The Trump White House has proposed that Congress increase the Pentagon’s budget by nearly 44% compared to last year to roughly $1.5 trillion and reduce non-defense spending by $73 billion, or 10%.

“This is a $441 billion or 44-percent increase from the 2026 enacted level in combination with the $151.5 billion in mandatory funding provided through the Working Families Tax Cut Act,” the budget request says.

While nearly $1.2 trillion of the total would reportedly come from the regular appropriations process, $350 billion would alternatively come through a budget reconciliation bill.

‘I’m very wary.’

This request is in addition to the $200 billion supplemental package requested by the Department of War to sustain the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.

According to the White House, the requested sum — which would reportedly raise U.S. military spending to its highest level in modern history — would help restore “the readiness and lethality of the force by ensuring America’s warfighters are trained, equipped, and medically ready to fight and win.”

In addition to funding a pay raise of 7% for all Pentagon military personnel ranked E-5 and below, of 6% for E-6 to O-3, and of 5% for O-4 and above, the requested budget would help:

Fund the “next-generation missile defense shield” outlined in President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “The Iron Dome for America”;”Secure and defend America’s vital national and economic security interests in, from, and to space”;Fund the procurement of 18 battle force ships and 16 non-battle force ships;Fund the procurement of 12 unspecified “critical” munitions at a time of dwindling stores of Patriot missiles, Standard Missile-3s, and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense interceptors;”Fix longstanding shortfalls in the National Defense Stockpile” of critical minerals;Secure 85 F-35 jets;Prioritize the development and production of the F-47, a sixth-generation combat aircraft Boeing won the contract to develop last year;Boost America’s drone manufacturing base; andScale the Armed Forces’ “AI ecosystem,” among other initiatives.

The White House further proposed that Congress continue to “eliminate millions of wasteful and egregious spending related to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and other ‘woke’ policies” at the Pentagon.

RELATED: America First means taking care of our own, not another war

Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Numerous Democratic lawmakers rushed to criticize the White House’s budget request.

Rep. Mike Thompson (Calif.), for instance, stated, “Trump wants $1.5 trillion for the Pentagon while eliminating the programs that help you pay your heating bill, fund your child’s education, and keep your family healthy. This isn’t a budget. It’s a betrayal of the American people.”

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said that “the only responsible thing to do with a budget this morally bankrupt is to toss it in the trash.”

There may also be some resistance on the right.

“I’m very wary of voting for excessive spending in defense,” said Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett (R), Politico reported.

‘It is the most robust increase in defense spending in many years.’

Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said in an op-ed on Friday that while he supports maintaining America’s stockpiles, strengthening the defense industrial base, and maintaining “the capabilities needed to deter China,” he “cannot support funding for further military operations without a formal declaration of war.”

The budget request has, however, found a number of staunch supporters in the GOP.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a joint statement, “This funding will ensure our military remains the most advanced in the world, supporting an unparalleled force capable of defending our interests in the 21st century.”

“America is facing the most dangerous global environment since World War II. Growing threats from adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Islamic radicals, and narco-terrorists require decisive action and renewed urgency to reinvest in our defenses,” the duo continued. “This bold commitment provides the resources needed to rebuild American military capability and confront those challenges head-on.”

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.) celebrated the budget request, stating, “It is the most robust increase in defense spending in many years, and it is more than justified by the threats we face throughout the world.”

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said in a note to Congress appended to the budget request, “President Trump promised to reinvest in America’s national security infrastructure, to make sure our Nation is safe in a dangerous world. The 2027 Budget upholds this promise and would ensure that the United States continues to maintain the world’s most powerful and capable military.”

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​War, Conflict, Pentagon, Department of war, White house, Vought, Hegseth, Military, Money, Taxation, Taxes, Investment, Army, Navy, Marines, Space force, Politics 

A special-education teacher in Wisconsin faces decades in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting two students and supplying them with alcohol.

The Eau Claire Police Department received a tip from the Eau Claire Area School District regarding a “potential inappropriate relationship between a staff member and a student” on March 25.

‘Victim 1 stated that they did “everything sexual you can do with a person.”’

Police said in a statement that officers launched an investigation into Nadia Horn — a 22-year-old special education teacher at North High School in Eau Claire.

According to police records Blaze News obtained, Horn was arrested around 4:15 p.m. March 25.

Police stated, “Through the course of the investigation, multiple victims have been identified.”

The criminal complaint obtained by WEAU-TV indicates that Horn was charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child under 16 years old, two counts of child enticement, and two counts of sexual assault of a child by a person who works or volunteers with children.

If convicted on all counts, Horn could be sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison and ordered to pay $100,000 in fines. Horn posted a $15,000 bond and was released from jail March 30.

The criminal complaint states that Horn had sex with a 16-year-old between Jan. 14 and March 25.

Police said Horn transferred the teen into one of her classes in January.

Horn asked the student for his phone number and his Snapchat account, the criminal complaint stated. The alleged victim told Horn that he didn’t have a cell phone, the complaint stated.

A detective noted that Horn “purchased a cell phone for a student, and that she had given rides to students outside of school,” according to the complaint.

The complaint said the student told investigators that Horn sent him “really revealing” photos, but they were not nude photos.

“Victim 1 stated that Horn would message him during school how she could not wait to see him, and that seeing him made her body feel a ‘certain’ way,” the criminal complaint said.

The student said the teacher picked him up on Jan. 14 and brought him to her apartment. The complaint said the student told police that Horn began lying on him and that he “felt trapped” before they had sex.

“Victim 1 stated that they did ‘everything sexual you can do with a person,'” the complaint read.

Police said the teen shared two videos with investigators showing the bedroom of Horn’s apartment. The detective confirmed that the video’s geolocation shows Horn’s apartment building.

RELATED: Special-ed teacher accused of sexually abusing 10-year-old boy almost daily — up to 5 times per day — at elementary school

On March 25, officers visited Horn at her home to interview her. The criminal complaint said an officer asked Horn if she knew why officers were at her home, and she responded, “Yeah, school stuff?”

Horn told officers that she made a mistake by picking up a group of kids from a party, the complaint said. Horn admitted that she purchased an iPhone 14 for the first alleged victim, according to the complaint, but stressed that she did so to help him out.

The complaint claimed Horn said she got close to the teen because he needed support, and she gave him “food and stuff.”

“Horn reported that there was a sexual relationship between her and Victim 1,” the complaint said. “Horn reported that she thought she had sex with Victim 1 three times.”

The complaint noted that Horn told officers, “I made a mistake.”

Officers said Horn sent Victim 1 a photo of herself in bed and a photo of a pillow. The complaint said Horn told the student, “There’s room for you here.”

Horn said she “potentially” sent the student nude photos, according to the complaint.

Police said a second alleged victim is a 16-year-old student at North High School.

The complaint stated, “Horn reported that she had sexual intercourse with Victim 2 at her apartment twice on two separate dates.”

Horn told investigators that the second alleged victim “really wanted it” and “it just felt mutual,” the complaint said.

Horn confessed that she provided alcohol to the students at her apartment, the complaint said.

Detectives obtained surveillance video from Horn’s apartment building, which showed “three teenage males enter the apartment” directly behind a female around 11:15 p.m. on March 15 and then leave the next morning, according to the complaint.

Eau Claire Area School District Superintendent Mike Johnson sent a letter to parents confirming that Horn had been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.

“Providing a safe, caring environment for your children is our most important responsibility in the Eau Claire Area School District,” Johnson said, according to WQOW-TV. “We take this responsibility very seriously.”

“Learning about alleged inappropriate conduct by a staff member is deeply troubling for all of us,” the statement read. “We kindly request that the school community respect the privacy of our students and their families and refrain from spreading rumors or speculation.”

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information relating to this case is urged to contact police at 715-839-4972.

Horn is scheduled to appear in court on May 20.

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​Bad teacher, Child sex abuse, Child sex crimes, Child sexual assault, Crime, Nadia horn, Teacher arrested, Teacher sex scandal, Teacher student sex scandal, Wisconsin 

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has gotten a chilly reception on social media for her wealth tax hike proposal.

Warren has been pressing to jack up taxes in order to expand the social safety net, but many responded with scorn and ridicule.

‘She wants to steal a stake in his company to secure her power — period.’

“Jeff Bezos has $222 billion,” wrote Warren. “If he paid my wealth tax this year, we could fund insulin in America for everyone who needs it plus free school lunch for every kid in Texas — and have plenty of money left over. And Bezos would still have $215 billion dollars to spare.”

Warren’s proposal would apply only to those with a net worth over $50 million, but it would allow the government to tax assets in addition to income.

Economic expert and Blaze News contributor Carol Roth outlined for Blaze News the main problem with Warren’s tax hike.

“The U.S. government takes in around $5 trillion in tax revenue from its citizens. That’s more than the GDP of every country in the world, except for the U.S. itself and China! Yet, members of Congress like Elizabeth Warren refuse to manage a budget and efficiently spend our money. They refuse to root out waste, fraud, and abuse,” Roth wrote.

“During Elizabeth Warren’s tenure in Congress, instead of advocating for a balanced budget, she has sat by while more than $20 trillion has been added to the national debt,” she added.

“And, instead of addressing her and Congress’s failure to spend responsibly and tackle fraud, she advocates for the theft of the property owned by successful business people like Jeff Bezos,” Roth concluded. “She wants to steal a stake in his company to secure her power — period.”

Warren was also crushed by critics on social media.

“You are worth $7m, Elizabeth,” read one popular response. “If you sold your townhouse in Washington, you could pay for free lunch for children in a small African nation. Show Bezos how it’s done.”

“Why don’t you oppose removing fraud before stealing more money. Creating more Government and pushing class warfare is not the answer,” responded Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.)

“Why don’t you guys eliminate fraud before asking for more money?” asked investigative reporter Nick Shirley.

RELATED: Liz Warren hit with merciless mockery after tweeting about Indigenous Peoples’ Day

“The problem is Bezos’ net worth is mostly illiquid Amazon stock and not cash in a bank,” replied another critic. “Warren’s ridiculous proposal would require repeated large stock sales to pay for this unreasonable tax, which will cause harmful market volatility.”

“Unlike Bezos, you have produced nothing of value,” read another response. “Parasitic Socialist thief.”

Warren’s post on the X platform garnered over seven million views, many from those who completely opposed the wealth tax.

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​Liz warren wealth tax, Social media vs liz warren, Carol roth on wealth tax, Asset wealth tax, Politics 

President Donald Trump laid out new ground rules for college-level sports and athletes in a new executive order being praised by some of the biggest names in collegiate sports.

However, some of the president’s proposed limitations are sure to bother some, especially top-earning college athletes.

‘I urge Congress to pass bipartisan legislation and SAVE COLLEGE SPORTS!’

Following a college sports roundtable at the White House in March, the president signed an executive order on Friday to implement “Urgent National Action to Save College Sports.”

The order puts a theoretical cap on student-athlete pay, sets a five-year window for athlete eligibility, and even limits transfers to one per student-athlete in a five-year period.

At the same time, the order — and subsequent fact sheet — make clear and repeated mention of the president’s intention to boost women’s and Olympic sports at the college level. This includes “implementing revenue-sharing in a manner that protects and expands opportunities in women’s and Olympic sports.”

In response, legendary college football coach Nick Saban said the directives allow universities to “preserve opportunities for all sports, including women’s and Olympic sports, not just football and basketball.”

Saban, who coached Alabama from 2007 to 2023, told Fox News that he wanted to “thank the president” for helping “manage and fund all sports.”

RELATED: ‘We want to be inclusive’: After Christian player posts Bible verses, Patriots coach says team needs to be ‘educated’

Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images

Similarly, Arkansas men’s basketball coach John Calipari came out in defense of the president against any criticisms surrounding the limitation on student-athlete revenue.

“I’ve spent my entire life focusing on the success and well being of student athletes,” Calipari wrote on X Saturday. “Their success in both sports and academics is paramount. I have no problem with Athletes making money and I have had that stance for many years. But what we have been dealing with the last few years is harmful not only to their total success but also the longevity of College Sports as we know it.”

Calipari added: “Yesterday, President Trump took bold action to preserve and protect Collegiate Athletics. I urge Congress to pass bipartisan legislation and SAVE COLLEGE SPORTS!”

Trump’s executive order made specific mention of an alleged “fraudulent name, image, likeness (NIL) scheme” where student-athletes were being paid above “actual fair market value” to play for certain programs.

The idea behind the regulation is to prevent “pay-for-play or player eligibility” in which large schools would essentially pay student-athletes large sums of money through collectives or sponsorships to entice them to their program.

Otherwise, the order states, “fair competition cannot occur.”

RELATED: Female ex-referee accuses NFL of sexism, sues after she was allegedly made to perform ‘an utterly humiliating’ act

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump’s executive order defines the fair market value compensation cap around how much a student-athlete can be paid by a third party that is not affiliated with a school’s athletic department.

Henceforth, the student-athlete would have to be paid at rates commensurate with that of non-student-athletes of similar notoriety or fame.

Trump has called on Congress to pass the SCORE Act, which, aside from the above, would prevent schools from restricting students from entering NIL agreements and require schools that generate more than $20 million annually to provide medical benefits to student-athletes, while maintaining at least 16 varsity sports teams.

Trump’s executive order is currently set to take effect August 1.

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​Fearless, Trump, Ncaa, D1, Student athletes, College athletes, Executive order, Women’s sports, Sports 

Instead of celebrating America’s 250th birthday this summer, we may end up engraving its tombstone if we don’t alter our current course.

The chaos is winning, both because of the persistent evil of the Democrats and the growing confusion in defining the Trump administration’s balance between foreign and domestic concerns.

While I agree that Iran is a legitimate security issue for us as Americans, the fundamental and systemic breakdowns in our own cultural back yard are far more dangerous right now.

We must be plain about the true nature of the enemy. If Democrats were made an offer to secure nationalized health care at the cost of permanently excluding illegal aliens, they wouldn’t take the deal. A Republican Party not run by the likes of John Thune — which increasingly seems like an impossibility — should be forcing votes to expose this reality on the regular instead of going on vacation.

Here is the key to understanding Democrats and exposing them to the average American voter: They simply want to destroy the foundations of this country, no matter the current policy argument. Therefore, the last thing they will ever allow to exist is a country primarily for Americans and by Americans.

After President Trump’s State of the Union speech in February, I talked about what a great job he did highlighting this ugly reality. Remember how he asked members of Congress to stand up if they thought the lives of Americans should be prioritized over illegal aliens, and not a single Democrat stood up? I walked away from that thinking the right was back on message and unity was locked in for the midterm elections ahead.

No one was talking about invading Iran and how many more weeks it is going to take — unlike this week’s presidential address to the nation. And no one was talking about it because the majority of Trump’s base — including the Joe Rogan bros and the MAHA world that pushed Trump to victory in 2024 — had a war with Iran anywhere near the top of their Trump 2.0 priority list.

None of which means this proud child of the ’80s doesn’t hope we kill every single member of the Iranian high command and every single member of the Iranian revolutionary guard. I think the world will be a better place and that God is glorified if they all die per the biblical dictates of Romans 13. They made their choice.

But that’s a separate issue from the one that is really bothering potential Republican voters: Why did we run away from a domestic communist like Tim Walz on the streets of Minneapolis only to run to the possibility of boots on the ground in Iran?

I’m looking at polling from Scott Rasmussen showing that support for the war in Iran is plummeting. That’s because we simply can’t be seen fighting for other countries harder than we are willing to fight for our own. It’s not 1987. The American voter is a different animal now with a different set of concerns and problems.

RELATED: The SAVE America Act won’t be enough to save the GOP from a midterm bloodbath

Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

I was in North Dakota to address that state’s GOP convention just a week ago, and I cannot tell you how many people I heard from who lamented that they can’t find a good husband for their daughter or a good wife for their son. Not in Oregon or Massachusetts. In North Dakota, a state Trump won by 36 points in 2024. No one was enthusiastically cheering on the war in Iran.

While I agree that Iran is a legitimate security issue for us as Americans, the fundamental and systemic breakdowns in our own cultural back yard are far more dangerous right now.

While I support Israel and call myself a Zionist without reservation, I also don’t live there. I’m an American. It’s a little bit like when your favorite cousin wins the lottery, but your wife is gravely ill and you’re not sure when she’s going to get better. You’d love the luxury of celebrating your cousin’s success — like Iran’s threat to Israel being greatly diminished — but you have a very serious concern in your own house.

When you’re on an airplane, the flight attendants always instruct you that if there’s a problem and the cabin loses air pressure, the safety masks will drop down, and your priority must be to make sure that yours is secure before you help the person next to you. Because if you’re not safe, how can you effectively help anyone else? See where I’m going with this?

We are seeing this argument play out right now in the Supreme Court birthright citizenship case. Chief Justice John Roberts is clearly already signaling that he thinks it’s totally fine if a billion foreigners come here.

Meanwhile, average Americans are still fighting to make sure their kids and grandkids are at least as secure from drag queen story hour as Israel is from Iran. The center of that situation simply cannot hold. We are running off an existential cliff.

Thankfully, before that time comes, we now have Easter. We, with our Lord as our strength and our salvation, can rise again. Pray it be so.

​Midterms, 2026 midterms, Trump, 2024 election, Iran war, Operation epic fury, Democrats, American voters, State of the union, Israel, Birthright citizenship, Opinion & analysis 

Yesterday, Christians across the globe celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.

Nonbelievers and skeptics reject this central claim, believing the bodily resurrection to be impossible or made up.

But the evidence for Christ’s supernatural arising from the dead goes well beyond the millions of people who celebrate it as the cornerstone of their faith. Historical evidence paints a compelling picture.

On this episode of “Relatable,” Allie Beth Stuckey speaks with Christian apologist Wes Huff about the strongest reasons to believe Jesus really rose from the dead.

Huff begins with the reliability of the Gospel accounts.

“It seems that the gospel authors get the details right — the small details, things like geography and name correlation and even plant life in some instances,” he notes, “and so if they get the small details right, I don’t think it’s that big of a leap to say that they get the big details right.”

He argues that the Gospels rest on early eyewitness testimony. The disciples were either “deceived,” “deceivers,” or “telling the truth.” Given the evidence, Huff believes they were telling the truth because what they experienced radically transformed them.

“When you start to stack up the evidence of what’s going on, I don’t think they were deceivers. I don’t think they were deceived. And I do think that everything points to their life radically changing in a powerful way because they encountered their rabbi getting murdered and then rising from the dead,” he tells Allie.

The disciples were so profoundly transformed by what they had experienced, in fact, that they returned boldly to Jerusalem — the very city where Jesus was crucified — to proclaim the gospel, fully aware of the deadly risks they faced. Even after the martyrdom of Stephen served as a “warning shot,” they went back to “ground zero” and kept preaching.

“Jesus truly died. That’s a historical fact. … And then he appears to his disciples alive again. That’s a historical question: Dead, buried … seen alive. What do we do with that? How do we answer that historically? And I think there needs to be given an account for the disciples’ actions afterwards. They saw something, and it completely, radically changed their world,” says Huff.

He then addresses the “swoon theory” skeptics, who argue that Jesus was placed in the tomb badly wounded but not actually dead.

“If there’s one thing that the Romans were really good at. It was crucifixion — and making sure that people suffer and die,” Allie says.

“Every Roman guard, centurion, soldier who was responsible for Jesus’ death would have been on the hook if he did not die, and their lives would have been forfeit,” Huff agrees.

To hear more, watch the video above.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Relatable, Relatable with allie beth stuckey, Allie beth stuckey, Blazetv, Blaze media, Christian apologetics, Wes huff, Gospels, Christ resurrection, Jesus, Jesus resurrection, Easter, Easter sunday 

CNN polling analyst Harry Enten says new polling data shows that Democrats are likely to fail to regain control of the U.S. Senate if trends don’t reverse.

Enten showed Monday that although Democrats are still slightly favored in the generic congressional ballot, it is not enough to retake the Senate from Republican control.

‘You’d make the argument Democrats should be way ahead, and they’re just only sort of slightly ahead.’

While polling shows Democrats with a five-point net favorability rating for the 2026 election, that is well below their net rating in the 2018 midterms, which was eight points, and 2006 midterms, which was 11 points. Those were the last two midterms with a Republican president for comparison.

“Democrats are, just simply put, running behind their previous benchmark, and they need to be running well ahead of them if they want to take back the United States Senate, given that map,” Enten said.

He added that although President Donald Trump’s favorability rating has taken a beating recently, Democrats appear to be unable to take advantage of it enough to take both chambers of Congress.

“Democrats are ahead, but they’re only ahead by five with a president whose net approval rating is bordering on minus 20 to minus 30, depending on what polls you look at,” Enten said. “You’d make the argument Democrats should be way ahead, and they’re just only sort of slightly ahead.”

CNN anchor John Berman pointed out that they may take the U.S. House of Representatives despite the low rating because the gap is so close.

“I think five points is enough to take back the House, but in the Senate, five points is almost certainly not enough if you apply it to the Senate map,” Enten responded.

“Why do I say that? Because let’s just take a look. GOP would win the Senate with this map. Let’s say Republicans only hold on to the states that Trump won by greater than 10 points. That would, in fact, give them the Senate, 51 to 49,” he explained.

RELATED: CNN analyst has really bad news for liberals hoping for MAGA collapse: ‘Ain’t going nowhere’

Under those conditions, Democrats would take seats in North Carolina and Maine, but Republicans would hold on to seats in Ohio, Texas, and Alaska, according to his analysis.

NBC News analyst Steve Kornacki had nearly the same conclusion for Democrats about their chances to retake control of Congress.

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​Dems hope to retake senate, Trump vs democrats, Midterm elections 2026, Harry enten analysis, Politics 

Elon Musk has virtually mastered the space race. SpaceX regularly sends up Falcon 9 rockets, autonomously lands boosters, and embarked on the most ambitious space exploration program ever dreamed up by mankind with Starship. Now Musk wants to launch a whole new kind of object into orbit — a data center meant to power xAI’s growing portfolio of products and services.

And it all starts with a momentous new lunar mission.

To the moon

In early February, two of Elon Musk’s most ambitious companies — space pioneering venture SpaceX and generative AI startup xAI — merged into one organization. With a unified brand, Musk claims that the move will “improve speed of execution” of the monumental new off-world undertaking.

We’ll finally be rid of the resource-hogging data centers that hamper our infrastructure here on Earth.

The goal? Establish Moonbase Alpha, a permanent lunar city planted on the surface of the moon. The base will serve as a manufacturing hub and a launch site for spacefaring data centers that will power Musk’s growing AI endeavors, including xAI, Grok, Imagine, Optimus robots, and more.

It sounds like something out of a science-fiction novel, but if Musk has his way, Moonbase Alpha will be up and running by approximately 2030.

While this project would mark the first time any human has set up residence on the moon, this isn’t the first time SpaceX has launched permanent objects into orbit. The company currently manages a fleet of 9,600 Starlink satellites that circle the earth daily, beaming wireless internet to regions all around the globe. Presumably, the new space data centers would fall in line along the same or similar paths.

A data center, however, is a little more complicated than a wireless internet router in space. Data centers consist of thousands of GPUs, TPUs, cooling systems, and other networking components. They must have the bandwidth to process, store, and utilize large stores of data. For LLMs in particular, data centers also have to be able to train and maintain new models as AI evolves.

Clearly, there are some pros and cons to running an AI data center in space. Let’s get into them.

Pros of space-based data centers

Space: Data centers take up a lot of acreage. The largest data center on earth is 800,000 square feet, or approximately 13.9 football fields. That’s massive! Space, however, has more space. There’s plenty of room for expansion without invoking eminent domain, chopping down forests, or snatching up vacant plots of land. AI is free to grow without encroaching on the general public.Power: Data centers also require a ton of energy. Collectively, the nation’s data centers consume up to 8,190 MW per year on a 70 MW-per-center estimate. In comparison, your home uses 10.8 MW of power per year. While this need is a big strain on Earth’s power grid, orbital data centers have a direct line of solar power straight from the sun, free from cloud cover, pollution, or severe weather events. It’s just straight solar power all the time, a perfect renewable resource without the limitations of a living planet.Maintenance: Data centers have plenty of moving parts and energy demands that all generate a lot of friction and heat. While it takes specialized water cooling systems to mitigate high temperatures on earth, space is a whole different story. Above the atmosphere, it’s much colder, there’s almost no friction, and zero gravity makes it easier for parts to work without additional drag. Together, these unique qualities of space may reduce wear and tear on data centers and allow them to run longer with fewer repairs.

RELATED: NASA astronaut gives very American response to DEI questioning

Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Cons of space-based data centers

Maintenance: While orbital space centers will likely require less maintenance, when something does break, it could be harder to send a repairman — either from Moonbase Alpha or Earth itself — for a quick fix. Alternatively, perhaps Elon will have a team live on the data center itself, but even then, having a specialized crew on board at all times would be costly.Rapid unscheduled disassembly: More than a few times, a Starlink satellite has veered off course enough to tumble toward Earth and burn up in the atmosphere. Now imagine a multibillion-dollar data center the size of Rhode Island careening into the Atlantic Ocean. Not only could unpredictable flight path failures cause an orbital data center to burn up in the sky, such an event could also turn one of those centers into a meteor that strikes Earth on the scale of “Deep Impact.”Space junk: Space is so big and vast that it’s hard to believe it’s getting crowded, but that’s exactly what’s going on above the atmosphere. Low-orbit space is filling up so fast with satellites and space junk that it has created collision risks for future rocket launches. Adding massive data centers to the mix would only make space missions more complicated and dangerous.

A moon-shot mission for a new age

Despite weighing the risks against the benefits, Elon Musk believes that space is an essential piece of AI development: “Current advances in AI are dependent on large terrestrial data centers, which require immense amounts of power and cooling,” he explained in a recent post at the SpaceX website announcing the merger. “Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions, even in the near term, without imposing hardship on communities and the environment. In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale. To harness even a millionth of our Sun’s energy would require over a million times more energy than our civilization currently uses!”

He’s right. The only way to sustain AI in modern society is to move it to a place where it can’t siphon away our vital resources, namely power, water, and land. It needs to operate in its own sustainable vacuum. What could be better than space?

Musk isn’t alone, either. Google is also putting data centers into orbit. According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, “We are taking our first step in ’27. We’ll send tiny, tiny racks of machines, and have them in satellites, test them out, and then start scaling from there.”

And just like that, the AI age of the space race has begun. As for who will win, mankind is the biggest benefactor — not because renewable AI will magically make everything better, but because we’ll finally be rid of the resource-hogging data centers that hamper our infrastructure here on Earth while Big Tech sets its sights on moon-shot missions in the stars.

​Tech 

As more people become aware of the way the H-1B visa program is transforming Texas, many are turning to see what their leaders have to say about it.

Unfortunately, in the case of Texas, the answer is not what Americans might expect from a red state.

‘We will continue to celebrate Diwali here in the great state of Texas.’

In a resurfaced video clip, Governor Greg Abbott (R) can be heard giving a message to the “Indian community,” apparently around the time of Diwali.

“As long as I’m governor of this great state, Texas will be a land for the Indian community,” Abbott says in the clip.

RELATED: ‘Massive scheme’: Federal visa fraud indictment in Dallas intensifies pressure on Abbott over H-1B visas

ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images

“We will continue to celebrate Diwali here in the great state of Texas. Happy Diwali, everybody!”

The clip, which went viral on Monday, appears to originally be from a November 3, 2024, Diwali celebration at the governor’s mansion.

A video of his remarks was uploaded on TikTok two days after the event, on November 5, 2024.

Diwali is a major Hindu holiday, celebrated in the lunar months of Ashvina and Karttika, that marks the victory of light over darkness, according to Britannica. A notable feature of this pagan holiday is the “row of lights” that is associated with the celebrations.

Abbott’s office has previously denied to Blaze News any involvement in facilitating the H-1B program in Texas, noting that it is a federal program. His office has also touted the governor’s pause of H-1B visas at state-sponsored institutions.

A Blaze News analysis of Department of Labor data from the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 found that Texas companies sponsored and certified over 11,200 H-1B visa applications, second only to California, which brought in over 13,700 H-1B visas, according to available data.

Blaze News reached out to Abbott’s office for comment about the resurfaced video but did not receive a response.

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The special election to replace former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia could have a lot more to do with foreign policy than candidates initially anticipated.

Greene’s falling out with President Donald Trump marked a major fracture within the GOP, prompting a special election to fill her seat on Tuesday. Apart from the typical party distinctions, foreign policy could be the deciding factor between the Democrat and Republican nominees vying to represent Georgia’s 14th congressional district.

‘He has gone insane, and all of you are complicit.’

Democratic nominee Shawn Harris has taken a harsh stance against the ongoing war in Iran, which has become increasingly unpopular with voters, while Republican nominee Clay Fuller has remained a supporter of the conflict.

The horseshoe theory about the political spectrum seems to be in full swing as Greene’s increasingly critical remarks about the war and the Trump administration more broadly seem to echo Harris’ positions far more than Fuller’s.

RELATED: This scandal-ridden Democrat just got one step closer to being expelled from Congress

ELIJAH NOUVELAGE/AFP/Getty Images

Days before the special election, Greene doubled down on her criticism of the war, condemning Trump’s Easter ultimatum to Iran.

“Everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshipping the President and intervene in Trump’s madness,” Greene said in a response to Trump’s post threatening to attack civilian infrastructure like power plants and bridges. “I know all of you and him and he has gone insane, and all of you are complicit.”

“Trump threatening to bomb power plants and bridges hurts the Iranian people, the very people Trump claimed he was freeing,” Greene added. “On Easter, of all days, we as Christians should be reminded that the son of God died and rose from the grave so that we can be forgiven once and for all of our sins. Jesus commanded us to love one another and forgive one another. Even our enemies.”

RELATED: Veterans slam Democrat candidate for allegedly fudging military record

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Greene has refrained from endorsing either candidate, although Fuller has secured support from Trump. While an endorsement from Trump would typically all but guarantee the candidate’s success, especially in a rural, red district in Georgia, Harris narrowly outperformed his Republican challenger in March.

In a crowded 17-candidate race, Harris brought in 37% while Fuller finished with 35%. The candidates’ respective numbers were likely affected by the many candidates who no longer qualify for Tuesday’s election. It should also be noted that a Trump-endorsed Greene beat Harris by nearly 30% back in 2024.

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Artemis II is preparing to make history as it faces a very important milestone in the voyage’s 10-day journey to the moon and back.

The lunar mission, launched on the evening of April 1, is preparing to fly by the dark side of the moon on Monday.

‘The Artemis II crew is preparing for today’s lunar flyby, when they will see the Moon’s far side.’

Artemis II is preparing to set a new distance record from Earth, which was last set by the manned Apollo 13 mission in April 1970, according to NASA.

NASA said that Artemis II will surpass the previous record of 248,655 miles by about 4,105 miles. The astronauts are expected to travel a maximum distance of 252,760 miles from Earth.

RELATED: NASA astronaut gives very American response to DEI questioning

NASA

Live coverage of the flyby event will begin at 1 p.m. ET Monday and continue through 9:45 p.m. ET.

The seven-hour lunar observation period will begin around 2:45 p.m. ET, and the astronauts are expected to reach their closest approach to the lunar surface around 7 p.m. At their closest distance, NASA said, the moon will appear to the astronauts about the size of a basketball held at arm’s length.

On Monday morning, NASA posted two photos of the inside of the spaceship with the caption: “Morning routine: Wake up, shave, make the bed, witness something that’s never before been seen by human eyes.”

“The Artemis II crew is preparing for today’s lunar flyby, when they will see the Moon’s far side,” the caption continued.

NASA reported that the crew received a message from the late Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 astronaut Jim Lovell as they prepared for this historic day. The message, recorded before Lovell’s passing last year, said:

Hello, Artemis II! This is Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell. Welcome to my old neighborhood! When Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and I orbited the moon on Apollo 8, we got humanity’s first up-close look at the moon and got a view of the home planet that inspired and united people around the world. I’m proud to pass that torch on to you — as you swing around the moon and lay the groundwork for missions to Mars … for the benefit of all. It’s a historic day, and I know how busy you’ll be. But don’t forget to enjoy the view. So, Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy, and all the great teams supporting you — good luck and Godspeed from all of us here on the good Earth.

The Orion spacecraft is expected to depart the Moon’s sphere of influence on Tuesday afternoon at a distance of 41,072 miles.

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