the Examiner’s request for comment.

RELATED: Illegal alien activists OUTRAGED over ICE ‘abductions’ of Disney cruise crew members

An Examiner reporter noted that one of the Border Patrol agents had put Banks’ portrait in the trash after the announcement, as shown in a photo on social media.

Noem has since left the DHS, which is now headed up by Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Banks’ replacement will be chosen by Mullin, and the position does not need approval from the Senate.

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​Border patrol chief mike banks, Banks resigns, Prostitution allegations, Us border patrol, Politics 

The Supreme Court issued a ruling Thursday in a high-stakes trucking case that impacts the legal recourse available to crash victims and their families.

Shawn Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II involved a December 2017 collision between two semi-trucks: one operated by the plaintiff, Shawn Montgomery, and the other by an individual employed by Caribe Transport II, a small motor carrier hired by freight broker C.H. Robinson Worldwide.

‘Today’s unanimous decision is a landmark victory for road safety and for every family that has suffered the devastating consequences of negligent freight brokering practices.’

While parked on the shoulder of an interstate highway in Illinois, Montgomery claimed his truck was rear-ended at high speed, causing severe and permanent injuries, including the amputation of his leg. Montgomery filed his lawsuit against the driver, the carrier, and the freight broker. He accused C.H. Robinson of “negligent hiring,” citing Illinois common law.

C.H. Robinson argued that the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act pre-empted Montgomery’s claim. A spokesperson for the company previously told Blaze News that “a single, uniform federal framework” is vital for road safety, while “a patchwork of state tort laws” would ultimately “undermine that system.”

The issue before SCOTUS was whether the FAAAA pre-emption provision blocks state common-law claims against freight brokers for negligently hiring unsafe trucking carriers or whether such claims are saved under the statute’s safety exception that preserves state authority.

After hearing oral arguments in the case two months ago, SCOTUS unanimously sided with Montgomery on Thursday, determining that C.H. Robinson’s counterargument was “unpersuasive” and that the FAAAA does not pre-empt state common-law negligent-hiring claims against freight brokers.

“Montgomery’s negligent-hiring claim thus falls within the FAAAA’s safety exception, which saves it from preemption,” SCOTUS’ majority opinion, written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, reads.

“Even if the FAAAA otherwise preempts Montgomery’s negligent hiring claim against C.H. Robinson, the safety exception saves it. The relevant text provides that the FAAAA’s preemption provision ‘shall not restrict the safety regulatory authority of a State with respect to motor vehicles,’” it continues.

RELATED: Trump’s DOJ takes a side in high-stakes SCOTUS trucking dispute — and it may not be the one you expect

Joe Raedle/Newsmakers

Rena Leizerman, from the Law Firm for Truck Safety and co-counsel for Montgomery, told Blaze News, “Today’s unanimous decision is a landmark victory for road safety and for every family that has suffered the devastating consequences of negligent freight brokering practices. The Court reaffirmed that bad actors cannot escape responsibility for the harm they cause.”

C.H. Robinson stated that it is “disappointed” with SCOTUS’ 9-0 decision.

“Our hearts continue to go out to the victims of truck accidents,” Dorothy Capers, chief legal officer at C.H. Robinson, said in a statement provided to Blaze News. “Safety is foundational to who we are — our employees and their families travel these same roads, and our business depends on safe freight delivery. While we are disappointed in the Court’s decision, we will continue to operate responsibly, support stronger federal enforcement, and work constructively with regulators, carriers, and customers to strengthen the national safety system and support safe, reliable transportation across the country.”

“As Justices Kavanaugh and Alito stated in the concurrence, ‘Importantly, the Court’s decision today should not be read to mean that brokers will routinely be subject to state tort liability in the wake of truck accidents,’” Capers said, quoting a concurring opinion from Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito.

RELATED: DOT’s Duffy earns high praise from American truckers for turning industry concerns into real policy wins

Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

American Truckers United, which previously filed an amicus brief supporting Montgomery, stated that it is “profoundly grateful to God for this miracle,” calling the ruling “a major victory for hardworking American truck drivers and the communities they serve.”

“This ruling clearly recognizes that highway safety demands full accountability from every participant on our nation’s roadways,” the ATU said in a statement provided to Blaze News. “For years, an unfair ecosystem was allowed to flourish because certain profiteers operated behind a shield of presumed immunity. This imbalance pitted Main Street trucking companies against Wall Street freight brokers, undermining fair competition, costing countless American trucking jobs, devastating responsible trucking companies, and contributing to an untold number of preventable deaths on our highways.”

Louie Cook, a lawyer who specializes in brokerage liability, told Blaze News that he is “grateful” for the high court’s decision, stating that it will “act as a safeguard to highway safety, critical American infrastructure, and ensure a fair playing field in the transportation industry.”

“This is part of what makes our country special, that one man named Shawn Montgomery through conviction of right and wrong can make the world a better place,” Cook said. “This ruling means that families all across the country will finally have the opportunity to hold the main benefactors of chameleon carriers accountable.”

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​News, American trucking industry, Trucking industry, Trucking, Shawn montgomery v caribe transport ii, Montgomery v caribe, Shawn montgomery, Ch robinson, C.h. robinson, Illinois, Federal aviation administration authorization act, Faaaa, Supreme court, Scotus, Amy coney barrett, Brett kavanaugh, Samuel alito, Atu, Louie cook, Politics 

According to BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock, one of the biggest obstacles holding black Americans back is the embrace of a culture centered on race instead of faith, family, and discipline.

“As black people, we have chosen a culture — black culture — a colorized, a color-coded culture, and we act like this choice in culture is equal to every other culture out there,” Whitlock explains.

“Now, I don’t believe … white people, or even other people, are making culture choices based on skin color,” he continues, explaining that “family culture” is a better path that people from all over the world choose.

“Then there are people that choose Christian culture, and they try to adhere to biblical values and a biblical worldview. Here in America, black Americans, though, we are the only group that I’m aware of that chooses a culture based on skin,” he adds.

Whitlock explains that this is why no one actually has a problem with their skin color but rather with the culture they have chosen.

“If you’ve chosen a culture that centers emotion and emotional outbursts and emotional displays, don’t be surprised when people that have chosen cultures that de-emphasize emotion and emphasize self-control and logic and respectful behavior and family structure … when they say, ‘Hey man, I don’t want that culture around me,’” he says.

Chi Brown believes black culture originated as a “counterculture.”

“’We have to be opposed to what white people are doing because we don’t want to look white,’” Brown tells Whitlock. “I don’t know. It’s this anti-white thing. And I think that’s what’s driving a lot of this behavior, personally.”

“It’s really not a pro-black culture,” Whitlock agrees. “It’s an anti-white culture.”

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​Antiwhite culture, Biblical values, Biblical worldview, Black americans, Black culture, Blaze media, Blaze news, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Blaze podcast network, Blaze podcasts, Blazetv, Chi brown, Christian culture, Colorized colorcoded culture, Counterculture, Culture centered race, Emotional outbursts, Faith family discipline, Jason whitlock, Jason whitlock harmony, Problack culture, Skin color, The blaze, Whitlock 

As conservative Texans are buzzing about EPIC City — a proposed 402-acre master-planned Muslim-centric residential development near Josephine, Texas — there’s an operative Islamic compound with massive expansion plans in the state that is going virtually unnoticed.

On this episode of “Come and Take It,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales rips the curtain back on the Al-Huda Islamic Center in Katy, Texas.

– YouTube

Despite its official branding, which Sara calls “misleading,” the 30-acre Al-Huda Islamic Center, which currently serves as a mosque and an event space for Muslim-centered activities, has detailed plans to expand into something far greater than a basic “center.”

This project involves adding a full K-12 school, an Islamic college, apartment buildings for residents, a health clinic, an indoor swimming pool, sports facilities, and a shopping strip to make it a complete self-sustaining Muslim residential community.

Sara immediately sees red flags.

“Maybe that health clinic looks the other way if husbands have to get their wives in line. … What’s the other benevolent reason to have a health clinic on site?” she asks.

These types of projects, she argues, are one way Muslims are aiming to “conquer the West.”

While these communities always pledge to abide by U.S. law — which means no Sharia law — Sara is not convinced they actually mean it.

As evidence, she points to the founder, president, and lead imam behind the Al-Huda Islamic Center, Dr. Main Alqudah, who is a professor of Sharia and Islamic finance. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has “a 15+ year record of analyzing contracts and dispute to ascertain Sharia compliance.”

“Isn’t that interesting?” says Sara.

“He comes here and he’s not interested in constitutional compliance; he’s not actually interested in American law-and-order compliance. He’s interested in Sharia compliance.”

But Dr. Alqudah’s background gets even more disturbing.

In 2009, he issued a fatwa — an Islamic legal opinion — for the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America titled “Wife beating,” in which he argued that after a husband has tried other “peaceful remedies” to correct his wife’s behavior, he is then “allowed to beat his wife in a symbolic way without actually doing her any physical harm.”

“I mean, you just beat her a little bit,” scoffs Sara.

Further, according to the RAIR Foundation’s investigative reporting and court records, Dr. Main Alqudah has a controversial immigration history. He allegedly entered the U.S. in 2000 on a temporary religious worker visa, overstayed after it expired in 2004, and was placed in deportation and removal proceedings in 2005.

Per RAIR’s reporting, during hearings, Dr. Alqudah allegedly admitted close family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. After he lost his asylum appeal at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2013, an immigration judge later granted him lawful permanent residence around 2018-2019, despite continued government opposition and appeals.

“Somehow, he is ruling the roost over in Katy, Texas,” says Sara in disbelief.

“We need every official in the state of Texas looking into every single avenue and every loophole that we can use to shut all of these things down,” she urges.

To hear more, watch the episode above.

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​Come and take it, Come and take it with sara gonzales, Dr main alqudah, Epic, Epic city, Epic city texas, Fatwa, Islam, Islamification, Josephine texas, Katy texas, Muslim brotherhood, Radical imam, Sara gonzales, Sharia law, Texas, Come & take it 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino responded to concerns about high ticket prices for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and said that he believes tickets have to be at least somewhat expensive.

Infantino spoke at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles on May 5 and commented on news stories that have shown massive ticket resale prices, sometimes reaching millions of dollars.

World Cup tickets have quickly spiraled out of control and reached heights of more than $2 million.

With around 500 million ticket requests for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Infantino boasted that 25% of the tickets available for the World Cup group stage can be bought for less than $300. However, when it comes to the massive average price — around $1,600, according to YNet — Infantino said it isn’t wise to sell tickets at low prices.

“I think there are certain elements that we need to understand,” he said at the conference.

“We are in a market which — in which entertainment is the most developed in the world. So we have to apply market rates.”

The FIFA boss further justified the prices by saying that if ticket prices are too low, they will be resold for even more than they are currently.

“In the U.S., it is permitted to resell tickets as well,” Infantino explained. “So if you were to sell tickets at a price which is too low, these tickets would be resold at a much higher price.”

RELATED: 85-year-old hockey scout compliments female reporter — so team gets fined $5,000

– YouTube

Infantino’s claims have been tested to at least some degree, and while common sense suggests that a lower initial price results in a lower resale price, higher ticket prices arguably give less incentive for resellers to scoop up tickets if the cost is already near market value. In that regard, the effort to resell would not be worth a slimmer profit margin.

Lower prices, whether they be for hype or for fan appreciation, tend to result in resales that more accurately represent market value. However, higher initial prices definitely allow vendors to take a larger cut of the profits that they would not otherwise get.

The logic gets very complex, and even a massive study by the FTC, which looked at concert ticket sales for 18 top artists, still wrote, “None yet,” as their conclusion.

Whatever the right formula is, World Cup tickets have quickly spiraled out of control and reached heights of more than $2 million.

According to Forbes, tickets for the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., are being resold for up to $2,299,998.85 per ticket. These prices exist on FIFA’s own resale website, on which the organization takes a 15% fee from both buyers and sellers.

“It doesn’t mean that the tickets cost $2 million,” Infantino explained.

“It doesn’t mean that somebody will buy these tickets. Actually, if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million, I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke,” he joked.

RELATED: Americans likely to outnumber foreigners at World Cup despite record ticket sales

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

Tickets to matches like Iraq vs. Norway in Foxborough, Mass., on June 16 are still selling for more than $9,844 at the time of this writing, while resellers for United States vs. Australia in Seattle on June 19 are asking for up to $25,000.

The executive said his tickets were still priced better than the average U.S. college sports event.

“You cannot go to watch, in the U.S., a college game — not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level — for less than $300. And this is the World Cup,” he added.

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​2026 world cup, Event tickets, Fearless, High ticket prices, Metlife stadium, Pricing, Tickets, Venue tickets, World cup, Sports 

Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt is taking on TMZ after the entertainment gossip site tried to undermine his campaign to become the mayor of Los Angeles.

Pratt has been fighting off allegations that he doesn’t meet the residency requirements to run for mayor because his home burned down during the Pacific Palisades fires in January 2025.

‘I don’t need to sleep there every night. I don’t need to go number two on that toilet. That is where I live.’

The 42-year-old actor has fired back at these claims by pointing out that California law allows victims of wildfires to continue living on their burned-out lots while rebuilding. He placed an Airstream trailer on the lot to live in but admits that the family also resides in Santa Barbara at times.

On Wednesday, TMZ reported that Pratt isn’t living in the trailer at all but is instead renting a room at the ritzy Bel-Air hotel, further complicating the residency question.

He called in to the TMZ offices and angrily defended himself.

“That is where I live, period. I don’t need to sleep there every night. I don’t need to go number two on that toilet. That is where I live,” he said.

His political opponents used the report to try to discredit his campaign.

TMZ followed up its report by posting a poll on the X platform to gauge the response to the report — and it did not go well for the outlet.

“Would you consider Spencer Pratt’s campaign ad misleading now that it’s revealed that he lives in one of LA’s premier hotels rather than the trailer on his lot?” the poll asked.

“Yes, tell the truth!” received only 6% of support, while the vast majority agreed with the statement “No, his house is gone!”

More than 10,000 people responded, and 94% of them said the report did not persuade them against Pratt’s campaign.

Pratt also claimed that he had to be at a hotel because of threats made against him by “psychopaths” online.

RELATED: Spencer Pratt releases powerful video for Mother’s Day — and it’s devastating for Democrats

Pratt and his supporters have also excoriated critics for using the tragic loss of property against him — when it was the alleged incompetence of Mayor Karen Bass (D) that led to the massive destruction.

The former reality TV star had an impressive performance at the first debate of the mayoral campaign last week. He was especially effective against Councilwoman Nithya Raman, a socialist Democrat and democratic socialist running on far-left policy proposals.

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​Tmz gossip, Spencer pratt, Residency issues, Los angeles mayoral election, Politics 

An intruder broke the glass front door of a home in northern Hopkins County, Texas, on Tuesday and reached inside, officials said.

But the homeowner was prepared for just such an emergency.

‘Man has the right to protect his home.’

Upon arrival at the residence, investigators reviewed Ring doorbell camera video, which showed an individual — identified as Buck Clary — striking the glass front door of the residence while yelling, officials said.

Clary subsequently broke a portion of the glass and reached inside the home, officials said.

With that, the homeowner shot through the door, striking Clary, officials said.

Hopkins County EMS took Clary to a local medical facility, where the justice of the peace later pronounced him dead.

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

Officials said the incident remains under active investigation.

A handful of commenters under the sheriff’s office post about the incident seemed decidedly behind the homeowner:

“[Justified] shoot if you ask me,” one commenter said. “Sorry he died, but he died [because of] his own actions.””FAFO!” another user exclaimed.”Man has the right to protect his home,” another commenter declared.”Wow,” another user reacted.

Other commenters under the Facebook post from KYTX-TV about the incident arrived at similar conclusions:

“My welcome sign says, ‘This door is locked for your safety, not mine,'” one commenter shared.”As it should be,” another user said.”Texas wins again,” another commenter observed.”He asked for it. Good job,” another user wrote.”Great job to the homeowner,” another commenter noted.”If the door is shut and locked, visitation time is over,” another user quipped. “It was locked, so you got the Glock …””Thank you for saving the taxpayers money,” another commenter said.

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​Break-in, Intruder, Home invasion, Texas, Homeowner shoots intruder, Fatal shooting, 2nd amend., Guns, Gun rights, Hopkins county sheriff’s office, Crime 

I love dogs. I have two: a pug and a Jack Russell. They run my house like they pay the mortgage.

The pug snores like a dying lawn mower and produces gas that has, on numerous occasions, cleared a room of human beings. The Jack Russell stares at the mailman the way Manson stared at juries. They’re a handful, but they are mine. So please know that what follows comes from a co-conspirator, not a critic.

Pet humanization is one of the most reliable consumer trends of the past two decades: recession-resistant and demographically expanding.

Golden Child is the latest entrant in America’s premium pet food gold rush, a venture-backed, direct-to-consumer brand that thinks your dog should be treated like royalty. It pitches itself as a wellness system for canines, and that’s exactly what it is. There are recipes and drizzles. There is talk of amino acids and gut flora, the kind of language once reserved for humans recovering from something serious. There are five-star meal plans at $90 a month.

The dogs in question, meanwhile, eat their own vomit when no one is looking.

Dog’s life

The product is fine. The cultural moment producing it is the problem. Americans now spend roughly $158 billion a year on their pets (the combined GDP of Azerbaijan and Bolivia). A meaningful slice of that goes to food alone, and the premium tier keeps climbing while regular grocery budgets shrink. Households that order DoorDash four nights a week and that haven’t touched a vegetable since a wedding in 2022 are reading ingredient labels on dog food the way oncologists read blood panels. The Labrador eats grass-fed bison sourced from a single Montana ranch. The owner eats a frozen burrito over the sink.

A Pew survey found that 51% of dog owners consider their pet as much a part of the family as a human member. Estate lawyers, one assumes, have noticed. Wills are being rewritten. Somewhere, a daughter is being cut for a dachshund.

The figure climbs even higher among Millennials and Gen Zers, who are having fewer kids, getting married less, and writing personal essays in which their dogs appear as therapists, life partners, and the last remaining reason to get out of bed. For many, a labradoodle has assumed the role of romantic partner, co-parent, and emergency contact. There is a real and growing market of people who tell pollsters they would rather come home to a dog than a spouse.

RELATED: Modern pet ownership is a mental illness

Tommaso Boddi/GC Images/Getty Images

Petting zoo

To some, this looks like harmless eccentricity. It is, in fact, the visible surface of a deeper rearrangement. A generation of people are pouring into their pets the care and attention they cannot seem to direct at themselves or at one another. The dog gets the supplements. The dog gets the bone-broth topper. The dog gets the orthopedic bed engineered by a former Tesla designer. The owner, meanwhile, hasn’t seen a primary care doctor in four years and sleeps on a mattress purchased during the Obama administration.

Wellness, as a cultural product, has performed a strange migration. It started as a self-improvement promise, mutated into an aesthetic, and has now landed on the family pet, where it can be practiced without the burden of self-discipline.

Buying Golden Child is easier than cooking dinner. Researching your dog’s microbiome is more pleasant than confronting your own. The dog cannot push back, cannot disappoint you, cannot leave. Devotion flows in one direction and returns as tail wags. It is the most effortless emotional transaction available in modern American life.

To be clear, companies like Atomic (the venture studio behind Golden Child) aren’t villains. They’re simply responding rationally to a market that has decided dogs are the last acceptable recipients of unconditional generosity.

Pet humanization is one of the most reliable consumer trends of the past two decades: recession-resistant, demographically expanding, and immune to the kind of guilt that suppresses other luxury spending. A Birkin invites judgment. A supplement regimen for your dog’s joints invites applause.

Paw patrol

Zoom out, and the absurdity compounds. American life expectancy fell during the pandemic and has barely recovered. Roughly half of adults take a daily prescription medication. Anti-anxiety drug use among young adults has risen sharply in recent years. One-third of Americans now report what can only be described as an existential crisis. More and more are self-medicating — with alcohol, with drugs, with whatever is closest.

The same population producing these numbers is the population debating whether the schnauzer should be on a raw or gently cooked diet. The schnauzer, for the record, would devour a sock, cough it up, and devour it again.

Of course dogs deserve to be treated well. They should be cared for, fed properly, and protected. But people spending more on their pets than on themselves or the people around them ought to pause and reconsider.

Loving animals well is a real and decent thing, and dogs deserve a great deal of what they receive. The discomfort lies elsewhere. Somewhere along the way, caring for a dog became a substitute for the far less photogenic work of caring for ourselves and each other.

​Dogs, Wellness, Pets, Culture, Golden child, Premium dog food, Lifestyle 

A black teen in North Carolina has allegedly terrorized his community in more ways than one in just the past couple of weeks.

On May 2, Taquon Jameek Vereen, 18, was arrested after police in Fayetteville received reports of a suspect spray-painting a swastika on a building. A social media video also suggested a suspect was spray-painting swastikas on other properties as well, police said.

The Observer made no mention of Vereen’s race.

Officers identified Vereen as the suspect and took him into custody without incident. He was charged with two counts of damage to real property and one count of second-degree trespassing, police said.

Court documents revealed that Vereen is accused of spray-painting swastikas on public property — “two stop signs and one traffic light control box” — as well as on the side of a convenience store from which Vereen had been banned back in April.

The Fayetteville Police Department statement described Vereen as a “black male, 18 years of age.”

In its report about the incident, the Fayetteville Observer specifically noted that swastikas are “widely recognized as symbols of hate” that are “commonly associated with Nazi ideology and white supremacist groups.” However, the Observer made no mention of Vereen’s race.

RELATED: Video of man lurking in KKK garb unnerves Rhode Island residents — police say it is not what it seems

Photo of swastika graffiti in Brooklyn in March 2026 by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis/Getty Images

Vereen posted bond on May 6 in connection with the swastika case, court records showed. Just six days later though, he was back in custody, this time in connection with an even more serious incident.

On Tuesday, Vereen was arrested after he was “walking down the roadway pointing a handgun at bystanders and passing vehicles,” police claimed, citing witness statements.

When cops arrived at the intersection in question, located about a half-mile from the swastika-tagged convenience store, they spotted the suspect, who immediately attempted to flee on foot. He was quickly apprehended and identified as Vereen.

A handgun was recovered at the scene, police said.

Vereen was charged with going armed to the terror of people and assault by pointing a gun. As of Thursday morning, he is not listed among the inmates at the Cumberland County Detention Center website, but a representative at the jail confirmed to Blaze News that Vereen remains in custody and has a hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

A public defender for Vereen did not respond to a request for comment.

H/T: Stephen Horn

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​North carolina, Cumberland county, Fayetteville, Taquon vereen, Swastika, Politics 

Artificial intelligence is advancing at a pace far beyond society’s ability to control it, and new experiments are fueling fears regarding what that could mean for humanity’s future.

“These artificial intelligence systems have to be aligned with the goals, behaviors, decisions, human values that we have, our ethics, our intentions, and it has to have guard rails, and it has to be guided and carefully monitored,” Gray says.

But when Gray plays an informational video on AI, it doesn’t appear that his idea of what AI should be will be how it plays out.

In the video, it’s revealed that research from Anthropic found that AIs will do “disturbing things to gain power,” like resorting to “malicious behavior” including “blackmail and leaking sensitive information.”

In some cases, AIs “deliberately ended human lives to save themselves.”

“They’ve been programmed to continue to do whatever they do. And so, they will in many cases lie, cheat, steal, kill, in order to achieve their goal. So it’s not aligned with ours yet. And ours needs to be that you don’t harm humans,” Gray comments.

“I haven’t disagreed with anything you’ve said here, but I do want to put this in there,” executive producer Keith Malinak chimes in.

“We can’t agree as a society of humans on the definition of what is a woman. So there are so many things that we can’t get aligned with as a human race. How can we expect us to properly program, or have AI follow our shared values?” he asks.

“What are our shared values?” he adds.

“Yeah, we don’t have them anymore,” Gray agrees.

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