A probationary wildlife biologist for Yosemite National Park who identifies as “non-binary” covered the side of El Capitan with a gargantuan trans-activist flag last year to protest the Trump administration’s reality-affirming policies regarding gender.

Shannon Joslin, a female resident of El Portal, California, found out the hard way that actions have consequences — and was fired.

‘Demonstrating without a permit outside of designated First Amendment areas detracts from the visitor experience.’

The LGBT activist filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday, demanding her job back and claiming that the Department of the Interior violated her First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

The protest

Joslin and several other climbers rigged a 55’x35′ trans activist flag roughly one-third of the way up El Capitan on May 20, 2025, where it flapped for hours.

According to her complaint, Joslin came up with the idea to rig a flag on El Capitan as a “statement in support of trans people,” then worked over the course of multiple weeks with other activists to “stake out the technical logistics of fixing a sizable flag to the rock face.”

In the corresponding press release where she boasted about the protest, Joslin indicated that those responsible were “social workers, public servants, parents, and neighbors.”

She told Climbing.com, “Calling congressmen and writing representatives feels like yelling into the void. We have this f**king microphone that is El Cap.”

RELATED: ‘Just chaos’: Heroes who stopped ‘trans’ killer at Rhode Island hockey game speak out

El Capitan. Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Wyn Riley, a drag queen who goes by “Pattie Gonia,” was among the supporters of the protest. In a May 22, 2025, propaganda video featuring several clips of Joslin securing the flag, Riley said, “The Trump administration and transphobes would love to have you believe that being trans is unnatural.”

“Call it a protest; call it a celebration,” continued Riley. “We are bringing elevation to liberation.”

The complaint alleges that Joslin was off-duty “at all times during the preparation for and placement and display of the trans pride flag.”

The fallout

Documents show that Joslin received a notice of termination in late July indicating that she was out of a job effective Aug. 12, 2025.

The letter provided a reminder that the purpose of the two-year trial period that started for Joslin on Sept. 10, 2023, is to “determine whether newly appointed Federal employees are suitable for successful service in the areas of conduct and performance.”

“During your trial period, you have failed to demonstrate acceptable conduct,” continued the letter. “Specifically, on or about May 20, 2025, you participated in a small group demonstration in an area outside the designated protest and demonstration area without permit as required by 36 CFR 2.51 and thus circumvented rules applicable to all park visitors.”

Neither the Department of the Interior nor the National Park Service would comment on the specifics of the relevant personnel actions.

However, they both shared a statement with Blaze News noting, “We take the protection of the park’s resources and the experience of our visitors very seriously and will not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that impact those resources and experiences.”

“Yosemite National Park was designated by Congress to highlight the beautiful natural and cultural features of the area,” continued the statement. “No matter the cause, demonstrating without a permit outside of designated First Amendment areas detracts from the visitor experience and the protection of the park. To safeguard the protection of visitors, visitor experiences, and park resources, many demonstrations require a permit.”

The lawsuit

Joslin’s lawsuit, in which she is referred to with plural pronouns, complains about Trump’s rebuff of gender ideology and reality-affirming policies; claims that Joslin has faced “medical, financial, personal, and professional harm” as the result of her termination; and alleges that the decision to fire her violated the “First Amendment by selectively targeting for retaliation specific forms of expression based on content and viewpoint.”

The lawsuit — which lists the NPS, the Interior Department, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Attorney General Pam Bondi as defendants — also alleges that the National Park Service used a press release regarding the stunt from Joslin’s protest group against her, suggesting that doing so was a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974.

The “non-binary” activist not only wants her old job back but damages and a declaratory judgment that “Defendants’ collection and use of information about Dr. Joslin’s protected First Amendment activity was unlawful.”

Joanna Citron Day, one of Joslin’s attorneys, said in a release, “If Dr. Joslin had hung a flag the administration liked, they would be working at Yosemite today.”

Regardless of the colors, Yosemite National Park maintains its prohibition for “any person or group to hang or otherwise affix to any natural or cultural feature, or display so as to cover any natural or cultural feature, any banner, flag, or sign larger than fifteen square feet (e.g., 5 feet x 3 feet).”

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​Flag, Trans, Transgender, Shannon joslin, Yosemite, El capitan, Protest, Protests, Cultural imperialism, National park, Interior department, Politics 

Two weeks ago in tiny Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, an 18-year-old man allegedly killed his mother and half-brother. He then opened fire at his former secondary school, murdering five students — some as young as 12 — and one teacher, wounding dozens more, before taking his own life.

It was one of Canada’s deadliest mass shootings ever — and its worst school shooting since the 1989 massacre at École Polytechnique de Montréal.

The RCMP-issued public alert warned of a ‘female in a dress with brown hair.’

It was also Canada’s first incident of a grim trend plaguing its neighbor to the south: homicidal rampages by clearly mentally ill, transgender-identified perpetrators.

‘Female’ at large

Why does it matter that alleged shooter Jesse Van Rootselaar considered himself “trans”?

Even if you’re not convinced that the desire to change or ignore biological sex is in itself a sign of psychological disturbance or that the drugs, hormones, and surgeries used to “transition” people don’t exacerbate or even trigger mental illness, it seems clear that Van Rootselaar’s “trans” identity affected how police responded to the shooting.

Van Rootselaar was “transitioning” from male to female, and that’s precisely how he appeared: like a young man trying to look like a young woman. Yet while he was still at large, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Tumbler Ridge seemingly put woke politics and Canada’s obsession with “misgendering” ahead of public safety.

The RCMP-issued public alert warned of a “female in a dress with brown hair.”

British Columbia RCMP commanding officer Dwayne McDonald reinforced this narrative at the first news conference, announcing that the suspect was “an 18-year-old female.” It was only after prodding from a reporter that he admitted that Van Rootselaar was a biological male.

We’ve sadly come to expect this kind of obsfucation from the media — Canada’s state broadcaster refers to Van Rootselaar as “she” without qualification — but such deception from the police poses even greater risks.

Could the ideologically motivated refusal to identify Van Rootselaar accurately have led to even more deaths? It’s certainly possible.

Mental health concerns

Moreover, gender ideology may have hampered the police’s ability to prevent this tragedy.

McDonald confirmed that Van Rootselaar had previously been apprehended under British Columbia’s Mental Health Act on multiple occasions and had been hospitalized “in some circumstances.”

Under the Mental Health Act, individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others can be involuntarily detained and treated, with no fixed limit on the duration so long as medical certifications are renewed. Mental health officials have acknowledged that repeated cycles of admission and discharge — without a durable treatment plan — are not uncommon.

It is fair to ask whether institutional caution — including heightened sensitivity around gender identity issues — contributed to a reluctance to take firmer, longer-term measures when warning signs were evident.

RELATED: Media calls it ‘mental health,’ Rick Burgess calls it demonic: Unpacking the Tumbler Ridge shooting and the transgender agenda

Eagle Vision Agency/AFP via Getty Images

Armed and dangerous

Then there are the multiple firearms recovered at the school, along with additional weapons at the suspect’s residence. Police have not yet provided detailed clarification about how the firearms were obtained or whether they were legally registered.

Canada has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the developed world. In recent years, the federal government has expanded prohibitions and launched new confiscation initiatives largely affecting rural gun owners and farmers. Those measures have been defended as necessary for public safety.

Yet this case raises an unavoidable question: How did an 18-year-old with documented mental health concerns gain access to multiple firearms?

If Canada’s regulatory regime is as robust as its advocates claim, the breakdown here demands explanation. Was this a licensing failure? A background-check gap? A failure to flag mental health risk? Or unlawful access that went undetected?

And to what extent were any of these failures enabled by the RCMP’s established practice of putting the Liberal government and its pet causes ahead of the public good?

​Culture, Politics, Canada, Tumbler ridge, Tumbler ridge shooting, Trans, Transgender ideology, Rcmp, Mark carney, Letter from canada 

A former teacher’s aide in Wisconsin has been sentenced to more than half a century in prison after her conviction of committing child sex crimes against four boys, according to authorities.

The Kenosha County District Attorney announced last week that Judge David Hughes sentenced 34-year-old Anna Marie Crocker to 51.5 years in prison and 32 years of extended supervision. Crocker — a mother of four — will not be eligible for release until she is approximately 85 years old.

‘Her betrayal of trust, victim-blaming, and efforts to intimidate the victims only deepened the harm.’

In December, Crocker pleaded guilty to first-degree child sexual assault, child sexual exploitation (filming), second-degree sexual assault of a child, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, intimidation of a victim, and child enticement-sexual contact, according to WITI-TV.

Before being sentenced, Crocker claimed to have taken “full responsibility for what has taken place,” WISN-TV reported.

“I am disturbed by the harm and distress, along with the trauma that you have to endure,” Crocker continued. “I am deeply sorry that this has caused confusion, pain, and anger, and that you have to live with this the rest of your lives.”

WISN reported that Judge Hughes said during sentencing, “She sought out children, she used children, and she took advantage of children.”

Kenosha County Deputy District Attorney Rosa Delgado prosecuted the case and proclaimed, “Justice was served today for the four children this defendant groomed and sexually abused.”

Delgado also declared, “Her betrayal of trust, victim-blaming, and efforts to intimidate the victims only deepened the harm.”

Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis said in a statement, “This case represents a profound breach of trust.”

Solis added, “When an adult connected to our schools exploits our children, the harm is severe and lasting.”

As Blaze News reported in October 2024, officers with the Sensitive Crime Unit of the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department began an investigation into Crocker after she was suspected of sexual misconduct involving a “current and former student of the school.”

At the time, Crocker had been a teaching assistant at Riverview Elementary School.

According to a criminal complaint, Crocker sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy in the winter of 2023-2024.

The victim told investigators that Crocker removed his pants and was on top of him and noted that she was “naked.”

“She then began making him do things that she wanted,” the complaint read.

According to the complaint, the victim repeatedly told Crocker “to get off of him, but she would not listen,” and that he “also tried to push her off.”

The criminal complaint stated that the victim told investigators that he was “scared and traumatized.”

The complaint noted that the victim said Crocker told him to apologize for the sexual abuse and that she was trying to “make him feel guilty.”

RELATED: Judge drops hammer on former teacher who sexually assaulted 2 students and was impregnated by one of them

A detective with the Twin Lakes Police Department interviewed a 13-year-old boy who “reported to a school staff member that he received inappropriate material and messages” from Crocker, the complaint stated.

The victim told police that he had received sexually explicit videos from Crocker, according to court documents.

Court docs said the second victim was “scared” about interacting with the educational assistant because the first victim, who is his friend, told him that Crocker raped him.

A 14-year-old male victim told police that he had been “exchanging sexual chats and pictures via Snapchat with the defendant,” according to the criminal complaint.

The court documents said the victim told investigators that Crocker “sexually assaulted him in a parking lot in Racine County in August of 2024.”

Detectives searched Crocker’s Snapchat and discovered a conversation between her and a 16-year-old that the former school staffer made sexual, according to the complaint.

Court docs noted that the boy’s younger brother is “friends with the defendant’s son,” and Crocker told the victim not to tell his younger brother “about them having sex, if it were to happen.”

The teen said Crocker “sent him pictures in which sex was ‘inferred,'” according to court records.

The court docs said the victim told police that Crocker “wanted to have sex with him at her residence and that they agreed upon a day, but that he never went through with it.”

The criminal complaint said Crocker invited the boy to her home on Oct. 11, 2024, even though the underage victim divulged his age.

WITI reported that Crocker was taken into custody on Oct. 11, 2024.

According to WISN, the school board terminated Crocker on Oct. 14, 2024.

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​Anna marie crocker, Grooming, Crime, Teacher’s aide arrested, Teacher’s aide sex scandal, Teacher’s aide student sex scandal, Conviction, Prison sentence, Wisconsin 

Core, an invitation-only private club in Manhattan where membership fees reportedly range from $15,000 to $100,000 a year, has counted among its approximately 1,500 members Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold, and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.

Dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was also a longtime patron of the club as well as a founding member.

Jennie and Dangene Enterprise — the lesbian couple who run the club — are both under intense scrutiny over their friendship with the child sex offender in light of new insights from the Epstein files.

Jennie Enterprise, however, might be in especially hot water over the apparently irreconcilable sworn statements that she allegedly provided about her club’s finances in two separate cases regarding COVID fraud and rent delinquency.

Competing claims

The club entered a 20-year lease with 711 Fifth Ave Principal Owner LLC in 2021 and took over four floors of the building in 2023.

In the years since, the Enterprises have been engaged in a bitter legal battle with property developer Michael Shvo. For instance, the Core Club reportedly sued Shvo in 2024 for $600 million, alleging that he failed to deliver promised upgrades to the 711 Fifth Ave. property and other locations. Shvo, in turn, accused the Core Club of defaulting on its lease at the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.

Last year, the landlord served the Core Club with a termination notice, alleging that it had “defaulted on its obligation to pay the Base Rent and/or Additional Rent under the Lease in the amount of $3,633,787.13 by Aug. 1” as purportedly required under the lease.

RELATED: Ex-Victoria’s Secret owner now claiming Epstein ‘conned’ him once suggested he was demonically possessed

Photo by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

The Core Club, in response, sought what is called a Yellowstone injunction barring the landlord from terminating the lease and evicting the club.

A judge with New York County’s Commercial Division court obliged the Enterprises in September, finding that their club had “established ‘it is prepared and maintains the ability to cure the alleged default by any means short of vacating the premises.'”

Attorneys for the landlord have pointed out an apparent discrepancy between the story that Jennie Enterprise and the Core Club told the court and what they told the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in their COVID-era relief fraud case in August.

The landlord’s attorneys alleged in a court filing on Wednesday that the Core Club secured its injunction “by making materially misleading representations to this Court about its financial health,” and has “repeatedly been delinquent” on its use and occupancy payments.

The attorneys noted that in September 2025, the club “represented to the Court that it had a more than sufficient financial ability to cure its default of over $3.5 million in past due rent and that it could continue paying Rent at the Least rate.”

‘You have influenced my life in a really amazing way.’

While supposedly able to pay millions in allegedly past-due rent, the attorneys noted that the club managed in August to avoid paying back most of the over $4 million that Core Club entities — controlled by Jennie Enterprise — fraudulently received in COVID-era relief funds and paid only a fraction of the $8.1 million consent judgment against the club.

The attorneys highlighted that court documents show that Jennie Enterprise’s sworn financial disclosures about the Core Club’s “financial condition” to the USAO-SDNY led the government “to accept in compromise” a settlement of only $366,000 spread over several years.

The Wednesday court filing alleged:

These apparent representations by the SDNY Core Defendants to the United States Attorney regarding their supposed inability to pay a civil penalty greater than $360,000 over five years flies directly in the face of Tenant’s representations to this Court regarding its supposed ability to cure its default of over $3.5 million in past due rent and continue paying Rent at the Lease rate.

The landlord suggested that under the circumstances, the injunction should be vacated and further relief should be conditioned on the Epstein club’s payment of the outstanding rent.

When asked for comment, the Core Club’s attorney Marc Kasowitz said in a statement to Blaze News, “Shvo’s latest attempt to relitigate issues the Court has already addressed will fail, just as his others have. Shvo’s motion falsely claims that Core violated the Yellowstone order, but Core is current on rent and has fully complied with the Court’s directives.”

Kasowitz suggested that the apparent function of the filing was to distract from “pressures surrounding Shvo’s broader real estate ventures” and noted, “Core will oppose this motion vigorously and is confident the Court will recognize it as another meritless attempt to manufacture a default where none exists.”

Shvo’s office did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

Epstein’s gal pals

The latest trove of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice provides insights into Epstein’s involvement with the club and the Enterprises, whose relationship with the pedophile apparently thrived after his guilty plea in 2008 for solicitation of a minor for prostitution.

Epstein not only routinely visited the club’s spa and had women in his network attend but clearly made an impression on Jennie Enterprise, who appears to have written to the pedophile just months after his guilty plea, “You are and have always been sooooo special too me ….not sure u will ever know how much you have influenced my life in a really amazing way.”

The club recently downplayed Epstein’s involvement, telling the Wall Street Journal in a statement that the pedophile was one of 150 members who belonged from 2003 and 2007 but continued thereafter as a client of the club’s spa.

Dangene Enterprise often applied Epstein’s skin treatments, reported the Journal.

“The Enterprises were never part of this individual’s social world,” the club alleged. “He was a sounding board for the Enterprises on a variety of subjects, as he was known to be a highly in-demand, influential financial advisor and philanthropist in New York City.”

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​Core, Manhattan, New york city, Club, Jeffrey epstein, Jennie enterprise, Elite, Lesbian, Fraud, Covid relief, Politics 

Last week, Barack Obama sent a shock wave through the public when he acknowledged the existence of alien life. During a podcast interview with Brian Tyler Cohen, the former president answered, “Yes, they’re real,” when Cohen point blank asked, “Are aliens real?”

Obama followed up his admission, however, with, “But I haven’t seen them,” which he reiterated in greater detail the following day on social media.

President Trump then responded to the viral comment by accusing Obama of improperly disclosing classified information, calling it a “big mistake,” while stating he personally doesn’t know if aliens are real. He then announced that he would direct federal agencies and the Pentagon to begin releasing government files on UFOs, UAPs, extraterrestrial life, and related matters due to “tremendous interest” in the topic.

“This is crazy,” says Glenn Beck.

“You wouldn’t be breaking the classified information rule if you were saying they didn’t exist and they didn’t exist. That’s not classified information. Why would you classify that they didn’t exist?” he asks.

What’s really going on with this sequence of high-profile comments on alien life? Is full disclosure finally here, or is something else at play?

On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn, his chief researcher Jason Buttrill, and executive producer Rikki Ratliff-Fellman address this hot-button question.

Glenn and Jason aren’t convinced that these recent events will lead to genuine disclosure. They speculate that the establishment bracing for massive fallout is a sign the hype might be engineered.

For example, just last month, Helen McCaw, a former senior analyst at the Bank of England, wrote an urgent letter to its governor, warning that any official White House confirmation of extraterrestrial life could unleash immediate financial catastrophe.

Glenn reads from a New York Post article that addressed the controversy: “If such a disclosure comes from the White House, Cambridge-educated McCaw projected in her letter, the revelation will send shockwaves through financial markets and the banking system — and inspire general unrest amongst Earthlings.”

“Are we really that fragile?” Glenn asks skeptically, noting that his church attendance and stock investments wouldn’t be rocked by the revelation that alien life is real.

In fact, he believes that the probability of alien life is rather high.

“As Carl Sagan used to say, what a horrible waste of space if we are alone. I mean, think of the vastness of space. All of this was created, and we’re the only forms of intelligent life? That makes no sense whatsoever,” he declares.

But is the exchange between Obama and Trump really leading us toward an answer?

Although the prospect of finding out the truth about aliens makes him “kind of excited,” Glenn and Jason aren’t hopeful that genuine disclosure is on the horizon.

“It does seem very, very convenient that every time a major story is going on, we get a new disclosure hint,” says Jason.

“I think this whole thing is much more likely a psyop,” Glenn agrees. “I mean, what would be the one thing that would unite everybody on Earth? People in space coming to get you.”

“So what is the psyop? Are they trying to distract us from … war with Iran? The economy?” asks Rikki.

Glenn’s answer?

Epstein.

“This is all happening the week of Epstein,” he says.

To hear more of the panel’s conversation, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Blazetv, Blaze media, Ufo, Ufos, Uap, Aliens, Obama, Trump, Obama aliens 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced sharp criticism Tuesday from lawmakers and police unions after a chaotic snowball fight in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park turned into an attack on NYPD, with agitators pelting officers with snow and ice during a major blizzard.

The incident unfolded Monday afternoon as hundreds gathered for what began as a playful snowball fight amid heavy snowfall. Police responding to reports of disorder were targeted, forcing officers to retreat into their vehicles. Videos showed individuals hurling large chunks of snow at close range, including one dumping ice on an officer’s head.

‘Back the blue and hold those who disrespect them accountable.’

No arrests have been reported, but NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch called the behavior “disgraceful” and “criminal” in a statement on X.

“Our detectives are investigating this matter,” she said.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and ex-Mayor Eric Adams, both Democrats, quickly blamed Mamdani’s history of anti-police rhetoric for fostering an environment of disrespect toward law enforcement.

RELATED: ‘Despicable attack’: Brazen mob pelts NYPD officers with snowballs, multiple cops reportedly injured — and it’s all on video

“This is disgraceful. But with a mayor who has a history of calling the police ‘racist, evil, wicked and corrupt,’ he set the tone,” Cuomo posted on X. “Words have consequences. We are seeing that in the growing disrespect for law enforcement — just as we’ve seen it in the rise in antisemitism. Real leaders understand that. This mayor does not.”

Adams echoed the sentiment, saying the attack should outrage all New Yorkers.

“Watching officers get pelted with snow while they are out in brutal weather protecting this city should make every New Yorker furious. It is disgusting behavior,” he said. “And the politicians who constantly bash the police and refuse to have their backs are setting a terrible example. Leadership matters. Tone matters.”

U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from Staten Island, urged Mamdani and other officials to condemn the actions.

“This is disgraceful. @NYCMayor and every elected official in our city should denounce this juvenile attack on our NYPD,” she posted on X. “Back the blue and hold those who disrespect them accountable.”

RELATED: Illegal alien released after attack on NYC cops in May just got arrested, released for another alleged crime

Photo by BG048/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

Another Republican congresswoman from New York, Claudia Tenney, directly attributed the incident to the mayor’s anti-cop stance: “You can thank Mamdani’s anti-police rhetoric for this.”

Police unions demanded arrests and accountability. The Police Benevolent Association called the attack “unacceptable and outrageous,” urging city leaders to condemn it and charge those involved with assault on a police officer.

Scott Munro, president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association, described it as a “deliberate, outrageous, and dangerous attack.” He called on Mamdani and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to ensure prosecutions, saying: “No free pass. No get out of jail free card.”

Mamdani’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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​Politics, Mamdani, Nyc, Police attack, Police attacked, Snow 

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s communications team fired off a nasty response to a reporter who requested documentation of the governor’s supposed dyslexia diagnosis.

RealClearPolitics political correspondent Susan Crabtree reached out to Newsom’s taxpayer-funded communications team after Fox News’ Sean Hannity criticized the governor for mentioning his low SAT score as a way to connect with voters in a majority-black city.

‘I’m going to continue to ask tough questions despite this vitriolic attempt to intimidate me.’

Newsom “Thinks a 960 SAT Makes Him ‘Like’ Black Americans. Let That Sink In,” Hannity wrote in a post on X. Newsom replied to Hannity by noting his “lifelong struggle with dyslexia.”

Crabtree asked Newsom’s office for documentation verifying the governor’s dyslexia diagnosis, highlighting apparent contradictions in Newsom’s account of when he learned of his diagnosis. She noted that Newsom has previously claimed that he discovered the paperwork from his childhood about his dyslexia diagnosis after his father passed away in 2018.

“Newsom also has said he was diagnosed with dyslexia in 1972 — that would be when he was five or six,” Crabtree wrote. “Is there anything the governor can point to as proof of this?”

Izzy Gardon, the director of communications for Newsom’s office, replied to Crabtree, writing, “Hey, Susan — thanks for reaching out. Respectfully, f**k off.”

Newsom has stated that he struggled with dyslexia as a child and still finds it difficult to read.

“There’s certain things I can’t do, and I’m in the wrong business to not be able to do them. Meaning, I can’t read very well, and when you have to give speeches all the time … it’s hard because you can’t read a script,” Newsom said in a 2017 video interview.

He called it “horribly difficult” to read a script from a teleprompter.

RELATED: ‘I’m like you’: Newsom insults audience in a failed attempt to relate to voters in majority-black city

Gavin Newsom. Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

In the 2017 video, Newsom stated that he found out he had been previously diagnosed with dyslexia “in fifth or sixth, seventh grade.”

Newsom appeared to contradict himself during an April interview, in which he said he had recently read a 350-page book in less than two hours. To finish the 11-hour audiobook in two hours, one would need to play it at 5.5 times the normal speed.

“I went through it in a quick hour and a half, almost two hours. And trust me, I don’t read very fast, but it reads at an unbelievable pace,” Newsom stated.

RELATED: California Democrats crushed by backlash against tax proposal to replace revenue lost by electric car mandate

Gavin Newsom. Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images

Newsom “obviously doesn’t like all the California corruption we exposed in our book, ‘Fool’s Gold,’ but I’m going to continue to ask tough questions despite this vitriolic attempt to intimidate me,” Crabtree told Blaze News.

When asked whether Gardon has ever expressed similar hostility toward her previously, Crabtree said, “A few weeks ago he called me ‘delusional’ when I was asking about Newsom’s inflated claims about his ‘college baseball career’ that only amounted to — at the very most — several months on the JV team without playing in any official games.”

Blaze News contacted Gardon to ask if he would like to provide further context about Crabtree’s request or any documentation confirming Newsom’s diagnosis.

“Conspiracy MAGA blogger pivots from Bigfoot to medical record fishing. We’ll pass!” Gardon replied.

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​News, Gavin newsom, Newsom, California, Susan crabtree, Politics 

The men’s Olympic hockey team is headed to the State of the Union address on Tuesday, but the women have other plans.

On Sunday, Team USA men’s hockey completed the sweep of the hockey category with a 2-1 overtime win against Canada, winning gold just as the USA women did days prior.

‘We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning US Women’s Hockey Team.’

After the men’s win, President Donald Trump gave the team a call in the locker room in what was a highly circulated moment of patriotic celebration.

“Unbelievable. You were all unbelievable. That team is pretty good you played,” Trump said about the Canadians.

He then invited the team to his presidential address on Tuesday.

“We could send a military plane or something. But if you would like to [attend], it’s the coolest night. … We’ll do the White House the next day.”

The president then joked, “We’re going to have to bring the women’s team,” or else he “probably would be impeached.”

The invitation was sincere, however, and the men unanimously agreed they would love to go to the event. The same could not be said about the women’s team though.

“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” a spokesperson for the American women began.

RELATED: Team USA’s amazing gold-medal gesture you may have missed

“Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment,” the statement added, per CNN.

Those academic commitments are likely in reference to the fact that seven of the American women on the Team USA roster are still in college.

Four players are currently playing in Wisconsin: Laila Edwards, Caroline Harvey, Ava McNaughton, and Kirsten Simms.

Abbey Murphy goes to Minnesota, Joy Dunne plays at Ohio State, while Tessa Janecke plays for Penn State, the NCAA noted. It is also noteworthy that 23 of the women previously played NCAA hockey as well.

For the men, the NHL schedule picks back up Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET.

Hero Jack Hughes, who scored the gold medal-winning goal, was asked about the women declining the invitation; he quickly came to their defense.

RELATED: Unpaid bill has Foxboro refusing to grant license for World Cup games at Gillette Stadium

“People are so negative out there, and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing,” Hughes said from Miami, where the team has been seen celebrating their win.

“People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them. And we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us,” the athlete continued, per the Daily Mail.

Hughes was asked about visiting the president too, to which he said the team was indeed “excited.”

“Everything is so political. We’re athletes,” he explained. “‘We’re so proud to represent the U.S., and when you get the chance to go to White House and meet the president, we’re proud to be Americans and that’s so patriotic.”

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​Sports, Hockey, Olympics, Sotu, State of the union, Trump, White house, 2026 winter olympics, Politics 

A snowball-throwing mob was caught on video pelting New York City Police Department officers Monday afternoon in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park, and multiple officers were injured as a result, WABC-TV reported.

Police told the station that officers responded to the park around 4 p.m. for a report of a number of people atop a roof.

‘This is the environment that NYC police officers are up against.’

Police added to WABC that the officers were then hit with snowballs, and multiple officers were taken to a hospital with facial cuts.

RELATED: DA Bragg offers plea deals to illegal aliens charged in vicious mob attack on NYPD cops

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Monday night wrote on X that she’s aware of the videos and that “the behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal.”

RELATED: Teen Tren de Aragua-linked mob ambushes NYPD in another brazen Times Square assault: Report

Tisch added that detectives are investigating.

The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York called the incident “unacceptable and outrageous,” WABC added.

RELATED: Illegal alien released after attack on NYC cops in May just got arrested, released for another alleged crime

“This is the environment that NYC police officers are up against. Our police officers are being treated for their injuries, but the case CANNOT end there,” the PBA said in a statement on social media, according to the station. “The individuals involved must be identified, arrested, and charged with assault on a police officer. And all of our city leaders must speak up to condemn this despicable attack.”

Scott Munro, president of the NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association, called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to ensure that those responsible are prosecuted, WABC reported.

RELATED: ‘Who would have thought?’: Mamdani takes side of knife-wielding suspect — not the cops

“No free pass. No get out of jail free card. Make no mistake: Detectives will do what they always do. They will identify those involved, and they will apprehend them,” Munro said in a statement, according to the station. “Our men and women in blue deserve to be safe. They deserve to be protected. And they deserve to be respected. They earn it every single day.”

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​Snowball fight, New york city, New york city police, Cops hit with snowballs, Injuries, Nypd, Criminal, Nypd commissioner jessica tisch, Crime 

California Governor Gavin Newsom is being touted as the Democratic Party’s next presidential hopeful, but political commentator Kevin Dalton points out that his abysmal track record might be an issue.

“Obviously, leaving severely mentally ill, drug-addicted people on the streets to their own devices isn’t working. So, two or three years ago, Gavin Newsom came up with this great idea,” Dalton tells BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere on “Stu Does America.”

The idea is called CARE Court, which is meant to address homelessness and mental illness by offering those suffering things like free housing, medication, and job training.

“So, flash forward two years, we finally get some numbers from CARE Court. Hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, of course, are gone. And Gavin Newsom promised that this would get around 50,000 people into the system, off the streets a year,” Dalton explains.

“I can’t even remember the exact numbers, but I think a few thousand ended up signing up, and then most of those were just kicked by the courts. … It finally spiraled down to, 22 people ended up being forced into CARE by the CARE Court,” he continues.

“This is such a perfect example of millions of dollars, hundreds of millions of dollars, just going away and no results. And then Newsom just moves on to the next thing,” he adds.

Stu points out that the number spent was around a quarter of a billion dollars.

“Twenty-two people, almost a quarter of a billion dollars, absolutely amazing, even by California’s standards,” Stu says.

Meanwhile, the California wildfires have wiped out thousands of homes — and left thousands of families waiting for their permits to be approved to try to build new ones.

“In the meantime, their bills are adding up, and they’ve got these people, the corporate buyers are coming in, trying to scoop up their land now because it’s just easier. It’s just an absolute mess,” Dalton says.

“For somebody who wants to run for president, you’d think, maybe start to address the homelessness, maybe try to get people back in their homes from this apocalyptic fire,” he adds.

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​Camera phone, Video phone, Sharing, Video, Free, Upload, Youtube.com, Stu does america, Stu burguiere, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Care court, Gavin newsom, California, California wildfires, Kevin dalton, Democratic party, 2028 election 

Democrats never miss an opportunity to don costumes, throw tantrums, and protest while President Donald Trump is addressing Congress.

For instance, some of the Democrats who refused to clap for Trump during his Jan. 30, 2018, State of the Union address also signaled their protest by wearing Kente cloths — the garb of a slave-trading African tribe. At the February 2019 SOTU, some Democrat women wore white to protest the president’s support for the unborn and other positions congressional feminists apparently find intolerable. At the president’s joint address to Congress last year, some Democrats wore pink in protest and/or booed the president.

While Trump derangement syndrome might still be colorfully displayed Tuesday evening, at least 30 Democrat lawmakers are planning to take their circus outside — which might make for a more peaceable State of the Union.

‘I don’t think that what we saw in Congress last year was particularly helpful.’

The leftist organizing group MoveOn and the propaganda outfit MeidasTouch are hosting a “counterprogramming” rally at 8 p.m. on the National Mall.

Democrat Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Tina Smith (Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), and Adam Schiff (Calif.) are planning to attend, along with a horde of House Democrats including Reps. Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.), Becca Balint (Vt.), Greg Casar (Texas), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), and anchor-baby Rep. Delia Ramirez (Ill.).

Merkley suggested that attendance at the SOTU would serve Trump’s supposed effort to “tighten his authoritarian grip.”

Van Hollen, among the Democrats who stuck to a similar script, claimed, “Trump is marching America towards fascism, and I refuse to normalize his shredding of our Constitution & democracy.”

RELATED: Those who ‘take a knee’ to Trump will be ‘held accountable’ when Democrats seize control, Susan Rice threatens

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

“He uses his speeches to pillory his political enemies and spread lies — not to mention they’re long and boring,” complained Smith.

Schiff recycled similar talking points and added, “This isn’t business as usual.”

The organizers for the “counterprogramming” event hinted that Democrats will concern-monger about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ execution of their duties, the termination of public health workers, rising costs, and other matters.

“Trump wants the attention and the ratings, but we cannot treat this year’s State of the Union like business as usual,” said MoveOn program chief Sara Haghdoosti. “That’s why MoveOn is hosting the People’s State of the Union, where we will hear directly from the people facing the consequences of Trump’s disastrous administration.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) may be relieved that his colleagues are planning to rage remotely on Tuesday.

After all, their booing and incivility were so bad at Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress last year that one lawmaker, Rep. Al Green of Texas, was later censured. Most Democrats also remained seated while Trump honored a cancer-stricken Texas boy, Devarjhaye “DJ” Daniel, and announced his deputization as a U.S. Secret Service agent.

Jeffries made clear last week to his fellow Democrats that they had two options — and more ugly protests in Congress aren’t one of them.

“The two options that are in front of us in our House [are] to either attend with silent defiance or to not attend and send a message to Donald Trump in that fashion, which will include participation in a variety of different alternate programming that is going to take place in and around the Capitol complex,” Jeffries said on Wednesday, reported The Hill.

Jeffries is not alone in wanting his colleagues to exercise some restraint.

“I don’t think that what we saw in Congress last year was particularly helpful. I think it made us the story,” Rep. Sarah McBride (Del.), the cross-dressing Democrat formerly known as Tim McBride, told NOTUS. “I think this president’s unpopular policies should be the story, not sort of gestures from our side.”

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​Donald trump, Boycott, Democrats, State of the union, Sotu, Protest, Leftism, Leftist, Moveon, Meidas touch, Van hollen, Senate, Politics 

Americans are paying more for new vehicles — and it’s not because of greedy dealers or temporary supply disruptions.

The real problem? The modern automobile has become a government-regulated platform.

This regulatory floor helps explain why many entry-level vehicles have disappeared. Automakers did not abandon affordable cars because Americans suddenly rejected them.

What once functioned primarily as personal transportation is now layered with federal mandates, compliance systems, and policy-driven technology. The cost of that transformation is embedded into every vehicle sold.

The average transaction price for a new vehicle now hovers around $48,000 to $50,000, according to Cox Automotive — nearly double what many Americans paid a decade ago. That figure is not driven primarily by dealership markups or consumer excess. It reflects a system in which regulatory requirements steadily raise the baseline cost of every vehicle before it reaches a showroom.

Dealers sell what they are allowed to sell. Consumers pay for what regulators require to be built.

Regulations stack

Unlike market innovation, federal mandates rarely replace older requirements. They stack. Safety rules, emissions standards, cybersecurity protocols, and connectivity requirements accumulate over time. Each new layer raises the minimum cost of building any vehicle, regardless of brand or segment.

Automakers no longer decide which technologies to include based solely on consumer demand. They build to regulatory specifications — and those specifications grow more complex every year.

Driver-assistance: No longer optional

Advanced driver-assistance systems are a clear example. Lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, cameras, radar units, and onboard processors were once optional upgrades. Today most are standard across model lines due to evolving federal safety expectations and liability pressures.

These systems require sensors, software calibration, processors, and constant updates. They also increase repair costs. A recent study by AAA shows that vehicles equipped with advanced driver-assistance features can cost 20% to 40% more to repair after collisions, in part because sensors must be recalibrated or replaced.

Whether buyers want every feature is beside the point. The technology is built in.

RELATED: Would you buy a car from Amazon?

Nicolò Campo/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Engineering complexity

Emissions regulations add another layer. Even gasoline-powered vehicles now rely on increasingly sophisticated emissions control systems, specialized materials, and complex software calibration to meet tightening federal and state standards.

These systems improve measurable compliance outcomes, but they also increase engineering complexity and production cost. Manufacturers cannot legally offer simplified alternatives that fall outside regulatory thresholds.

Computers on wheels

Modern vehicles are now rolling computer networks. Federal standards increasingly require data systems, cybersecurity protections, over-the-air update capability, and integrated monitoring infrastructure.

Hardware, antennas, processors, software validation, and compliance testing all add cost. None of it is optional at scale. Once these systems are embedded into vehicle architecture, they become permanent cost centers.

‘Kill-switch’ costs

One of the least discussed provisions of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires the installation of advanced driver monitoring systems designed to detect impairment in future vehicles. Critics have labeled this a “kill-switch” mandate because the rule requires technology capable of preventing operation under certain conditions.

Regardless of terminology, implementing such systems requires additional hardware, sensors, software integration, validation, and certification. Even before activation or enforcement details are finalized, the design and compliance costs are already being built into pricing structures.

When every manufacturer must comply, there is no competitive pressure to eliminate the expense.

Tariffs and supply chains

Tariffs compound the issue. Import duties on vehicles and automotive components affect not only foreign-built cars but also vehicles assembled in the United States that rely on global supply chains. Steel, aluminum, semiconductors, and specialized materials all move through international networks.

When tariffs raise component costs, those increases flow downstream. Automakers do not absorb them indefinitely. Dealers do not control them. Buyers ultimately pay.

Extinct entry-level

This regulatory floor helps explain why many entry-level vehicles have disappeared. Automakers did not abandon affordable cars because Americans suddenly rejected them. They exited those segments because compliance costs made lower-margin models difficult to sustain profitably.

When the baseline cost of meeting regulatory requirements approaches what buyers can reasonably pay for a basic vehicle, the product becomes economically unviable.

Shrinking used-car market

The used-car market offers limited relief. As new vehicles become more expensive, consumers hold onto existing cars longer. According to S&P Global Mobility, the average age of vehicles on American roads has climbed to nearly 13 years, an all-time high.

Fewer late-model trade-ins tighten supply. Prices rise. Regulatory-driven cost increases in the new-car market ripple outward and affect every segment.

EV expenses

Electric vehicles illustrate the same dynamic. Federal incentives, emissions targets, battery sourcing rules, and manufacturing credits shape production decisions and model availability. While battery costs have declined over time, compliance requirements and policy alignment continue to influence pricing and product mix.

For many households, the upfront cost of EVs remains significantly higher than comparable gasoline models — even after incentives.

Fixed costs

The expectation that prices will fall once supply stabilizes misunderstands how regulatory-cost structures function. Supply constraints can ease. Compliance costs rarely do.

As long as vehicles are treated as platforms for policy implementation rather than purely consumer goods, the floor price will continue to rise.

High vehicle prices are not simply a market fluctuation. They are, to a significant degree, a policy outcome.

And until policymakers reckon with the cumulative cost of regulatory layering, the $50,000 vehicle will increasingly become the norm — not the exception.

​Lifestyle, Auto industry, Car prices, Emissions, Ev mandate, Kill switch, Align cars