Far-left New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the creation of a new city agency that sounds like his version of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Mamdani said Thursday that the Commission on Government Efficiency would meet with community organizers and union members in order to improve coordination with city government efforts.

‘A reminder that when republicans expose and root out fraud it’s smeared as racism, starving children, leaving the poor to die.’

“This morning we are introducing COGE — the Commission on Government Efficiency,” Mamdani said. “This Commission will find ways for our city to work smarter, faster, and more effectively for working people. New Yorkers deserve a city government as careful with their money as they are.”

He went on to take a shot at tech billionaire Elon Musk, who headed up the DOGE agency until he had a falling out with the president.

“Elon Musk took that language and used it to cut as many jobs that were as critical as possible for so many of the neediest people across the country and across the world,” the mayor said. “Ours is going to be a focus on actually delivering efficiency.”

Mamdani was immediately mocked by critics, including independent journalist Nick Shirley.

“This sounds a lot like DOGE … Weird how your own governor questioned me when I speculated the sudden increase in spending in areas like childcare in NYC and now you do this. (Which is a good thing btw!),” he responded. “Cutting waste, fraud, and abuse should be the most nonpartisan issue in America as it affects everyone.”

“Remember when Democrats ridiculed President Trump and his administration for tackling government waste?” wrote Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. “Looks like they ran the numbers and found eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse is quite popular.”

“A reminder that when republicans expose and root out fraud it’s smeared as racism, starving children, leaving the poor to die, etc. I suspect there will be a (d)ifference in coverage of this unserious ripoff of DOGE,” TV producer Spencer Brown said.

“Is this satire? DOGE was ridiculed endlessly and now the folks who were outraged are doing it themselves?” another user replied on the X platform.

The DOGE appropriation was also infuriating to liberals still angry about the agency’s acts.

“Mimicking the DOGE name is an insult to every fired federal worker and everyone harmed or killed by USAID cuts,” another user said. “Wish the team was a little less clever and slightly more thoughtful.”

RELATED: Mamdani’s wife apologizes for insulting Israel, using N-word and gay slur in past tweets

Musk promised through DOGE to find and cut trillions of dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse. Critics say the agency did very little to actually help the budget, which has spiraled into more debt under Trump’s second term so far.

Mamdani meanwhile was praised by many on the left for supposedly balancing the budget that had a $12 billion deficit. Critics point out that he did it by pushing pension payments into the future — basically mortgaging the future finances of the city to cover current costs.

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

​Department of government efficiency, Elon musk, New york city, Zohran mamdani, Politics 

Dozens were injured and five people were killed when a North Carolina-based E&P Travel bus drove into stopped traffic in Virginia on Friday at about 2:35 a.m., according to police.

An investigation found that the driver of the bus was a Chinese national who could not speak English, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

‘This is one of the most tragic things I’ve ever seen. Absolutely tragic.’

The driver identified as 48-year-old Jing S. Dong.

The bus plowed into a Chevy SUV that had slowed for a construction zone and propelled that vehicle into an Acura SUV and other vehicles.

Dong’s bus was carrying 34 travelers from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Forty-four people in the incident were transported to hospitals in Fredericksburg and Stafford, according to officials. Three of those had critical injuries.

“I’ve got to say, this is one of the most tragic things I’ve ever seen. Absolutely tragic,” said Federal Transit Administration spokesperson Peyton Vogel at the scene.

Duffy posted the findings from the investigation to social media.

“Local police confirm the driver of this motorcoach — a man from China who became a U.S. citizen — doesn’t speak English. He received his commercial drivers license from New York State in 2024,” Duffy wrote.

“Unacceptable. This is exactly why we are holding states accountable, enforcing the rules of the road, and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English,” he added. “If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus.”

He also vowed that any company, trainer, or school involved in putting Dong on the road would receive “intense scrutiny” over the incident.

RELATED: Security camera shows school bus blow through stop sign and get hit by city bus, 6 people hurt

Dong was also injured in the crash.

“My prayers are with the loved ones of the innocent lives lost and those who were hurt in this horrific crime,” Duffy concluded.

The investigation into the crash closed traffic on the I-95 south lane for about four hours.

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

​Bus crash, Chinese national, Foreign drivers, Lethal crash, Politics 

The star of the upcoming “Supergirl” movie says she has one major weakness — and it isn’t Kryptonite.

It’s the online trolls.

‘I’m actively trying not to engage — although how could you not?’

Super grrrl

In a recent Variety interview, Australian actress Milly Alcock talked about dealing with fan backlash — specifically reaction to comments she made about working on “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon.”

Speaking to “Vanity Fair” in March, the 26-year-old said the role “definitely made me aware that simply existing as a woman in that space is something that people comment on,” before adding, “We have become very comfortable having this weird ownership of women’s bodies. I can’t really stop them. I can only be myself.”

Now Alcock says any fans who took this as some kind of feminist male-bashing are way off base.

“I didn’t even say ‘men’ — I said ‘people’! And they got so angry. I was like, ‘You’re proving my point. You’re proving my point!’”

While Alcock said she struggles not to let her haters get to her, she admitted that the “pain” of such interactions allow her to connect with her superhero character, who also has to navigate a dangerous world filled with evildoers.

RELATED: BOX OFFICE KRYPTONITE: ‘Supergirl’ star flames fans ahead of premiere

Frazer Harrison/WireImage

Christian dads

For Alcock, what makes “online forums” especially dangerous is the “unhealthy relationship” they encourage users to have with celebrities.

Especially worrisome are the posters who — like most supervillains — disguise themselves.

“[P]eople whose profiles have no photo, who are burner accounts. Or someone’s name and then ‘Dad of four, Christian,’ which is hilarious to me. But I mean, whose opinion do you really care about? If you’re pissing the right kind of people off, you’re doing OK.”

RELATED: ‘Supergirl’ star expects backlash because fans have ‘weird ownership of women’s bodies’ — the responses are hilarious

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Child of the internet

Although Alcock’s theory is that all comic-book movie characters let their fans down, it seems more likely that her later admission that she spends too much time online is the actual culprit.

While being described as a child of the internet who finds it really hard to put down her phone, Alcock said it was “because sometimes people reinforce beliefs that you have about yourself, and you’re like, ‘Now someone’s said it! It’s true!’ And you’ve got to remind yourself that it’s not.”

“Sitting at a café and watching people and reading alone — just being a participant in real life — has been helpful,” she told the outlet.

She chalked this behavior up to her age, despite having had major acting roles her entire adult life.

“I’m Gen Z! Yeah, I grew up online, so I’m actively trying not to engage — although how could you not?”

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

​Milly alcock, Supergirl, Sexism, Progressivism, Gen z, Entertainment 

As more Christian influencers on social media claim to receive signs from God in the form of symbols from the world, BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey is urging believers to exercise discernment.

While Stuckey believes that the intention and anxiety behind asking God for a sign is “natural and understandable,” she notes that “when we get into this mode of asking for God, for some particular natural sign … from the world, then we can actually foster more anxiety and more confusion.”

“Not only within ourselves, but also with the people that we influence,” she adds.

One social media influencer asked God for a sign in the form of a bluebird on a window sill, breaking down in tears as she recalled the story on her Instagram.

“She asked God for a bluebird sign, landing on the window sill, to indicate whether or not she should write a book,” Stuckey comments, pointing out that the sign of the bluebird has become very popular on social media.

“I do think it’s interesting that in a span of just a couple of months, all of these Christian creators happen to see bluebirds they claim as a sign from God. And they are encouraging others, some of them, to ask God for similar signs,” she says.

And while Stuckey urges believers to exercise caution, she does point out that there are examples in Scripture of asking God for signs.

“If we look at Genesis 24, Abraham’s servant prayed for a clear sign while searching for a wife for Isaac. He asked that the right woman would not only give him a drink, but also offer to water his camels. And Rebecca did exactly that,” Stuckey explains.

“And then Moses in Exodus 3–4 expressed doubt when God called him at the burning bush to lead Israel. In response, God gave him three confirmatory signs to show the people: his staff turning into a snake and back, his hand becoming leprous and then healed, and the Nile turning to blood when poured on dry ground,” she continues.

While these examples are clear indicators that it’s OK to ask God for a sign, Stuckey points out that Scripture also “warns against demanding them or asking God for them in order for Him to confirm His character or to confirm His will for you, especially when it stems from unbelief or a hardened heart.”

“I think when our theology is being influenced by New Age culture, we are in as much trouble as ancient Israel was when they were being influenced by outside pagan nations,” she explains.

“It is possible for this to really hurt our mind and our heart and our soul if that is what we’re doing,” she adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

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

​Relatable, Allie beth stuckey, Christianity, Lindsey gurk, Bluebird, God, Sign, Religion, Bible, Relatable with allie beth stuckey 

Kathleen Kennedy may have left her post in January, but her influence is still being felt at Disney studio Lucasfilm.

The former studio president became synonymous with underperformance during her tenure and was often at odds with fans over her choices to feminize popular intellectual property.

Disney’s break-even point for the film is somewhere between $500 million and $600 million for a worldwide gross.

Kennedy curse

At the time of her departure, Kennedy still had two films yet to be released, and one of those was “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu,” which opened on Memorial Day weekend.

While the film showed some promise with $33.8 million on opening night, attendance sunk to half by Memorial Day, concluding with about $82 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo.

Disney had projected $97 million to $98 million for the four-day opening but got nowhere close. In fact, the movie now ranks below “Solo: A Star Wars Story” — which took in $84.4 million in its opening — as Disney’s lowest “Star Wars” debut. To make matters worse, the “Solo” movie only had three days to attract fans to its opening rather than four.

For many people, that is a boatload of cash, but for “Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu,” its worldwide total of $168 million is barely enough to recover its budget of an estimated $165 million.

Furthermore, Collider reported that Disney’s break-even point for the film is somewhere between $500 million and $600 million for a worldwide gross. The Han Solo movie, for example, only made $393 million worldwide.

RELATED: How Hollywood tries to masculinize femininity — and makes everyone miserable

Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney

Vote Pedro?

Disney still has another Kennedy project slated for the same time next year with “Star Wars: Starfighter,” set for release on May 28, 2027. Kennedy is credited as producer for that film, which features much bigger star power than the most recent flick, which included the outspoken activist Pedro Pascal.

Pascal has openly talked about helping co-stars with their gender journeys and comes from a staunch communist family in Chile.

“Star Wars: Starfighter,” however, has more widely liked performers like Ryan Gosling and Amy Adams attached to the film.

RELATED: FEMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Kathleen Kennedy leaves ‘Star Wars’; is it too soon for fans to celebrate?

CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Fan slander

Kennedy took “Star Wars” fans head-on during her time at the studio, even accusing them of attacking women who were unhappy with her productions.

In what has now become a trope, Kennedy blamed a “male-dominated” fanbase for the reason the show “The Acolyte” underperformed.

“I think a lot of the women who step into ‘Star Wars’ struggle with this a bit more. Because of the fan base being so male dominated, they sometimes get attacked in ways that can be quite personal,” she said in 2024.

Kennedy noted that “anyone who engages in bigotry, racism, or hate speech … I don’t consider a fan.”

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

​Star wars, Disney, Align, Movies, Pedro pascal, Kathleen kennedy, Entertainment 

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman expressed her anger at tents that appeared outside of her home, but it apparently wasn’t homeless people who took up residence on her sidewalk.

It was a prankster who claimed to have organized the encampment to protest against the failing policies in Los Angeles about the homelessness crisis.

Raman also claimed that the failures of the city government are what led her to run for mayor after claiming that she had successfully addressed homelessness as a city councilwoman.

Raman spoke about the tents on a podcast with Adam Conover and expressed anger at the political stunt.

“I woke up this morning to a sound of commotion outside of my window, and I looked out the window, and I realized that there were people setting up what was I think a fake encampment, like a homeless encampment outside of my house,” she said.

“Multiple people gathered there filming it … shooting something with cameras and things like that outside of my house!” she added. “I think to make a political video that would talk about how, I don’t want this at all, but … this is somebody who wants encampments on our streets.”

Conover claimed that she had actually cleared out more encampments than her predecessor, and Raman agreed.

“I have two little kids; they didn’t see it, luckily, this morning,” she continued. “But I feel badly that I’m even subjecting them to that at all. But it has definitely, this has gone far beyond what I expected the campaign to be about.”

The videos showed men acting like homeless people pushing tires, sitting on a mattress, and pretending to be strung out on drugs in front of her home.

Conover went on to claim that setting up fake tents outside of her home was “harassment” and blamed Spencer Pratt, who is also running for mayor, even though he had no apparent connection to the stunt.

Raman also claimed that the failures of the city government are what led her to run for mayor after claiming that she had successfully addressed homelessness as a city councilwoman.

The organizer of the tent stunt told KTTV-TV that he had nothing to do with the Pratt campaign, though he said he was a fan.

“This is happening all over the city. And we brought it to her doorstep so she can see what other people are going through,” said the organizer, who wanted to remain anonymous.

“We’re basically doing a parody ad for [Raman],” he added. “Like if we were in charge of her campaign, this is the ad that we would make.”

RELATED: TMZ tries to nuke Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign — and gets bitten in the Bass

The Pratt campaign responded by posting a video of Raman previously rolling her eyes at residents who were upset at their children being exposed to homeless encampments.

“I don’t think a kid’s going to be safer because a tent is 500 feet away from a school. It’s, like, whatever,” Raman says in the video.

“God blessed me with some stupid opponents,” Pratt added.

The organizer also responded to her comments on the Conover podcast.

“It’s a public street. I can see why she’s upset, but she should think about everybody else who’s going through the same thing constantly but being ignored,” he added.

The organizer said the effort was being funded by donors across the country.

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

​Nithya raman, Homeless crisis, Los angeles mayoral election, Spencer pratt, Politics 

Military officials, defense analysts, and critics have warned in recent years about the state of America’s military readiness and the risk of exhausting its stores of critical munitions.

The U.S -Israel war with Iran — a conflict which saw a 39-day bombing campaign with over 13,000 targets struck followed by a fragile ceasefire interrupted in recent days and weeks by additional strikes — has spread America’s missile inventory particularly thin.

According to a new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the U.S. “has enough munitions for any plausible scenario in the Iran war, but the depleted inventories have created a window of vulnerability for a potential Western Pacific conflict. The time needed to rebuild those inventories has thus become a major concern.”

‘Democrats destroyed our military.’

War Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged during a Senate hearing on April 30 that it will take “months and years” to rebuild the military’s stockpiles of various munitions. The CSIS report attempts to give a better idea of the turnaround for replenishing the stocks of specific systems.

The think tank estimated, for instance, that the U.S. will not be able to replenish its prewar inventory of Tomahawk cruise missiles — over 850 of which were reportedly fired just in the first four weeks of the conflict and fewer than 200 of which are made per year — back to prewar levels until late 2030 or early 2031.

American Enterprise Institute fellows Mackenzie Eaglen and Todd Harrison noted in an assessment last year that the U.S. expended over 150 THAAD interceptors — terminal high-altitude area defense interceptors — defending Israel in June 2025 during its 12-day conflict with Iran.

At the time, that accounted for nearly 25% of America’s total number of THAAD interceptors — each valued at roughly $12.7 million — and reportedly three times the average annual procurement since 2010.

The new CSIS report puts the number of THAAD interceptors used in the current conflict somewhere between 190 and 290.

RELATED: US reaches new ceasefire deal with Iran — but there’s a catch

Aftermath of a missile strike on a building in Tehran on March 1. ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images

With a projected annual production capacity of 96 THAAD interceptors at the current maximum rate and a potential expanded annual production capacity of 400 in light of the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion defense budget proposal for 2027, the CSIS report predicts a replenishment of the prewar stock sometime in mid- to late 2029.

An estimated 1,060-1,430 Patriot missiles — a variety of missile Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently been begging Trump for more of — were fired in and around Iran since Feb. 28. Again, a return to prewar inventory isn’t expected until mid-2029.

The estimated turnaround for replenishing the prewar stock of standard missile-3s is early 2029; standard missile-6s is late 2028-early 2029; joint air-to-surface standoff missiles is mid-2027; and precision strike missiles is late 2026.

The analysts suggested that during this inventory gap, some munitions could be substituted, but swaps will invariably carry with them certain downsides.

“Alternative ground attack munitions, for example, are short- or medium-range and increase vulnerability of the launch platforms,” said the report. “Alternative counter-drone systems are expensive.”

The Trump administration evidently doesn’t share the outlook of the report’s authors.

Following the publication of the CSIS report, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement to the Military Times that the U.S. military “has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles to serve all of President Trump’s strategic goals and beyond.”

“Even still, the president has urged our defense contractors to constantly produce more made-in-America weapons, which are the best in the world,” continued Kelly. “Democrats destroyed our military, but President Trump rebuilt it. Think-tank armchair quarterbacks are not read into sensitive information and have no idea what they’re talking about.”

While the military remains tight-lipped about how many missiles and munitions were expended during Operation Epic Fury, the administration was provided with some idea as to how much was spent monetarily.

Jules Hurst III, the Department of War’s acting comptroller, testified earlier this month that the U.S. had spent roughly $29 billion on the war.

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

​Army, Defense contractors, Department of war, Iran, Israel, Military, Munitions, Navy, United states, War, Politics 

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ comfortable lead has dwindled significantly, with the incumbent now in a tight race with L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman and former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, according to the latest polling.

A poll, conducted May 19-24 by the University of California Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, showed Bass receiving 26% of the vote, Raman close behind with 25%, and Pratt securing 22%.

‘It’s going to boil down to turnout.’

The Times reported that Bass’ slight lead was “statistically insignificant,” according to pollsters. It further noted that prior polls showed Bass with a stronger lead over her challengers, which has since narrowed. Meanwhile, Raman and Pratt have made steady gains.

Only 10% of the 1,913 registered voters surveyed said they were still undecided ahead of the June 2 primary, down from 26% in a March poll. Analysts predicted that Bass is likely to receive enough votes to head into a November runoff with either Raman or Pratt.

When asked which issues they care about most, nearly all surveyed Pratt supporters said they care about addressing waste and political corruption, as well as crime and public safety.

RELATED: The one big liberal media lie about Spencer Pratt that no one is mentioning

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Bass and Raman supporters, who gave similar responses to one another, prioritized protecting immigrants, moving the homeless indoors, and building more affordable housing.

In a one-on-one race between Bass and Pratt, those surveyed gave Bass an 18-point lead, with 12% undecided and 12% choosing neither or stating they would not vote. In a potential runoff between Raman and Pratt, Raman secured 45% to Pratt’s 28%, with 16% undecided and 11% choosing neither or declining to vote.

RELATED: Spencer Pratt’s viral campaign is turning into a political nightmare for Karen Bass

Etienne Laurent/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Although the mayoral race is nonpartisan, Pratt, a registered Republican, is running in a city where less than 15% of the population is registered as Republican.

“You’ve got three very different candidates, each with very different constituencies, all within the margin of error. It’s going to boil down to turnout,” Mark DiCamillo, the director of Berkeley IGS polls, told the Times. “Pratt is an unusual candidate and is generating a lot of enthusiasm in the primary, but he trails by double digits to Raman and Bass in a runoff.”

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

​News, Spencer pratt, Karen bass, Nithya raman, California, Los angeles, Election, Politics 

Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback is running to succeed governor Ron DeSantis — and after he announced his radical plan to disrupt “teen takeovers,” Florida might just see him win.

Fishback stepped up to reveal his plan after 22 young people were arrested at a riot in downtown Tampa, Florida, this month, beginning with a controversial but true statement: “One thing that we have to confront is that black youth violence is a problem in Florida.”

The candidate pointed out that the group was “almost exclusively young and black.”

“There’s something to be said about the root causes that lead a 12-year-old who was arrested here on Friday night to riot without parental supervision. 72% of black kids born today will be born to an unmarried mother,” Fishback explained.

He went on to announce three policies that would take effect immediately if he were to win.

“We will be charging anyone who participates in a so-called teen takeover with Florida State Statute 8701, a third-degree felony of rioting. I’m also going to instruct state attorneys, including right here in the 13th Judicial Circuit, to make it so that any teen who is charged with aggravated rioting is charged as an adult,” he explained.

“Number two, we’re going to stand up a social media youth disruption unit tasked by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in my first month as governor to lawfully and constitutionally monitor incitement and threats of riots like the one that took place here, to disrupt them before they begin,” he continued. “And that includes me as governor activating the Florida National Guard.”

“And number three, what I’m going to direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to do is to convene a five-person panel of law enforcement, business leaders, and, most importantly, our church leaders to look at the root causes of black youth crime and to prepare a report to give to me as the governor within my first 90 days,” he added.

BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock is thrilled.

“He’s addressing this teen takeover issue. He’s addressing the complications, the consequences of a fatherless culture, and it has to be addressed head-on,” Whitlock says, before asking Fishback himself, “Why have you chosen to step out here and make this a central part of your campaign for running for governor?”

“Because violence affects everybody, Jason,” Fishback says.

“You’ve got to hold people accountable. If you do an action and there are not consequences, that action is going to repeat. It is as old as time,” he adds.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Fearless 

The explosion of a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket resulted in an enormous conflagration that lit up the sky in Florida for miles around.

The rocket was being test-fired on Thursday at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station when it blew up at about 9 p.m. on the coast.

‘Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.’

The explosion destroyed the rocket, the erector-gantry used to move the rocket, and one of two lighting towers near the pad.

Space expert Ken Kremer explained how the explosion unfolded to WESH-TV.

“They were loading propellant into the rocket, and they started a static fire test, which is not a launch,” Kremer said. “The rocket is sitting on the pad, and they want to ignite the engines for several seconds to test them all out and make sure everything will work when they do the launch in the next few weeks. That was the plan.”

“All personnel are accounted for and safe,” Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos said on social media about the incident.

“It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it,” he added. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”

The U.S. Space Force Eastern Range confirmed that there were no injuries and said first responders were on the scene.

The destroyed New Glenn rocket was scheduled to launch in June with 48 Leo internet satellites owned by Amazon that were intended to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system.

Musk, who has had his own rocket explosions as the founder of SpaceX, responded via social media.

“Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly,” he posted.

RELATED: William Shatner rips into European officials trying to ban ‘Star Trek’ motto over gender exclusion

The rocket was also intended to launch a moon lander on a test flight that would have rendezvoused with the NASA Artemis mission in Earth orbit.

“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on social media. “We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”

Blue Origin was far more successful when it launched an all-female celebrity crew that included Katy Perry and Bezos’ then-fiancée, Lauren Sanchez. The space crew traveled 62 miles above Earth, experienced approximately four minutes of weightlessness, and then returned soon afterward.

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

​Blue origin, Cape canaveral, Jeff bezos, Rocket explosion, Politics 

The Washington Nationals are in hot water over a player who dares to stand up for his Christian faith.

James O’Keefe’s guerrilla journalism outfit published undercover footage on Tuesday featuring an apparent admission by the Washington Nationals’ director of community relations that the team has avoided using pitcher Trevor Williams in Nationals social media content on account of his criticism of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — a group that mocks the Catholic Church, its rituals and beliefs, and its nuns.

Background

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a San Francisco-based radical group that touts itself as a “leading-edge Order of queer and trans nuns.”

‘The public has a right to know whether that view is tolerated, encouraged, or operationalized by the organization.’

Since its inception on Easter Sunday 1979, the SPI — whose motto is “go forth and sin some more,” an inversion of Christ’s command — has ridiculed Catholic teaching and doctrine, mocking the church’s orthodox views on marriage, sexuality, transgenderism, and abortion.

This anti-Christian group regularly holds “Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary” contests; held a “condom savior mass”; saw one of its members arrested for allegedly masturbating in public; routinely mocks the crucifixion; participated in drag shows targeting children; and according to Brian Burch, the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, once “tricked an archbishop into giving them the Eucharist — the most important sacrament of the Catholic faith — so they could defile it.”

Pitcher Trevor Williams, who is Catholic, was among the handful of players in the Major League Baseball league who spoke out in 2023 after the L.A. Dodgers decided to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence with a “Community Hero Award” for “their countless hours of community service, ministry, and outreach to those on the edges, in addition to promoting human rights and respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment.”

RELATED: Five standout denunciations and warnings in Pope Leo XIV’s new papal encyclical

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

“A Major League Baseball game is a place where people from all walks of life should feel welcomed, something I greatly respect and support. This is the purpose of different themed nights hosted by the organization, including Pride Night,” wrote Williams on May 30, 2023.

“To invite and honor a group that makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion, and the religion of over 4 million people in Los Angeles county alone, undermines the values of respect and inclusivity that should be upheld by any organization,” added the pitcher.

“I believe it is essential for the Dodgers to reconsider their association with this group and strive to create an inclusive environment that does not demean or disrespect the religious beliefs of any fan or employee,” Williams continued. “I also encourage my fellow Catholics to reconsider their support of an organization that allows this type of mockery of its fans to occur.”

Blacklisted

Sean Hudson, the community relations director whose LinkedIn page was recently deleted, appears to tell an undercover reporter in the footage published by James O’Keefe that Trevor Williams “is very Catholic.”

“He’s super Catholic — all these tattoos that mean a lot,” Hudson appears to say. “But last year, I don’t understand the full scope, the Dodgers had a group out to the stadium who were drag queens who sometimes dressed up as nuns. … He went on like a social media like — ‘this is wrong, this is my religion, you all are mocking it.'”

“So we don’t use him,” continued Hudson. “Because of that, we don’t use him on social.”

Later in the video, Hudson appears to state, “If you’re a sports fan and we piss you off, where else are you going to go?”

The Washington Nationals X account does not appear to have referenced Williams since September 2025 and has only sporadically made mention of him since he criticized the SPI in 2023.

Neither the MLB nor the Washington Nationals responded to Blaze News’ request for comment.

O’Keefe’s journalism outfit suggested that Hudson’s “admission raises legal questions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which explicitly prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on religion, including limiting their opportunities or visibility due to sincerely held beliefs.”

When later confronted by conservative commentator Alex Stein about his claim, Hudson said, “That doesn’t sound like something I would say.”

The team, however, told EWTN News that it was “aware of comments made by an employee, which were recorded without the employee’s knowledge and disseminated without his permission.”

“The statements are not only factually incorrect, but do not reflect the views, opinions, or actions of the Washington Nationals,” the team said in its statement. “The Nationals are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for our players, fans, and staff, and we vehemently deny any allegations to the contrary.”

Backlash

Kelsey Reinhardt, the CEO of CatholicVote, wrote to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon on Wednesday, urging the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division to “investigate possible unlawful religious discrimination by the Washington Nationals Baseball Club against pitcher Trevor Williams.”

Reinhardt suggested that if Hudson’s remarks are accurate, an MLB “franchise may have taken an adverse employment-related action, reputational action, promotional action, or workplace action against a player because of his religion and his sincere public expression of Catholic belief.”

“This matter is not merely a private dispute between an athlete and his employer,” said Reinhardt. “The Washington Nationals are a Major League Baseball franchise in the nation’s capital. Their conduct sends a public message. If a senior executive of such an organization believes that a player should be excluded from official team communications because he is ‘very Catholic’ and because he defended Catholics from religious mockery, then the public has a right to know whether that view is tolerated, encouraged, or operationalized by the organization.”

Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) has also asked the DOJ to take “decisive action.”

Williams, who hasn’t posted on X since 2023 and hasn’t posted on Instagram since January, said in an Instagram post on Friday, “The first reading from today comes from 1 Peter 4:7-13. The writer of this epistle is addressing newly baptized Christians, reminding them that they are holy and they should act like it. This entire chapter really addresses the social costs of the faith — not necessarily persecution, but the sometimes awkward ‘ehh I don’t do that anymore.'”

“As my friend Fr. Joshua said ‘Sometimes we lean into it and bravely bear witness to Christ’s truth; sometimes we dodge it and regret it later, feeling we’ve let Jesus down,'” continued Williams. “Therefore Christians are called in those moments to love, to suffer, and to sacrifice, for when we act like Christ in those moments, we imitate Jesus. We even share in the merciful work of Jesus when we choose to act like him in the face of even the smallest insult.”

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

​Catholicvote, Christian faith, Civil rights act, Drag shows, Major league baseball, Sisters of perpetual indulgence, Washington nationals, Civil rights division, Justice department, Trevor williams, Faith, Catholic, Politics, Lauren boebert, Kelsey reinhardt