A former Walt Disney Company employee says he is cautiously optimistic about the company’s direction, even when it comes to progressive ideology.

Josh Daws, a software engineer with 12.5 years at Disney, revealed on X on Wednesday that he was laid off as part of a Disney restructuring in which 1,000 people lost their jobs.

‘It’s much better internally now.’

The employee dump, which Disney said was part of an effort to “streamline operations,” inspired Daws to answer reader questions about his tenure. Many queries regarding Disney’s push for diversity, equity, and inclusion ensued.

DEI decline

The ex-Mouse House employee told fans they may finally be able to breathe easier, with Disney likely on the tail end of its inclusion era.

Daws told one user that DEI at Disney “peaked in 2020” but has been in a “steady decline” since. “It’s much better internally now. The vibe shift is real,” he wrote.

The engineer told another questioner that he was not a fan of the company’s DEI infrastructure, adding that it has “toned it down a ton since Trump was elected.”

Daws also answered a question related to who he believes is responsible for the diversity push the company has gone through.

RELATED: The ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ reboot is so woke even Hollywood hates it

‘A vocal minority’

When asked why Disney seemingly “hate[s] conservative Christian[s]” while promoting the “LGBTQ agenda” at every turn, Daws — a Christian himself — attributed it to a “very small and vocal minority of the company.”

“Most folks just want to make cool stuff,” he added.

Daws also confirmed the company is well aware of how “out of touch” it is with fans. When asked if he had had many other Christian co-workers, Daws replied, “Not enough but more than you might think.”

Throughout the question-and-answer session, Daws remained cautiously optimistic about the direction of Disney, while being careful not to insult his former employers.

AI no ‘threat’

On the topic of AI, Daws was less circumspect, affirming that Disney would incorporate it as a way to cut costs. “No threat to them.”

While Daws acknowledged that AI could be blamed for his firing “on the grand scale,” he noted that his status as a remote worker was a more immediate factor.

RELATED: Disney fans cheer as Mouse House reverses DEI-inspired theme park change

When approached by Blaze News, Daws declined to give further comments about the company.

The Walt Disney Company did not respond to requests for comments regarding Daws’ claims about DEI or AI.

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It’s official: Luke Skywalker is gay. At least, he’s not not gay — which is really the same thing, if you think about it.

Take it from the guy who plays him.

‘It’s whatever you want.’

“So if you want him to be gay, he is,” said Mark Hamill in a recent phone interview with Polygon. “If you don’t want him to be, he’s not. It’s whatever you want.”

Fan service

According to the 74-year-old actor, speculating about Skywalker’s sexuality is just part of being a fan.

“When they talk about the movies, they relate it to how they saw it,” Hamill said.

“They personalize it, in a way. And you realize it’s wonderful to be part of something that’s important to their childhood. Because now they’re grown-ups with kids of their own, and it’s sort of a generational thing. They pass it on.”

This is not the first time Hamill has played fast and loose with “Star Wars” canon in the name of fan service.

RELATED: ‘Sad and pathetic person’: Mark Hamill of ‘Star Wars’ gets humiliated after mocking Trump’s ear bandage

Sunset Boulevard/Corbis/Getty Images

A little ‘force’d?

In 2016 Hamill told the Sun that fans had been writing and asking about the Jedi knight’s proclivities.

This came as director J.J. Abrams — who took over the franchise for Disney in 2015-2019 iterations — said he welcomed a gay character in the franchise.

In response, Hamill also said the role was “meant to be interpreted” by the viewer.

“If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.”

Of course, fans have always judged Skywalker by his character — even looking the other way when he was caught kissing his sister.

The real problem with Hamill’s “anything goes” theory is that Luke Skywalker married Mara Jade in “Star Wars Legends” continuity.

RELATED: William Shatner beams into ‘woke’ debate by reminding fans Mark Hamill ‘ruined’ ‘Star Wars’ with bizarre comment

Screen Archives/Getty Images

Gay or nay

Reimagining older works to be gay has been an incredibly popular method of pushing modern politics on fans of original films. In the last few years, several writers have retroactively changed the interpretation of their movies and claimed they were always representations of gender politics.

For example, “X2: X-Men United” co-writer David Hayter happily agreed when the movie was described as “the gayest film he’d ever worked on.”

This followed the claim by “The Matrix” creators, who said the movie was a “trans metaphor,” but only after the brothers both came out as transgender years later.

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A Maine gubernatorial candidate’s video began circulating this week claiming that Democrats in his state are trying to “ban” coffee makers with new legislation. The reality, as it turns out, is a bit more complicated.

Here’s a breakdown of the situation as it stands.

‘And in an attempt to remove harmful PFAS, they extend it with language like anything that stores or prepares food or beverages.’

Former state Senate GOP leader and current Maine gubernatorial candidate Garrett Mason posted a video of himself walking down the coffee maker aisle at a store, pointing at many of the machines, saying, “Banned, banned … absolutely banned.” All of the machines he singles out in the video appear to be built for Keurig-cup-style coffee.

“That’s right, ladies and gentlemen,” Mason says in the video. “Democrats are coming for your coffee maker. … So while they were busy banning plastic bags and increasing your grocery bills and increasing your housing costs and increasing your energy bills, they had a secret plan to ban your morning cup of coffee.”

RELATED: Trump EPA takes aim at forever chemicals

Al Drago/Getty Images

Mason continued, mentioning a crucial phrase without exploring the issue head-on: “I think it’s important that you know that you have a governor who understands how legislation works and what unintended consequences can happen when you pass really bad leftist virtue-signaling legislation, which is what is happening in Augusta right now.”

The key phrase, it appears, is “unintended consequences.”

In 2021, an earlier version of the now-amended law was written, titled “An Act to Stop Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution.”

This early version targeted PFAS in carpets and rugs and was set to go into effect in several stages over the course of multiple years, starting in January 2023.

Then an amended law was signed in 2024. This new version of the law was more expansive, including categories like adult mattresses, artificial turf, cleaning products, cosmetic products, and, relevant to this story, cookware products.

The law defines cookware products as “a durable houseware product intended to be used to prepare, dispense or store food, foodstuffs or beverages, including, but not limited to, a pot, pan, skillet, baking sheet, baking mold, tray, bowl, and cooking utensil.”

The provisions of this law went into effect on January 1, 2026.

Notably, the definition provided does not mention coffee makers in particular, making it seem unlikely that Democrats had a “secret plan to ban your morning cup of coffee,” as Mason suggested in his video.

Mason is not entirely wrong about the consequences of the law, though. The Maine Wire reported that while the law itself does not apparently threaten consumers’ ability to sell, buy, and use popular models of coffee makers, lawmakers have opted to apply a broad interpretation to include “a toaster and a coffee pot.”

The Maine Wire went on to explain that manufacturers are alarmed by this interpretation, given the fact that many coffee makers “rely on PFAS-containing internal components such as tubing, gaskets, solenoid valves, and vibrating pumps,” which “are functional parts used to handle heat, pressure, and durability inside the machines.”

Manufacturers are reportedly concerned about making the required adjustments on a fast enough timeline to be in compliance with the law.

One manufacturing spokesperson voiced these concerns to WMTW.

“The legislation was drafted in a way that, unfortunately, other states around the country have done as well. And in an attempt to remove harmful PFAS, they extend it with language like anything that stores or prepares food or beverages,” the Cookware Sustainability Alliance’s Steve Burns said.

“Essentially, since it was enforced in January of this year, three months ago, technically, we believe that it might make almost every type of coffee maker that’s on a shelf or in a restaurant in Maine right now unlawful,” Burns added.

While these concerns have been raised, coffee makers are not expected to start disappearing from store shelves immediately, according to the Maine Wire. It can also be safely assumed that this does not necessarily apply only to Keurig products or those machines that offer the option to use K-cups.

Keurig and Mason did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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Markwayne Mullin, who took over as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security following Kristi Noem’s ouster in March, announced Thursday that there is going to be another senior personnel change at his agency.

Todd Lyons will leave the role of acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, effective May 31.

‘A phenomenal patriot and dedicated leader.’

“Director Lyons has been a great leader of ICE and key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from American communities,” said Mullin. “He jumpstarted an agency that had not been allowed to do its job for four years.”

“We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector,” added Mullin.

Lyons is a veteran ICE official who has served with the agency since 2007.

Around the time he entered the role of acting director in March 2025 — following the demotion of his predecessor, Caleb Vitello — Noem characterized Lyons as a work horse who, with border czar Tom Homan, had done “incredible work cleaning up our communities and making them safer.”

RELATED: Billionaire Tom Steyer admits embarrassing ‘mistake’ after saying ICE should be ‘abolished’ in California governor’s race

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc/Getty Images

In the months since, Lyons has been on the receiving end of relentless abuse by anti-ICE activists such as New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver (D), who subjected him to a 3.5-minute rant during a congressional hearing in February. After questioning Lyons’ religiosity, McIver asked him, “How do you think Judgment Day will work for you with so much blood on your hands?”

The radical Democrat who allegedly assaulted ICE officers last year, asked further, “Do you think you’re going to hell, Mr. Lyons?”

When disgraced ex-California Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) demanded Lyons’ resignation in February, he refused, later stating, “I will not resign, because I believe in the rule of law and will continue to uphold my oath.”

A pair of unnamed U.S. officials told CBS News that Lyons was planning to leave the federal government to spend more time with family, including his sons, in Massachusetts.

Prioritizing family was also DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin’s apparent reason for resigning earlier this year.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said in a statement that Lyons is “a phenomenal patriot and dedicated leader who has been at the center of President Trump’s historic efforts to secure our homeland and reverse the Democrats’ sinister border invasion.”

Homan said in a statement obtained by CNN, “I commend him for a distinguished law enforcement career and the countless contributions he has made to protect our country and advance its interests.”

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A growing list of U.S. scientists and researchers — many tied to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, defense, nuclear, or advanced tech programs — have died or gone missing since 2023.

Nine names are dominating the headlines:

Michael David Hicks — NASA JPL research scientist; died July 30, 2023, age 59; cause never publicly disclosed, no autopsy record found.Frank Maiwald — NASA JPL principal researcher (longtime colleague of Hicks); died July 4, 2024, age 61, in Los Angeles; cause not released, single obituary only, no autopsy reported.Anthony Chavez — Former Los Alamos National Laboratory employee; vanished May 2025, age ~78; left home on foot with belongings left behind; still missing.Monica Reza — Aerospace/materials scientist with NASA/JPL and AFRL-linked rocket propulsion work; disappeared while hiking in Angeles National Forest, June 22, 2025, age 60; still missing after extensive searches.Melissa Casias — Los Alamos National Laboratory administrative assistant (reported security clearance); vanished June 26, 2025, age 53; left after dropping off husband, phones factory-reset, car/belongings left behind, seen walking on highway; still missing. Nuno Loureiro — MIT plasma/fusion physicist and professor; shot multiple times at his Brookline, Massachusetts, home on December 15, 2025, and died December 16, age 47. Carl Grillmair — Caltech astrophysicist with significant NASA/JPL-supported work; shot and killed on his front porch in Llano, California, February 16, 2026, age 67; suspect arrested and charged. William Neil McCasland (Ret. Air Force Maj. Gen.) — Former AFRL commander with classified space/defense program ties; disappeared from his Albuquerque home on February 27, 2026, age 68; still missing, search ongoing.

News coverage has ramped up significantly in the past couple of weeks over this story and continues to garner national attention, but Glenn Beck thinks the conspiracy theory that these cases are all somehow connected jumps the gun.

On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn pushes back on the hype by illustrating how easily one can ignite a conspiracy theory.

Glenn notes that these nine cases, while speculated to be connected, are really “a mixed data set.”

“If you go through all of these things, there are some confirmed crimes with explanations. … Some of them are missing person cases. … Some are isolated homicides,” he says.

The narrative that these nine scientists worked in closely related fields, Glenn argues, is a stretch.

“Pharma, fusion, space. … That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a connection there, but nobody is showing the connection here. That’s not a tight network,” he says. “That’s anyone who is near defense-adjacent technology.”

He also rejects speculation of “institutional silence.”

“Universities and laboratories and government, they rarely disclose the details. Privacy, ongoing investigations, legal liability, phrases like ‘passed away suddenly’ — that’s standard. … That’s not evidence of concealment,” he says.

“I’m not one to dismiss conspiracy theories, but it seems like we go out looking for some things,” he continues.

To illustrate how easily a conspiracy theory can gain traction, Glenn shares some recent data from his own industry.

“In the last 12 months, I’ve had eight people in my industry die,” he says, citing longtime radio syndication executive Gary Krantz, Pittsburgh radio icon and conservative talk host Jim Quinn, award-winning Texas radio journalist Matt Thomas, WMAL radio host John Lyon, and conservative talk radio pioneer David Gold, among others.

“Of course, Charlie Kirk, we know,” he adds.

“None of these are connected, but if I wanted to, I could do [it],” says Glenn.

“I have a list of maybe 25 names. They all died in the last year.”

Glenn issues a stark warning: “Be very, very careful about propaganda. … There’s a lot of information out there, but you can take information and make it into anything you want.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

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