Moments after announcing Charlie Kirk’s death on Fox News’ “The Five,” Dana Perino, normally composed and unflappable, fought back tears. Her voice trembled as she pleaded for what she called a “circuit breaker,” something to break the rising current of fury now running through our culture.

Her words were not political. They were profoundly human. And they named what many feel: The world is burning too hot, and we are running out of ways to cool it down.

There is only One who has ever absorbed the full current of hatred and did not pass it on.

We’ve all sensed that current. It hums beneath politics, families, neighborhoods, even churches. Rage lurks like a storm, waiting for the next spark. Perino wasn’t just mourning a death. She was begging for relief from the relentless voltage of hate.

But no human circuit breaker exists. History proves it. Every attempt to interrupt the current — revolutions, reforms, resolutions — eventually fails. We reset the breaker, and the current surges again. Because the overload isn’t out there in the systems. It’s in here, in the human heart.

There is only One who has ever absorbed the full current of hatred and did not pass it on. Jesus Christ didn’t just defuse tension. He took the lightning bolt straight into Himself. The cross was the great interruption, where perfect love bore the full load of human rage and divine justice in one cataclysmic strike.

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, saw it. As he was about to be stoned, he gazed into heaven and declared he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. That proclamation didn’t calm his killers. It enraged them.

Truth always incites the fury of hell.

We don’t make Jesus “Lord of our life.” He already is Lord, whether we acknowledge Him or not. And Scripture says that one day, “every knee will bow … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:10-11). Some will bow in gratitude. Others will be brought to their knees by the rod of iron (Revelation 19:15). But all will bow.

Which means this: Hatred will not burn itself out. It will not abate. The closer Christ’s light comes, the more ferociously darkness will fight it.

King Théoden, in Peter Jackson’s “The Two Towers,” voiced the dread many feel: “What can men do against such reckless hate?”

Aragorn’s reply was simple and defiant: “Ride out and meet them.”

Charlie Kirk did just that. He rode out and met the storm head-on.

But greater still, Christ did that. He rode out from heaven into the teeth of our hatred and took the full charge of it upon Himself. The cross was not retreat. It was the countercharge that broke the power of darkness forever.

Centuries later, Martin Luther stood before the full weight of church and empire, knowing they could kill him for refusing to recant. He said simply: “Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me.”

He wasn’t fearless. He was anchored. And as the storm closed in around him, he gave the church its battle hymn:

The body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still.

Luther never believed the hate would abate. He simply knew it could not win. And that is where we must stand as well.

We do not stand with bravado. We stand with scars. We stand, not by denying the darkness, but by fixing our eyes on the One who already absorbed its full blast and still stands.

He doesn’t only stop the current from destroying us. He rewires the entire system. What was corroded, He makes new. What was dead, He makes alive. He is not just the breaker. He is the pure current, the very life of God now flowing through those who belong to Him.

I have lived long enough to see what hate does when it is unleashed. It devours not just its targets but its hosts. It corrodes from within. And it will not stop on its own. Hate is never satisfied. It must be interrupted.

RELATED: Why Charlie Kirk’s assassination will change us in ways this generation has never seen

Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images

That interruption has already come. The current has already been broken. And the one who bore it all now reigns, and one day, so will we.

We, like Aragorn of “The Lord of the Rings,” and like Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, are only shadows of that greater warrior, Christ, who rode out to meet the fury and shattered it at the cross.

And our response to Him is not with clenched fists, but with lifted eyes and steady voices:

Lead on, O King eternal,
We follow, not with fears;
For gladness breaks like morning
Where’er Thy face appears.
Thy cross is lifted o’er us;
We journey in its light;
The crown awaits the conquest;
Lead on, O God of might.

The hate will not abate. Charlie knew this.

But God’s truth abideth still.

And our King rides before us.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Charlie kirk, Charlie kirk assassination, Life, God, Jesus christ, Christianity, Hate 

Beatles don’t come cheap.

A quartet of movies based on the Fab Four is coming our way, and while the films aren’t close to releasing yet, we’re getting a peek at the price tag for the project.

$400 million.

‘By saying “Free Palestine,” you’re not admitting what you really think.’

Now, that may be the catering budget for your average Marvel movie, but it’s still an alarming figure for four dramatic features. All four films, to be shot over an extended 15-month period, will be helmed by Sam Mendes (“Skyfall,” “1917”).

“Can’t Buy Me Love,” perhaps, but money will get you some recognizable faces.

Let’s meet the Beatles: John Lennon (Harris Dickinson), Paul McCartney (Paul Mescal), Ringo Starr (Barry Keoghan), and George Harrison (Joseph Quinn).

The Liverpool lads remain a permanent part of pop culture — for us older folk. But is that the case for Gen Z, the generation most likely to visit theaters?

“Money (That’s What I Want).” And they’ll need plenty of it to recoup those exorbitant costs …

Spinal Nap

These reviews don’t go to 11. In fact, some are real “s**t sandwiches.”

“Spinal Tap: The End Continues” hits theaters this weekend, 41 years after the original mockumentary made this faux band immortal. We certainly didn’t need a new “Spinal Tap” movie. The original, directed by and co-starring Rob Reiner, gave us so many classic lines and gags, it feels like it never went away.

The new film features the key original cast members (Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, and Michael McKean) along with returning co-stars (Fran Drescher, Paul Shaffer) and copious cameos (Paul McCartney, Elton John).

Reviews have been mixed so far, with even the positive notices saying the sequel can’t come close to measuring up to the original.

What could?

One relief? It appears Reiner’s late-stage Trump derangement syndrome didn’t enter the frame, beyond a brief reference to Stormy Daniels. Phew.

The bad news is one distinct reality. Reiner’s directorial career fell off a creative cliff after a stunning run of movie classics (“Stand By Me,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “A Few Good Men,” “The Princess Bride”). He hasn’t had a hit since 2007’s “The Bucket List,” a film few would rank near the top — or even middle — of his filmography.

More than one critic cited a brutal line from the 1984 original in their reviews — the aforementioned sandwich …

Seinfeld stands up

For a guy who made a show about nothing, Jerry Seinfeld suddenly has something profound to say. And he’s virtually all alone in saying it, especially in the rarefied air of modern celebrity.

The legendary comic teed off against the pro-Palestinian movement, comparing it to the KKK. Except the latter group at least scores points for honesty.

Not this bunch, the sitcom superstar said.

Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews. By saying “Free Palestine,” you’re not admitting what you really think. So it’s actually — compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here because they can come right out and say, “We don’t like blacks; we don’t like Jews.” OK, that’s honest.

The comments come as nearly 4,000 of his industry peers pledge not to work with film groups with Israeli ties for their complicity with war crimes.

Seinfeld has all that sitcom money at this point. He also has a bigger moral compass than many of his peers, apparently …

RELATED: Grieving Charlie Kirk: How to cling to God in the face of evil

JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images

Sunny makes sense

“There are no words,” we often say in the face of tragedies like Wednesday’s shocking murder of conservative superstar Charlie Kirk. Unfortunately, the media generally insists on talking anyway.

Sometimes, miraculously, they get it right. Like “The View” host Sunny Hostin, of all people:

This man was 31 years old with two children, I think ages 1 and 3, a family man, a wife. Now, all these children will grow up without their father. This woman will grow up, you know, grow old without her husband. I just — this country — there’s just no place for this kind of violence in this country. I am heartbroken over it. … The First Amendment is the first amendment for a reason. We should be able to voice whatever opinions we have.

God bless Charlie Kirk and his family.

​Culture, Entertainment, Palestine, Jerry seinfeld, Spinal tap, The beatles, Movies, Rob reiner, The view, Toto recall 

Music originates in heaven. Scripture tells us that angels sing and play instruments. Life in heaven centers around eternal worship. Revelation foretells a time when, after Satan’s ultimate defeat, joyous songs of victory and triumph will resound in heaven, celebrating God’s glory.

It’s inarguable that music is a good gift from God that serves a purpose in His kingdom. But like all good gifts, it can be corrupted by Satan — and it has been. Today, a staggering amount of music, especially popular music, contains demonic messaging.

But it goes even deeper than profane, debaucherous lyrics and sin-promoting artists.

“Behind a lot of musical success are demon-possessed people,” says Rick Burgess, BlazeTV host of “Strange Encounters,” a podcast that explores spiritual warfare.

The pervasive darkness in the entertainment industry has fueled a widespread conspiracy theory about the illuminati — a secretive, occult group believed to control the music industry, manipulating culture through artists, lyrics, and symbolism to advance a satanic agenda.

But is it really a conspiracy theory?

Rick plays a recent viral clip of an emerging American rapper and producer from Atlanta, Georgia, named Lil Tony, whose full name is Tekai Elijah Key. On evangelist and street preacher Bryce Crawford’s podcast, the artist shared the terrifying experience that convinced him that the illuminati, God, and Satan are all real.

“I got booked for a photoshoot. They took me all the way up this mountain. I was on top of the mountain. We finished the photo shoot. They have OD cars. They got a three-seater McLaren. They got a Ferrari. And I’m asking them, like, ‘How y’all get all this money?’ They like, ‘We do demonic rituals,”’ Key recounted.

When he pressed the crew on how they really obtained such wealth, believing their original answer was a joke, they doubled down. “The illuminati never talk to you?” they asked him, claiming that Leonardo DiCaprio conducts the initiation ceremonies, which involve sexual acts.

Weirded out, Lil Tony tried to call an Uber to pick him up, but because he was in the mountains, he had no cell service. He was forced to drive back with another person who was part of the photoshoot. On the way down, this driver suddenly took a different route.

“His face changed,” said Key, comparing the scene to how Spider Man’s face morphs into the sinister visage of Venom. “It threw me all the way off.”

Right as his creepy driver was backing into somebody’s driveway, his saving grace came in the form of a mailman.

“I start running up to him like, ‘Hey bro, let me get in the back of your truck,’” Key recounted, admitting that he resorted to practically begging the mailman to help him get off the mountain.

“It was God. He took me down to the bottom. … The people on camera, you ain’t gotta believe me. I don’t care. I’m not lying. I really saw this. That’s what made me know that the devil and God was real,” he told Crawford.

“I don’t know whether that is true or not true. … Now, do I know that these things are out there? I feel very strong about that,” says Rick.

To hear Rick’s in-depth analysis of the darkness in the music industry, as well as other topics, like spiritual house cleaning, watch the full episode above.

Want more from Rick Burgess?

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

​Strange encounters, Rick burgess, Demons, Demonic, Blazetv, Blaze media, Blaze, Lil tony, Illuminati, Spiritual warfare, Hollywood elites, Leonardo dicaprio 

Big news: California’s iron grip on the automotive market could finally be over!

The Stop CARB Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate as part of larger legislative efforts to address vehicle regulations, is generating a lot of buzz for its aim to curb the influence of the California Air Resources Board on national auto standards.

Whether you’re a truck enthusiast, a daily commuter, or an auto industry worker, this bill touches your life.

This bill seeks to limit CARB’s ability to set stringent emission rules that impact not just California but 17 other states. As debates over vehicle costs, consumer choice, and environmental regulations heat up, the Stop CARB Act could reshape how cars are built and sold across America.

What is the Stop CARB Act?

The Stop CARB Act is a proposed piece of legislation focused on restricting the California Air Resources Board’s authority to enforce its own vehicle emission standards, particularly those stricter than federal regulations.

While the bill is often discussed in connection with the Transportation Freedom Act (S.711), introduced on February 25, 2025, by Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), the Stop CARB Act specifically targets CARB’s waivers under the Clean Air Act. The bill aims to eliminate these waivers, preventing California from dictating emission policies beyond its borders and blocking other states from following its lead.

Currently, S.711, which includes provisions aligned with the Stop CARB Act’s goals, is pending in the Senate Committee on Finance, with no floor vote scheduled as of September 3, 2025.

Sponsored by Sens. Moreno, Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and Jim Justice (R-W.V.), the broader Transportation Freedom Act also seeks to repeal federal emission standards, such as the EPA’s Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for 2027 and later model years and Phase 3 heavy-duty vehicle greenhouse gas rules, while offering tax deductions for auto manufacturing wages. The Stop CARB Act’s focus on CARB makes it a key component of this larger deregulation effort.

Why do we need it?

CARB’s influence stems from a unique provision in the Clean Air Act, which allows California to request waivers to set stricter emission standards than the federal government. Since the 1970s, CARB has used this authority to implement rules like the Advanced Clean Cars II program, which mandates zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

Seventeen other states, representing over 40% of the U.S. population, have adopted CARB’s standards, effectively giving California outsized influence over national auto markets — even though it arguably violates the Constitution.

The Stop CARB Act argues aims to remedy this in a few key ways:

Reducing costs for consumers: CARB’s strict standards require automakers to invest heavily in technologies like electric vehicles or advanced combustion engines. These costs often raise vehicle prices, with estimates suggesting compliance could add thousands to the sticker price of new cars. By limiting CARB’s waivers, the bill aims to lower these costs, making vehicles more affordable for everyday Americans.

Streamlining regulations: The patchwork of federal, California, and state-adopted CARB standards creates complexity for automakers. Companies must design vehicles to meet multiple requirements, increasing production costs and delaying innovation. The Stop CARB Act seeks to establish uniform federal standards, simplifying compliance and fostering a more predictable market.

Preserving consumer choice: CARB’s push for zero-emission vehicles by 2035 limits the availability of gas-powered cars, trucks, and SUVs, which many drivers prefer for their affordability, range, or utility. The bill aims to protect consumer choice by preventing California’s mandates from dominating national markets.

Supporting U.S. manufacturing: Companies like General Motors, Stellantis, Toyota — as well as the National Automobile Dealers Association — argue that CARB’s rules strain manufacturers, particularly smaller suppliers. By curbing CARB’s influence, the bill could reduce compliance costs, boost domestic production, and create jobs.

RELATED: Ride or die: How Ford, Honda, VW, and 3 more got stuck with California’s strict emission standards

Mandel Ngan/Getty Images

CARB counting

The bill’s progress is uncertain, given the polarized views on environmental policy and state rights. If scheduled and it passes the Senate, it must clear the House and gain presidential approval. Legal challenges from California or environmental groups could also delay implementation if the bill becomes law. The next goal is to get this bill on the floor to vote on it.

Whether you’re a truck enthusiast, a daily commuter, or an auto industry worker, this bill touches your life. Will it lower vehicle costs and preserve your choice of gas-powered cars? Or will California continue to tell you what to drive? It’s time to reach out to your senators and representatives to tell them to get this bill to the floor.

​Ev mandate, California, Donald trump, Zev, Carb, Transportation freedom act, Align cars