People who know me know I don’t have much patience for fancy talk. In Chester County, when a meth dealer sets up shop next to a school, we don’t hold a town hall about his “socioeconomic anxiety.”

We don’t send a strongly worded letter. We kick down the door, put him in handcuffs, and shut the operation down.

By arresting a narco-terrorist masquerading as a president, Donald Trump didn’t break the law. He restored order.

For the last 20 years, America forgot that simple rule. We acted like social workers trying to “fix” the world’s worst neighborhoods while they picked our pockets.

Last weekend, that stopped.

President Trump’s decision to go into Venezuela and extract the dictator Nicolás Maduro wasn’t just a military operation. From where I sit as a 30-year lawman, it looked like the biggest drug bust in history.

It was also a master class in overwhelming force.

For years, Washington has acted like a terrified homeowners’ association. Too scared to enforce the rules. Too worried about offending the neighbors — even the ones throwing rocks through our windows.

Our governments let China buy the house across the street. They let Iran park its van in the driveway. They let Maduro turn Venezuela into a trap house for every cartel and terrorist west of the Atlantic.

And yet for two centuries, this hemisphere had a “No Trespassing” sign on the lawn. We called it the Monroe Doctrine. It was the original neighborhood watch rule: Foreign powers with bad intentions don’t get to cozy up to corrupt regimes in our back yard.

For too long, we let that sign fade while our enemies set up shop.

Early Saturday morning, the sheriff in the White House decided it was time to back the warning with a warrant — and missiles.

RELATED: Venezuela was the stage. China was the target.

Photo by Liu Bin/Xinhua via Getty Images

Trump didn’t ask the U.N. for a permission slip. He didn’t check whether Europe felt “comfortable” with the plan. He recognized a threat inside his jurisdiction — and he neutralized it.

The media is now crying about “international norms.” That makes me laugh. In my line of work, the only norm that matters is the bad guys go to jail and good citizens sleep safely.

And let’s be clear about the charges. I don’t care whether the poison was cocaine, meth, or fentanyl. If you played any role in trafficking drugs that end up in the United States, you’re part of the conspiracy. Period.

Some people might ask why a sheriff in rural South Carolina cares about a dictator 2,000 miles away.

Here’s why: The decisions made in Maduro’s palace didn’t stay in Caracas. They ended up in the veins of our neighbors and in the wreckage of families right here in Chester County.

I see that damage every day. For years, sheriffs across this country have begged Washington to stop the flow at the source. It’s about time a president acted against a head of state who deliberately created a welcoming environment for criminal networks that kill Americans.

By arresting a narco-terrorist masquerading as a president, Donald Trump didn’t break the law. He restored order.

I expect this to be only the beginning. And I hope it sends a message — from cartel bosses to street-level runners: Pay attention. If the United States is willing to break down the door of a sitting dictator, imagine what it is willing to do to you.

The era of impunity is over.

And one last thing for those insisting this was all about oil or money. For years, Americans bought energy from countries that hate us because we were too polite to use what we have at home. Those days are ending.

RELATED: From Monroe to ‘Donroe’: America enforces its back yard again

Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images

If Venezuelan crude ever flows to American refineries again, it won’t just lower gas prices. It will tell every dictator on earth that their leverage is gone.

As Americans, we’ve spent too long hating to lose more than we love to win. Our foreign policy has been driven by fear — fear of bad press, fear of escalation, fear of diplomatic friction. We played not to lose.

You don’t build a safe community — or a strong nation — by playing defense. You build it by loving to win. By making bold, decisive moves that protect your people.

This operation was a win.

So to the hand-wringers: relax. The world isn’t ending. It’s getting cleaned up.

The sheriff is back on the beat, the bad guy is in handcuffs in the back seat, and for the first time in a long time, the good people can set off a few fireworks.

Welcome to the new neighborhood.

​Opinion & analysis, Venezuela, Narco-terrorism, Drug trafficking, Cocaine, Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Nicolas maduro, Donald trump, Arrest, Monroe doctrine, Sheriff, Warrant, Caracas, South carolina 

A Michigan father is accused of firing a gun outside his son’s middle school earlier this week after being denied entry, which prompted a lockdown.

Police in Romulus — which is about a half hour southwest of Detroit — said Shawntez Marshaun Gregory, 44, just before 10 a.m. Tuesday, drove to Romulus Middle School, approached the front doors, and told the school secretary through the intercom, “I am here to get my son. I want my son now!”

‘This case is every parent’s nightmare.’

Police said the secretary recognized Gregory as someone who’d been barred from school property and reportedly displayed unstable behavior in the past — and that in this instance, he was “extremely upset” and had a gun.

With that, police said the secretary called 911 and put the school on lockdown. The secretary then heard gunshots, dropped to the floor, and told 911 he was trying to gain entry to the school by “shooting at the locks,” police said.

Police said arriving officers took Gregory into custody, recovered a gun, and found seven spent rounds.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Gregory with multiple felonies, including false report or threat of terrorism; intentional threat to commit act of violence against school, school employees, or students with specific intent to carry out or overt act; carrying a concealed weapon; possession of a weapon in a weapons-free school zone; reckless use of a firearm; and two counts of felony firearm in connection to the incident, WXYZ-TV reported.

Prosecutors told the station that Gregory was about a foot away from the building when he fired the gun seven times — but not directly at the school.

“This case is every parent’s nightmare,” Worthy said in a statement, WXYZ said, adding that no one was harmed.

What’s more, in regard to police saying the secretary recognized Gregory as someone who’d been barred from school property, it turns out he had a no-trespassing order from the school and was not allowed near his son since Gregory also has been accused of attempting to kidnap him, the station said.

RELATED: Mom ‘barged into’ third-grade classroom, threatened and cursed out teacher, blocked door preventing teacher, students from leaving: Report

Then came Gregory’s arraignment on Thursday at 34th District Court, WXYZ said.

With Judge Lisa Martin presiding, WDIV-TV reported that Gregory swore 14 times, told the judge to get a real job, put his fingers in his ears, and said it was the “the fakest s**t I’ve seen in my life.”

He also refused to answer the judge’s questions, WXYZ said.

During the virtual hearing, Martin asked Gregory to state his name for the record, and he replied by saying, “Nope, good f**king bye. Don’t need to talk to me, quit f**king playing with me,” WDIV replied.

RELATED: Dad enters HS classroom, confronts student for allegedly bothering his daughter. Dad now charged for making threats, assault.

As bond was being discussed, WDIV said Gregory stated, “This is the fakest s**t I’ve seen in my life. … You’re going to actually act like this, huh? That s**t is fake. Sorriest s**t and racist in my life. Bunch of racists doing stuff. So I’m done. I’m done talking. We can go, and I can go back and get ready to go back home now. I’m done playing around.”

Gregory then verbally attacked the judge, WDIV said: “You are one of the dumbest black person [sic] I’ve seen in my life, about the dumbest [expletive] I’ve seen in my life. I hate to say that because it’s some racist right here. I hate to say that, though, but don’t waste my time. There’s a racist right here, so don’t waste my time, no more. Tired of f**king with all of y’all. So don’t waste my time.”

The judge then adopted the police department’s recommendation and remanded Gregory without bond, WDIV said.

“Why don’t you get a real job?” Gregory added to the judge, according to WDIV. “Go get a real job.”

Gregory remained Friday in the Wayne County Jail.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 20, WDIV reported.

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​Arrest, Court hearing, Cursing out judge, Father, Felony charges, Firing gun, Lockdown, Michigan, Middle school, Son, Crime 

Like many of us, Katie Pasitney entered the new year with a resolution.

Hers, however, is not personal or private, but public and political: to hold the Canadian government accountable for what it did to her family, their farm, and the more than 300 ostriches whose blood still stains their British Columbia property.

Pasitney describes the cull as ‘one of the biggest heinous acts of animal cruelty probably in Canadian history.’

Pasitney recently spoke to Align after what she calls the worst Christmas season of her life — describing weeks of shock, trauma, and severe depression in the wake of the government’s November 6 culling of Universal Ostrich Farms’ entire herd.

Death sentence

The culling was the sad and brutal end to a nearly year-long legal fight — one that thrust Pasitney into the spotlight as the farm’s spokesperson, making her case in widely shared, self-produced videos.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency ordered the birds killed under its “stamping out” policy after a possible case of avian influenza in December 2024. After a brief pause that gave the farm hope that the order might be reconsidered, the CFIA formally rejected an exemption request on January 10, 2025 — roughly a month before the federal government announced the purchase of 500,000 avian influenza vaccines.

From that point on, the walls began to close in on Pasitney and her mother, Karen Espersen, co-owner of the farm. The two spent much of the year fighting the CFIA in court, accumulating legal bills while the federal government racked up legal victories. Throughout the ordeal, the playing field appeared tilted: The government was largely permitted to advance a single argument — that the cull must proceed because it had already been ordered.

Doomed fight

Prominent Americans including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Dr. Mehmet Oz, and businessman John Catsimatidis publicly supported the farm. Despite political pressure and repeated questions in Parliament about the CFIA’s handling of the case, federal ministers consistently deferred to the agency and the courts as the legal process unfolded.

To Pasitney and her supporters, it often seemed as if Ottawa was content to let lawfare grind the family down.

It did not matter, Pasitney argues, that the birds showed signs of herd immunity. It did not matter that there was no evidence of disease for months. The CFIA refused to conduct further testing. After the farm lost its appeal in federal court, CFIA officials arrived on Sept. 23, took control of the property, and prepared to carry out the kill.

The Supreme Court of Canada briefly intervened, agreeing to hear an appeal and issuing a temporary stay. But CFIA officials remained on site with what they described as “custody” of the ostriches. Over the next seven weeks, Pasitney and her supporters documented what they say was harassment and mistreatment of the birds by CFIA inspectors. Independent counts showed the ostrich population continuing to decline.

Into the ‘kill pen’

On November 6, the Supreme Court declined to intervene further. The execution could proceed.

That evening and into the early hours of Nov. 7, CFIA marksmen shot hundreds of ostriches while Pasitney and her supporters looked on. It took roughly 1,000 rounds to kill the herd.

Even after the slaughter, the CFIA maintained a quarantine over the property. The family was not permitted to retrieve spent shell casings or remove hay bales used to construct what Pasitney calls a “kill pen.”

Raw memories

I spoke with Pasitney on Jan. 3 in a video interview from the farm in Edgewood, British Columbia, which still resembles a war zone. She is seeking to have the quarantine lifted so cleanup can begin, but she is equally focused on holding the CFIA — and the Liberal government of Prime Minister Mark Carney — accountable.

The memories remain raw. Pasitney describes the cull as “one of the biggest heinous acts of animal cruelty probably in Canadian history,” saying the ostriches were forced to witness one another being shot “in fear and panic for hours,” while her family endured what she characterizes as 11 months of state-sanctioned intimidation.

RELATED: Massacre at Universal Ostrich Farms: Canada kills hundreds of birds despite no evidence of avian flu

Universal Ostrich Farms

Suppressing the science?

Demonstrating the science, she says, was always her goal. “They suppressed our real science,” Pasitney argues. “There was no testing for almost 300 days. There was no surveillance, no proof of active disease — and still they came in and they stripped us of our freedoms.”

She also questions how the agency handled biosecurity on the ground. CFIA officials maintained that their protocols required full protective equipment only in designated quarantine or “hot” zones, a distinction that allowed inspectors, police, and contractors outside those zones to operate without hazmat suits or full PPE. To Pasitney, that contrast — between claims of an ongoing viral threat and what she observed on site — raises serious doubts.

“There was no viral threat,” she says. “Show us proof of active illness.”

“It is clear that there was never a quarantine,” Pasitney adds. “They would have disinfected their vehicles. They would have worn consistent PPE. They would have had a certified company handling biohazardous waste. They wouldn’t have left our animals killed out in the field overnight. … They definitely wouldn’t have left this hay-bale mess out there, littered with blood, littered with shell casings. There’s no quarantine. Let’s just be honest. This was all a theatrical display of punishment for using our voices.”

Pasitney further alleges that not all ostriches were destroyed during the operation, claiming some birds were removed from the property. “They stole our science,” she says. “They stole ostriches.” She urges anyone with information about their whereabouts to come forward.

‘Wake up’

Pasitney insists her fight was never just about one farm.

“Our poor farmers are under attack everywhere across our country,” Pasitney says.

By accountability, she means a full reckoning: review of CFIA outbreak protocols, recognition of farmers’ rights, and an end to what she calls one-size-fits-all policies like stamping out.

She is now working to organize a national federation for farmers — one that, she says, will ask basic but urgent questions: Who protects the people who feed the country? Who holds regulators to account?

Pasitney is reluctant to talk about fundraising but says she has little choice. The quarantine, she notes, eliminated all income: no product sales, no tours, no feathers, no eggshells — nothing.

“At the end of the day,” she says, “the government still stripped us from absolutely everything. And we are fighting.”

​Align interview, Universal ostrich farms, Rfk jr, Mark carney, Culling, Avian flu, Culture, Letter from canada 

While arguing that owning a home is rooted in “deep racism and classism,” Zohran Mamdani’s newly instated radical-left tenant advocate, Cea Weaver, seems to have forgotten that her roots are made of gentrification and million-dollar homes.

“Democratically controlled public housing is really important. … You know, people like homeownership because they like control, and that’s been perverted by, like, deep racism and deep classism in our society,” Weaver once said confidently on a podcast.

“So, like, we have to not have a racist and classist society. And so that’s, like, something we need to think about, like, deeply,” she continued.

“To me, it’s about control,” she added. “And why rent control is really important is because rent control alters the power dynamic between renters and who owns the building,” she added.

“So, it’s racist to own a home,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray says on “Pat Gray Unleashed,” before pointing out that Weaver’s mother reportedly owns a $1.6 million home in Nashville, Tennessee.

“So, she’s obviously a racist,” Gray says. “And it’s in what used to be a predominantly black neighborhood, which they’ve gentrified, and that’s absolutely wrong no matter who you are or where you’re doing it. You can’t have white people moving into black neighborhoods.”

And Gray isn’t the only one aware of Weaver’s mother’s “racist” homeownership.

When she walked outside of her Brooklyn apartment this week, she was asked about the home her mother owns — and instead of answering, she began crying and ran back inside.

“She broke down in tears. She turned around and left. Now, they thought that she was heading toward the subway station,” Gray laughs. “Instead, she just went back home and then started looking out the window where there’s also a poster there that says, ‘Free Palestine.’”

Want more from Pat Gray?

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

​Camera phone, Free, Sharing, Upload, Video, Video phone, Youtube.com, Pat gray unleashed, Pat gray, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Mamdani, Zohran mamdani, Cea weaver, Home ownership, Rent control, Communism, Tenant advocate nyc 

As the media attempts to convince viewers that Renee Good was simply acting as a legal “observer” when she was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Glenn Beck sat down with someone who instead linked Good to a far-left radical group.

On Friday’s episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Beck spoke with counterterrorism expert Ryan Mauro of the Mauro Institute about Good’s ties to Minnesota ICE Watch, which reportedly works to “document and resist” the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

‘Again, you don’t park your car across the road to block it if you’re just an observer.’

Mauro discovered through his research that Good likely first learned about Minnesota ICE Watch through her child’s charter school, which he described as “openly radical” and which promised to get children involved in politics.

According to Mauro, the group is very radical as well.

“You go to their social media page, and it doesn’t take much work, actually, to find instructions on how to assault police in order to free people, open up cop car doors, and pull people out,” he explained.

RELATED: ‘You should be ashamed’: Vance fires back at media for forgetting key details about Minnesota ICE shooting

Photo by Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images

“They do not recognize the United States as a legitimate country,” he said, saying that they instead refer to the U.S. as “Turtle Island,” prompting Glenn Beck to laugh out loud.

Mauro explained that their goals are not so much about observing law enforcement as “eliminating America” and “setting cop cars on fire.” Mauro said Minnesota ICE Watch even had a social media post with “a depiction of a cop car on fire.”

“That’s how you build an insurgency,” Mauro added, noting the “violent intention” implied by that imagery.

Beck played a clip of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) from earlier this week seemingly echoing the same type of violent rhetoric. Walz can be heard telling people that they need to “rise up as neighbors” in the clip.

Beck emphasized that Walz has effectively been priming a “neighborhood revolutionary guard” in recent days with his comments, especially considering the groups that might respond to those entreaties.

Beck and Mauro also agreed that no matter how hard the media tries to spin the story, Good was “not just an observer.”

“She was not just somebody who is there to observe. Again, you don’t park your car across the road to block it if you’re just an observer. That’s insanity, and we all know it. Will anyone actually admit to that in the press?”

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​Politics, Glenn beck, Ryan mauro, Dhs, Ice, Ice agent, Minneapolis, Renee good, Mauro institute, Minnesota ice watch 

The Trump administration’s unique social media brand was on full display this week, with several Cabinet officials cutting through the eventful news cycle with humorous posts and online exchanges.

This administration is proving to be one of the most meme-literate administrations of our time, whether its Vice President JD Vance embracing the countless, often unflattering AI depictions of himself or Secretary of State Marco Rubio piling on to running online jokes.

‘I do not normally respond to online rumors but feel the need to do so.’

Rubio most recently leaned into an ongoing joke about his various roles in the administration. In addition to serving as secretary of state, Rubio also serves as acting national security adviser and acting archivist of the United States. Given the vast responsibilities Rubio has taken on, online users will often joke that he will fill any vacant role, even if it’s completely irrelevant to his current positions.

Whether its the newest vacancy in Venezuelan leadership or an open slot for an NFL head coach or general manager, Rubio took to social media to quash the rumors.

RELATED: RFK Jr. steals the show after hilarious quacking ringtone interrupts White House briefing

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“I do not normally respond to online rumors but feel the need to do so at this moment[.] I will not be a candidate for the currently vacant HC and GM positions with the Miami Dolphins,” Rubio said in a post on X. “While you never know what the future may bring right now my focus must remain on global events and also the precious archives of the United States of America.”

Rubio was not the only high-profile official to chime in on the online discourse.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled his new and improved dietary guidance on Wednesday, which quickly became the subject of humorous exchanges online.

RELATED: Vance makes Jeffries a hilarious promise if Democrats end the shutdown

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Vice President Vance jokingly pushed back on Kennedy’s new food pyramid, lamenting one go-to “dietary staple” he felt was underrepresented.

“Hey [Secretary Kennedy] this new food pyramid is solid but you forgot to include one dietary staple,” Vance said in a post on X alongside a photo of cookies and cream ice cream.

Kennedy replied with the infamous meme photo of Vance edited to appear overweight with overgrown hair.

“Caution! Do not take dietary advice from this guy,” Kennedy said in the post.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, also outlined health standards for alcohol consumption, noting that alcohol is appropriate in moderate quantities for social occasions so long as people “don’t have it for breakfast.” He later made a humorous clarification on in a social media post.

“Brunch is obviously different than breakfast,” Oz said. “(Yes, still keep to a minimum.)”

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​Rfk, Robert f. kennedy jr., Donald trump, Jd vance, Dr. oz, Marco rubio, Troll, Memes, Politics 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) can thank his own legislation for putting a stop to deepfakes on Grok and X.

Cruz introduced the Take It Down Act in early 2025, aimed at stopping online publication of “intimate visual depictions of individuals,” both authentic and computer-generated.

‘These unlawful images … should be taken down and guardrails should be put in place.’

According to the BBC, an usual trend of asking xAI tool Grok to artificially remove people’s clothing from their photos has permeated across the website and has even extended to victimizing children, according to the Guardian.

In response, X owner Elon Musk announced consequences for anyone inappropriately uploading content.

“Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” Musk wrote.

X’s safety team followed suit, saying it would take action against “illegal content,” including permanently suspending accounts and working with law enforcement.

When Cruz made note of the unlawful images and praised X for addressing the issue, he was hit with a string of bizarre attempts to use Grok against him.

RELATED: The early social media reviews of Cruz’s 2028 POTUS trial balloon are in

— (@)

“These unlawful images … should be taken down and guardrails should be put in place,” Cruz wrote.

What followed were remarks like users asking Grok to put “Ted Cruz on his knees” in front of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; in this case, Grok obliged.

Other obvious violations of the Take It Down Act included generated photos of Cruz naked, photos of body parts in his mouth, and multiple AI photos of him wearing a dress, sometimes while wearing a yarmulke.

One user even posted an AI video of Cruz saying he was upset with Tucker Carlson for not wanting to date him.

RELATED: Elon Musk’s xAI inks new deal with War Department

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

On January 6, however, Cruz himself posted an AI-generated video regarding “Trump’s Venezuela Magic,” which showed President Trump making former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro magically appear onstage.

Despite others taking issue with his own usage of AI generation, Cruz’s post is unlikely to be against his own drafted bill because it does not contain “intimate visual depictions.”

Additionally Variety reported that X has now limited AI image editing to paid users only.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has rung alarm bells over the controversy, advocating for “all options to be on the table” in terms of legal punishment and a possible ban of the platform.

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​Return, Ted cruz, X, Xai, Grok, Image generation, Senator cruz, Twitter, Tech 

So you got a new phone. Now what? Whether you just unboxed a big and bold iPhone or you’re giving the latest shiny Android handset a spin, there are several things you’ll need before, during, and after you get it all set up. Jump ahead, and you could completely break the setup experience. Follow these steps in order, though, and your new phone will be ready to roll in no time with all your data intact.

Before you turn on your new phone

Both iPhones and Android phones require an account to set them up properly. If this is your first smartphone, you will need to either create an Apple or Google account from scratch or choose an existing account that you have used with other devices in the Apple or Google ecosystems. If you’re upgrading from an old smartphone, however, you already have the account you’ll need for your new device. Either way, make sure you have your login email address and password handy. You’ll need both of them soon.

Tip: Always make sure your login information is saved somewhere safe. Keep it written down in a vault, store it in a digital password manager (both Apple and Google have their own native password managers built into their operating systems), lock it in a diary, or commit it to your photographic memory (if you have been so blessed). No matter what you do, record your login info and make sure you never lose it. Recovering account credentials is much harder than storing them properly in the first place.

Back up your old phone

Next, you’ll need to back up your old phone. A cloud backup makes a copy of all the data, apps, and settings on your old device so that your new device can re-download them and set everything back up exactly as you left it. For a detailed tutorial, check out our complete phone backup guide. Otherwise, use the search function in the “Settings” app to find your device’s backup options.

Tip: If you don’t have enough cloud storage to back up your phone properly, both iPhone and Android offer local quick setup options that let you send your personal information to the new device by holding both phones side by side. That said, even if you choose this option, it’s still a good idea to keep a cloud backup of your device in case it is ever lost, stolen, or destroyed.

Set up your new device

Okay, now it’s time to turn on your new phone. Power it up, log in with your email address and password, and follow the instructions to restore your new phone from your cloud backup or through the quick-start option. Either route pulls the same information into your new device, and they both take about the same amount of time to completely re-download your apps and restore your settings. Depending on how much data you have saved on your old device, expect to set aside 30 minutes to several hours for a complete device restore.

Tip: If you’re switching from iPhone to Android or vice versa, you won’t be able to download an exact copy of your old phone, but you can still pull over a lot of your personal data. To get started, download the Android Switch app to your old iPhone or the Move to iOS app to your old Android phone, open the app, and follow the prompts to migrate as much information as possible.

Photo credit: Apple Support

Move your SIM card

Your SIM card is the little chip in your phone that interfaces with your cellular carrier so that you can make calls, send text messages, and surf the web. If your new and old phones still use physical SIM cards, you can simply pop the card out of your old phone using a SIM ejector pin (or a paper clip will do) and insert it into your new device.

However, many new phones have moved to digital eSIM cards. Even more confusing, some carriers will allow you to move your eSIM card from one device to another through their apps, which you can download from the App Store or Google Play. Other carriers require you to call their customer support line and provide some information to complete the switch.

Whichever option fits your carrier, go ahead and move your cell service to your new device now before you do anything else.

WARNING: It’s much harder to move an eSIM from your old phone to your new phone after the old one is erased. Do not erase your old phone until your service is activated on your new device.

Erase your old phone

After your new device is set up and your carrier service is activated, thumb through it briefly to make sure all your data, apps, and settings were transferred properly. This step is important, because once you erase your old device, there’s no going back. After you know everything is in order, open the Settings app on your old phone.

For iPhone owners, select “General,” swipe down, and tap “Transfer or Reset iPhone.” Hit “Erase All Content and Settings,” then “Continue.” From here, Apple may prompt you for your lockscreen passcode and your iCloud password. Type these in to erase your old device. The old phone will cycle through a reboot, and once you see the “Hello” screen, you’re all done.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

For Android owners, tap on your Google account at the top of the page, select your account email address, then “manage accounts on this device.” Under the “Personal” section, select your email address one more time and remove the account from your old phone. It’s important that you remove your Google account first; otherwise your old device will show up in your account for another month or two.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

Once that is done, go back to the main Settings app page and choose “System.” Scroll all the way down, select “Reset options,” tap on “Erase all data (factory reset),” then “Erase all data” again. You’ll need to enter your lockscreen PIN, confirm one more time that you want to erase all data, and you’re done.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

Get rid of your old phone

The last thing you need to do is get rid of your old phone. If you received your new device as a gift, you can sell your old phone outright in an online store, like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc. You might also be able to sell it to a retailer, like Best Buy, for store credit or simply recycle it with no payout.

If you purchased your phone — or plan to purchase one — in person, many stores offer trade-in options to turn over your old device in exchange for money off your new one.

Whichever option you choose, don’t simply throw your phone away in the trash. Most electronic devices come with lithium-ion batteries that can explode when compressed by a trash compactor or put under the extreme heat of an incinerator. Always recycle old gadgets responsibly.

Enjoy your new phone!

That’s it! Now that your new phone is set up and your old phone is long gone, you’re ready to enjoy your device for many years to come. Just make sure your cloud backup settings are turned on in case of accidents, theft, or future upgrades. You never know when your new device will become your old one.

​Tech 

A career criminal killed a beloved North Carolina teacher in a horrific home invasion, according to police — and new reports suggest the suspect previously received a sweetheart plea deal that allowed him back on the streets.

The Raleigh Police Department said in a statement that officers responded to a report of a burglary just after 6:30 a.m. Jan. 3.

‘It was like a horror movie.’

Police said the victim — 57-year-old Zoe Welsh — indicated a man was inside her home.

“While still on the phone with dispatch, the suspect began to assault her,” police stated.

Police said Welsh was suffering from life-threatening injuries when officers arrived at her home. However, Welsh later died at a hospital.

Officers arrested 36-year-old Ryan Camacho, and he was taken into custody without incident.

Camacho was charged with murder and felony burglary. He was denied bond and is being detained at the Wake County Detention Center.

Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said of Welsh, “I am deeply heartbroken for this mother, friend, and mentor to many in our community, and for the unimaginable trauma her family must endure.”

Boyce added, “The arrest of the suspect sends a strong message that criminal acts will not be tolerated in the city of Raleigh.”

This investigation remains ongoing.

RELATED: 14-year-old ‘angel’ reportedly found dead in RV; alleged relative with criminal past charged with her murder, sexual assault

Welsh had taught AP biology and forensic science at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh since 2006, a school spokesperson told WTVD-TV.

“Her loss is deeply felt by all of us who had the privilege of working with her and learning in her classroom,” the school spokesperson said.

Calysa Sauls, one of Welsh’s former students, told WRAL-TV, “She really cared for her students. She definitely was one of those teachers who was passionate about the subject that she taught.”

Olivia Alvarez — Welsh’s house cleaner for years — added to WTVD, “I’ll remember her smile; she was always happy.”

Alvarez added, “I love you, Zoe, so much, you are now with God, and this man is going to pay, he’s going to pay.”

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) wrote, “Zoe Welsh, by all accounts, was a special teacher and person. My heart goes out to her family and students, who have suffered a traumatic loss from another senseless act of violence.”

Camacho reportedly has a lengthy criminal history spanning over 20 years but allegedly has benefited from generous plea deals.

In December, a judge dismissed breaking-and-entering charges against Camacho after a mental competency examination, WRAL noted in a separate story.

Prosecutors recommended that Camacho be involuntarily committed to a mental hospital, but that request was denied by Judge Louis Meyer, according to District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.

Freeman told WRAL, “Based on the evidence that was available to the court at the time, the court did not find that he met the threshold for involuntary commitment. For involuntary commitment, the judge has to make a finding that they are a danger to themselves or others.”

Meyer did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.

WRAL reported that Camacho’s lengthy rap sheet includes charges of assault with a deadly weapon, breaking and entering, larceny after breaking and entering, malicious conduct by a prisoner, injury to personal property, injury to real property, trespassing, stalking, and probation violations.

In 2025, Camacho reportedly got a sweetheart plea deal that allowed him back on the streets.

Citing public records, WRAL reported that Camacho faced up to a four-year prison sentence for four felony charges — but all the felonies were reduced to a single misdemeanor.

What’s more, Camacho in 2021 attempted to escape from the Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

Freeman on Monday said “he has spent a lot of time bouncing between the prison system and the local jails over the last few years and has really been in custody all but maybe a total of 12 months within the past six years.”

RELATED: Pregnant woman disappears without a trace — but a grisly forest horror scene sends cops straight to her mother and stepfather

Wes Phillips — a long-time Raleigh resident — claimed he was forced to move after Camacho, his former neighbor, allegedly harassed and stalked his family nearly a decade ago.

In the spring of 2016, Phillips said he discovered two tires on his car were slashed and a mirror was torn off while a mirror on his wife’s car also was torn off.

According to the Raleigh News and Observer, Phillips questioned Camacho about the vandalization of the cars, “The lightbulb sort of went on for me at that point, and I asked him, ‘Did you touch my [expletive] car?'”

Phillips alleged that Camacho walked toward him and “cocked his fists into a fighting position.” Phillips’ wife reportedly broke things up.

In October 2016, as Hurricane Matthew hit North Carolina, Phillips noticed Camacho outside his home.

“It was like a horror movie, like he was standing there in a black jacket, staring at us in front of our house during a hurricane,” Phillips told WRAL-TV. “Not talking, like making sure that we knew who he was.”

Just days later, Phillips alleged that after he entered his vehicle and locked the doors, Camacho “was pulling on the door, trying to get in.”

WRAL reported, “Security video from that day showed a man throw a rock into the windshield of Phillips’ car and then through the sunroof, before punching and kicking the vehicle.”

Phillips’ landlord let him end the lease early so he and his family could move away from Camacho, but the suspect allegedly showed up at Phillips’ new townhome with a gun.

Phillips explained, “He shot into our building where he thought that we lived. That’s something that stays with us.”

Citing court documents, WRAL reported that no one was injured in the shooting, but Camacho was arrested and spent two years in prison.

In fear of violence from Camacho, the Phillips family armed themselves with “lethal and non-lethal protection measures.”

Phillips noted, “It’s not like there weren’t signs. We were really adamant about the danger that we felt we were in, and perhaps other people were in, and it just wasn’t taken seriously.”

Phillips said that there was a complete failure that led to a “woman being killed.”

Phillips continued, “My wife and I are asking ourselves right now as we think about what happened this past week, how close did we come to being that person, and could that have been prevented?”

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​True crime, True crime news, Murder, Stalking, Ryan camacho, Zoe welsh, Home invasion, Crime, Teacher 

On Wednesday, January 7, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a large-scale federal immigration enforcement operation. Based on video footage from the incident, President Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and many other officials have accused Good of deliberately obstructing ICE and weaponizing her vehicle in an attempt to ram and run over the agent who shot her.

The left, meanwhile, is foaming at the mouth, framing Good, whose vehicle struck an officer, requiring him to seek medical attention, as an innocent observer.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) have even gone as far as challenging federal forces. Most conservatives have had little reaction to their statements, as they’re on brand for the two radical leftists, but Glenn Beck says they should terrify everyone.

On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn breaks down the dangerous implications of Frey’s and Walz’s statements.

In a press conference following the incident with Good, Frey said, “I have a message for ICE. To ICE, get the f**k out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite.”

Glenn is flabbergasted by the mayor’s words. “What else is going on in Minneapolis? … The biggest scandal of the state and possibly the biggest heist of taxpayer money in the history of our country is going on in [Minneapolis’] Somali community,” he says, predicting that both Frey and Walz will “go to jail” for their alleged complicity in it.

“So do they have any incentive at all to make the federal government into the bad guy? Absolutely,” Glenn continues, adding that Frey’s disdain for the federal government is akin to that of the “anarchists, communists, [and] people who are trying to actively overthrow our government by causing chaos in our streets.”

Walz’s statement was even more terrifying, however.

“We do not need any further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough. … I have issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard. We have soldiers in training and prepared to be deployed if necessary. I remind you, a warning order is a heads-up for folks,” he said.

“There is no other way to read this other than: ‘I am training our National Guard to stand up against our federal government,’” Glenn translates.

As outlined in the Constitution, a governor, Glenn explains, “cannot block the Department of Justice in any criminal investigation,” “the Department of Homeland Security enforcement action,” or “Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations carried out under federal statute.”

“Federal authority in these areas come directly from what’s called the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. It means the federal law is supreme over what the governor says and what the state law is,” he explains.

“State consent for federal law enforcement is not required, so when a governor says, ‘We don’t need any further help from the federal government’ … there’s nothing legal in that — nothing.”

It is legal, however, for a governor to “refuse cooperation,” “withdraw all state resources,” and even “instruct state agencies, ‘you’re not to participate.”’ But “the moment the governor crosses this line from non-cooperation to interference, they’ve just violated the Constitution and put us on the edge of a constitutional crisis or civil war,” says Glenn.

Walz threatening to deploy the military against federal operations in the state is “the brightest red line,” he says.

“Once the governor said that, everything has to change.”

One option, although it’s Glenn’s least favorite, is Trump federalizes the Minnesota National Guard.

The other option is for Walz to face “obstruction consequences,” says Glenn. “Federal injunctions, contempt of court, criminal exposure for obstruction — this all has precedent, and it should be considered.”

Glenn is certain that Walz is not actually threatening to deploy the National Guard against federal officers — as that would land him in jail, which he’s already trying to avoid in light of the state’s egregious Somali fraud schemes.

“He is calling up the Democratic national guard. … He is calling on people like Renee Nicole Good. He is trying to get people who are so zombie-like on the Democratic side to go up and put their bodies in and to obstruct. He’s using them as soldiers,” Glenn lays bare.

What Walz said is “not just unconstitutional on the National Guard side. That is just morally reprehensible.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

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​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Jacob frey, Tim walz, Minnesota, Renee nicole good, Ice, Ice shooting, Ice shooting minneapolis, Minneapolis, Somali fraud, Blazetv, Blaze media 

In early 2025, the new Trump administration asked Dr. Steven Greer — founder of the Disclosure Project and a leading figure in the UFO/UAP research community — to write a one-page briefing document to hand directly to the president.

Greer confirms he had been asked to write such a document, had written it, and had been told it was put in the president’s hand.

In the face of the unknown, do we choose hope over fear? Do we choose courage over cowardice?

The following is the text of that memorandum:

From: Steven M. Greer, MD — Director of the Disclosure Project
To: President Donald J. Trump
Re: The UFO/UAP subject

Since the 1950s, the UFO/UAP subject has been handled by a corrupt deep state transnational organization whose power has grown to a level that is an imminent threat to national security and international peace and security.

This organization is a hybrid of unconstitutional deep state and government compartmented operations and corporate special projects.

It has reverse-engineered non-human intelligence (NHI) craft and is operating man-made advanced technologies at parity with NHI technologies. These human technologies are currently being used in a number of criminal operations including assassinations, abductions, human/drug/weapons trafficking, embezzlement of US government funds, acts of treason and have the capacity to simulate a fake alien attack at any moment.

I have debriefed over 700 government and corporate whistleblowers over the past 35 years and have documented their information in the Briefing Document provided to your staff.

The following Executive Orders are urgently needed:

Explicit whistleblower protection specifying both legal amnesty and personal security.An Executive Order authorizing a TS-SCI SAP [top secret, secure communication infrastructure Special Access Program] with significant funding currently configured under law enforcement to stand down these illegal operations and especially the illegal use of electromagnetic pulse weapons (EMP) currently being used against NHI craft as these actions imperil the future of humanity.An Executive Order requiring all UFO/UAP operations to be fully disclosed within 6 months or those responsible will be vigorously prosecuted.An Executive Order to authorize an advanced diplomatic team to make peaceful contact with NHI civilizations.An Executive Order authorizing the review and release of Advanced Technology (AT) held by this criminal organization that would create total energy independence for the US and would begin a new energy economy with which the US would lead the world economically.

Please feel free to contact me at any time. I am the world’s leading expert on this subject. There is not a distant second. I will provide any assistance, advice and evidence that you and your administration require.

Respectfully yours,
Steven M. Greer, MD
February 9, 2025

According to Greer, this memorandum was put into Trump’s hands, Trump read it, his eyes lit up, and he said, “I want to pursue this.”

And that’s probably where all of us sit with this story. Many allegations have been made, and we can’t tell you what is true. But we know that when a number of claims all point in a similar direction, it should engage your attention.

RELATED: Public will soon be able to invest in ‘advanced or reverse-engineered alien technology’

simonbradfield via iStock/Getty Images

Even the skeptics interviewed for our book, “Catastrophic Disclosure,” including U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), believe that important secrets are being kept from the American public. Perhaps we have accurately depicted what has been hidden for more than 70years. Perhaps we have been fooled by an elaborate series of lies.

In the classic television series “The X-Files,” a common refrain is, “I want to believe.” But it’s not enough to believe or disbelieve in the alien phenomenon. More than anything else, we want to know whether aliens, non-human intelligences, and unidentified aerial phenomena are real — and whether a golden age of scientific miracles is at hand.

Can we cure disease, clean up our planet, feed the hungry, and journey to the stars?

In the face of the unknown, do we choose hope over fear? Do we choose courage over cowardice?

Perhaps we begin by refusing to accept the lies. Perhaps it is by accepting that whatever the facts may be, we know that their full and complete disclosure will not be catastrophic.

We can handle the truth.

Editor’s note: This article is an excerpt from Heckenlively and Mazzola’s “Catastrophic Disclosure,” published this week by Post Hill Press.

​Opinion & analysis, Ufos, Uap, Ufo sightings, Uap sightings, Steven greer, Donald trump, Age of disclosure, Declassify, Area 51, Aliens, Deep state, Corporations, Non-human intelligence, Corruption, Electromagnetic pulse, National security, Advanced technology, Alien technology, Reverse engineering ufos, X-files, Catastrophic disclosure book, Eric burlison, Congress, Congressional hearing, Transparency, Trust 

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent revealed on Thursday that the Trump administration is clamping down on extra-national remittances by individuals exploiting public assistance.

The announcement, which comes on the heels of a series of damning revelations about fraud committed by Somalis in Minnesota, could prove impactful for the crime-ridden Islamic nation of Somalia.

After all, members of the Somali diaspora sent $2.12 billion in remittances home in 2024 alone. The loss of the American portion of this funding stream would not go unnoticed for a failed nation with a GDP in the neighborhood of $12 billion.

‘Our generosity has been taken advantage of.’

Bessent, who is also the acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, “We are here to follow the money because that’s what Treasury does.”

“We did it with the mafia, we have done it with the cartels, and now we are going to do it with these Somali fraudsters,” continued Bessent. “Treasury has something called FinCEN, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and we are coming in.”

Bessent indicated that the agency is launching four investigations into money-service businesses “that we believe may have wired money out of the country — a lot of the ill-gotten, stolen money — over to the Middle East, over to Somalia. We’ll see where that’s going.”

RELATED: Somali terror group cashing in on your tax dollars? Minnesota’s child-care fraud whistleblowers warned about a decade ago.

Photographer: Ben Brewer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As part of the crackdown, Bessent indicated that FinCEN will be issuing a Geographic Targeting Order, an order that imposes new identification and record-keeping requirements pertaining to transactions within a certain region, and engaging in “enhanced surveillance.”

“There’s something called a Suspicious Activity Report if a certain amount of money gets wired,” added Bessent.

According to guidance released in October by FinCEN, financial institutions are required to “file a SAR if the institution knows, suspects, or has reason to suspect that the transaction or series of transactions are designed to evade [currency transaction reporting] requirements.”

After Ingraham suggested the threshold was $10,000, Bessent said, “We’re lowering that to $3,000.”

In addition to significantly lowering the threshold for a SAR, Bessent said that “from now on, anyone who wires money out from one of these money-service businesses has to check a box saying whether they are on public assistance.”

“If you are on public assistance, we are going to start pushing that you cannot wire money out of the country,” added Bessent.

“Our generosity has been taken advantage of.”

The treasury secretary further suggested that if a so-called asylum seeker is wiring money out of the country, “one of two things must be true: You are getting too much money and your benefits should be cut, or you are part of this conspiracy.”

Days before President Donald Trump announced the termination of the Temporary Protected Status designation for Somalia, BlazeTV host Christopher Rufo and investigative reporter Ryan Thorpe detailed the alleged direction of stolen taxpayer funds by Somalis in America to terrorists abroad.

According to the duo’s City Journal report, federal counterterrorism sources confirmed “that millions of dollars in stolen funds have been sent back to Somalia, where they ultimately landed in the hands of the terror group Al-Shabaab.”

Al-Shabaab is a Somalia-based, Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist organization committed to waging a global jihad.

One confidential source told Rufo and Thorpe that “the largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”

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​Scott bessent, Treasury, Fraud, Somali, Somalia, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Fincen, Financial, Remittances, Wire fraud, Wire, Terrorism, Al-shabaab, Politics