Saudi Arabia’s world-renowned megaproject called the Line is seemingly making a U-turn.

In 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a futuristic city that was every globalist’s dream.

‘As a development that’s meant to span generations, Neom is advancing projects in line with strategic priorities.’

The city was to be “free of cars and streets,” with residents able to hop on high-speed trains to traverse the city in around 20 minutes. A press release boasted “hyper-connected AI-enabled communities powered by 100% clean energy” as well.

The gigantic, mirrored linear city was supposed to be up and running in significant capacity by 2030, but now it seems the project is being completely retrofitted for different needs.

The Financial Times reported that those briefed on Saudi Arabia’s new plans have stated that Prince Mohammed now envisions a “far smaller” project that has been scaled back in a considerable manner, with the Line likely become a high-tech data center.

A more “modest” project would still use existing infrastructure that is already built, but will be “a totally different concept” used in a “totally different manner,” the source said.

“Data centres need water cooling, and this is right on the coast, so it will have seawater cooling. So it will be a major centre for data centres.”

RELATED: Did American comedians SELL OUT for Saudi cash? The Riyadh hypocrisy exposed

Saudi Arabia reportedly hopes to establish itself as a “global hub for data and AI” under its Neom moniker, which is the Saudi group responsible for the project.

Neom told the Financial Times that it was “always looking at how to phase and prioritise our initiatives so that they align with national objectives and create long-term value.”

The statement continued, “As a development that’s meant to span generations, Neom is advancing projects in line with strategic priorities, market readiness, and sustainable economic impact.”

The Line will still attempt to meet hard deadlines such as the Expo international trade fair in 2030 and the FIFA World Cup in 2034.

RELATED: Akon’s African ‘Wakanda’ city gets crushed: ‘I take full responsibility’

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

According to YouTube channel MegaBuilds, the scope of the project was already being scaled down since its announcement; originally set for 170 kilometers long, it was downgraded to 2.4 kilometers, the channel said. At the same time, 9 million residents soon allegedly became 300,000.

However, original press stated a plan for 1 million residents, which was to create 380,000 “jobs of the future.”

“The Line currently consumes about 20% of global steel production,” MegaBuilds claimed, as the Saudis were attempting to build a marina that is twice the size of any in existence.

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Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, reportedly sent a message to employees saying that it was patriotic to call out government overreach, specifically centering on Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Altman’s internal message on Slack was met with approval by many of the employees, according to a report at the New York Times.

‘We are going to continue to try to figure out how to actually do the right thing as best as we can, engage with leaders and push for our values, and speak up clearly about it as needed.’

“I love the U.S. and its values of democracy and freedom and will be supportive of the country however I can; OpenAI will too,” Altman said, according to reports. “But part of loving the country is the American duty to push back against overreach. What’s happening with ICE is going too far.”

Altman went on to praise President Donald Trump.

“President Trump is a very strong leader, and I hope he will rise to this moment and unite the country,” the CEO continued. “I am encouraged by the last few hours of response and hope to see trust rebuilt with transparent investigations.”

The message did not mention the lethal shooting of anti-ICE agitator Alex Pretti on Saturday, but it was sent to employees after the controversial incident.

“As a company, we aim to stick to our convictions and not get blown around by changing fashions too much,” Altman added.

“We didn’t become super woke when that was popular, we didn’t start talking about masculine corporate energy when that was popular, and we are not going to make a lot of performative statements now about safety or politics or anything else,” he concluded. “But we are going to continue to try to figure out how to actually do the right thing as best as we can, engage with leaders and push for our values, and speak up clearly about it as needed.”

Blaze News reached out to Altman for comment.

RELATED: VIDEO: Leotarded liberals protest ICE facility with ’80s-themed aerobics class

The White House appeared to distance itself from some of the rhetoric being used by officials at the Department of Homeland Security about the Pretti shooting. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino agreed to leave Minneapolis after the president said border czar Thomas Homan would be overseeing the operation in Minnesota.

Altman’s leadership at OpenAI has been a tumultuous ride that includes mass resignations, numerous lawsuits, and other allegations against the CEO.

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As the BLM-fueled chaos of 2020 appears to be repeating itself in 2026, the same demographic appears to be falling hardest for it: liberal white women.

And it only makes sense, as according to a Gallup poll graph, the partisan gap between men and women has almost doubled in the past 25 years — with women moving radically leftward, while men have stayed relatively the same.

BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey explains that the answer as to why this is happening is “not entirely simple.”

However, one reason is that women seek social cohesion, while men are more likely to form an identity outside of a group.

“We’ve all had those moments where we just want to be agreeable. Like, we feel compassion for this person. We want to feel polite. We don’t want to be at odds with them, especially when we’re in conversation,” she explains, using an example from her own life.

Stuckey recalls recently getting her hair done by a hairstylist who was very sweet. When the hairstylist began trying to discuss horoscopes with Stuckey — who doesn’t believe in horoscopes — Stuckey just nodded her head and didn’t say anything.

“You take that, like, one awkward scenario and you extrapolate that, or you make that bigger in how you live your life and make even big political decisions — you can see how that leads someone in the direction of following the cultural zeitgeist, which is progressivism,” Stuckey explains.

Though according to researchers in a study Stuckey reads, these traits “were naturally selected to yield better results in raising children.”

“So there is good reason why we like cooperation. These are not all bad things. These can help in being good moms,” Stuckey says.

“That is part of the psychology, I think, of what is going on here. And that is so like Satan, by the way, to manipulate women and to use really good things about ourselves and to use them as a hook for propaganda and to ask the age-old question, ‘Did God really say?’” she continues.

“It’s just that all of these good things about us make us more susceptible to lies,” she adds.

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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.

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The Department of Homeland Security highlighted several of Monday’s “worst of the worst” arrests in Minnesota.

As part of the DHS’ Operation Metro Surge, federal authorities have captured kidnappers, pedophiles, and other violent assailants, according to a press release obtained by Blaze News.

‘Our law enforcement officers are risking their lives to arrest these thugs — some RELEASED from Minnesota jails — and are saving countless American lives by getting these criminals out of our country.’

DHS reported last week that it had made 3,000 arrests over the last six weeks as part of the ongoing operation.

“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlights more worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens arrested in Minnesota yesterday during Operation Metro Surge, including those convicted of kidnapping, child rape, assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, assault, and possession of fraudulent documents,” Tuesday’s release reads.

Among those arrested on Monday was Bee Yang, an illegal alien from Thailand. Yang was issued a final order of removal in 2015 after he was convicted of numerous crimes, including first-degree kidnapping, assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm, robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, felony larceny, and larceny of a motor vehicle.

RELATED: ‘You should f**king kill yourself’: DHS releases terrifying audio of anti-ICE agitator threatening Minnesota agent

Bee Yang, Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Federal agents arrested Wilson Johny Encalada Molina, an illegal alien from Ecuador. He was issued a final order of removal in 2023 after he was charged with third-degree rape of a child under 17 years old, malicious punishment of a child, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Wilson Johny Encalada Molina. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Ian Mwangi Irungu, from Kenya, was also nabbed by immigration agents. He was previously convicted of selling heroin and dangerous drugs.

Ian Mwangi Irungu. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Melvin Yobany Hernandez Espana, from Honduras, was previously convicted of assault.

Melvin Yobany Hernandez Espana. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Immigration agents captured Sergio Quintero Romero, an illegal alien from Mexico with a final order of removal from 2012. He was previously apprehended by law enforcement three times for illegally entering the U.S. Romero was also accused of attempting to defraud the immigration system by presenting a fraudulent lawful permanent resident card to an immigration official.

Sergio Quintero Romero. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

Federal law enforcement officials also nabbed Oliverio Otoniel Francisco-Esteban, an illegal alien from Mexico. He was issued a final order of removal in 2015. DHS reported that Francisco-Esteban has been removed from the U.S. five times, and he was previously convicted of three counts of driving under the influence of liquor, possessing fraudulent immigration documents, illegal entry, and re-entry. Francisco-Esteban currently has an outstanding warrant in Ohio for failure to appear.

RELATED: ICE unleashed: Agents can once again fend off agitators after court torpedoes Biden judge’s injunction

Oliverio Otoniel Francisco-Esteban. Image source: Department of Homeland Security

“Just yesterday, DHS law enforcement arrested several repeat offenders including a criminal illegal alien convicted of kidnapping, robbery, felony larceny, and assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated in the Tuesday press release.

“Our law enforcement officers are risking their lives to arrest these thugs — some RELEASED from Minnesota jails — and are saving countless American lives by getting these criminals out of our country. 70% of all ICE arrests nationwide are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S. Check out more of the worst of the worst we arrested in Minnesota at wow.dhs.gov/Minnesota,” McLaughlin added.

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An altercation involving U.S. Border Patrol led to one person in critical condition after getting shot in Southern Arizona, according to a spokesperson for the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.

The shooting comes only three days after anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement agitator Alex Pretti was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when he interfered with an operation while armed with a gun.

‘Patient care was transferred to a local medical helicopter.’

The unidentified person was shot near milepost 15 on West Arivaca Road in southern Pima County at about 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Santa Rita Fire District.

The circumstances of the shooting have not yet been released.

“Patient care was transferred to a local medical helicopter for rapid transport to a regional trauma center,” said a statement from the fire department. “The incident remains under active investigation by law enforcement agencies.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation.

PCSD said they were conducing a routine investigation into the use of force.

“Such requests are standard practice when a federal agency is involved in a shooting incident within Pima County and consistent with long-standing relationships built through time to promote transparency,” said the agency in a statement.

RELATED: More anti-ICE footage: ‘I am a liberal, leftist, pagan, lesbian, transgender woman, and witch!’

Democrats are threatening to force a partial government shutdown unless Republicans agree to separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security in a new bill that has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Arivaca is a rural community of fewer than 1,000 people about 10 miles away from the U.S.-Mexico border.

This is a developing story.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed all state agencies on Tuesday to “immediately freeze” new H-1B visa petitions, citing “recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa program” and the “federal government’s ongoing review of that program to ensure American jobs are going to American workers.”

BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales, who exposed a rash of possible H-1B visa fraud in the Lone Star State earlier this month, welcomed the governor’s directive.

‘Bad actors have exploited this program by failing to make good-faith efforts to recruit qualified US workers before seeking to use foreign labor.’

Gonzales told Blaze News, “I am thrilled to hear our work exposing the abuse of the H-1B system is being taken seriously, and I commend Governor Abbott for taking necessary steps to protect American workers in the state of Texas from having their jobs stolen from them.”

“I hope this is the first of many statewide actions that course correct on this issue,” Gonzales added.

RELATED: ‘A direct path to Citizenship’: Trump announces official launch of Trump Gold Card visa program

At the outset of her investigation, Gonzales scrutinized a pair of companies that on paper appear to have relied in recent years on scores of foreign workers: 3Bees Technologies Inc. and Qubitz Tech Systems.

3Bees Technologies Inc. — whose agent, director, and president is Vamsi Krishna Vajinapally — had 27 H-1B beneficiaries approved in 2022 and 19 visa petitions apparently denied the following year. Qubitz Tech Systems had 12 H-1B beneficiaries approved last year.

RELATED: America should eliminate the H-1B and replace it with THIS

BlazeTV

Gonzales’ visits to the supposed offices of both companies — a vacant construction site in one case and a vacant, prison cell-size room with a single chair in the other — proved eye-opening, prompting her and others to question whether the companies and their visa sponsorships were above-board.

“Once you start scraping data from H-1B databases, you start seeing immediately all of these patterns,” Gonzales said in her damning report. “The biggest question I have right now is: If we were able to find this with just a little bit of Google-searching and follow-up, why hasn’t [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] done anything to combat this?”

When pressed for comment, Abbott’s office referred Blaze News to his directive, which states:

Evidence suggests that bad actors have exploited this program by failing to make good-faith efforts to recruit qualified U.S. workers before seeking to use foreign labor. In the most egregious schemes, employers have even fired American workers and replaced them with H-1B employees, often at lower wages. Rather than serving its intended purpose of attracting the best and brightest individuals from around the world to our nation to fill truly specialized and unmet labor needs, the program has too often been used to fill jobs that otherwise could — and should — have been filled by Texans.

Per the governor’s directive, state agencies are prohibited from initiating or filing any new petition to sponsor a non-immigrant worker under the federal H-1B visa program unless given express permission by the Texas Workforce Commission.

The governor has also given public universities and various state agencies until March 27 to provide an account of how many H-1B visa holders they are currently sponsoring; the countries of origin of their sponsored H-1B visa holders; the expected expiration date for each sponsored visa; and the efforts taken to ensure that Texan candidates were afforded a reasonable opportunity to apply for each position filled by an H-1B visa holder.

“State government must lead by example and ensure that employment opportunities — particularly those funded with taxpayer dollars — are filled by Texans first,” Abbott wrote in his directive.

The H-1B visa program enables U.S.-based employers to temporarily hire foreign workers into specialized positions that American citizens supposedly can’t do. H-1B specialty occupation workers are generally admitted for a period of up to three years, which can in most cases be extended for another three years.

While Republicans are taking action, lawmakers from both parties have in recent years expressed concerns about H-1B visa fraud and abuse, proposing amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act that would reform or even abolish the program.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ H-1B Employer Data Hub indicates that over 41,500 H-1B visa beneficiaries were approved for fiscal year 2025 in Texas. Oracle America Inc., Tesla Inc., AT&T Services Inc., Hewlett Packard, American Airlines, Texas A&M’s flagship campus, and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center were among the top sponsors.

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​H-1b, Visa, Immigration, Immigrant, Wage suppression, Wage, Money, Texas, Greg abbott, Sara gonzales, Fraud, Visa fraud, Politics 

Two weeks ago, Tori Nelson reportedly got a message from the babysitter of her 3-month-old boy, Braxton, that no parent ever wants to receive.

Chris Musselman — Braxton’s father — told YourCentralValley.com that the babysitter said she fell on Braxton and then woke up only to find the infant “unresponsive.”

‘He cries, but his cry is different. You know your baby’s cry, and like, what they want and need. And I just don’t know anymore.’

With that, Braxton was rushed to emergency surgery for severe head trauma, the station said.

“We barged into the emergency room where the ambulance goes,” Musselman told the station regarding his and Nelson’s response. “We get yelled at by security guards.”

After a six-hour surgery, a doctor shared more bad news, the station said.

“He explained to us that his injuries weren’t consistent with a fall … [they] were consistent with a baby that had been shaken,” Musselman told the station. “And at that point, [the doctor] had no other choice as a mandatory reporter to involve [Child Protective Services] and involve the authorities.”

With that, 50-year-old Tonya Hamilton — a nonrelative caregiver of Braxton — was arrested and booked into the Madera County Jail in California on felony child abuse-related charges, the station said. The city of Madera is about 30 minutes northwest of Fresno.

As you might imagine, Braxton’s parents said the days since they first got word about their son have been a nightmare.

“He cries, but his cry is different,” Nelson revealed to the station. “You know your baby’s cry, and like, what they want and need. And I just don’t know anymore.”

Musselman added to the station that “it’s been absolutely tragic. No parent should ever have to go through this. No child should ever have to be treated this way.”

Naturally Braxton’s mom and dad are constantly at Valley Children’s Hospital by Braxton’s side, the station said.

RELATED: Day-care worker confesses to ‘intentionally suffocating’ 11-month-old boy who died; it was ‘an attention-seeking act’: Cops

“I was heartbroken to see my son that way with all the tubes. And just, like, in the state that he was in, like, he never asked for this,” Nelson added to the station.

Musselman added to the station that “we haven’t held him for almost two weeks. It’ll be two weeks on Tuesday. And to not be able to console your child is heart-wrenching.”

One bit of good news is that Braxton is no longer in the Intensive Care Unit and no longer on a breathing tube, the station said, adding that his mom and dad finally got to hold him.

But the battle is far from over.

“He’s having heavy withdrawal symptoms just from the amounts of fentanyl and sedation that he was on,” Musselman told the station. “So we’re just trying to navigate that.”

Nelson added to the station that Braxton “is missing the whole right side of his skull right now. So the day that he comes home, we don’t know if he will come home with a skull or without a skull.”

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family pay for present and future medical costs and other expenses.

The sheriff’s office offered a public safety reminder: “Shaking a baby, even for a few seconds, can cause permanent brain injury or death. If you are feeling overwhelmed, place the baby in a safe location and step away. Ask for help. There is never an excuse for shaking a child. If you suspect child abuse, report it. Your call could save a life.”

The sheriff’s office also said the photo of Hamilton on its news release is from a California driver’s license photo and is not a booking photo.

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The man who was shot and killed during a scuffle with federal agents last weekend had suffered a broken rib in a previous altercation with federal agents, sources claim.

Alex Pretti tried to intervene in another federal immigration operation and got tackled by federal agents about a week before his death, according to the CNN report.

‘That day, he thought he was going to die.’

The report was based on a person who spoke to Pretti about the previous incident but asked to remain anonymous to avoid retribution.

That source said the incident began when Pretti saw federal agents chasing a family, and he reacted by blowing his whistle and shouting at them. The agents tackled Pretti, and one leaned on his back, which led to a rib being broken, according to Pretti’s alleged comments to the source.

Pretti was released at the scene.

“That day, he thought he was going to die,” the source said to CNN.

Records reviewed by CNN showed that Pretti was given medication consistent with treatment for a broken rib.

It was unclear whether federal agents recognized Pretti in the second and lethal encounter, CNN reported.

RELATED: Ilhan Omar accuses Trump of ulterior motive for ICE raids — and JD Vance shuts her down

The CNN report suggested that Pretti could have been known to federal agents because of efforts to collect information about protesters.

“One thing I’m pushing for right now … we’re going to create a database where those people that are arrested for interference, impeding, and assault — we’re going to make them famous,” said Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, earlier in the month. “We’re going to put their face on TV. We’re going to let their employers, in their neighborhoods, in their schools, know who these people are.”

President Donald Trump sent Homan to oversee the operation in Minneapolis, and Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino is reportedly set to leave the city. Homan will report directly to Trump and is meeting with Tim Walz, the state’s governor, and Jacob Frey, the Minneapolis mayor, to negotiate their cooperation with the federal government.

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As the media continues to speculate on Trump’s negotiations with NATO, Greenland, and Denmark — BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere and Glenn Beck’s head writer Jason Buttrill unpack what they believe is actually happening.

“I find myself in a weird position on the Greenland thing. Which is like, I do see its strategic value. It would be great. I don’t necessarily love the way that we went about all of this, frankly. But I will say I really don’t understand what’s happening,” Stu says.

“I don’t necessarily listen to everything that Donald Trump says, because a lot of times what Donald Trump is saying is not directed at me. It’s not directed at you. It’s directed to some official in some other country. He’s saying it to the world, but he means it so that they react to it,” he explains.

“And then later on, his plan may have been the entire time to, like, make this big claim and kind of pull it back afterward. The art of the deal, if you will,” he adds.

He then asks Buttrill, “Was there ever a plan to try to take over Greenland?”

“No. I never believed that for a second. Although, I mean, going back to the 1800s, that’s been a thing that a lot of U.S. presidents have tried to do,” Buttrill answers.

“I assume that it’s like these back channel discussions. And again a lot of this framework could be more posturing,” Buttrill tells Stu.

“It might not eventually get there, but you can tell where the Trump administration is going. They don’t want to negotiate this in the future because we don’t know if our interests will align in the future,” he continues.

“But it still signals to where Donald Trump is going. So right now it says in this framework, if any of this is true, is that we will have bases, potentially multiple bases, and we will, like the area around our bases, be sovereign. So we’ll never have to negotiate these treaties again. We will just be there indefinitely. That’s what they want,” he explains.

“What was the reasoning for us giving it up in the ’90s? Like we’re like ‘Oh, communism fell. I guess we don’t need this anymore.’ Like we didn’t think there could possibly be a threat? It just seems insane that we would mothball all these bases that we had access to,” Stu chimes in.

While neither Buttrill nor Stu are 100% sure as to what the future holds, Buttrill does know one thing for sure.

“Anytime you see a lot of the stuff that President Trump is talking about, the collective freakout, it’s all directed and the media plays right along with it,” he tells Stu, adding, “And the Trump administration knows the media is going to take it in the most extreme.”

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Does Apple’s new deal mean you have to dump your iPhone if you don’t like Google?

Apple struggled for years to turn Apple Intelligence into a viable AI product, and up until now, the company has largely failed. After missed launch deadlines, feature delays, and even lawsuits alleging false advertisement, it was starting to look like Apple Intelligence would be a total dud. Apple thought so too, so the company is officially partnering with Google to make Siri great again, but mounting issues around user privacy and data collection might just be enough to make you want to ditch your iPhone.

This isn’t the first time Apple has enlisted the help of its Big Tech friends.

Siri will be powered by Google

According to a story published in mid-January, Apple has put a hold on building its own in-house models of an AI-powered Siri, at least for now. Instead, the company has partnered with Google on a total refresh that runs on a custom version of Gemini 3 in a deal that’s worth an estimated $5 billion.

The partnership is a huge admission of failure from Apple, as the team has worked on Apple Intelligence for years with little to show for it. Although the team made internal progress, the upgraded Siri was nearly scrapped and rebuilt from scratch at least once since it was unveiled at WWDC 2024. As time rolled on and whispers of development issues plagued the Siri team, rumors started to float around that Apple might tap Google for some much-needed help, and now those rumors have come true.

While Gemini will provide the AI backbone for the new version of Siri that is set to launch this spring, Apple is reportedly not giving up on building its own large language models. This partnership is simply a stopgap option while the company sorts out its internal services for a future release down the road.

Apple trades user privacy for a smarter Siri

This isn’t the first time Apple has enlisted the help of its Big Tech friends on AI. Parts of Apple Intelligence today leverage ChatGPT for bigger queries that are too complex to be processed on device. Instead, these broader queries are sent to OpenAI through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute, an AI server stack powered by Apple hardware that provides a bridge between Apple users and ChatGPT’s servers to anonymize data and protect user privacy.

RELATED: Google’s new motto: Don’t be Christian

At first, it was believed that the new Siri powered by Gemini would use this same structure; however, emerging reports suggest otherwise. Gemini 3 requires more powerful hardware than Apple’s Private Cloud Compute offers today. To ensure that the new Siri runs well on Apple products, queries for the rebooted version on iOS 27, coming later this fall, will run directly on Google’s servers instead. That means Google can access, save, and track any data you feed to Siri once the new version is available, all so Apple can finally turn Apple Intelligence into something people might want to use.

Even worse, while Google claims not to leverage personal data to train AI, recent support documents on Gemini Personal Intelligence state otherwise. The article explicitly highlights that your data can be “used to do things for you, like look up your info or add items to your grocery list, and to improve Google services, including training generative AI.”

Google also has its own version of Private Cloud Compute called Private AI Compute that is meant to protect user data and privacy, so the information you feed into the Googlified Siri should be safe, right? Only if you trust the fox to guard the henhouse. It’s no secret that Google’s entire business model revolves around gobbling up consumer data to sell ads, improve its services, and more. Even if your queries are anonymized, they can still be used to grow the big Google machine.

How to disable Apple Intelligence

If you hate the idea of Google gathering, tracking, and monetizing your data through the new Siri, you might be wondering if it’s time to dump your iPhone for something else.

The short answer is “no.” Aside from an iPhone, the only other smartphone alternatives all run Android, which is even more closely tied to Google, Gemini, and their suite of data-gobbling apps. What you can do, though, is opt out of Apple Intelligence entirely.

To disable Apple Intelligence:

Open up the Settings app on your iPhone.Tap on “Apple Intelligence & Siri.”Uncheck the “Apple Intelligence” toggle at the top of the page, and you’re done.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

Note that this will leave you with a dumber version of Siri, but at least you can be certain that none of your data is shipped off to a Google server somewhere for reasons unknown.

While Siri is said to be getting its first refresh this March or April with Apple Private Cloud Compute in tow, the even more advanced version that runs directly on Google’s servers is coming later this fall. Blaze Media will likely have more coverage on the rollout when iOS 27 launches in September or October. Until then, your Siri queries are safe from Google’s prying eyes, at least for a little while longer.

​Tech 

A Hollywood star’s job is never easy. And it’s especially hard in today’s political climate, when “gestapo”-like law enforcement arrests people whose only crime is being in our country illegally.

Such is the grim report from this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

‘An illegal army is being mounted against US citizens.’

‘What are we gonna do?’

Take actor Ed Norton. What was supposed to be a lighthearted chat about his new polyamory sex comedy, “The Invite,” with co-stars Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde soon turned decidedly dark as the specter of Trump’s immigration policy loomed.

“These days it’s, like, ‘What are we gonna do about masked gestapo shooting American citizens?'” Norton said.

“Have you found an answer?” actor Seth Rogen laughed.

“We are sitting here talking about movies while an illegal army is being mounted against U.S. citizens,” Norton responded.

“Yep,” Wilde agreed.

RELATED: ‘The American Revolution’ keeps founders at arm’s length

ICE to meet you

The harrowing discussion petered out after about 30 seconds, with the celebrities gamely returning to the discussion of their craft.

However, Wilde’s “ICE OUT” lapel button, paired with a laid-back prep ensemble of striped button-down, gray sweatshirt and white barrel-cut jeans — and finished off with a baggy denim jacket in a playful nod to the “Canadian tuxedo” — remained a haunting reminder of what was at stake.

The previous day, Wilde sported the same button on her very on-trend red-carpet ensemble of black “naked dress” — its sheer lace bodice featuring a sweetheart neckline, visible bra cups, and thin straps. The button was pinned high on the bodice, ensuring it remained visible above the neckline.

RELATED: Actresses Olivia Munn and Olivia Wilde mock all-female trip to space: ‘Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride?’

Actress ‘horrified’

Wilde, whose floor-length dress flared slightly before giving way to a thigh-high slit trimmed in matching lace, elaborated on her message to the Associated Press.

“I’m horrified by this string of murders that we are somehow legitimizing and normalizing,” Wilde said. “And I think Americans are all horrified. I think it’s insane and hideous.”

“It’s really difficult to be here and to be celebrating something so joyous and beautiful and positive when we know what’s happening on the streets,” she added.

“Americans are out on the streets marching and demanding justice, and we’re there with them. And if we can do anything with our platforms, you know, we can speak out and demand that ICE get out,” she said, echoing the two-word phrase emblazoned on her button.

Boots on the ground

Elsewhere at the festival, Natalie Portman turned heads with her Luna black zip boots from Moon Boot ($250), the perfect complement to her cozy sweater-and-jeans look. But as with Wilde, all eyes were on her “ICE OUT” button.

The “Star Wars” star minced no words when criticizing the Trump administration’s policies, suggesting that it was the “worst” approach to the problem of illegal immigration, instead of the “best.”

“What they’re doing is really the worst of the worst of humanity,” she told Deadline. “And then we have the best of humanity for the way people are showing up for each other.”

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​Align, Politics, Actors, Sundance, Film festival, Ice, Entertainment 

Kirk Bangstad, the Wisconsin owner of Minocqua Brewing Company and the treasurer of a federal super PAC of the same name, has made no secret of his hatred for President Donald Trump, conservatives, and virtually anyone who doesn’t share his leftist worldview.

For instance, Bangstad — who was ordered to pay a six-figure sum for defamation in 2023 and was charged with harassment last year — stated, “F**k Charlie Kirk,” in a diatribe the day after the Turning Point USA founder’s assassination and wrote weeks later, “May his soul never find peace.”

‘Free beer, all day long, the day he dies. Show us this post when it happens in a few months and we’ll make good on that promise.’

Although the leftist brewer has long engaged in this variety of incendiary commentary, which dovetails with his Ben & Jerry-styled progressive marketing, Bangstad recently raised eyebrows and a potential red flag with a post insinuating the president’s death was forthcoming.

Days after circulating a wanted poster for a federal agent, calling for a “regime change” in the U.S., and stating that “it’s just a matter of time” before “every ICE agent will face justice,” Bangstad said in a Jan. 22 post on the brewery’s Facebook page, “Free beer, all day long, the day he dies. Show us this post when it happens in a few months and we’ll make good on that promise.”

When asked by Fox News for comment, Bangstad appeared to confirm that he was referring to Trump and indicated the brewery would be throwing a “party celebrating the impending death of a twice-impeached convicted felon.”

Bangstad, who unsuccessfully attempted to block President Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot in Wisconsin, did not respond directly to Blaze News’ questions. Instead he accused Blaze News of engaging in “‘gotcha’ state-sponsored propaganda” and shared the contact information of a Blaze News reporter, inviting his followers to email the reporter with their own comments.

RELATED: Anti-ICE lunacy hits new low: Activist allegedly air-horns cops investigating school threat that had nothing to do with ICE

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

The U.S. Secret Service told Blaze News, “The U.S. Secret Service is aware of the social media post by the Minocqua Brewing Company. Out of concern for operational security, we do not discuss matters of protective intelligence.”

Bangstad’s post also caught the attention of various critics, including Libs of TikTok, who noted, “How are we supposed to share a country with these people? Democrats want us dead.”

The American left appears to have a strong appetite for political violence.

‘That’s kind of shady.’

A survey conducted by the Network Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University’s Social Perception Lab revealed in April 2025 that 55% of respondents who identified as left of center said that assassinating Trump would be at least somewhat justified.

When asked by pollsters about the September 2024 attempt on the president’s life at his golf course in Florida, 28% of Democrats told RMG Research it would have been better if Trump had been gunned down.

While the brewer’s apparent eagerness to see the president die has attracted attention, his super PAC’s expenditures have also prompted scrutiny in recent months.

Some of Bangstad’s former employees alleged to WISC-TV that some of the over $2 million raised by the brewer’s super PAC has gone toward paying regular brewery staff rather than political activities.

“At first, I was paid by a regular direct deposit, and then he said he’s going to pay me from the Super PAC and from the business. And I started to do some research,” said one former employee who spoke to WISC on the condition of anonymity. “I spoke with a couple attorneys and an accountant, and they said, that’s kind of shady, not a good idea.”

The former employee showed the outlet documentation apparently indicating that he received checks from the Minocqua Brewing Super PAC with “organizing” written in the memo line — something he had reportedly not done for the PAC.

Bangstad admitted that some employees receive PAC funds and suggested to WISC that the payments were aboveboard. A civil lawsuit filed in early 2025 suggested otherwise, accusing the leftist of fraud and misuse of donated funds, reported Wisconsin Public Radio.

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​Minocqua brewing company, Minocqua, Assassination, Secret service, Democrat, Leftist, Wisconsin, Kirk bangstad, Brewery, Donald trump, Politics