On Tuesday, Scott Adams, the creator of the beloved comic strip “Dilbert,” died after a prolonged battle with metastatic prostate cancer. However, some of his opponents in media wasted no time before criticizing Adams and his accomplishments.

Hours after it was announced that Adams had died, People magazine published an article titled “Scott Adams, Disgraced Dilbert Creator, Dies at 68.”

‘You are the scum of the earth.’

The author then claimed in the very first paragraph that Adams “degraded Black people in a 2023 rant.”

People updated the article at 12:33 p.m. ET, including changing the author of the piece. The updated version says it was written by “People Staff.”

RELATED: Beloved ‘Dilbert’ creator Scott Adams dies at age 68

Photo by Bob Riha Jr./Getty Images

However, an earlier, archived version of the article timestamped at 10:47 a.m. ET shows that it was written by Victoria Edel, as many X users, including Eric Daugherty, made sure to emphasize.

Several prominent X users did not try to hide their disgust over the tasteless headline.

“Subhuman ghouls,” BlazeTV host Auron MacIntyre said in a reply to People’s post.

“You are the scum of the earth,” Raw Egg Nationalist wrote.

People’s original X post promoting the article also appears to have been deleted.

Other news outlets couldn’t resist the opportunity to drag Adams through the mud either.

An archived article originally published from the Washington Post and apparently shared later by the Boston Globe bore the headline, “Scott Adams, ‘Dilbert’ creator who veered into racist, far-right commentary, dies.”

Just like the People article, this article wasted no time attacking Adams’ right-wing views. The first paragraph reads: “Scott Adams, who became a hero to millions of cubicle-dwelling office workers as the creator of the satirical comic strip ‘Dilbert,’ only to rebrand himself as a digital provocateur — at home in the Trump era’s right-wing mediasphere — with inflammatory comments about race, politics and identity, died Jan. 13.”

For evidence, critics point to a February 22, 2023, stream of Adams’ show, “Real Coffee with Scott Adams.” The “rant” that they are referring to involves Adams’ discussion of a Rasmussen poll of black Americans responding to the statement “it’s okay to be white.” Fifty-three percent agreed, 26% disagreed, and 21% were not sure about the statement.

Adams took issue with the fact that nearly half of black Americans did not agree with that statement. He said in part, “If nearly half of all blacks are not okay with white people … that’s a hate group. I don’t want to have anything to do with them. And I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from black people … because there is no fixing this.”

Adams’ critics failed to mention that he went on to encourage his viewers to be “friendly” to everyone and that he was not trying to “start a war” with anyone.

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The Atlanta Falcons have hired franchise legend Matt Ryan, 40, to be the team president of football after the ex-NFL quarterback worked as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports.

While BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock is happy for Ryan, he notes that the growing trend of former NFL players who happen to be white ending up working for the franchise later on will likely not be received well by other former NFL players.

“We’ve seen this with Tom Brady having a role with the Raiders, part of the ownership group there, and being Fox Sports’ lead broadcaster. We’ve seen Troy Aikman now. He’s some sort of consultant for the Miami Dolphins and Stephen Ross in their rebuild of their organization while he maintains his job on ESPN’s Monday Night Football — and now Matt Ryan,” Whitlock says.

“Shannon Sharpe, Cam Newton are in the lab right now preparing their racial takes. They may have uncorked them already,” he continues.

“But I know Cam Newton is going to have one of those funky Fridays where he’s sitting there going, ‘Well, hold on. I was the MVP of the league. I played in a Super Bowl and lost. How come I’m not the Carolina Panthers team president and a broadcaster on one of the major networks around the NFL? The only explanation can be racism,’” he speculates.

And one of the major reasons Whitlock believes ex-athletes like Matt Ryan find more success in sports broadcasting than someone like Cam Newton has nothing to do with race.

“Present yourself in a professional manner,” Whitlock says. “All of this wanting to look like some kind of rapper at a gay pride parade, it’s a mistake. If you want the same opportunities, if you want to be seen in a certain light, in a position where someone says, ‘Hey, that could be the leader of our organization.’”

“Don’t let your presentation of yourself overshadow what you’re actually presenting. Because these white guys that get their opportunities, they show up to work dressed in a way they’re like, ‘Hey man, what I’m about to say is really important,’” he continues.

“How are you presenting yourself?” he asks.

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Liberals have gathered online to describe how they are preparing their young children for alleged raids on their homes by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In many cases, those making the statements reveal that because they are white, they are likely not in danger of being approached by law enforcement, but they feel the need to discuss the disaster plans with their kids anyway.

‘I’m currently rehearsing with my 3 1/2 year old what to do, and where to hide.’

The bizarre stories have been posted on Reddit’s “Twin Cities” page, which refers to Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

First reported by independent journalist Andy Ngo, one thread in particular drew some rather questionable responses from other readers.

“I’m currently rehearsing with my 3 1/2 year old what to do, and where to hide, if someone we don’t know comes to our door,” the thread read, while clarifying, “I am a white, blonde, blue-eyed, U.S. citizen.”

This encouraged others to share similar stories, like one reader who qualified that while he is a “U.S. Air Force veteran and white male,” he still believes that this fact “doesn’t matter” because of the area he lives in.

“[ICE agents are] in every store and on nearly all corners, going door to door and breaking every constitutional right. I’ll stand my ground. But I also realize the freedom/privilege I still have that others around me do not,” he explained.

RELATED: Blocking ICE with ‘micro-intifada’: Good’s group taught de-arrest, cop-car chaos before her death

Photo by Bryan Cox/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images

A self-described “white woman” who is married to a Hispanic U.S. citizen said she is still taking precautions to “keep us all safe.”

She added that it was “so f**king sad” that she has to have “this conversation” — about potential ICE raids — with her 3-year-old child.

Similarly a reader named Steve described his family as “pale Midwest white.”

Still Steve claimed he had to speak with his 6-year-old son to explain “why people in our neighborhood and city are feeling scared.”

In response, the child allegedly replied, “But there are a lot of friends in my class with different colored skin. Will they be OK? Can I help them?”

Steve’s sentiment that his family is in danger was checked by a fellow “white” however. User “AStrawberryGhost” wrote that if Steve does not live with any noncitizens then, “This isn’t about you.”

“I’m also in very little danger and [I’m] also distressed anyway, so I do get it and I’m not trying to make you feel ashamed,” the user began. “I’m saying that you actually have more power than you imagine right now and you might feel better if you used it!” the Reddit user decried.

RELATED: ICE agent POV video in Renee Good shooting — who does it absolve?

Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images

These strange posts exist alongside other astonishing ideas pushed on the same page.

For example, one user cited a post about a man who claimed he was detained by ICE and asked if he would give up any names of protest organizers in exchange for legal protections. This prompted the writer to plainly state that those who are arrested should not reveal any information that could damage their cause, under any circumstances.

“Do not share the names of organizers,” “Do not share the names of ANY family, friends, or neighbors,” and “Do not share any information. You can plead the 5th,” the user wrote.

“ICE are lying to find more people to arrest and deport,” they added.

At least one Reddit user contributed a post about Anne Frank, directly comparing the enforcement of immigration law to the Holocaust during World War II.

“83 years ago today in Germany … and today in the twin cities,” the post read, alongside a photo of Frank.

The post evoked many replies about how conservatives are unlikely to know the history of Nazi Germany.

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Just six months after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law banning sex-rejecting genital mutilations and puberty blockers for minors, the high court’s questions and remarks during oral arguments on Tuesday regarding two cases concerning men competing on girls’ and women’s sports teams in Idaho and West Virginia signal that gender ideologues are set to lose more ground.

Background

Twenty-seven states have passed laws and/or regulations prohibiting males from participating in girls’ or women’s sports.

West Virginia, for example, enacted the Save Women’s Sports Act in 2021, requiring public school and collegiate sports teams to require athletes to participate on teams corresponding with their sex.

Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 15-year-old male transvestite in West Virginia who has pretended to be a girl since the third grade and taken puberty blockers, sued the state’s board of education as well as other officials, claiming that his exclusion from girls’ sports violated both Title IX and the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.

This case, West Virginia v. B.P.J., has been kicked through the courts and is now before the Supreme Court.

The other case taken up by the high court on Tuesday, Little v. Hecox, is highly similar.

RELATED: ‘Incredible victory’: Federal judge prohibits trans-related grooming efforts in California schools

Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Lindsay Hecox, a 24-year-old male student at Boise State University who took cross-sex hormones for only one year, wanted to join the women’s cross-country team, where his male physiology would serve as a tremendous advantage over his female competitors. He was unable to join the women’s team on account of Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which banned male transvestites from competing on female athletic teams.

Like the transvestite student in West Virginia, Hecox sued, claiming the Idaho law violated his constitutional rights.

Both cases were brought to the Supreme Court by the two states’ Republican attorneys general with attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom.

‘If we adopted that, that would have to apply across the board.’

“Men cannot become women; their biological differences are scientifically clear. And no ideological arguments attempting to justify allowing males to enter female sports can stand against this truth,” stated ADF president and chief counsel Kristen Waggoner.

The possibility that the SCOTUS will rule again against gender ideology has LGBT radicals panicking.

For instance, Erin Reed, the boyfriend of cross-dressing Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D), wrote that “depending on how the Court rules, these cases could reshape the legal framework governing transgender rights for an entire generation.”

The Human Rights Campaign wailed: “As transgender youth continue to face numerous targeted attacks from health care to education, these cases mark another key moment in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination that could have implications beyond the sports world.”

GLAAD previously stated: “Similar to misleading narratives about bathrooms and other single-sex spaces, propagating inflammatory scenarios about transgender women and girls participating in sports has become a common tactic in broader attacks on trans rights and equality.”

Conservative majority signal victory for sanity

In Hecox, liberal justices raised questions about whether the case might be moot because of the transvestic student’s claim that he won’t attempt to compete in collegiate women’s sports again; whether transvestic men with low testosterone levels might qualify as a sub-class deserving of a legal carve-out; and whether the Supreme Court could decide that while most men have an unfair advantage in women’s sports, the transvestite in this particular case does not.

Idaho Solicitor General Alan Hurst argued in turn that the case wasn’t moot, as Hecox has time left to change his mind about future participation; that it “will always be possible to carve the class down further”; and that an exception would not be administrable as it’d be invasive, requiring ongoing testosterone monitoring of the athlete.

Hurst — who on multiple occasions attempted to help remedy Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confusion — later emphasized in his rebuttal that male athletes pose a threat to women’s sports, citing a 2024 U.N. special rapporteur report that indicated that “over 600 female athletes in more than 400 competitions have lost more than 890 medals in 29 different sports” as the result of male interlopers.

“Idaho’s law classifies on the basis of sex because sex is what matters in sports,” Hurst said. “It correlates strongly with countless athletic advantages like size, muscle mass, bone mass, and heart and lung capacity.”

RELATED: ‘Not medicine — it’s malpractice’: Trump HHS buries child sex-change regime with damning report

Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images

The conservative justices appeared to take Hurst’s point to heart and signaled skepticism about the arguments alternatively advanced by Hecox’s lawyer Kathleen Harnett against the Idaho law.

In addition to noting that the Idaho legislation is not discriminatory against all trans-identifying people as it does not bar women from men’s sports but only men — who enjoy physical advantages over women — from women’s sports, Justice Amy Coney Barrett alluded to scientific evidence indicating that testosterone is not the only advantage enjoyed by male athletes.

On theme, Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked, “Why would we, at this point, jump in and try to constitutionalize a rule for the whole country” while there remains scientific uncertainty and “strong assertions of equality on both sides?”

Kavanaugh, who has coached his daughters’ sports teams, also raised concerns about whether allowing “transgender girls to participate will reverse” the “inspiring” success of girls’ separate sports over the past five decades.

While Justice Neil Gorsuch asked whether trans-identifying individuals should be considered a “quasi-suspect” class entitled to a higher standard of scrutiny on account of their alleged history of discrimination, he appeared unconvinced by the argument that excluding boys from girls’ sports is a form of unconstitutional sex discrimination.

Chief Justice John Roberts pressed Harnett on whether she was challenging the distinction between boys and girls or seeking an exception to the biological definition of girls, and expressed skepticism about the possibility of such an exception.

Roberts appeared concerned about the broader ramifications of permitting exceptions to the definition of girl for a sliver minority of challengers, noting that “if we adopted that, that would have to apply across the board and not simply to the area of athletics.”

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A former member of the Donald Trump administration is set to take over Meta as president and vice chairman.

The appointment means an official from the president’s first administration will now be in charge of the massive social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

‘She is a fantastic, and very talented, person, who served the Trump Administration with strength and distinction!’

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta announced on Monday that it has called on 52-year-old Dina Powell McCormick to take the lead at the company. Powell McCormick served as Trump’s deputy national security adviser for strategy from March 2017 to January 2018.

Powell McCormick was married to Richard Powell, a public relations and communications executive, but is now married to Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Penn.). Powell McCormick’s maiden name is Habib; she was born in Egypt and speaks Arabic.

RELATED: Microsoft CEO: AI ‘slop’ is good for you — or at least for your ‘human potential’

Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

Powell McCormick was once referred to as Trump’s “Ms. Fix It,” and according to The Hill, informally advised Ivanka Trump during the transition period for Trump’s first term. She had previously worked as a senior White House adviser in the George W. Bush administration, was director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office from 2003 to 2005, and served as assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs in mid-2007.

Powell McCormick worked for Goldman Sachs for 16 years as a partner in senior leadership roles, according to Variety, after which she became vice chair, president, and head of global client services at BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank.

In addition, Powell McCormick is a fellow at Harvard, where she served as a teacher at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

RELATED: Meta accused of deleting scam ads to dodge government regulation

Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

President Trump praised the executive’s appointment in a post to Truth Social, calling Powell McCormick a “great choice” by Zuckerberg.

“She is a fantastic, and very talented, person, who served the Trump Administration with strength and distinction!” Trump wrote.

At the same time, Zuckerberg said the new president brings experience in finance, economic development, and government.

“She’ll be involved in all of Meta’s work, with a particular focus on partnering with governments and sovereigns to build, deploy, invest in, and finance Meta’s AI and infrastructure,” Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.

The Facebook founder also said that he and Powell McCormick will “deliver personal superintelligence” that will benefit billions of people.

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Secretary Pete Hegseth made a few stops in Texas on Monday as part of the War Department’s “Arsenal of Freedom Tour,” a month-long multistate campaign to promote the department’s priority of rebuilding and strengthening the U.S. military.

‘We are done running a peacetime science fair while our potential adversaries are running a wartime arms race.’

Hegseth delivered the oath of enlistment to Navy recruits in Irving and spoke to defense industry leaders at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth. He told the defense contractor’s employees that the U.S. military would no longer promote far-left ideology like diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“No more DEI. No more dudes in dresses,” Hegseth stated, receiving applause from the crowd.

“No more climate change worship and social justice and political correctness — we’re done with that,” he continued. “We’re unleashing the warfighter to be ready, trained, disciplined, accountable, and lethal.”

Hegseth also delivered remarks at SpaceX, alongside the company’s founder, Elon Musk.

RELATED: Sen. Mark Kelly responds to censure from Pete Hegseth with a lawsuit

Amanda McCoy/Forth Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Before inviting Hegseth to the stage, Musk kicked off the event by outlining SpaceX’s purpose.

“We want to make ‘Star Trek’ real … so that it’s not always science fiction, but one day, the ‘science fiction’ turns to ‘science fact,'” Musk said.

During his speech at Starbase, Hegseth shared how the Trump administration’s Department of War is dismantling bureaucracy and prioritizing military innovation.

“What you have built and what you will build here is a testament to the strength of American ingenuity and American invention,” Hegseth told SpaceX staff.

RELATED: US military attacks dozens of ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for killing of 2 US troops, Hegseth says

Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images

He blamed the consolidation of the Defense Industrial Base following the end of the Cold War for making it nearly impossible for new creators to secure business with the War Department.

“The result is a risk-averse culture that prevents us from providing our warfighters with the best resources that America has to offer. That ends today,” Hegseth declared. “We are done running a peacetime science fair while our potential adversaries are running a wartime arms race.”

The secretary also announced that xAI’s Grok would join the department’s GenAI.mil, a platform that integrates frontier artificial intelligence capabilities. The War Department announced the integration of Google Cloud’s Gemini in early December.

“For too long, Pentagon bureaucracy has hindered the speed and might of our manufacturing base, obstructing innovation and warfare solutions from companies like SpaceX and Lockheed Martin. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, we are unleashing the full power of our Defense Industrial Base to advance our Peace Through Strength agenda,” read a War Department press release announcing Hegseth’s Texas trip.

“These engagements underscore the urgent priority of this administration: ensuring our warfighters have the cutting-edge, American-made equipment they need to dominate any battlefield. American manufacturing is back,” it added.

— (@)

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Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky threatened to push contempt of Congress charges against Bill and Hillary Clinton over their refusal to testify in the congressional Epstein probe.

The Clintons were subpoenaed by the Oversight Committee, which is chaired by Comer, but they refused to appear on the basis that the orders were “invalid and legally unenforceable,” according to a letter obtained by the New York Times.

‘No one’s accusing Bill Clinton of anything, any wrongdoing. We just have questions.’

“Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences,” reads the eight-page letter from the Clintons to the committee. “For us, now is that time.”

Comer has repeatedly threatened to hold them in contempt if they don’t appear for the closed-door hearing.

“Jeffrey Epstein visited the White House 17 times while Bill Clinton was president,” Comer said to reporters Tuesday. “No one’s accusing Bill Clinton of anything, any wrongdoing. We just have questions.”

He also responded on social media with a post that included photos of the former president from the Epstein files.

“You’re right, President Clinton. This is about right and wrong,” Comer replied. “Epstein’s survivors deserve justice and answers. Refusing to comply with a bipartisan, duly authorized congressional subpoena in our Epstein investigation is unacceptable. No one is above the law.”

The Clintons accused Comer of trying to embarrass them and said they would argue their case to members of Congress.

“We are confident that any reasonable person in or out of Congress will see, based on everything we release, that what you are doing is trying to punish those who you see as your enemies and to protect those you think are your friends,” they wrote in their letter.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) also called for contempt charges against the Clintons.

RELATED: ‘We need no such protection’: Clinton accuses Trump of selectively releasing Epstein files — and calls for complete release

They also argued that the subpoenas were “unwarranted because they do not seek pertinent information” and amount to “an unprecedented infringement on the separation of powers.”

If Comer follows through on his threat to seek a contempt charge in the committee next week, the committee would vote on the motion, and then it would have to pass a majority of the House. It would then be up to the Justice Department to prosecute, which could result in up to a year in prison and a possible fine of $100,000.

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While the left continues to melt down over the ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, new video from the agent’s POV has emerged — and BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales believes it’s the proof needed to absolve the agent of any wrongdoing.

“You’ll notice as soon as she starts, she realizes, ‘I’m gonna hit this guy.’ Her wife, who has just bailed from the car … she’s out there with her phone, and she’s harassing the agents, and you’ll hear her wife say, ‘Drive, baby, drive,’” Gonzales explains on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”

When one agent asks Good to get out of the car, the new video instead reveals that she hits the ICE agent with her car.

“You’re there to harass them. You’re there to cause problems. You’re there to do exactly what you just did. F**k around and find out. That’s where I’m at,” Gonzales says.

“The worst part about it is that her son or daughter, her 6-year-old, is now orphaned. That sucks. I hate that for that child,” she continues, pointing out that the child’s father has already passed away as well.

However, despite the child’s tragic situation, Good appeared to have arrived on the scene with the intention of filming herself harassing the ICE officers.

“The Daily Mail released video showing she got there four minutes earlier, as I mentioned, stops, lets her wife out of the car so they could get their Instagram likes, so she could start recording everything and harassing the ICE agents and recording herself harassing the ICE agents,” Gonzales says.

“And then it shows when she drove off, she backed up and sped towards the officer. … In fact, she waited until she got to the middle of the road, as you can see, and just forgot how to drive,” she adds.

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On average, people spend five hours a day on their smartphones. That adds up to 35 hours per week (that’s almost a full-time job!), 150 hours per month, and 1,800 hours, or 2.5 months of time; 2.5 out of 12 months equals a bit over 20% of the year.

Although many of us are attached to our phones, most devices come with options to help you kick the habit or, at the very least, curb the impact it has on your life. Here’s how to retake your freedom by limiting your screen time on iPhone and Android.

Why are phones so addictive?

By now, we know our phones are addictive, but why? What makes that little rectangle in your pocket so appealing to pick up and even harder to put down?

At first, it was convenience. Smartphones made it easier to call family, text friends, and access the internet from the device in our pockets instead of logging onto the home desktop, dial-up signal buzzing along as we connected to the world wide web. Oh, what a time to be alive.

You can still use your phone while adding guardrails to take back your time and your sanity.

Somewhere along the way, though, smartphones morphed from fun, innovative, generally useful gadgets into little dopamine boxes that gave us a shot of those feel-good chemicals on demand, like a junkie jonesing for their next hit and getting what they want every time.

That’s not to say phones aren’t still useful. From contact lists, to calendar events, to traffic and weather at the push of a button, I can’t imagine not living without mine, and I’m sure many of you are exactly the same. But there’s a darker side to smartphones today. It’s the instant gratification now that keeps us coming back for more. Notifications, short-form videos, the latest trends online — all of it locks us in, even when we know better or want to step back.

Smartphones by themselves aren’t inherently bad, but when they’re abused, they can completely wreck your attention span, mental health, and quality of life overall. The good news is that you can still use your phone while adding guardrails to take back your time and your sanity.

How to limit screen time on iPhone

Apple’s iPhone comes with a “Screen Time” section baked directly into the Settings app. Open it up, dive in, and you’ll find several helpful options under the “Limit Usage” header.

“Downtime” restricts your phone to only the essential built-in apps (Phone, Messages, Safari, Maps, etc.), plus any other third-party apps that you set as “Always Allowed.” In this mode, you can either turn it on and off manually, or you can set a schedule for it to come on at a certain time of the day or week, like after you get home from work or on the weekend to disconnect. Once activated, you’ll only receive notifications, calls, and messages from the allowed apps and nothing else.

“App Limits” is a little less restrictive than Downtime, letting you set daily limits on specific apps instead of the entire system.

RELATED: New phone? Set it up like this — or you might kiss your data goodbye

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

You can add complete categories of apps — like your whole social media collection — or target specific apps that especially steal away your free time. Simply select the apps you want to restrict, choose how much time you’re allowed to use them per day (from 0 minutes to 23 hours), and you’re done. From there, your phone will lock down your chosen apps and notifications once you’ve used up your allotted time for the day, ensuring you put the phone down and do something else with your time. Note that even after the timer runs out for each app, Apple gives you the option to “ignore” the time limit by one more minute, 15 more minutes, or for the rest of the day, offering you more time with the app if you absolutely need it (which defeats the purpose of app limits entirely, but that’s how iPhone is set up).

If you want to get even more granular with your settings, “Communication Limits” will allow phone calls, Facetime chats, and messages from specific people during Downtime. For instance, you may only want to receive communications from your closest family and/or friends. Otherwise, you’re completely unreachable.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

How to limit screen time on Android

Android phones come with an app called Digital Wellbeing. While the app may look a little different, depending on your make and model, every version basically does the same thing. It lets you track your screen time and add restrictions to help you take back autonomy from your device.

“App timers” lets you reduce the use of certain addictive apps by setting individual daily time limits. Once activated, you can use the app until the timer runs out. After that, the app will turn gray on your screen, and notifications will be silenced as it shifts into a paused mode until the next day. Unlike Apple’s App Limits feature, app timers on Android won’t let you borrow extra time for the day unless you go into your settings and disable the restriction entirely, helping you more effectively reduce app time.

“Focus” lets you set up a schedule to pause distracting apps at certain times of the day. Simply select which apps you’d like to restrict, set your schedule, and these apps will only be accessible during the days and times you allow for yourself. If you want even more control, the Modes feature in the main Settings app lets you set up different restrictions for different situations. For instance, the Bedtime mode can ensure you only get phone calls and messages from your favorite contacts at night. The Driving mode can ensure only your navigation and contacts apps are available when you get behind the wheel. You can even set up your own custom modes for work, the gym, and more.

If you’d rather be a little more lax in curbing your app usage, “screen time reminders” will nudge you with a notification if it detects that you’re spending too much time on any particular app on your phone. This can then either encourage you to reduce usage on your own, or if the app is addictive enough, you can add it manually to app timers.

When all else fails, take the nuclear option

Although our phones come with app reduction features built in, the sad truth is that device OEMs and app developers want us to use our phones. The more time we spend on these devices, the more likely we are to come back for another hit of dopamine, and the vicious cycle continues.

There’s only one tried and true way off the ride, and that’s to cut the cord entirely. That could mean deleting that addictive app from your phone so you can’t open it, even if you wanted to. It could also mean turning your device off and putting it in a drawer altogether, either for a day, a week, or however long is necessary.

Early studies show that “digital detox” has a remarkable impact on the brain, bolstering cognitive function, reducing stress, and improving sleep quality, just to name a few. Even just three days of little-to-no phone use can help, while prolonged usage prolongs negative effects and makes them worse.

Of course, everyone should choose what works best for them, but if you’re having trouble with cutting back on using your phone, the options outlined above are a great place to start.

​Tech, Screen time, Smartphone 

Scott Adams, creator of the iconic “Dilbert” comic strip and ardent Trump supporter, has passed away at the age of 68.

Adams passed away Tuesday morning after a battle with prostate cancer.

‘You should prepare yourself that January will be probably a month of transition one way or the other.’

Scott Adams announced his cancer diagnosis on his “Coffee with Scott Adams” show last May.

On the January 1 episode of his show, Adams suggested that his health was declining rapidly. His death was preceded by a visit to the hospital with issues like lower-body paralysis.

RELATED: ‘Argument accepted’: Dying ‘Dilbert’ creator and Trump ally Scott Adams says he’s becoming a Christian

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

“I talked to my radiologist yesterday … and it’s all bad news. So the odds of me recovering are essentially zero. I’ll give you any updates if that changes, but it won’t,” Adams said on Jan. 1. “So there’s no chance I’ll get my feeling back in my legs. And I’ve got some ongoing heart failure, which is making it difficult to breathe sometimes during the day.”

“But at the moment I can breathe, and I’m not in any pain,” he continued. “However, you should prepare yourself that January will be probably a month of transition one way or the other.”

On Monday, Adams was in hospice at his home in Northern California. His first ex-wife, Shelly Miles, told TMZ that Adams began receiving “end-of-life care” last week because his health was declining “rapidly.”

Adams is best known for the cartoon “Dilbert,” which first debuted in 1989.

His death was announced on the Tuesday episode of “Coffee with Scott Adams,” which can be viewed below:

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​Politics, Scott adams, Dilbert, Trump, Trump supporter, Prostate cancer, Coffee with scott adams, Cancer, California, Shelly miles 

BlazeTV host Christopher Rufo participated in a roundtable meeting on Friday led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss the ongoing, rampant welfare fraud by Somalis living in Minnesota.

‘Everyone should be outraged.’

The event was attended by journalists, lawmakers, and local business and nonprofit owners.

“The thing that I found astonishing about this fraud scheme is that it was an open secret for many of the people here in Minnesota,” Rufo stated.

“What I’d like to highlight is that this is a fraud story, but … this is also an immigration story. It’s an assimilation story. It’s a cultural compatibility story,” Rufo continued. “The reality is that the latest numbers, it seems to be that the Somali community, which represents about 1% of Minnesota’s population, is perpetrating approximately 90% of the systemic fraud in this state.”

“I think America works when America demands assimilation. And Minnesota will work when it demands assimilation to the culture of good government,” Rufo added.

RELATED: Exclusive: Bessent tells Rufo — ‘When the bear trap snaps,’ Minnesota fraudsters and complicit officials will face justice

BlazeTV host Chris Rufo. Image source: Blaze Media

He called it a “tragedy” that Minnesota, which had previously been known as the United States’ good-government capital, has had its reputation “tarnished as the fraud capital.”

“Everyone should be outraged,” Rufo remarked.

Bessent announced during a Friday press conference that the Treasury Department was launching multiple initiatives to put an end to the fraud rings and hold perpetrators accountable. The new initiatives included investigations into money-service businesses, lowering the reporting threshold for overseas transfers to $3,000 in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, and a new IRS task force assigned to probe COVID-era fraud, among several other steps.

RELATED: ‘Financial calamity’: Bessent blasts Minnesota Democrats’ massive fraud fiasco, launching sweeping interventions

Image source: Blaze Media

During the roundtable, Bessent revealed that there are also plans to provide incentives for whistleblowers to come forward with information.

“If these fraudsters want to turn on each other, we welcome that,” he said. “We will be offering cash rewards to whistleblowers to turn in their fellow conmen and women.”

Bessent stated that the fraud “cover-up” nearly enabled Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) to become vice president.

“What a tragedy it would have been for the American people for someone with no integrity, who was complicit and perhaps corrupt, to assume the office of the vice president,” he added.

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​News, Scott bessent, Christopher rufo, Chris rufo, Somali fraud, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Fraud, Somali, Tim walz, Politics