A former Georgia teacher learned her fate after being convicted of sexually assaulting a male student at a Christian school, authorities said.

WSB-TV reported that a jury convicted 27-year-old Bonnie Brown on five counts of improper sexual contact by an educator in the first degree after approximately three hours of deliberation June 11.

‘My school did not protect me as a child.’

Judge Stephen A. Bradley sentenced Brown to 40 years, with the first 15 to be served in prison.

Brown also was ordered to register as a sex offender upon release.

“We expect an individual put in certain positions to conduct themselves in a way that benefits the children in their care,” Bradley said before sentencing, according to WXIA-TV.

As Blaze News previously reported, officers with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Brown in March 2025 after the Greene County Sheriff’s Office suspected sexual contact between a student and a former Nathanael Greene Academy teacher in Siloam.

At the time of her arrest, Brown was a teacher at a primary school in Wilkes County.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation previously said in a statement, “The investigation confirmed that Brown had engaged in sexual contact with a student while employed as a teacher at Nathanael Greene Academy.”

During the trial, the victim reportedly became emotional as he detailed the enduring psychological trauma of the sexual abuse — especially by authority figures.

“All you had to do was admit it,” the victim told the court, according to WXIA.

WXIA reported that the victim, now 19, testified that Brown refused to acknowledge the sexual abuse and instead attempted to portray him as a liar while making false allegations against him.

The victim revealed that he suffered emotional scars because he was bullied after the accusations became public, according to WXIA.

“As he continued reading, his voice began shaking,” WXIA reported. “He struggled to breathe and became visibly overwhelmed. At one point, he could no longer continue.”

WXIA noted that the teen needed to be escorted out of the courtroom by a victim advocate as he “cried and hyperventilated.”

The advocate allegedly returned to the courtroom to read the victim’s statement on his behalf.

The victim called on the court to impose the maximum sentence allowed, declaring that Brown had yet to face full accountability for the abuse.

Assistant District Attorney Blayne May said the victim’s stirring testimony underscored the “traumatic impact” of a teacher-student sex scandal, according to WXIA.

“It’s a very cathartic moment, but it brings up a lot of the trauma, and I think the judge and everyone in the courtroom saw the effect that these things have,” May stated. “I think there’s a stereotype that, ‘Oh, it’s a student and female teacher, it’s got to be fun,’ I think everyone saw the traumatic impact it can have on kids.”

WXIA reported that Brown declined to address the courtroom.

Brown’s father, Charles Gregory Brown, told the court that his daughter had no prior criminal record and was a straight-A student, a valedictorian, and a homecoming queen at Nathanael Greene Academy, WXIA reported.

“She has been violently sick, since this time, she can’t sleep, she had migraines, for fear of what could happen, fearing that she would not be believed,” the father said, according to WXIA.

The dad made his final plea to the judge: “I ask for leniency for Bonnie.”

Following sentencing, May praised the victim for coming forward and enduring the pressures of a public trial.

“I’m very grateful to the victim for his courage for standing up, admitting, and saying what happened to him, telling the jury, and I’m grateful they believed him, and they let him have a voice,” May said, according to WXIA.

“The judge and the jury by their verdict are sending a message, this community does not tolerate acts like that,” May added. “I think the judge’s sentence does send a message that these things, these acts, these crimes, have lasting consequences.”

RELATED: Female elementary teacher, 25, turned in by husband for alleged sexual misconduct against underage student: Court docs

The victim also was sexually abused by another former Nathanael Greene Academy teacher.

Last month, 61-year-old Sherri Mauldin pleaded guilty to having sex with a 15-year-old student, according to WXIA.

Mauldin had been charged with aggravated child molestation, statutory rape, and improper sexual contact by an employee, agent, or foster parent.

A judge sentenced Mauldin to 25 years, with 12 years in prison.

Mauldin was also ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

According to the grand jury indictment, the sexual abuse occurred between Jan. 1 and Dec. 23, 2022.

Ashley Mitchell, the attorney representing the victim, in March released a statement from the teen regarding the abuse by both teachers.

According to another report from WXIA, the victim released a statement through Mitchell that read:

There was physical contact at the school and outside the school. I am relieved that these two women have been arrested and the crimes are being fully investigated. These women took advantage of their positions as my teachers. My school did not protect me as a child. I see that now, and I hope that these arrests will protect our community and children in it.

Nathanael Greene Academy has closed down, according to a Union-Recorder report published last month. The school’s website is no longer operational, but an archived website exists. Blaze News called a phone number associated with the school, which went straight to voicemail, and left multiple requests for comment, but the school did not immediately reply.

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​Georgia, Georgia crime, Teacher sex scandal, Teacher arrested, Teacher student sex scandal, Bonnie brown, Sherri mauldin, Crime 

A California proposal that would implement a one-time tax on the state’s wealthiest residents has qualified to appear on the ballot in November, according to Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

The so-called billionaire tax exceeded the required signature threshold Wednesday and is expected to be certified by Weber on June 25. The health care union behind the proposal, Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, still has the option to withdraw the proposal before the confirmation deadline.

‘I’ll do what I have to do to protect the state.’

If enacted, the proposal would impose a tax of up to 5% on the net worth of California billionaires, with the full rate applying to those worth more than $1.1 billion, retroactive to anyone with primary residency in the state as of Jan. 1, 2026. Certain exemptions exist, including directly held real estate and qualifying retirement accounts.

The proposal also requires that 90% of the collected revenue be spent on health care, with the remaining 10% divided between education and food assistance spending. The estimated revenue that would be raised is $100 billion.

Supporters of the tax claim the money would assist in covering budget shortfalls caused by federal funding cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump’s signature budget legislation that was passed last year. The proposal’s website says it would prevent the closure of hospital emergency rooms and nursing homes across the state.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have been avid supporters of the tax, believing it will reduce wealth inequality, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said he is “perfectly fine” with paying the tax. The Tax Foundation estimates that Huang would potentially owe $8.5 billion to the state.

RELATED: Gavin Newsom cries political witch hunt — but are feds focused on an alleged $1.5M nonprofit pipeline to wife’s business?

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

However, many notable Democratic officials and organizations have come out in opposition to the tax. Governor Gavin Newsom told the New York Times, “This will be defeated,” adding, “I’ll do what I have to do to protect the state.”

Even the California Teachers Association and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California are not supporting the proposal.

Critics argue that the tax will further repel job creation and investment, worsening the exodus of wealthy residents and corporations from the state.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have already moved portions of their assets and business structures out of California, and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel reportedly has been considering leaving the state as a result of the tax proposal.

Come November, the proposal would require only a simple majority to pass, if certified next week.

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​California, Politics 

This year, for the first time since 1994, the United States will host the 2026 FIFA world cup, with an estimated 1.24 million international tourists visiting during the tournament.

BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales calls it “a weird time.”

“As we’re talking about libs just hating this country, hating Donald Trump … you have all of these tourists coming here for the World Cup, and they are, like, beside themselves. … They can’t believe how awesome this country is,” she chuckles.

To illustrate her point, she then plays a video that has gone viral on social media capturing Japanese tourists in Texas.

“What do you think of America, of Texas?” the reporter asks the group.

“Texas is good! Everything is big!” one tourist excitedly shouted.

Sara loves the unabashed excitement about America. “It’s so sweet. It’s so humbling to see all of these people come in here, and it’s just, like, the little things that you just don’t even realize are a novelty or a big deal to other countries,” she says.

Sara then displays numerous social media posts from tourists visiting America delighting in the funniest things — like school buses, “wild squirrels,” cardboard drink coasters, Waffle House, Taco Bell, Raising Cane’s, and, of course, the phenomenon that is Buc-ee’s convenience stores.

One tourist’s mind was blown when he visited a Bass Pro Shop.

“That’s how we do it in the South, Freddy,” laughs Sara.

Freddy is a German tourist who has gone mega-viral for posting his route through the United States, lavishing praise on America and Americans.

“As wholesome and adorable and heartwarming it is to see these people just come in and love everything that America has and does and stands for … CNN, actually, they’re about to, I don’t know, ‘America-splain’ why Freddy is wrong and this country sucks or something,” scoffs Sara.

She plays a recent CNN clip from “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown” in which Christine Brennan says, “I saw some conversation, Wolf and Pamela, about how the rest of the world is looking at the United States and feeling that we are — it’s a foreboding image and that we are inhospitable, and here is a German tourist, and others as well now on social media, saying no, no, no, the Americans are great, so what a shame that that’s the image that the world has — many have of us.”

“Do they? … It sounds like everyone’s having the time of their lives coming here,” says Sara.

To see more tourist reactions to the U.S., watch the video above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

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

​Sara gonzales unfiltered, World cup 2026 

A 19-year-old male who last year shot a father defending his daughter from bullies was sentenced Wednesday, WBRZ-TV reported.

Jerry Huggins initially was charged with attempted first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon in connection with the March 2025 shooting of Corey Breaux, who said he went outside to protect his daughter from a group of teenagers who were bullying her, the station said.

‘At the very least the individual should have received life.’

Video shows Breaux approaching the group when Huggins pulled a gun and opened fire.

Breaux was shot three times, leaving him with significant injuries, WBRZ added.

“This gentleman was doing nothing wrong,” Baton Rouge Police Information Officer Saundra Watts told the station following the shooting. “He was trying to defend his daughter against a bunch of bullies who were out there terrorizing his daughter, so he stood up. He did the right thing, but unfortunately this teen took it upon himself to shoot this man in front of his daughter.”

However, Huggins on Monday pleaded guilty to lesser charges — aggravated second-degree battery and illegal use of weapons, WBRZ said.

On Wednesday, Huggins was sentenced to 13 years in prison, the station reported.

Huggins received 11 years for the aggravated battery charge and two years for the illegal use of weapons charge, and he was credited for time served, WBRZ said.

The following video report aired prior to Huggins’ sentence.

RELATED: 18-year-old thug allegedly guns down 40-year-old mom as she protects her son amid Facebook Marketplace purchase gone wrong

A number of people responding to WBRZ’s Facebook post about the sentence and reduced charges were none too pleased:

“Only 13 years not even close to being enough time,” one commenter said.”This slap on the wrist about to cause more problems in the BIG RAGGEDY!” another user wrote. “You can’t whoop your kids — if you do, you go to jail; now you can shoot a man defending his daughter three times and only get 13 years. R.I.D.I.C.U.L.O.U.S. …””Shot an unarmed man point blank 3-4 times trying to kill him and only got 13 years,” another commenter observed. “That’s (F) up.””There is no way this individual should have gotten 13 years,” another user said. “At the very least the individual should have received life.”

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​Aggravated battery, Attempted murder, Baton rouge, Bullying incident, Louisiana, Sentence, Shooting, Reduced charges, Guilty plea, Crime 

The Trump Justice Department announced on Thursday in the Democrat-run sanctuary city of Boston that it has charged 11 illegal aliens and four Americans with over $1.4 million in alleged benefit fraud.

The defendants — at least six of whom are illegal aliens from the Dominican Republican and at least one of whom is from India — are accused of defrauding various welfare programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and MassHealth.

‘They allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars each in benefits for which they are not entitled.’

“These cases highlight a broader, deeply troubling pattern: the exploitation of America’s safety-net by illegal aliens,” Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald for the National Fraud Enforcement Division said in a statement.

The Trump administration, which has in recent months ramped up its crackdown on fraud, has long sought to eliminate the monetary incentive for foreign nationals to steal into the country and to pressure those noncitizens presently taking advantage of citizen supports to wean off them or hit the road.

In his Feb. 19, 2025, executive order titled “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders,” President Donald Trump tasked agencies with taking meaningful steps “to prevent taxpayer resources from acting as a magnet and fueling illegal immigration to the United States, and to ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.”

One of the agencies that promptly took action was the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which beefed up the minimum expectations for eligibility verification to prevent “ineligible aliens” from participating in the program.

While the USDA and other agencies were making it more difficult for those who would exploit citizen welfare programs, the DOJ is nabbing numerous fraudsters across the country who have already unlawfully enjoyed a fortune in benefits.

U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, who established a benefit and voter fraud team in March devoted to flushing out fraudsters in Massachusetts, said, “Today’s announcement is just the beginning.”

“The defendants charged today stole from a number of programs, including SNAP and MassHealth — which are designed to assist U.S. citizens in need of food and health care,” continued Foley. “They allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars each in benefits for which they are not entitled.”

The Massachusetts defendants charged this past week included:

Santo Escolastico Cuello, a 56-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic who was living unlawfully in Worcester. Cuello is charged with aggravated identity theft and making false statements relating to a health care program in connection with $162,180 in MassHealth fraud.Mario Baez Romero, a 45-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic who was living unlawfully in Somerville. Romero has been charged with aggravated identity theft and passport fraud in connection with $26,942 in SNAP fraud and $48,785 in MassHealth fraud.Richard Odelis Vallegas Nunez, a 35-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic living unlawfully in Allston. He has been charged with aggravated identity theft and unlawful production of an identification document in connection with $48,865 in MassHealth fraud.Miguel Diaz Matos, a 54-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic living unlawfully in Lynn. Matos is charged with illegal acquisition or use of SNAP benefits, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft in connection with $13,431 in SNAP fraud and $50,494 in MassHealth fraud.

If convicted, these and other similarly charged defendants could do some hard time.

SNAP fraud over $100 can result in a sentence of up to five years in prison, and SNAP fraud exceeding $5,000 can result in a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Both also carry a potential fine of $250,000.

A report published last week by the Center for Immigration Studies provided some startling insights into welfare use and abuse by noncitizens, about half of whom are apparently illegal immigrants.

Citing Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement data, the report said that 47% of households headed by noncitizens use one or more traditional welfare programs — 19 percentage points higher than the 28% for U.S.-born households.

“Noncitizens use traditional welfare or are EITC/ACTC eligible at higher rates than the U.S.-born in states with generous welfare systems, such as Massachusetts (61% vs. 36%) and Illinois (51% vs. 30%); and in states with less generous systems, like Arizona (60% vs. 30%) and Florida (53% vs. 30%),” said the report.

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​Welfare, Snap, Benefits, Illegal alien, Justice department, Borders, Deportation, Massachusetts, Politics, Fraud 

Actress Amanda Seyfried had an interesting reason for why she thinks people took issue with her comments about Charlie Kirk.

The then-39 year old commented on Kirk shortly after his assassination and now says the backlash she faced was because people wanted to bash her and tear her down.

‘I commented on one thing.’

Hateful plateful

In the days after Kirk was murdered at a campus speaking tour stop in Utah, Seyfried responded to a compilation video of the political commentator — purporting to showcase his rhetoric — and said, “He was hateful.”

Seyfried later justified her comments, writing on Instagram that she was “angry about misogyny and racist rhetoric.”

In a recent interview with GQ Magazine, Seyfried stood firm while being described as still in disbelief over the discomfort she brought people with her remarks.

“A, I’m allowed to f**king voice my feelings, and B, do it in a way that’s not unkind necessarily,” she told the U.K. outlet.

Seyfried then chalked up the counterbalance of anger toward her as a societal impulse to bring people down.

“There’s just an outsized fear and hatred and impulse to bash and to tear down. And I experienced a very small fraction of that.”

The actress added, “I want my kids to be able to feel safe to voice their opinions as long as they’re not harmful.”

The Allentown, Pennsylvania, native still found herself confused, asking what to do and what to say. “And then all of a sudden I find myself with a f**king bodyguard at the airport, and I’m like, ‘This is crazy.'”

RELATED: Hate-spewing Jimmy Kimmel mocks homeless Spencer Pratt with U-Haul gag

Fuel fool

Seyfried seemingly found no issues with describing Kirk as hateful so soon after his killing, and on September 17 — just seven days after his death — she called for “spirited discourse,” exactly what Kirk was known for at the time of his murder.

“I don’t want to add fuel to a fire. I just want to be able to give clarity to something so irresponsibly (but understandably) taken out of context. Spirited discourse — isn’t that what we should be having?” Seyfried wrote as a caption for an Instagram post.

In a text image, the actress added, “We’re forgetting the nuance of humanity. I can get angry about misogyny and racist rhetoric and ALSO very much agree that Charlie Kirk’s murder was absolutely disturbing and deplorable in every way imaginable.”

RELATED: ‘I’m not f**king apologizing’: Amanda Seyfried lashes out at critics for 3 words she said about Charlie Kirk

Jeff Vespa/Getty Images

No apologies

By December, Seyfried had apparently soured on her previous proposal of having actual discourse when she told outlet Who What Wear, “I’m not f**king apologizing.”

She then downplayed the fact that she commented on the popular debater’s murder so quickly after it had happened:

“I mean, for f**k’s sake, I commented on one thing. I said something that was based on actual reality and actual footage and actual quotes,” she claimed about Kirk.

“What I said was pretty damn factual, and I’m free to have an opinion, of course. Thank God for Instagram. I was able to give some clarity, and it was about getting my voice back because I felt like it had been stolen and recontextualized — which is what people do, of course.”

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​News, Charlie kirk, Amanda seyfried, Lifestyle, Entertainment 

Customs and Border Protection agents prevented more than $984,000 worth of suspected cocaine from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas last weekend, according to a press release obtained exclusively by Blaze News.

“Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers along the southwest border stop illegal activity and facilitate lawful entry for millions of legitimate travelers into the United States,” the press release read.

‘These drugs will not reach American streets thanks to the continuous vigilance of our frontline officers.’

CBP highlighted two separate incidents that the agency claimed occurred at the Laredo Field Office ports of entry.

On Friday, federal officers at the Colombia-Solidarity Bridge in Laredo referred the driver of a 2020 Nissan Frontier for a secondary inspection, which included a canine unit and a nonintrusive inspection system examination. CBP officers discovered several packages of suspected cocaine, totaling 50.75 pounds, with an estimated street value of $677,617, concealed within the vehicle, the press release said.

CBP seized the suspected narcotics, and Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested the driver, a 56-year-old male Mexican citizen.

RELATED: Exclusive: CBP stops 300+ hatching eggs at the border — possibly preventing bird flu outbreak

Image source: Customs and Border Protection

The following day, CBP officers at Camino Real Bridge in Eagle Pass seized another 22.97 pounds of suspected cocaine after they referred a 53-year-old male Mexican citizen for a secondary inspection, the press release said. Federal agents discovered 13 packages of suspected narcotics, with an estimated street value of $306,723, hidden within the driver’s 2015 Toyota Camry.

He was also arrested by HSI special agents, who are investigating both incidents.

RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: CBP dogs on high alert as World Cup-destined third-worlders smuggle in rotten souvenirs

JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

“These back-to-back cocaine seizures at different ports of entry within the Laredo Field Office area of responsibility underscore not only the reality of the drug threat we face daily, but our officers’ keen ability to apply inspection experience and technology to take down these drug loads,” stated Donald Kusser, the director of field operations for the Laredo Field Office. “These drugs will not reach American streets thanks to the continuous vigilance of our frontline officers.”

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​News, Customs and border protection, Cbp, Texas, Laredo, Drug trafficking, Border, Politics 

A 33-year-old pastor has been arrested for allegedly forging signatures in his bid to win the Democratic primary for a state House seat in 2024.

Rev. Robert Hoggard of Middletown, Connecticut, was reportedly an associate pastor at New Jerusalem Christian Center when he submitted signatures in support of his campaign for the 33rd House District.

‘There’s a political class that does everything in its power to try to dissuade voters from wanting to serve their communities and cancel this election.’

Connecticut allows non-endorsed candidates to get onto a primary ballot by collecting signatures from voters in the district.

Democratic Registrar of Voters Patricia Alston flagged the signatures as suspicious and began an investigation.

“The alarming evidence includes multiple voters who stated that they did not sign a primary petition for the candidacy of Robert Kyle Hoggard and that the signature listed on the documents turned into the registrar’s office is fraudulent,” Middletown Democratic Town Committee Chairman Mike Fallon said in June 2024.

Hoggard responded by accusing the Democratic Party of conspiring against him.

“Tactics like these dissuade people from wanting to run for office,” he said at the time. “There’s a political class that does everything in its power to try to dissuade voters from wanting to serve their communities and cancel this election. There’s nothing this political class can do to dissuade me from wanting to run where I was born and raised.”

Hoggard ran under the “We the People Party” in the general election and was absolutely crushed by incumbent state Rep. Brandon Chafee (D) by a vote of nearly 7,600 to less than 700.

Investigators with the Chief State’s Attorney’s office arrested Hoggard on Thursday and charged him with 14 counts of second-degree forgery and six counts of perjury. He was released on a written promise to reappear in court.

In response to a request for comment, Hoggard directed Blaze News to his attorney, John Kennelly, but Kennelly did not respond. New Jerusalem Christian Center also did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

RELATED: Top Oklahoma Democrat forced to resign after trying to pay Ethics Commission with a forged check

The CT Insider reported other election shenanigans in the state, including hundreds of voters being assigned to the wrong district in 2022 and 2024, and another incident where ballot petitions went missing.

Hoggard was also required to sign the petition forms in front of a notary public, attest to the veracity of the signatures, and certify that each signature was made in his presence.

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​Democratic primary, Pastor arrested, Election fraud, Democrat fraud, Politics 

At a recent anti-separatist rally in Calgary, left-wing activist Jenny Yeremiy denounced Alberta Premier Danielle Smith as a “separatist premier,” accusing her of promoting independence “like a teenager slamming her bedroom door.”

It was a striking charge against a politician who, at almost the same moment, was being condemned by committed Alberta separatists for refusing to let voters decide independence on the terms they wanted.

‘I’m surprised, actually, my polling was as high as it was.’

That political whiplash neatly captures Smith’s predicament: To many federalists, she has become the face of a dangerous separatist movement, while to many separatists, she is the establishment figure standing in its way.

As the debate over Alberta independence continues, passions on either side show no signs of abating.

Strong and sovereign

Smith, who has advocated for “a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada,” finds herself leading a United Conservative Party whose grassroots includes a significant separatist faction, with past polling suggesting a majority of UCP voters are at least open to Alberta leaving Canada.”

The latest flash point came in May after King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard ruled that an independence referendum question backed by more than 300,000 petition signatures could not proceed without additional consultation with Alberta’s indigenous communities.

Although she appealed the court ruling, Smith has concluded that the litigation could take years to resolve. Instead of placing a straight independence question on October’s ballot, she has proposed asking Albertans whether they want to hold a binding independence referendum in the future — a referendum on whether to hold a referendum.

RELATED: Albertans are ready to vote on Canadian secession — so why is their premier stalling?

Henry Marken/Getty Images

Wrath of Rath

That decision drew criticism from Alberta Prosperity Project legal counsel Jeff Rath, who argued that the court ruling did not prevent the province from proceeding with the original question asking Albertans whether they wish to remain in Canada.

Speaking with Blaze Lifestyle, Smith defended the government’s approach as the product of legal advice.

“As you know, I get a lot of advice from a lot of lawyers, and the lawyers … have told me that once something is decided in a court of law, it’s the law of the land,” Smith said.

“The law of the land right now in Alberta is that in order to proceed with a question that was designed as the Stay Free Alberta folks put forward, we’d have to do months of indigenous consultation.”

A recent Angus Reid poll found Smith’s approval rating in Alberta had fallen to 39%, one of the lowest levels of her premiership. Smith said she considers that number shockingly favorable considering that she has angered nearly every faction in the debate simultaneously.

“I’m surprised, actually, my polling was as high as it was,” she said.

“Everyone was mad at me for about a week there — I had four different groups.”

‘Why are you doing this?’

She described the first group as Albertans who oppose even discussing independence.

“There was a group of people who said, ‘Why are you doing this at all?'” For Smith, the answer comes down to Alberta’s robust Citizen Initiative Act, which allows eligible voters to submit proposals directly to the provincial government. “When 400,000 people sign that petition, and 300,000 sign another saying they want to have this debate … it’s our obligation as government to follow our own law and put that forward.”

A second group, Smith said, wanted a referendum initially but later “got cold feet” and hoped the government would provide “an off-ramp.”

“The leave folks … wanted us to put their question on as it had been written,” said Smith, referring to the original petition language asking Albertans directly whether they wish to remain in Canada. “I explained [that] we have legal advice that we cannot do that.”

Finally, Smith pointed to Albertans who are dissatisfied with Ottawa but do not want to leave Canada.

“I know that there’s a group out there that are not happy with [Alberta’s] relationship with Canada, don’t want to break the country up, but they want to send a message. And … I just think there’s a better way to send a message.”

​Alberta, Alberta separatist, Canada, Danielle smith, Independence referendum, Interview, Lifestyle, Letter from canada 

A minor league baseball team was left completely at odds with its own players this week over a gay Pride celebration.

The York Revolution is a team in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball — an official MLB partner league — at the center of controversy in Pennsylvania.

‘This action by the players is completely inconsistent with our vision.’

The Revolution had planned a Pride Night celebration for Thursday, complete with home jerseys with rainbow sleeves set to be worn by players at WellSpan Park.

There was only one problem: The players refused to wear the jerseys.

“It is with great disappointment and [sic] that the York Revolution have issued important changes to our 11th Annual Pride Night on Thursday, June 18th,” the organization wrote in a press release.

In a bizarre decision, the franchise decided not to simply cancel the Pride theme for the game, but to cancel the game entirely and submit an official forfeit.

“Out of respect for the Pride Community [sic] and the York community as a whole, the York Revolution has decided that the game on Thursday, June 18, will be forfeited.”

At the same time, the organization made it clear it did not agree with the players’ decision not to wear the rainbow uniforms, indicating the players were not being “inclusive.”

RELATED: MLB sends subtle threat to SF Giants pitchers over Pride Night biblical protest: ‘We have warned the players’

Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty Images

“This decision was not reached lightly. Unfortunately, several of our players have refused to wear the scheduled Pride Night jersey and the club decided that hosting the event is more important than forcing players to wear jerseys they are not comfortable with and playing the game,” the team wrote.

The organization went on, “To be clear; [sic] this action by the players is completely inconsistent with our vision as the Most Welcoming Place in York.”

The penance shown by the team was multifaceted. Not only did York outright cancel and forfeit the game, the organization said it would treat the game as if it were rained out so fans can redeem their tickets for any future games.

Additionally, the team decided it would host a stand-alone Pride event at the baseball park in place of the game, in support of “our LGBTQIA+ representing partners.”

The event will have music, batting practice on the field, and the ability to “enjoy community,” the team said.

RELATED: Japanese soccer fans show Texas what being a good foreign guest actually looks like

Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty Images

The apology did not come without payment, either, as the Revolution also announced the organization would be donating $10,000 to the Rainbow Rose Center to “further their work in making sure the York community is … inclusive.”

The Rainbow Rose Center’s mission is to build a “vibrant community of belonging where LGBTQIA+ individuals” are “supported, affirmed, and able to thrive.”

On Wednesday, the organization promoted an auction for one of the Revolution’s Pride jerseys.

Business will resume as normal on Friday night, when the Revolution host a home game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The game will include a Juneteenth Celebration and a “Girl Scout Sleepover.”

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​Fearless, Baseball, Pennsylvania, News, Sports, Pride 

When Juan Hernandez began working at SpaceX, his salary was $28 an hour.

Now, after Elon Musk’s SpaceX gave him $10,000 in stock when he went full-time in 2015 — he’s a millionaire.

But he’s not alone. The company has now created 4,400 new millionaires across the employees. Even better, around 400 of the 4,400 are sitting on stakes worth over a hundred million each.

“It’s incredible,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray says on “Pat Gray Unleashed.”

However, many left-wing politicians don’t feel the same way.

Democrat nominee for Senator in Maine Graham Platner aired his frustration at Musk when he posted on X: “Elon Musk just became the world’s first trillionaire. Let’s make sure he’s also the last.”

“Why?” Gray asks. “How does that affect anyone else’s income other than making 4,400 of his workers millionaires and a few of them billionaires? How is that a bad thing? I can’t understand it.”

“This Marxist theory that has infiltrated our country and people who are in positions of power,” he continues. “Frightening. It’s just frightening.”

Executive producer Keith Malinak is in agreement.

“Yeah, they want you to believe that they’re for the little guy. But when the little guy has a chance to succeed, no, no, no, no. We want you to be the little guy still,” he adds.

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat’s biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Elon musk, Graham platner, Juan hernandez, Keith malinak, Maine, Pat gray, Spacex, The blaze, Pat gray unleashed 

As America approaches its 250th birthday, we face a question larger than politics, elections, parties, or personalities.

What will we do with the inheritance we have been given?

Today, powerful cultural voices often encourage Americans to focus exclusively on the nation’s flaws while ignoring its achievements.

The United States of America did not emerge from history by accident. It was purchased with courage, sacrifice, conviction, and blood. Before there was a Constitution, before there was prosperity, before there was even a nation, there were men who willingly placed everything they possessed on the altar of liberty.

Risking it all

One of those men was Charles Carroll of Carrollton.

Today, his name is not nearly as familiar as Washington, Jefferson, or Adams. Yet Carroll occupies a unique place in American history. He was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence and perhaps the wealthiest man in the colonies. Unlike many who seek political causes for personal gain, Carroll had little material reason to risk rebellion against the British crown.

He already possessed wealth, status, influence, and comfort.

Yet he signed anyway.

By placing his name on that document, he risked the loss of his fortune, his property, and his life. If the Revolution failed, the consequences would have been severe. He understood what was at stake and signed nonetheless because he believed there were principles greater than personal security.

Freedom.

Self-government.

Human dignity.

The God-given rights of man.

A human story

Those principles have been defended repeatedly throughout our nation’s history. From Lexington and Concord to Gettysburg, from Normandy to the mountains of Afghanistan, generations of Americans have worn the uniform and carried the burden of defending a nation they loved.

Many never came home.

Their sacrifice demands something of us.

The blood spilled by American soldiers is not honored merely through parades, speeches, or patriotic songs. It is honored when citizens preserve the liberties for which those men and women fought. It is honored when we tell the truth about our history, cherish the freedoms we inherited, and pass them intact to the next generation.

That conviction is one of the reasons I wrote “The Unlikely Life of Oliver Atkinson: A Novel of America’s Founding.”

Like many Americans, I became concerned that our founding story was becoming increasingly distant, especially for younger generations. History often arrives in textbooks as dates, names, and facts to memorize. Yet history is ultimately about people. It is about dreams, fears, courage, faith, and sacrifice.

The American Revolution was not merely an event.

It was a human story.

Through fiction, I hoped to help readers experience that story through the eyes of ordinary people whose lives were transformed by extraordinary times. My goal was not simply entertainment. It was remembrance.

Because nations that forget their story eventually lose it.

Enduring truths

Today, powerful cultural voices often encourage Americans to focus exclusively on the nation’s flaws while ignoring its achievements. Certainly, America has never been perfect. No nation ever has been. Yet there is a profound difference between acknowledging imperfections and rejecting the very principles that made self-correction possible in the first place.

The Declaration of Independence proclaimed that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. The Constitution established a framework of ordered liberty that remains one of the greatest political achievements in human history.

These ideas were not perfect because the men who wrote them were perfect.

They were powerful because they reflected enduring truths about human nature, liberty, and the source of our rights.

Our task at 250

As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, perhaps the greatest challenge before us is deciding whether we still believe those truths.

Will we preserve the freedoms entrusted to us?

Will we teach our children why they matter?

Will we honor the sacrifices of those who came before us?

Or will we become the generation that squandered what others sacrificed so much to build?

The signers of the Declaration pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Countless soldiers pledged even more.

The question facing Americans today is far less costly, yet no less important.

Will we prove worthy of their sacrifice?

If we fail to preserve liberty, truth, faith, and the principles that gave birth to this nation, we risk wasting more than the ink used to sign our founding documents. We risk wasting the blood shed by generations of Americans who believed this republic was worth defending.

As America turns 250, let us resolve that their sacrifice was not in vain.

​Lifestyle, Revolutionary war, America 250th anniversary, American founding, History 

A home security and baby monitor provider is allegedly tied to the Chinese government.

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said in a press release on Monday that the communist government has had its “hand on our cradles” for some time.

‘These cameras watch our babies breathe.’

Hanaway announced a lawsuit against Lorex, a major retailer of WiFi cameras for indoor and outdoor security, including baby monitor cameras. The company even sells cameras attached to lightbulb fixtures as well.

In 2018, Lorex was acquired by Dahua Technology, the same year Dahua CEO Fu Liquan was reported to be the secretary of Dahua’s Communist Party Committee. In 2019, Dahua was used by the Chinese government for its surveillance program.

Dahua eventually sold Lorex to Taiwanese company Skywatch for $72 million in 2022, but according to the Missouri AG, the connection to China still exists and Lorex misled retailers about its ongoing connections.

“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Missouri will not allow the CCP to put its hand on our cradles,” Hanaway said in the press release. “Parents place these cameras over cribs and in bedrooms to protect their children, not to invite a foreign adversary into their homes.”

Hanaway stated that Lorex has maintained its ties to Dahua as an ongoing supplier of components despite the then-Department of Defense previously designating Dahua as a national security threat.

RELATED: Inside China’s plan to beat the US at big tech forever

Hanaway also alleged that Lorex’s firmware routes straight to Dahua, “further evidencing CCP involvement and control over device hardware and software.”

In addition to selling products connected to China on its own website, Lorex cameras were sold through Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Menards, Micro Center, Office Depot, and Staples all while the company “misrepresented and omitted fundamental facts” to consumers and retailers, the lawsuit claims.

“Lorex tells families its video cameras are ‘private by design’ while concealing ties to a Chinese military company,” Hanaway added. “These cameras watch our babies breathe, capture our children’s voices, and record families’ most intimate moments. When companies won’t tell the truth about their connection to hostile foreign governments, my office will step in to protect families.”

RELATED: $965 billion AI giant warns we need to hit the brakes — but will China?

Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Missouri is suing under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, seeking restitution of up to $1,000 for each Missouri customer who bought a Lorex camera in the last five years, as well as $1.8 million in damages from the company.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in February against Lorex with similar accusations, in that the company is still tied to Dahua, uses its components, and failed to disclose this information to consumers.

Paxton said these points violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Lorex did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment and has not released public statements about the Missouri lawsuit.

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​News, Tech, Ccp, China, Missouri