For decades, Americans have been conditioned to fear AI. From big-budget blockbusters portraying apocalyptic scenarios to TV shows and books that show AI in a negative light, AI has been shown negatively ever since HAL refused to open the bay doors.

This Hollywood-driven fear has affected real policy change on the state level. The problem is that many of these policies are overly restrictive and come from a place of fear rather than objectivity.

AI innovators should have one set of rules to follow nationwide, rather than being forced to tailor products and services according to a patchwork of laws.

They come from an understandable place, of course. AI has been known to hallucinate legal cases and run roughshod over privacy law, and it can be used in abusive and hurtful ways. It is imperative that humans remain involved in decision-making and implement strong safeguards against misuse. The White House recently called for such policies in the National AI Legislative Framework.

But the Trump administration has also recognized that regulations can be a hindrance.

This is why President Trump issued an executive order to establish a federal framework for AI regulation last December. “My Administration must act with the Congress to ensure that there is a minimally burdensome national standard — not 50 discordant State ones,” he wrote in the order. “The resulting framework must forbid State laws that conflict with the policy set forth in this order. … A carefully crafted national framework can ensure that the United States wins the AI race, as we must.”

The order also directed the secretary of commerce to publish a report examining AI regulations from coast to coast. It will identify state AI laws the administration considers “onerous” to create a targeting map that will inform the priorities of the Justice Department’s AI Litigation Task Force.

Colorado — which is already in the administration’s crosshairs, according to the executive order — and other states whose laws make the list (such as California, New York, and Illinois) could lose significant federal dollars.

Although President Trump’s order targets states, cities aren’t in the clear. The DOJ recently created a new Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch within the Civil Division that is tasked with “filing lawsuits against states, municipalities, and private entities that interfere with or obstruct federal policies,” underscoring the administration’s intent to challenge local laws that appear to violate the Supremacy Clause.

RELATED: California’s next dumb tech idea: Show your papers to scroll

Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Centralizing AI oversight makes sense. Without a deep understanding of artificial intelligence and machine learning, city and state leaders can inadvertently hinder progress in the field of technology (such as restricting the use of aged, anonymized data for algorithm training).

Regardless of the federal funding at stake, city and state statutes governing AI should be reviewed for conflicts with federal policy, which is being carefully designed to allow growth across industries where, today, progress is often powered by AI.

For the good of America’s economic engine, AI innovators should have one set of rules to follow nationwide, rather than being forced to tailor products and services according to a patchwork of laws.

The future is here, and we should not be afraid of it. AI is a powerful driver for progress in business, science, medicine, and a variety of other fields. Efficiency, accuracy, productivity, creativity, and analysis are magnified and elevated by this technology.

Cities and states should seek to harness this tool and use it for their people. The way forward is smart, federally driven guardrails that allow innovation to flourish, not a giant stop sign.

​Ai, Artificial intelligence, Donald trump, Trump administration, State ai laws, Ai regulation, Ai litigation task force, Opinion & analysis 

AI is completely decimating computer component supply chains, causing mass RAM shortages and increasing prices for new products. While most premium consumer electronics are feeling the heat from these constraints, the gaming industry is getting hit particularly hard. Along with new consoles from Valve’s Steam hardware division, Nvidia’s gaming GPU road map is floundering, and no reprieve is in sight.

Nvidia’s stunted GPU road map

Nvidia is one of the hottest companies on the planet right now, rising up the valuation charts to fifth place after spending years below the top 10. Most of this growth was driven by its GPUs tuned for AI, but although the company has taken a liking to its spot atop the AI hierarchy, its humble beginnings took root in the gaming industry.

Buy your new gear now. Right now. If you can find it.

Nvidia makes some of the best gaming GPUs money can buy, and its products are the gold standard that most game developers use when crafting their games. Unfortunately, gaming hardware just isn’t as lucrative as an entire roster of Big Tech giants willing to spend billions on the best gear to train their large language models.

RAM shortages have caused Nvidia to make a hard decision — keep printing money on the backs of Big Tech or pinch pennies with gamers who want the best graphics. It chose the former.

Latest reports revealed a bleak outlook for Nvidia’s gaming GPU lineup. The first red flag was when it skipped out on unveiling new GPUs at CES in January, a move that is very unlike Nvidia. We’ve since learned that the RTX 50 Super series refresh that was on the way is now delayed. Adding insult to injury, the next-generation RTX 60 series was pushed back even further, rolling to 2027 or maybe even 2028.

That means Nvidia’s gaming GPUs are virtually stuck in limbo, forcing gamers to purchase the same equipment that’s already a year old and aging quickly. Now, that doesn’t mean the 50 series is lacking in terms of performance; they’re still very capable cards. But it does mean that innovation in the industry will stall until Nvidia remembers that it used to be a gaming company before its ostentatious affair with AI.

Steam Machine delays

Valve, meanwhile, has been on a roll lately, with its first-ever handheld gaming computer, the Steam Deck, reaching critical acclaim among gamers everywhere. The launch went so well that Valve decided to take a second stab at a full TV console, once again dubbed Steam Machine.

RELATED: 10 years ago, hundreds of millions played a new video game. It was secretly built to harvest their data.

JianGang Wang/Getty Images

The device is said to be a PC/console hybrid powered by SteamOS, Valve’s Linux-based gaming platform that, in many ways, offers better gaming performance than Windows. Without a crystal ball, it’s impossible to predict whether the Steam Machine sequel will be received better than the original, but if the Steam Deck’s success is any indication, Valve could have a breakout hit on its hands.

The only problem is that the Steam Machine, which was set to release in the first half of 2026, has now been delayed, thanks to — you guessed it — RAM shortages. Some estimates suspect that the console will now arrive mid-year, but Valve hasn’t confirmed this timeline yet. The company has also refrained from announcing an official price, citing that fluctuating RAM costs could drive the final MSRP higher.

Making matters even worse, the Steam Deck has also curiously disappeared from shelves in recent weeks, sparking concerns over Valve’s entire console business.

OEMs fight back

Some OEMs are trying to find ways around the RAM shortages in order to keep their product road maps alive, but the results could be detrimental to their brands. PC manufacturers like Dell, ASUS, and HP are reportedly looking to lesser-known Chinese companies outside their usual supply chains to provide RAM for their laptops.

While this could cut down on RAM costs and boost availability, the memory from these Chinese suppliers are untested in name-brand computers at scale. That means performance could suffer, and it could even open these laptops to security risks.

What are gamers to do?

Needless to say, all of this puts gamers in a tough position. With new hardware delays, market scarcity, potential shoddy RAM options, and rising prices, it’s growing more difficult for gamers to upgrade their existing hardware or make repairs as old components start to break.

The worst part is that RAM shortages are expected to last into 2028. As they drag on, fewer products will be available, and prices on current hardware will jump to even more unreasonable levels. There’s just not enough supply to meet demand, and that could make it impossible for gamers to get the gear they need.

Now you have three options:

Pray that your current rig holds out until the end of the decade when, hopefully, these issues are resolved.Try cloud gaming. It might be easier to rent a rig until this all gets sorted out. But in doing that, you own less of your gaming experience, leaving yourself open to the dictates of companies that could eventually require biometric authentication for access, as is the case with Discord’s new ID-enforced age restrictions.Buy your new gear now. Right now. If you can find it.

Why you should buy now, if you can

If you want a 50 series GPU or a brand-new Steam Deck, you might be out of luck. But if a gaming laptop is what you’re after, there’s hope.

Because Nvidia didn’t release new GPUs for 2026, most of the “new” gaming laptops launching this year are minor refreshes. Instead of waiting for these models to drop, last year’s models with the same GPUs are still available and ripe for the picking.

I took advantage of this loophole myself, snatching up a 2025 ROG Zephyrus G14 with a stellar 5070 Ti that was made with premium parts from a time before the RAM shortages. It’s the smarter option than springing for the marginally better 2026 version with an inflated price tag, internals from a third-rate Chinese supplier, and more than likely, a delayed release date. Given the way the market has shaken out, I couldn’t be happier with my decision.

Gamers have to choose what’s best for them, but one thing is clear: If you don’t buy new hardware now, you might be waiting until the turn of the decade for better upgrades to come along, and in the fast-paced world of video games, that’s a long time to wait indeed.

​Tech, Nvidia, Ai, Artificial intelligence, Gpu 

A New York City Police Dept. officer shot and killed a man during a parole warrant arrest in the man’s Bronx apartment.

A friend and neighbor of 44-year-old Lucien Colon accused police of killing him for no reason, but police say he would not put down a gun during the arrest.

Colon’s girlfriend said the convicted murderer and rapist was her ‘ride-and-die partner’ before his death.

Colon also had a long history of criminal violence, including a murder conviction from 2013, a rape conviction from 1997, and an attempted murder arrest in 1995.

Police said he had failed to meet his requirements as a sex offender and had an outstanding arrest warrant.

Warrant Squad officers said they were allowed inside the apartment on Willis Avenue between Bruckner Boulevard and East 132nd Street at about 6:45 a.m. by Colon’s girlfriend, Marivel Antoinette.

But when they encountered Colon, they asked him to show his hands, and he allegedly responded that he had a gun.

When officers told him to step out of the room he was in, he refused and added, “It’s not going to happen.”

“During this verbal interaction, which lasted for approximately a minute and a half, the officers showed extreme restraint and truly attempted to de-escalate the situation,” NYPD Deputy Chief John Wilson said.

Colon refused to comply with several orders before one officer shot him.

He was transported to Lincoln Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“We can’t confirm that yet, whether it’s a real gun or not. It’s potentially a BB gun, but we’re not sure,” Wilson added.

They released a photo of the gun via CrimeStoppers.

Colon’s girlfriend said the convicted murderer and rapist was her “ride-and-die partner” before his death. She said they had been together for two years and accused the police of damaging their door to gain entry and failing to identify themselves as police.

“I’m angry. It’s like, I should’ve stood in the room because he was my ride-and-die partner. He was my king; I was his queen,” Antoinette said.

A spokesperson for the NYPD said bodycam footage shows otherwise.

“The entire incident was depicted on the officers’ body-worn cameras, and that footage shows the officers were given permission to enter the residence,” the spokesperson said.

RELATED: Thug who brutally raped 94-year-old in broad daylight had just been released after other rape charge was dropped, police say

“The gun was hidden in the bedroom, and they just killed him for no reason,” Colon’s friend said.

No officers were injured.

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​Lucien colon killed by nypd, Rapist and murderer killed by cops, Man killed by police, Bronx apartment nypd killing, Crime 

This April Fools’ Day wasn’t just for jokes — but rather an incredible show of American ingenuity as astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II mission took flight on the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years.

“Exploration is what we do,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray says on “Pat Gray Unleashed.”

“It’s deeply embedded in us. It unites us with a common goal. It creates a sense of national pride, excitement, focus, and the technology advances that we accomplish in overcoming all the obstacles to get there. That’s a tangible, practical reason for doing this,” Gray continues.

However, Gray also points out that there’s some “nonsense” that will come with the historic launch.

“People always ask, ‘Why don’t we go back there? Why did we stop? ‘Cause we don’t really have the technology,’” Gray mocks. “No, it’s because liberals, the whiny, stinking liberals who hated any kind of advancement by the United States of America, put a stop to it.”

“You like your cell phone? OK, that came from this technology. You like advanced cameras? OK, that came from NASA technology. Wireless communication of all kinds. You like the bed you sleep on, the memory foam probably came from NASA,” he continues.

“Things you don’t even expect like scratch-resistant glass and glasses and sunglasses and computer technology, the laptop,” he says, before calling himself a “NASA apologist.”

“I wish I was on their payroll,” he laughs. “That would be great.”

Want more from Pat Gray?

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

​Pat gray unleashed, Pat gray, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Return the moon, Artemis ii, The moon landing, Space exploration, The final frontier, Nasa 

There’s a familiar drumbeat in Washington, and it rhymes with something that sounds a lot like “war in the Middle East.” Another conflict, another justification, another moment where the American people are told that war abroad is necessary, urgent, and somehow in our national interest.

The economic consequences of war abroad are making it even harder to build stability at home.

This time, it’s Iran. But before we rush headlong into yet another foreign entanglement, we need to ask a simple question: What about here at home? Because if America First means anything at all, it should mean putting Americans first.

A nation in debt, funding another war

Right now, the United States is staring down a national debt approaching $39 trillion, yet despite that staggering reality, Washington has no hesitation about opening the checkbook for another war.

In just the first week of the conflict with Iran, U.S. taxpayers were already on the hook for more than $11 billion, according to reports from Time. Estimates now suggest the war is costing anywhere from $1 billion to as much as $2 billion per day depending on the intensity of operations, as reported by Al Jazeera.

This misplaced priority becomes even more glaring when you look at how we treat our veterans. Every year, thousands of men and women who served this country come home and fall through the cracks. In 2023 alone, 6,398 veterans died by suicide — nearly 18 lives lost every single day according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ annual suicide prevention report.

These are individuals who carried the burden of war only to return to a system that is too often underfunded, overwhelmed, and slow to respond. When a government struggles to meet its obligations to those who have already served but is more than happy to fund another conflict, it raises serious questions about whether our priorities are aligned with our values.

The hidden tax

War doesn’t just show up in a Pentagon budget; it shows up in everyday life.

It shows up at the gas pump, in grocery bills, and in the monthly budgets of families already stretched thin. Since the conflict with Iran began, gas prices have surged to around $3.90 to $4 per gallon nationally, with projections that they could climb toward $5 if the conflict continues.

In some regions, prices are already pushing beyond that threshold, and the increase has been sharp, with jumps of nearly $1 per gallon in a matter of weeks.

For young families, this is more than an inconvenience; it’s a compounding financial strain layered on top of an already difficult economic environment. Mortgage rates remain elevated, and inflation has eroded savings, making homeownership increasingly out of reach.

Higher fuel costs ripple through the economy, driving up the price of goods, services, and utilities, which means families are paying more to maintain their standard of living.

At a time when many Americans are struggling to get ahead, the economic consequences of war abroad are making it even harder to build stability at home.

RELATED: America First can’t survive an Iran quagmire

Blaze Media Illustration

You can’t be pro-troop and pro-neglect

We cannot claim to support our troops while ignoring them the moment they take off the uniform. Public displays of patriotism are meaningless when thousands of veterans are left to navigate broken systems, inadequate care, and, in too many cases, homelessness and despair.

It is difficult to justify pouring billions into another war when we have not fully honored the commitments we owe to those who have already served.

This is not a question of isolationism but of responsibility. National strength is not defined solely by military capability or willingness to engage abroad; it is grounded in the health, stability, and cohesion of the nation itself.

President Trump and Republicans campaigned on this, won in 2024 because of this, and now risk losing everything because they are turning their backs on the people who gave them an unprecedented mandate.

Every new conflict inevitably creates more veterans scarred by war, and if we are unable or unwilling to properly support the ones we already have, it is fair to ask what exactly we are preparing for.

Washington often speaks about defending democracy overseas, but what about our people, our prosperity, our future? Right now, those priorities appear inverted. We have veterans sleeping on the streets, families struggling under rising costs, and a debt crisis that threatens long-term economic stability, yet the focus in Washington remains on another war.

That is not America First. It is America distracted.

If we want to restore strength and stability, it begins by rebuilding at home, honoring our commitments, and ensuring that the people who have already sacrificed for this country are not forgotten.

​America first, Iran war, Operation epic fury, Veterans, National debt, Cost of living, Affordability, Opinion & analysis 

A 30-year-old woman is accused of fatally shooting the father of her two children amid a surprise massage — and then turning the gun on the victim’s parents late last month in suburban Chicago.

Jenna Strouble of St. John, Indiana, is charged with first-degree murder of 32-year-old Jacob Lambert, his 54-year-old mother, Stacy Forde, and his 55-year-old stepfather, Patrick Forde, the Chicago Tribune reported. Strouble faces nine murder counts in connection with the killings, WFLD-TV reported.

‘[Strouble] didn’t provide much of a motive for the killings other than not liking the way Jake speaks to the children or that she feels his parents are overbearing.’

Strouble and Lambert began dating in 2020 and lived together for a short time, the Tribune said, citing prosecutors.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office described the pair as having had an “on/off relationship,” the paper said, adding that they have two children — a 4-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son.

Court documents indicate Strouble asked Lambert to “hang out” on March 22, WFLD said, adding that Strouble told investigators she planned the get-together “with an intention” to harm Lambert.

Strouble picked up Lambert around 11 to 11:30 p.m., WFLD said, adding that prosecutors said she pulled over along Burnham Road in Sauk Village, Illinois. The location is about 20 minutes across the border from her Indiana home.

Strouble then told Lambert she had a surprise for him — a back massage, the station said, adding that the pair still had an occasional intimate relationship.

The Tribune, citing prosecutors, reported that the massage was with a massage gun.

Strouble asked Lambert to recline the seat, remove his shirt and hat, and lie on his abdomen, prosecutors said, according to WBBM-TV, adding that she straddled him and gave him a massage for 20 minutes.

During that time, Strouble allegedly retrieved a Glock handgun she hid under the passenger seat, WFLD said.

The Tribune, citing prosecutors, said Strouble aimed the gun at Lambert for what she estimated was several minutes before shooting him in the head.

Prosecutors said Strouble then lit a cigarette, WMAQ-TV reported.

Strouble said she wasn’t left with much blood on her shirt after killing Lambert because “this was like a movie, and there wasn’t much blood,” prosecutors said, according to WBBM, which added that Strouble said her shirt was the “God Inspires” brand.

The Tribune, citing prosecutors, said Strouble soon drove back to the house in the 3400 block of East Norway Trail in unincorporated Crete where Lambert lived with his parents and tried to unlock the door. WFLD said she used Lambert’s keys to attempt the unlocking; WBBM, citing prosecutors, said Strouble smoked another cigarette at the time.

More from WBBM:

Pat Forde heard the noise and asked who was there. Strouble said it was she, and he asked her why she was there, to which she replied, “I don’t know,” prosecutors said. Pat Forde also asked Strouble if Lambert was with her, and she indicated that he was, prosecutors said.

Pat Forde opened the door, and Strouble told prosecutors at that point that she began shooting him right away — firing the gun from the front porch and continuing into the house, prosecutors said. Stacy Forde heard her husband scream and came downstairs, and Strouble shot her too, prosecutors said.

WFLD said Strouble shot Pat Forde 17 times in the chest and abdomen and Stacy Forde three times, also in the chest and abdomen.

RELATED: Adulterous woman who wrote kids’ book about grief CONVICTED of fatally poisoning her husband and father of her 3 sons

After the shootings, prosecutors said Strouble returned to her home in Indiana and called her sister to tell her what happened, WFLD said, adding that her sister then called police.

Deputies around 2 a.m. March 23 found the front door open at the Forde’s home, WFLD said, adding that Patrick Forde was lying in the dining room area and Stacy Forde was on the stairs near the front door. WFLD said spent shell casings were scattered near both victims and the entryway.

Lambert was found in a 2014 Ford Fusion Titanium in a nearby cul-de-sac, still in the passenger seat, face down with the seat reclined, WFLD reported.

Prosecutors said when officers in St. John, Indiana, went to Strouble’s home, she came out and handed them a bag with a loaded Glock 19 with a silencer, WBBM noted, adding that a vehicle registered to Lambert was found nearby, and Strouble’s two children and her own parents were in the home with her.

More from WFLD:

She later told investigators she bought the gun in December 2025 in Crown Point and purchased the suppressor online for about $589, according to prosecutors.

According to court documents, Strouble wrote a note the night before the killings asking others to care for her children. She provided three names. She also told her sister over the phone that she wanted her to look after the kids.

“[Strouble] didn’t provide much of a motive for the killings other than not liking the way Jake speaks to the children or that she feels his parents are overbearing,” court documents read, according to WMAQ. “She didn’t like the fact that Jacob showered with a toddler, that people took naps with children, that Stacy was snarky, or that rules seemed to change in their home.”

Prosecutors added that Strouble also told investigators she had considered killing her own parents, as she didn’t feel her children were safe with them or Lambert, WFLD reported.

When asked if killing Lambert’s parents was part of a plan because she didn’t want them to have custody of the children, Strouble allegedly said, “That’s some of the reasons,” WFLD added.

Strouble also allegedly told investigators she didn’t have a connection with her children and didn’t spend time with them, even though she doesn’t work and voluntarily turned them over to Lambert and his family, only recently getting them back, WFLD noted.

What’s more, investigators learned of an incident in which Strouble reportedly took her father’s rifle, which he later found under her bed, WFLD said, adding that she allegedly told her father she thought about killing Lambert but didn’t have a plan.

Prosecutors also said Strouble admitted having past suicidal tendencies, and investigators learned about one prior incident in which she allegedly wanted to commit suicide by jumping out of a window with her children, WFLD said, adding that she also took medications for depression.

Strouble initially was expected to appear in the Will County Courthouse at 9 a.m. Tuesday, but her court date was pushed back, officials told WLS-TV Monday evening.

If convicted, Strouble faces natural life in prison, WFLD reported.

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​Arrest, Illinois, Jenna strouble, Triple homicide, Will county sheriff’s office, Indiana, Chicago area, Jacob lambert, Murder charges, Stacy forde, Patrick forde, Crime 

President Donald Trump issued an executive order establishing a new tariff on brand-name drugs in order to reduce U.S. reliance on imports.

The Thursday order cited national security concerns to justify the new tariffs, but certain drugs are exempted, including generic drugs and orphan drugs.

A pharmaceutical trade group condemned the order and defended the impacted drug imports.

“I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate to impose a 100 percent ad valorem duty rate on the import of patented pharmaceuticals and associated pharmaceutical ingredients,” the president said in the executive order.

The far lower 15% tariff will apply to drugs from the European Union, Japan, South Korea, or Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Drugs from the United Kingdom will carry an unspecified rate determined by a U.S.-U.K. agreement negotiated by the president.

“President Trump’s agreement with the United Kingdom is another big step toward ending a system that forces Americans to pay more so others can pay less,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

A pharmaceutical trade group condemned the order and defended the impacted drug imports.

“Tariffs on cutting-edge medicines will increase costs and could jeopardize billions in U.S. investments announced in the last year. Every dollar spent on tariffs is a dollar that can’t be invested in communities across the country,” said PhRMA president and CEO Stephen J. Ubl.

“The innovative biopharmaceutical sector has a robust U.S. manufacturing footprint. In fact, two-thirds of the medicines that are consumed in the U.S. are made in America,” he added.

RELATED: Trump says he’s considering ‘a little rebate’ for Americans from tariff revenue

“And when innovative medicines or their inputs are sourced from other countries, these products overwhelmingly come from reliable U.S. allies, like Europe and Japan,” Ubl concluded.

In February, the Supreme Court struck down the president’s tariffs that invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The 6-3 ruling was written by Chief Justice John Roberts.

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​Trump executive order, Tariff on brand name drugs, Trump tariffs, Big pharma vs trump, Politics