Months after President Trump called for the arrest of the “seditious” Democrats who called on military and intelligence personnel to “refuse illegal orders” from the administration, federal prosecution efforts led by D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro have hit a roadblock.

On Tuesday, a grand jury refused to indict Democratic lawmakers involved in the video, the Associated Press reported, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter.

‘Tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law.’

The Justice Department reportedly opened an investigation into the six members of Congress who appeared in the November “Don’t Give Up the Ship” video. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) complained at the time that this was a form of “intimidation.”

RELATED: ‘SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR’: Trump demands arrest of ‘traitor’ Democrat congressmen for ‘dangerous’ video

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

It was not immediately clear whether prosecutors were pursuing indictments against all six of the lawmakers or what charges they were attempting to bring. Prosecutors, however, could still attempt to secure an indictment against those involved, Fox News reported.

Slotkin was joined by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), and Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) in the video.

Slotkin, who claims to have organized the video, made a lengthy social media post on Tuesday.

“President Trump continues to weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies,” Slotkin said in part. “It’s the kind of thing you see in a foreign country, not in the United States we know and love. No matter what President Trump and Pirro continue to do with this case, tonight we can score one for the Constitution, our freedom of speech, and the rule of law.”

Kelly called the investigation an “outrageous abuse of power by Donald Trump and his lackies,” adding, “Donald Trump wants every American to be too scared to speak out against him. The most patriotic thing any of us can do is not back down.”

Crow posted a minute-long video captioned in part, “We will continue to fight back against their rising tyranny.”

Deluzio chimed in: “They may want Americans to be afraid to speak out or to disagree — but patriotism demands courage in this moment. DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!”

Houlahan called the entire investigation a “distraction”: “Today, as we celebrate the win for free speech, I’m putting this distraction behind us and getting back to the real work at hand.”

The D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department did not respond to the AP’s request for comment.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Politics, President trump, Elissa slotkin, Seditious six, Trump administration, Jeanine pirro, Don’t give up the ship, Mark kelly, Maggie goodlander, Chrissy houlahan, Jason crow, Chris deluzio, Military, Illegal orders, Refuse illegal orders 

The Canadians were beat every step of the way as Team USA delivered a historic beatdown on Tuesday.

A goal in each period saw the United States women’s hockey team not only triumph over Canada, but it is one the neighbors to the north may never forget.

‘Oh, you think you’ve done something, that’s when the mountain eats you up.’

The 5-0 trounce included two goals from 24-year-old Texan Hannah Bilka and marked the first time ever Team Canada has failed to score a goal in a women’s Olympic hockey game.

To add insult to injury, it was also the largest margin of defeat Canada has ever suffered at the hands of Team USA in both men and women’s Olympic hockey.

“It’s pretty special,” said 21-year-old American Kirsten Simms, per NBC. “This group has been unbelievable from the start of the tournament, and I think we displayed that going against our known rivals. It’s just good momentum for us going into the playoff rounds.”

Simms scored just over a minute into the second period.

RELATED: Skier Hunter Hess changes tune after saying he has ‘mixed emotions’ about representing USA: ‘I love my country’

“We’re playing a good brand of hockey, and we’re just sticking to it,” added Ohio native Laila Edwards, who scored in the third. “We’re sticking to the principles, and that benefits us. We’ve got a great group that just gels really well together.”

Coach John Wroblewski reminded his team not to get ahead of themselves, despite their record-setting victory. According to ESPN, the coach asked his team, “What’s the hardest part of climbing the mountain?”

Wroblewski provided the answer himself:

“Getting home,” he said. “If you ever feel good about climbing Mount Everest, it’s the way down. Oh, you think you’ve done something, that’s when the mountain eats you up.”

RELATED: Olympic skier who wrote ‘F**k ICE’ in snow now says he is victim of ‘hate and vitriol’

Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images

Team USA will play Italy in the quarterfinals on Friday, February 13, at 3:10 p.m. ET, in what should be an easy win. Italy has over-performed by some accounts, beating France and Japan, both of whom are ranked higher internationally. However, a loss to Germany and a pounding from Sweden have brought them back down to earth, and they likely will not be a problem for the Americans.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan called Team USA a deep and dynamic team with an “extremely balanced attack.”

With the Americans rolling all four offensive lines, the hockey insider wrote that the team’s mix of fresher faces may be what is giving them an edge. Kaplan noted that Canada has 16 players returning from their 2022 Olympic team.

The two teams could still meet again, but it may have to wait until the finals as Canada’s quarterfinal opponent is yet to be determined, and the bracket is not yet fleshed out; Canada still has to play Finland on Thursday.

If Team USA beats Italy, they would move on to the semifinals on February 16, with the bronze and gold medal games airing on February 19.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Fearless, Olympics, Italy, United states, Canada, Women’s sports, Ice hockey, Hockey, Winter olympics, Sports 

American snowboarder Chloe Kim was not looking to turn her Olympic event into a sideshow.

The two-time gold medalist from California was subject to the most popular — and divisive — question being asked of U.S. Olympians at the 2026 games in Italy.

‘The US has given my family and I so much opportunity.’

On Monday, a female reporter asked a panel of Americans how they “feel representing Team USA right now.”

The open-ended question has been a source of much controversy already, but when Kim spoke up, it was probably not what the reporter was hoping for.

“Obviously my parents being immigrants, this one definitely hits pretty close to home,” Kim began. “I think in moments like these, it is really important for us to unite and kind of stand up for one another for all that’s going on.”

While her answer was not likely to please both sides of the political aisle, Kim continued.

“I’m really proud to represent the United States. The U.S. has given my family and I so much opportunity. But I also think that we are allowed to voice our opinions on what’s going on,” the 25-year-old added. “And I think that we need to lead with love and compassion. And I would love to see some more of that.”

RELATED: Olympic skier who wrote ‘F**k ICE’ in snow now says he is victim of ‘hate and vitriol’

The question in Livigno, Italy, seemed to be deliberately politically divisive. The reporter prefaced it with a reminder that President Donald Trump had called Kim’s “teammate” Hunter Hess “a real loser.”

Hess is an American freestyle skier who told reporters that he had “mixed emotions” about representing the United States, which the president replied to by saying Hess should not have tried out for the team.

“U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Hess later walked back his comments, stating on his social media that he loves the United States, while adding, “But there are always things that could be better.”

RELATED: Olympic boxer Imane Khelif admits to having male genes, but sends message to Trump: ‘I’m not trans’

Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Kim, born in Torrance, California, is defending her Olympic gold in women’s snowboard half-pipe, having won at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2022 games in Beijing.

Kim qualified for the finals on Wednesday, finishing first in the qualifier ahead of Japan’s Sara Shimuzu and American teammate Maddie Mastro, according to the Olympics.

The final takes place on Thursday, February 12, at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​United states, News, Olympics, Italy, Snowboarding, Patriotism, Trump, Woke, Liberalism, Politics 

Universal Ostrich Farms has won a victory in its fight against the Liberal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

On Friday, February 6, Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal member Patricia Farnese ruled that the CFIA’s violation notice and $10,000 fine issued against Universal Ostrich Farms must be set aside.

‘Our farm is leading a movement.’

The ruling was based solely on procedural grounds. Farnese found that the CFIA failed to personally deliver the quarantine notice to the farm, instead sending it by email on Dec. 31, 2024, a day after verbally informing the owners of the quarantine.

“The agency’s failure to personally deliver the quarantine notice as mandated by subsection 91.4 of the HA Regulations is fatal to its case,” Farnese wrote.

Ruefully noting that the CFIA refused to test the ostriches for avian influenza, farm spokeswoman Katie Pasitney told Align: “The true virus here was the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. … They were the virus.”

Blood-soaked hay

The dispute — which attracted global media attention and significant support for the farm from figures such as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz — began in September 2025, when the CFIA imposed a quarantine on UOF after alleging the presence of H5N1 avian influenza. The CFIA maintained that the farm posed a public health risk, despite refusing to test the animals for the virus.

The agency subsequently occupied the property for nearly seven weeks and issued an order to destroy the flock. The order was carried out overnight late on November 6 and into the early hours of November 7, resulting in the deaths of more than 300 ostriches.

Afterward, the agency left the farm in disarray, with hay bales contaminated with the blood of dead ostriches strewn across the property. Pasitney and her mother say they have been unable to clean up the mess because the property remains under quarantine, even as the federal government continues to insist that the birds carried H5N1 avian influenza.

RELATED: Aftermath of a slaughter: Universal Ostrich Farms vows to hold Canada accountable

Katie Pasitney

‘Off guard’

Pasitney said Monday that she and her mother, Karen Espersen, who owns the farm, were caught “off guard” by the tribunal’s decision — one they did not believe would go in their favor and did not expect to arrive until much later in the year.

“We read [the email from the tribunal] together,” said Pasitney, “and we both started crying, because it was just nice to hear from somebody on the federal level that they validated our concerns.”

Beyond nullifying the $10,000 fine, the decision raises broader legal implications. Does it undermine the legality of the CFIA’s entire operation against the farm — the initial invasion last September, the nearly seven-week occupation, and, most importantly, the killing of more than 300 ostriches?

“You know, those safeguards [against illegal quarantine] are put in place by Parliament for a very important reason, because quarantines carry such an excessive consequence for people with their livelihoods and their animals and their properties,” said Pasitney.

Leading a movement

So why did the tribunal rule in favor of UOF?

It assessed the CFIA’s negligence in its conduct at the farm, specifically finding that the quarantine notice relied upon by the agency was not properly served in accordance with federal law.

Pasitney shared the decision to her Facebook page on Monday, along with a statement from the farm. In the decision, the tribunal cited subsection 91.4(1) of the Health of Animals Regulations, which requires quarantine notices to be personally delivered — meaning physically handed to the affected party. The tribunal ruled that the CFIA failed to meet this requirement by relying on email.

As a result, the notice of violation and the accompanying $10,000 penalty were set aside.

The implications may extend beyond one farm, noted Pasitney. “How many other farmers were improperly served … and that resulted in unlawful enforcement?”

Pasitney said the decision has strengthened her resolve to keep pushing for accountability from the Canadian government — a crusade she said is now larger than Universal Ostrich Farms.

“Our farm is leading a movement. I’ve been blessed to be able to be the voice,” she said.

“And so I will continue to fight for my family and for everybody else out there.”

​Lifestyle, Mark carney, Universal ostrich farms, Quarantine, Canada, Government overreach, Letter from canada 

The Federal Aviation Administration briefly shut down El Paso flights after Mexican cartel drones “breached” American airspace on Tuesday.

The FAA lifted the flight restrictions Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours later, after initially establishing a 10-day closure due to “special security concerns.”

‘All flights will resume as normal.’

An official from President Donald Trump’s administration later clarified the security concern to Blaze News, noting the Department of War’s involvement.

“Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace,” the official told Blaze News. “The Department of War took action to disable the drones. The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel.”

RELATED: ‘Impossible to deal with’: Pete Hegseth reveals the real culprit behind defense contractor delays

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The FAA reiterated that flights have resumed as normal in a statement posted on X.

“The temporary closure of airspace over El Paso has been lifted,” the statement reads. “There is no threat to commercial aviation. All flights will resume as normal.”

RELATED: Exclusive: ICE busts pedophile, abuser, and fentanyl trafficker despite ongoing shutdown

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Pete hegseth, Department of war, Dow, El paso, Faa, Federal aviation administration, Mexican cartels, Mexican cartel drones, 911, American airpsace, Politics 

The House of Representatives failed to protect President Donald Trump’s tariffs, with three Republicans enabling any lawmaker to challenge his economic policy on the floor.

Republicans attempted to pass a rule to block Congress’ ability to challenge Trump’s tariff policies late Tuesday night. The GOP ultimately fell short, failing to pass the rule in a 214-217 vote after Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Kevin Kiley of California, and Don Bacon of Nebraska sided with Democrats.

‘It’s time for Congress to reclaim that responsibility.’

Massie fired back at accusations that he voted simply to buck Trump, arguing that the vote was an attempt to “subvert the Constitution.”

“My goal is to defend the Constitution and to represent the people,” Massie said in a post on X. “Taxing authority is vested in the House of Representatives, not the Executive. The vote tonight was to subvert the Constitution and the 1976 National Emergencies Act by literally saying a day is not a day.”

RELATED: Vance casts tiebreaking war powers vote after Republicans betray Trump

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Bacon, who has deviated from Trump in the past, also cited constitutional concerns with the vote.

“I don’t like putting the important work of the House on pause, but Congress needs to be able to debate on tariffs,” Bacon said in a post on X. “Tariffs have been a ‘net negative’ for the economy and are a significant tax that American consumers, manufacturers, and farmers are paying.”

“Article I of the Constitution places authority over taxes and tariffs with Congress for a reason, but for too long, we have handed that authority to the executive branch. It’s time for Congress to reclaim that responsibility. I also oppose using the rules votes to legislate. I want the debate and the right to vote on tariffs.”

RELATED: Exclusive: Republicans pen OMAR Act, targeting lawmakers who have ‘blurred’ ethical lines

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Although the vote failed, Trump allies like Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) continued to defend tariffs.

“This is life with a razor-thin majority as we have, and sometimes this happens,” Johnson said on Fox News Wednesday. “We had three defections. … I think it’s a big mistake.”

“I don’t think we need to go down the road of trying to limit the president’s power while he is in the midst of negotiating America First trade agreements with nations around the world.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Thomas massie, Don bacon, Kevin kiley, Donald trump, Mike johnson, House republicans, House democrats, Tariffs, America first, Trump tariffs, Congress, Constitution, Constitutional authority, Politics