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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  2. <rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"><channel><title>Blaze Media</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/</link><description>Blaze Media</description><atom:link href="https://www.theblaze.com/feeds/feed.rss" rel="self"></atom:link><language>en-us</language><lastBuildDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 23:05:36 -0000</lastBuildDate><image><url>https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8zMDc1MjEwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTc5MTc4MDQxMn0.bI-17D_g6-542o9Bn12397WNLerDvEKiWDgwmQkkWaQ/image.png?width=210</url><link>https://www.theblaze.com/</link><title>Blaze Media</title></image><item><title>James O’Keefe secretly spied on by US government, shines a light on DC corruption</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/james-okeefe-shines-a-light-on-dc-corruption</link><description><![CDATA[
  3. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61244457&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Manhattan federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of James Comey, was fired from the U.S. Attorney’s Office this week — after being a prosecutor in the case against accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and later against Sean “Diddy” Combs.</p><p>But that’s not all she's linked to.</p><p>“She also happens to be involved, or was involved, in the same district that was involved in the FBI raids on your home, your newsroom,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales tells James O’Keefe on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”</p><p>O’Keefe, founder of O’Keefe Media Group, is notorious for his work exposing corruption at some of the highest levels via sting operations that often begin with a simple swipe on a dating app.</p><p>And the corporate and government entities O’Keefe targets have made it clear they are not fond of his work.</p><h3></h3><br/><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="398d0ad900d3beb728fec0db888ccbc0" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xn0wI25o76g?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span><p>“What happened with me is they went shopping to eight different magistrate judges in 2020,” O’Keefe tells Gonzales. </p><p>“To try to get these secret subpoenas that are reserved for terrorists and traffickers, child traffickers, you know, drug traffickers, serious criminal conspiracies.”</p><p>“And they got these magistrate judges to grant them all these secret warrants to spy on me for a year. And then after spying on me, they went to another magistrate judge, Sarah Cave, and SDNY, and they presented probable cause,” he continues, noting that the document explaining why they raided his newsroom has been completely redacted.</p><p>“If you think your government is going to be transparent about sex traffickers, but they can’t even be transparent about why they raided a newsroom,” he says. “There’s only one thing that’s not redacted on this document. It's a footnote that says — an FBI agent is writing this, and he says, ‘I have learned amongst other things that cell phones are capable of sending emails.’”</p><p>“So this is a clown show. This is not even serious. This is just absurd. Completely absurd,” he adds.</p><p>O’Keefe does have a theory as to why the documents regarding the raid of his home and business were fully redacted.</p><p>“In my case, with the redaction you just saw, there probably are confidential FBI informants at Project Veritas,” he tells Gonzales. “I was raided during the Project Veritas time. So the FBI has to protect the names of their sources.”</p><p>Despite the action taken against O’Keefe, he hasn’t given up on his mission to expose corruption in those the American people are told to trust — and is <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/shows/normal-world/unmasking-the-elite-o-keefe-s-american-swiper-exposes-mishandling-of-epstein-scandal" target="_self"><u>expanding it with his new series, “American Swiper.” </u></a></p><h2>Want more from Sara Gonzales?</h2><p>To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/sara/?utm_source=theblaze&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=article_shortcode_saragonzalesunfiltered" target="_blank">subscribe to BlazeTV</a> — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 23:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/james-okeefe-shines-a-light-on-dc-corruption</guid><category>Sharing</category><category>Upload</category><category>Camera phone</category><category>Video</category><category>Free</category><category>Video phone</category><category>Youtube.com</category><category>Sara gonzales unfiltered</category><category>Sara gonzales</category><category>The blaze</category><category>Blazetv</category><category>Blaze news</category><category>Blaze podcasts</category><category>Blaze podcast network</category><category>Blaze media</category><category>Blaze online</category><category>Blaze originals</category><category>James o keefe</category><category>O keefe media group</category><category>Government corruption exposed</category><dc:creator>BlazeTV Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61244457&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Left-wing activist arrested in brutal attack on reporter at anti-ICE protest in Seattle</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/lawson-higby-seattle-assault-ice</link><description><![CDATA[
  4. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/left-wing-activist-arrested-in-brutal-attack-on-reporter-at-anti-ice-protest-in-seattle.jpg?id=61244550&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>The attack on a right-wing independent reporter at a Seattle anti-ICE protest has led to the arrest of a man who denies he is affiliated with Antifa but admits to being a left-wing activist.</p><p>Jeremy Lawson, 33, made a court appearance on Thursday after being accused of assaulting Cam Higby, who was covering the protests in June.</p><p class="pull-quote">'It's a group of these Antifa guys. ... I film them committing crimes, and they don't like that.' </p><p>Higby <a href="https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-king-county-jail-jeremy-lawson-felony-assault-ice-journalist-cam-higby-today-is-america-federal-building-mayor-bruce-harrell-33-year-old-spd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told KOMO-TV</a> he was left with a concussion and head trauma despite wearing tactical gear that included a helmet. He is still recovering from the alleged beating and says he went to the emergency room that night seeking medical attention.</p><p> Higby says he was targeted by left-wing activists because he was documenting their illegal activities. </p><p>"It's a group of these Antifa guys," he said to KOMO. "I film them committing crimes, and they don't like that."</p><p>Before his arrest, Lawson admitted to being a left-wing activist but claimed he was not connected to Antifa.</p><p>"I have nothing against Higby and wasn't at the protest that night," he claimed in a <a href="https://www.wvnews.com/news/around_the_web/states/suspect-in-seattle-journalist-attack-contacts-victim-still-no-arrest/article_2e1b69a0-5af3-5c0a-9700-d1e32539c8b9.html" target="_blank">statement</a> to the Center Square. "I am an IWW advocate (Industrial Workers of the World) and a Black Panther supporter and only want to unionize the working poor, create equality in the workplace and take back the means of production. ... I'm in no way affiliated with Antifa."</p><p>He also said that he's lost his job because of the accusations.</p><p>Lawson is facing a charge of felony assault in the second degree. </p><p>"I hope it sends a message that people will eventually get caught, and I won't be deterred from going into the field," Higby said to KOMO.</p><p>KOMO included the video of the assault in their news report below. It shows Higby on the ground as he is assaulted, and then he defends himself with the use of pepper spray. </p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/antifa-and-far-left-agitators-take-over-university-of-washington-building-start-fire-report" target="_blank"><strong>Antifa and far-left agitators take over University of Washington building, start fire: Report</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="911d034b21ea0ceb9bfbaacb2edea8f5" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YW8q80jL1mA?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span> </p><p>Prosecutors argued that Lawson was a safety risk based on messages he posted on social media as well as private texts to Higby that unnerved the victim. </p><p>In the exchange via text, a person identifying as Lawson used Higby's legal name, which isn't public. He then added that he wouldn't rest until "justice was served" and made a reference to the neighborhood where Higby lives.</p><p>Prosecutor Jonathan Arnold also cited a message on social media where Lawson claimed innocence but added that he supported the assault of Higby. </p><p>A judge set his bail at $75,000. Criminal records show that Lawson pleaded guilty to criminal trespass and resisting arrest in a previous case. </p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>! </em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 22:50:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/lawson-higby-seattle-assault-ice</guid><category>Lawson vs cam higby</category><category>Assault on cam higby</category><category>Cam higby attack</category><category>Seattle anti ice assault</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Carlos Garcia</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/left-wing-activist-arrested-in-brutal-attack-on-reporter-at-anti-ice-protest-in-seattle.jpg?id=61244550&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>BREAKING: Bombshell documents referred to DOJ expose Obama's direct role in Russia hoax</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/bombshell-documents-referred-to-doj-expose-obamas-direct-role-in-russia-hoax</link><description><![CDATA[
  5. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/breaking-bombshell-documents-referred-to-doj-expose-obama-s-direct-role-in-russia-hoax.jpg?id=61244441&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/><br/><br/><p>Shortly after Donald Trump shocked the world by winning the 2016 election, the media and deep state actors began work to subvert his win. The public-facing campaign began when BuzzFeed published an unvetted dossier compiled by a former British spy at the behest of the Hillary Clinton campaign.</p><p>To recap, the Clinton campaign funneled money to the Democratic National Committee, which hired a law firm to then hire an opposition research firm, Fusion GPS, which hired former British spy Christopher Steele to compose the <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/discredited-steele-dossier-flags-important-lessons-for-media/6342968.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">since-debunked briefing</a>.</p><p class="pull-quote">'The integrity of our democratic republic demands that every person involved be investigated and brought to justice to prevent this from ever happening again.'</p><p>Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is now alleging that the campaign-funded document <a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/1946271402971312514" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">formed the basis</a> of a "treasonous conspiracy by officials at the highest levels of the Obama White House to subvert the will of the American people and try to usurp the President from fulfilling his mandate.”</p><p> “Americans will finally learn the truth about how in 2016," Gabbard wrote on X Friday, "intelligence was politicized and weaponized by the most powerful people in the Obama Administration to lay the groundwork for what was essentially a years-long coup against President [Donald Trump], subverting the will of the American people and undermining our democratic republic.”</p><p>The documents show around the beginning of December 2016, the U.S. intelligence community compiled an assessment for then-President Obama concluding, “Russia ‘did not impact recent U.S. election results’ by conducting cyber attacks on infrastructure.”</p><p> She added, “Before it could reach the President, it was abruptly pulled ‘based on new guidance.’ This key intelligence assessment was never published.”</p><p><a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/1946271414132133999" target="_blank">The documents</a> point to Obama ordering FBI Director James Comey, CIA Director John Brennan, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to direct their agencies to "create a new intelligence assessment that detailed Russian election meddling, even though it would contradict multiple intelligence assessments released over the previous several months.”</p><p>The day after the reported meeting, leaks appeared in the Washington Post and NBC News. The DNI report details “<a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/1946271421400805844" target="_blank">whistleblower emails</a>” it says prove Clapper and Brennan used the Steele dossier as the basis to put forward a false narrative.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/conservative-review/russian-collusion-hoax-began-continued-ended-hillary-clinton" target="_blank"><strong>The Russian collusion hoax began, continued, and ended with Hillary Clinton</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0cbd531b8c84bdaee0bbf58a4080f4e4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="56098" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61244464&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Aude Guerrucci-Pool/Getty Images</small></p><p>“This betrayal concerns every American," Gabbard <a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/1946271425569948118" target="_blank">wrote</a>. "The integrity of our democratic republic demands that every person involved be investigated and brought to justice to prevent this from ever happening again.”</p><p>The DNI referred the newly revealed documents to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution.</p><p>Public reaction was swift. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk <a href="https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1946270611619389769" target="_blank">said on X</a> that the revelations show that “it was all a giant HOAX.” He then called on the Department of Justice to “investigate and prosecute.”</p><p>“This is surreal," Gen. Mike Flynn, former national security adviser in Trump's first term, <a href="https://x.com/GenFlynn/status/1946305598733070388" target="_blank">said</a> on X. "Here in America, the Director of National Intelligence @DNIGabbard is now stating emphatically that a former President of the United States @BarackObama attempted a coup against the @POTUS @realDonaldTrump.”</p><p>The full trove of documents released Friday can be found <a href="https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/dig/4085-dig-biden-admin-labeling-covid-dissenters-2" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p> <em>This is a developing story.</em></p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 22:35:40 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/bombshell-documents-referred-to-doj-expose-obamas-direct-role-in-russia-hoax</guid><category>Politics</category><category>James comey</category><category>Brennan</category><category>James clapper</category><category>Barack obama</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Tulsi gabbard</category><category>Russia collusion</category><category>Russia hoax</category><category>Hillary clinton</category><category>Fusiongps</category><dc:creator>Rob Eno</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/breaking-bombshell-documents-referred-to-doj-expose-obama-s-direct-role-in-russia-hoax.jpg?id=61244441&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Migrant accused of rape, sending funds and weapons to African militants also allegedly has violent nickname</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/tataw-mutilation-master-indicted-camaroon</link><description><![CDATA[
  6. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/migrant-accused-of-rape-sending-funds-and-weapons-to-african-militants-also-allegedly-has-violent-nickname.jpg?id=61244356&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C1%2C0%2C1"/><br/><br/><p>Complaints about raucous parties at a Northern Maryland short-term rental led to an indictment of a Cameroonian immigrant for allegedly sending funds to support a separatist military group in his homeland trying to create a new nation named "Ambazonia."</p><p>Residents of a neighborhood in Damascus <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/woodfield-estates-gaithersburg-montgomery-county-eric-tataw-rape-assault-cameroon-armed-separatist-groups-ice-amba-boys-complain-wild-pool-parties-neighborhood-social-media-instagram-tickets-vip" target="_blank">griped</a> to WBFF-TV about the constant parties at a for-profit rental where they witnessed people allegedly going to the bathroom in the open and shooting off fireworks.</p><p>WBFF spoke to the owner at the time, who dismissed the complaints in July 2024.</p><p>“If my neighbors have a concern, they should have written to me," said Eric Tataw at the time.</p><p>In May, Tataw was <a href="https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-investigation-leads-indictment-maryland-man-supporting-armed-separatist-groups" target="_blank">indicted</a> on charges related to funds, personnel, and weapons that he allegedly sent to the "Amba Boys" to support a campaign of violence against civilians in the effort to establish Ambazonia. Tataw, who has a large social media presence, allegedly sent at least $100,000 to the group, some of which was reportedly spent on acquiring AK-47s. </p><p>The militants are known for committing acts of mutilation called "Garriing" against civilians, and Tataw reportedly referred to himself as the “Garri Master,” or master of mutilation, according to prosecutors.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/2012/10/03/radical-islamists-in-mali-recruit-pay-for-child-soldiers" target="_blank"><strong>Radical Islamists in Mali Recruit, Pay for Child Soldiers</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="13580259e1cad72bae9cf08fcbcbb242" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UgVGpCf5kyI?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span> </p><p>WBFF <a href="https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/woodfield-estates-gaithersburg-montgomery-county-eric-tataw-rape-assault-cameroon-armed-separatist-groups-ice-amba-boys-complain-wild-pool-parties-neighborhood-social-media-instagram-tickets-vip" target="_blank">reported</a> that Tataw was also being held without bond for accusations that he raped a young woman and held her against her will. </p><p>Human Rights Watch <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/06/06/indictment-cameroonian-may-be-step-right-direction" target="_blank">praised</a> the arrest of Tataw, as well as the arrest of another accused militant.</p><p>"While arrests like those of Tataw ... may be steps in the right direction, justice is still painfully slow. Other alleged perpetrators of grave abuse, including government forces, should be brought to account for the serious crimes committed against civilians in Cameroon," the group said in a statement.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>! </em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 21:27:38 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/tataw-mutilation-master-indicted-camaroon</guid><category>Camaroon separatists</category><category>Eric tataw</category><category>Ambazonia</category><category>Garri master</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Carlos Garcia</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/migrant-accused-of-rape-sending-funds-and-weapons-to-african-militants-also-allegedly-has-violent-nickname.jpg?id=61244356&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>7 actions to get the truth about Epstein</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-liz-wheeler-show/7-actions-to-get-the-truth-about-epstein</link><description><![CDATA[
  7. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61244320&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=150%2C0%2C150%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler doesn’t expect a “whodunit” Epstein list full of elite criminals gift wrapped and dropped on her doorstep, but she does expect some answers — which is why she’s compiled a list outlining how she believes the American people can get them.</p><p>First on her list is getting Ghislaine Maxwell, who procured underage girls for Epstein, to testify before Congress.</p><p>“Worst-case scenario, she either tells lies or produces nothing. She just wants attention. Best-case scenario, she actually gives you leads to answer some of these questions that we don’t have answers to,” Wheeler explains on “The Liz Wheeler Show.”</p><p>Wheeler believes that another step the congressional hearings should take is inviting the forensic pathologists, who publicly stated that the wounds on Jeffrey Epstein’s body following his death were incongruent with the medical examiner’s findings, to testify as well.</p><p>“We were told he committed suicide. We were told it was suicide by hanging,” Wheeler says, citing one forensic pathologist’s belief that it was “homicide by strangulation.”</p><h3></h3><br/><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="065cdd930c9b868988ee986c09d8205d" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-ie68B57HXM?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span><p>“Congress should invite them to testify, and they should question them, and then they should subpoena the medical examiner and the Bureau of Prisons, and they should say, ‘Okay, your findings have been contested,’” she explains.</p><p>Former Trump cabinet member and U.S. attorney Alex Acosta, whose original non-prosecution agreement in the Epstein trial stirred up widespread controversy, is another interesting character who Wheeler believes should testify in front of Congress.</p><p>Acosta’s emails mysteriously vanished after he alleged that he was told to steer clear of Epstein because he was an intelligence asset.</p><p>“For the love of all that is good, if this man said that, he must have had a basis for why he said that. Please edify us,” she says, noting that if Trump and Elon were to make up, Elon and his “DOGE bros” could “do a forensic analysis and find out what actually happened to Alex Acosta’s emails.”</p><p>“Let’s find out what happened to Alex Acosta’s emails because something tells me it’s not a migration issue,” she says.</p><p>William Burns is another mysterious player with ties to Epstein, and Wheeler believes he should be called before Congress as well.</p><p>“William Burns was the under secretary of state who, while he was the under secretary of state, met with Jeffrey Epstein three different times in three different locations, and very shortly thereafter became the CIA director,” she says. “His official narrative was, ‘Oh, he was just consulting with Jeffrey Epstein about, you know, transitioning to the civilian sector.’”</p><p>“No, something doesn’t ring true there. And if something doesn’t ring true, that person who said the thing that doesn’t ring true should be hauled in front of Congress and questioned about it,” she adds.</p><p>The executive branch also can play a role in getting the truth out to Americans. Wheeler says these include Pam Bondi “releasing these documents and keeping her mouth shut on Fox News.”</p><p>“There is also something that can be done by or with the judicial branch,” Wheeler explains, noting that Alan Dershowitz has claimed that he has seen the Epstein client list but cannot reveal it publicly because of nondisclosure orders.</p><p>“He said that there are several judges who have in their power the ability, I believe, to release him from those nondisclosure orders,” she says, before getting to her last point.</p><p>“So that brings us, of course, to this final thing that needs to happen in the process of accountability, and that final thing is a special prosecutor,” Wheeler concluded.</p><p class="">Much like Charlie Kirk's <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/charlie-kirk-outlines-10-immediate-credible-action-items-pam-bondi-can-take-on-epstein-case">proposal earlier this week</a>, Wheeler’s suggestions are concrete, positive examples of actions the Department of Justice under Pam Bondi can take to restore the trust of the American people.</p><h2>Want more from Liz Wheeler?</h2><p>To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/wheeler/?utm_source=theblaze&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=article_shortcode_lizwheeler" target="_blank">subscribe to BlazeTV</a> — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-liz-wheeler-show/7-actions-to-get-the-truth-about-epstein</guid><category>Sharing</category><category>Upload</category><category>Camera phone</category><category>Video</category><category>Free</category><category>Video phone</category><category>Youtube.com</category><category>The liz wheeler show</category><category>Liz wheeler</category><category>The blaze</category><category>Blazetv</category><category>Blaze news</category><category>Blaze podcasts</category><category>Blaze podcast network</category><category>Blaze media</category><category>Blaze online</category><category>Blaze originals</category><category>Jeffrey epstein</category><category>Pam bondi</category><category>Ghislaine maxwell</category><category>Alex acosta</category><category>Epstein files</category><category>The trump administration</category><category>Jeffrey epstein death</category><dc:creator>BlazeTV Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61244320&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Tragic explosion claims lives of elite Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies: ‘Very active crime scene’</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/tragic-explosion-claims-lives-of-elite-los-angeles-sheriffs-deputies-very-active-crime-scene</link><description><![CDATA[
  8. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/tragic-explosion-claims-lives-of-elite-los-angeles-sheriffs-deputies-very-active-crime-scene.jpg?id=61243773&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C144%2C0%2C-1"/><br/><br/><p>A “horrific incident” on Friday morning at a law enforcement training facility in Los Angeles, California, resulted in the deaths of several deputies.</p><p>Sources told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/3-killed-horrific-incident-law-enforcement-training-facility/story?id=123864988" target="_blank">ABC News</a> that the victims were Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department employees killed in a blast while handling explosives. The news outlet described the Los Angeles facility as a Special Enforcement Bureau compound that also houses the bomb squad.</p><p class="pull-quote">‘There’s a lot more that we don’t know than what we do know.’</p><p>Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that at least three are dead.</p><p>Bondi wrote in a <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1946234954620313884" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">post</a> on X, “Our federal agents are at the scene and we are working to learn more.”</p><p>The sheriff’s department held a press conference in the early afternoon to shed some light on the incident, confirming that “three sworn members” who were on arson explosives detail were killed in a blast around 7:30 a.m. </p><p>Sheriff Robert Luna noted that the victims had served their community for 19, 22, and 33 years, respectively. He did not share their identities, stating that their families are still being notified.</p><p>“I’ve heard over and over the word ‘elite’ being used. I think sometimes that term gets overused. But if you’re familiar with our Special Enforcement Bureau, they’re the best of the best. And the individuals who work our arson explosives detail, they have years of training,” he said. “These aren’t people who don’t do this very often. They are fantastic experts, and unfortunately, I lost three of them today.”</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/homeless-la-toddler-dead-dumpster" target="_blank"><strong>Homeless man makes 'horrific' discovery near dumpster at Los Angeles parking lot, police say</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5b6cb5c8e53eef3df140e88e0ec1987c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="cd95d" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243776&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by Omar Zaghloul/Anadolu via Getty Images</small></p>            <p>Luna reported that there were no other injuries.</p><p>“There’s a lot more that we don’t know than what we do know,” Luna declared.</p><p>He explained that approximately 30 minutes before the press conference, the scene was rendered safe for investigators to enter.</p><p>“Our intent is to look at this from the very beginning and figure out what is it exactly that caused this tragic event,” Luna said.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/police-find-more-incendiary-devices-at-tesla-dealership-amid-wave-of-attacks" target="_blank"><strong>Police find more incendiary devices at Tesla dealership amid wave of attacks</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6fab4d4aac576bd52ebef6d8610af186" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="f31f0" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243777&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images</small></p>            <p>He stated that “homicide detectives are on scene” to investigate the “post-blast portion of this incident.”</p><p>Luna described the area as a “very active crime scene.”</p><p>In response to a request for clarity on Luna’s statement about the Special Enforcement Bureau being treated as a crime scene, the sheriff’s office informed Blaze News, “It’s because of the loss of life. That’s why he termed it that.”</p><p>Law enforcement agents have not yet determined the cause of the explosion but noted that it was an isolated incident and that there is no threat to the community.</p>        <blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1946233683314192877">
  9.        <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  10.        <a href="https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1946233683314192877"></a>
  11.    </blockquote>
  12.        <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>                <p><em><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em></em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self"><em><em>Sign up here</em></em></a><em><em>!</em></em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 20:55:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/tragic-explosion-claims-lives-of-elite-los-angeles-sheriffs-deputies-very-active-crime-scene</guid><category>News</category><category>Los angeles</category><category>La</category><category>Los angeles california</category><category>Los angeles county sheriff's department</category><category>Lasd</category><category>Explosion</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Candace Hathaway</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/tragic-explosion-claims-lives-of-elite-los-angeles-sheriffs-deputies-very-active-crime-scene.jpg?id=61243773&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Journalist at Trump assassination attempt says he got PTSD — from Trump supporters</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/macfarlane-trump-ptsd-assassination-threat</link><description><![CDATA[
  13. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/journalist-at-trump-assassination-attempt-says-he-got-ptsd-from-trump-supporters.jpg?id=61244209&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C104%2C0%2C105"/><br/><br/><p>A journalist is facing ridicule from online critics after he admitted that the anger of Trump supporters led to him taking "trauma leave" after the attempted assassination of the president in Butler, Pennsylvania. </p><p>CBS News correspondent Scott MacFarlane told Chuck Todd that he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and had to miss work because of what he experienced on July 13, 2024. </p><p class="pull-quote">'You saw it in the eyes. The reaction of the people. They were coming for us.'</p><p>"For those of us there, it was such a horror, because you saw an emerging America," said MacFarlane.  </p><p>"And it wasn't the shooting, Chuck. I got diagnosed with PTSD within 48 hours. I got put on trauma leave, not because, I think, of the shooting, but because — you saw it in the eyes, the reaction of the people. They were coming for us!" he continued.  </p><p>"If he didn't jump out with his fist, they were going to come kill us!" he added, referring to the president. </p><p>"I know," Todd responded. </p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/05/26/reporter-who-was-body-slammed-says-he-was-flabbergasted-by-gop-congressman-elects-statement" target="_blank"><strong>Reporter who was 'body-slammed' says he was 'flabbergasted' by GOP congressman-elect's statement</strong></a></p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">CBS News Correspondent says he was “diagnosed with PTSD and put on trauma leave” after Trump’s assassination attempt because the crowd blamed liberal media: “They were going to kill us!” <br/><br/>These people are pathetic 😂 <a href="https://t.co/J6gWNJEjUn">pic.twitter.com/J6gWNJEjUn</a><br/>— TheBlaze (@theblaze) <a href="https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1945869100611199181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><p>Video of MacFarlane's comments were posted on social media, where they quickly went viral. </p><p>Many ridiculed MacFarlane for focusing on his own trauma rather than the tragedy of the innocent bystander who was killed or the attempt on the president's life. </p><p>"He's the real hero!" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08JH6Wu_lE0" target="_blank">joked</a> Greg Gutfeld about MacFarlane on his late night show. </p><p>"He is," responded panelist Joe DeVito. "And I hope he got some other good medical advice from his gynecologist!" </p><p>A government <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/a-desire-for-good-press-photos-made-president-trump-an-easier-2024-assassination-target-report-suggests" target="_blank">accountability</a> report released by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Saturday suggested that a campaign staffer compromised the president's safety in Butler when he or she made the Secret Service deviate from its security plan for the sake of optics. </p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>! </em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 20:25:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/macfarlane-trump-ptsd-assassination-threat</guid><category>Cbs scott macfarlane</category><category>Trump supporters butler pa</category><category>Trump assassination attempt</category><category>Trumpers vs media</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Carlos Garcia</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/journalist-at-trump-assassination-attempt-says-he-got-ptsd-from-trump-supporters.jpg?id=61244209&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Robo-billionaire Palmer Luckey brings the 'hype' train to American manufacturing</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/return/palmer-luckey-reindustrialize-vr-bot</link><description><![CDATA[
  14. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/robo-billionaire-palmer-luckey-brings-the-hype-train-to-american-manufacturing.png?id=61243828&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>The American hype train is real, according to Anduril founder and billionaire Palmer Luckey.</p><p>Appearing at the <a href="https://x.com/reindsummit/status/1945886411099402508" target="_blank">Reindustrialize Summit</a>, Luckey seemingly proved the power of positivity makes nearly anything possible, and not in a cringey, motivational speaker sort of way, either. Rather, it is in the create robots, video games, and military warfighter technology kind of way.</p><p>In fact, Luckey found a way to corroborate his belief at the summit and showed it off in such a manner that was far more interesting than the movie "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwfmV3nn6QA" target="_blank">Real Steel</a>."</p><p class="pull-quote">'Hype is what allows you to get investment in these problems.'</p><p>With a <a href="https://x.com/reindsummit/status/1945887801142116812" target="_blank">Hawaiian shirt</a>, khaki shorts, and an unsightly wig, Luckey delivered a 20-minute speech on the conference stage by remotely controlling a robot using virtual reality.</p><p>While the bot seemed a bit primitive by today's expectations, basic movements were controlled by the billionaire from afar using just VR goggles.</p><p>"I finally pulled off my long-standing goal of speaking at a conference via VR telerobotics!" Luckey <a href="https://x.com/palmerluckey/status/1945936811815063893" target="_blank">wrote on X</a>. "Thousands of miles of travel saved, and no chance of Luigi."</p><p>While the robot's ability to shake a hand was suspect, Luckey's message was not as static. The entrepreneur emphasized his goal of making a "Star Trek" future and said a lot of the ability to make that happen comes from "hype."</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/return/palmer-luckey-crypto-banking-venture" target="_blank">Palmer Luckey-led crypto bank promises startups a capital hoard safe from scheming feds</a></strong></p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-dnt="true">I finally pulled off my long-standing goal of speaking at a conference via VR telerobotics!  Thousands of miles of travel saved, and no chance of Luigi. <a href="https://t.co/9WqZAxOFEW">https://t.co/9WqZAxOFEW</a><br/>— Palmer Luckey (@PalmerLuckey) <a href="https://twitter.com/PalmerLuckey/status/1945936811815063893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2025</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><p>A lot of hype is "bad if you really let it break your thinking," <a href="https://x.com/reindsummit/status/1945907130487263531" target="_blank">Luckey told author Ashlee Vance</a> on stage. </p><p>While the billionaire explained that over-hyping a project and forgetting prime directives can result in "really playing yourself," he clarified, "hype is what allows you to get investment in these problems."</p><p>"Investors don't want to hear, 'It's going to be a 20-year slog, and it's probably not going to work out for us, it's probably our other companies that are going to win,'" Luckey continued.</p><p>To that end, the Anduril boss said the "enormous power" of optimism can help drive innovation forward and produce real results. The example he provided was exactly the technology Luckey was showing off.</p><p>"I think the hype around virtual reality and augmented reality in the early 20-teens led to tens of billions of dollars in research and development. It would not have happened if people had been ... a little less on the hype train."</p><p>Luckey has indeed ventured into AR military equipment with this mindset and recently <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/zuckerberg-wins-back-palmer-luckey" target="_blank">revealed</a> his first project would be a military helmet called Eagle Eye, which gives Army soldiers access to advanced augmented reality systems that make them "superhuman."</p><p>Luckey added at the conference, that while some will downplay the hype, he finds it hard to "get too upset" about hype happening "in a space like American manufacturing."</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/zuckerberg-wins-back-palmer-luckey" target="_blank">'Insane radical leftists' are gone: Zuckerberg and Palmer Luckey reunite for US military project</a></strong></p>        <p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4af1eb6817f28216f3153814bccc1135" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HOVYqVWabTY?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>        <small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">- YouTube</small>                </p>            <p>As for Luckey's robotic stand-in, look no further than the Phantom robot from company Foundation.</p><p>Founder Sankaet Pathak said on X in early 2025 that his company has no issue with being at the forefront of the weaponization of robotics.</p><p>"Unlike most humanoid robot companies in the U.S., which have committed to non-weaponization, we believe it's essential for our robots to master these tasks to support human expansion," Pathak said, per <a href="https://mikekalil.com/blog/foundation-phantom-mk1/" target="_blank">MikeKalil.com</a>.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em><em><br/></em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:55:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/return/palmer-luckey-reindustrialize-vr-bot</guid><category>Return</category><category>Anduril</category><category>Palantir</category><category>Tech</category><category>Vr</category><category>Industry</category><category>Augmented reality</category><dc:creator>Andrew Chapados</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/robo-billionaire-palmer-luckey-brings-the-hype-train-to-american-manufacturing.png?id=61243828&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Teen arrested after allegedly saying 7 words that led to airplane evacuation. But mom says it was just a joke.</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/teen-bomb-threat-spirit-airlines</link><description><![CDATA[
  15. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/teen-arrested-after-allegedly-saying-7-words-that-led-to-airplane-evacuation-but-mom-says-it-was-just-a-joke.jpg?id=61243349&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C81%2C0%2C81"/><br/><br/><p>An unnamed <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/tag/missouri" target="_self">Missouri</a> teen had been visiting friends in South Florida and was set Monday to return home to Kansas City on a <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/tag/spirit-airlines" target="_self">Spirit Airlines</a> flight out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.</p><p class="pull-quote"> 'I don't believe he acted criminally. He was acting as an immature 16-year-old in my opinion.'</p><p>Flight 1332 was scheduled to depart at 2:37 p.m. Monday, according to flight tracker <a href="https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/nk1332#3b418fc0" target="_blank">Flightradar24</a>. However, the flight would not depart until more than five hours later — at 7:44 p.m. — due to an alleged disturbance in the cabin that ignited concern among passengers and crew members.</p><p>Authorities claim that a teen passenger made a false <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/tag/bomb-threat" target="_self">bomb threat</a>.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/broward/article310693310.html" target="_blank">Miami Herald</a> reported that the 16-year-old suspect said, "I have a bomb in my pocket."</p><p>Spirit Airlines told <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/teen-arrested-for-making-bomb-threat-on-spirit-airlines-flight-at-fort-lauderdale-airport/3658645/" target="_blank">WTVJ-TV</a> that the  <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/tag/air-travel" target="_self">commercial airliner</a> taxied to a remote location, and passengers were safely deplaned. Law enforcement inspected the aircraft and cleared the plane after not finding any explosive devices.</p><p><a href="https://people.com/teen-bomb-threat-spirit-airlines-plane-flight-bomb-in-my-pocket-joke-mom-11774273" target="_blank">People magazine</a> reported that Spirit Airlines lost approximately $50,000 in connection with the incident.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/florida-man-bomb-threat-plane-air-emergency" target="_self">'My laptop is a bomb': Florida man's alleged mid-flight bomb threat forces emergency landing — now the FBI is involved</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="21e5f4b38b0169a526aefdbdde8d4d42" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62MkAxAbvS4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span></p><p>Broward Sheriff's Office deputies took the teen into custody.</p><p>The teenager faces charges of criminal mischief over $1,000 and false report of a bomb or explosive, according to the sheriff's office.</p><p>The Herald noted that a woman who said she’s the teen’s mother indicated that her son was sitting on the plane as it was set to depart when he made the statement — and a woman in the aisle next to his seat reported it.</p><p>But the teen's mother added to the Herald that her son is a "good kid" and that the remark was a "slang joke" about his masculinity and not a bomb threat.</p><p>The teen's father asked a judge for leniency during a Tuesday hearing in juvenile court.</p><p>"I would just like to ask for grace in this matter," Phillip Schmidt said, according to WTVJ. "I don't believe he acted criminally. He was acting as an immature 16-year-old in my opinion."</p><p>However, the judge was not swayed by this argument and ordered the teen to undergo a psychological evaluation and remain in custody at a juvenile facility.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a>!</em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:35:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/teen-bomb-threat-spirit-airlines</guid><category>Spirit airlines</category><category>Bomb threat</category><category>Fort lauderdale airport</category><category>Teen arrested</category><category>False bomb report</category><category>Air travel</category><category>Air travel emergency</category><category>Crime</category><category>Florida</category><category>Broward sheriff</category><category>Juvenile court</category><dc:creator>Paul Sacca</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/teen-arrested-after-allegedly-saying-7-words-that-led-to-airplane-evacuation-but-mom-says-it-was-just-a-joke.jpg?id=61243349&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Migrant father admits raping, impregnating 14-year-old daughter while residing in taxpayer-funded shelter</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/migrant-father-admits-raping-impregnating-14-year-old-daughter-while-residing-in-taxpayer-funded-shelter</link><description><![CDATA[
  16. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/migrant-father-admits-raping-impregnating-14-year-old-daughter-while-residing-in-taxpayer-funded-shelter.jpg?id=61243888&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C72%2C0%2C35"/><br/><br/><p>A foreign national residing in one of Massachusetts' migrant shelters confessed to committing a horrific crime against his daughter.</p><p>A 44-year-old man, who lived at the Marlborough Holiday Inn, pleaded guilty on July 11 to aggravated rape of a child. </p><p class="pull-quote">'I'm not looking for political theater — I'm seeking accountability for the horrific abuses that have taken place.'</p><p>The shelter's then-manager, Jon Fetherston, <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/illegal-alien-allegedly-repeatedly-rapes-minor-daughter-sent-to-another-mass-shelter-instead-of-jail-ex-facility-director" target="_self">reported</a> the attack to authorities, claiming that the man raped and impregnated his 14-year-old daughter while residing in the state-run facility. He previously told Blaze News that while managing the shelter from November 2023 to July 2024, he reported many tragic crimes, including alleged domestic violence and sexual assault.</p><p>The Middlesex District Attorney's Office <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/17/migrant-at-massachusetts-shelter-who-allegedly-raped-his-daughter-pleads-guilty/" target="_blank">reported</a> that a buccal swab was taken after the daughter's baby was born.</p><p>"Those samples were sent to a forensic testing laboratory, and on January 24, 2025, it was determined that not only was the defendant the biological father of the victim, it was also twenty-three trillion times more likely than not, that he was the biological father of the victim's baby," the DA's office said.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/dangerous-and-corrupt-whistleblower-demands-doj-probe-massachusetts-migrant-shelters" target="_blank"><strong>'Dangerous and corrupt': Whistleblower demands DOJ probe Massachusetts migrant shelters</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="25faed86d27e894aa2e944038a05d53e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="175b5" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243925&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images</small></p><p>Following last week's guilty plea, the man faces a prison sentence of 12 to 15 years. His name was withheld to protect the identity of his daughter. </p><p><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/dangerous-and-corrupt-whistleblower-demands-doj-probe-massachusetts-migrant-shelters" target="_self">Last month</a>, Fetherston stated that he sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging the Department of Justice to open an investigation into the state's shelter system, warning that the program is "dangerous and corrupt." He highlighted concerns related to "a disturbing pattern of criminal activity, sexual assaults, financial abuse, and the widespread use of no-bid contracts."</p><p>His letter called on the DOJ to investigate "criminal activity and sexual violence within Massachusetts-run migrant shelters," "widespread fraud and misuse of federal and state funds," "the deliberate refusal to coordinate with federal law enforcement agencies," and "the pattern of retaliation against those reporting abuse, danger, or misconduct."</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-news-original-inside-massachusetts-migrant-shelters-where-crime-flourishes-under-democrats-watch" target="_blank"><strong>Inside Massachusetts migrant shelters where crime flourishes under Democrats' watch</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2586c64cb5c98053c9ad99f8442d6166" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="85f48" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243907&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Jodi Hilton for The Washington Post via Getty Images</small></p><p>Fetherston told Blaze News on Friday that he has not yet received a response from Bondi's office. </p><p>"As of today, I have not received a response from Attorney General Bondi's office, but I remain hopeful that justice will prevail. I'm not looking for political theater — I'm seeking accountability for the horrific abuses that have taken place," Fetherston stated. "The system failed these vulnerable families, and those responsible — whether they're shelter administrators, state officials, or private contractors — must be held to account. If Bondi or the DOJ won't act, I'll keep pushing until someone does. The tragedies inside these shelters must end, and silence is not an option."</p><p>The DOJ said Friday that it does not have Fetherston's letter.</p><p>Fetherston provided Blaze News with tracking receipts indicating that his mail was delivered on June 13, addressed to Bondi in Washington, D.C.</p><p><em><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em></em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self"><em><em>Sign up here</em></em></a><em><em>!</em></em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:20:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/migrant-father-admits-raping-impregnating-14-year-old-daughter-while-residing-in-taxpayer-funded-shelter</guid><category>News</category><category>Massachusetts</category><category>Jon fetherston</category><category>Immigration</category><category>Illegal immigration crisis</category><category>Illegal immigration</category><category>Immigration crisis</category><category>Marlborough</category><category>Pam bondi</category><category>Department of justice</category><category>Doj</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Candace Hathaway</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/migrant-father-admits-raping-impregnating-14-year-old-daughter-while-residing-in-taxpayer-funded-shelter.jpg?id=61243888&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Unmasking the elite: O'Keefe's ‘American Swiper’ exposes mishandling of Epstein scandal</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/normal-world/unmasking-the-elite-o-keefe-s-american-swiper-exposes-mishandling-of-epstein-scandal</link><description><![CDATA[
  17. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61244112&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>We live in an era when seeking the truth is like trying to catch the wind. Government and big corporations lead us through a land of smoke and mirrors, feeding us lie after lie to keep us perpetually trapped in the dark.</p><p>While many people have given up trying to find truth altogether, others have gotten more creative in their methods. One of those people is investigative reporter James O’Keefe, founder of O’Keefe Media Group, an undercover investigative organization notorious for conducting sting operations targeting the most corrupt government and corporate entities.</p><p>OMG just expanded its platform to include a new series called “American Swiper,” which aims to expose corruption, bias, and misconduct using undercover citizen journalists and hidden cameras. From intelligence agents and politicians to corporate bigwigs and media outlets, nobody’s secrets are safe.</p><p>Earlier this month as part of its "American Swiper" series, OMG released an audio recording of Rami Hassan, a deputy senior national intelligence officer at the FBI. On the recording, Hassan is heard telling his undercover date that law enforcement mishandled the Epstein case.</p><p>On the latest episode of “Normal World,” O’Keefe joined Dave Landau, ¼ Black Garrett, and Angela Boggs to dig into the Epstein scandal that somehow just keeps getting bigger.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="14bd958650312845737e894f113dae77" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uYM53icAtks?rel=0&start=2232" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>        </p><p>The panel first revisits the audio capturing Hassan’s apparent admission.</p><p>“I’m with FBI. It’s a s**t show. I do a lot of kind of countering white supremacy things,” he said. “Although the last two and half years, I was at the White House and then kind of got moved back … with the new administration coming in.”</p><p>Hassan’s trained date then cleverly segued to the subject of Epstein. “Small coincidence, but I’ve been watching the Epstein documentary …” she began before Hassan interjected.</p><p>“They [FBI] were trying to … release some of the files — like the White House was … it’s just messy,” he said, according to the recording, before confessing that law enforcement “turned a blind eye” or “missed things” regarding the Epstein case.</p><p>What Hassan told a stranger, O’Keefe says, is “very similar to what Attorney General Pam Bondi did in April” this year. In another sting operation, OMG video shows Bondi telling an undercover journalist that “there's tens of thousands of videos” that the DOJ has to sort through.</p><p>“The question I have is why did the Attorney General and [Hassan] disclose this information to a stranger in a public place before they disclosed it to the American people?” says O’Keefe, who thinks at this point we need to consider making everything “unredacted.”</p><p>“I recognize the world is glued together by secrets. … You can't do a military strike against bad people if they know that you're coming, right? ... But I think at this point, things are so out of balance,” he says. “Everything's redacted. Everything's a lie.”</p><p>As for the DOJ and FBI’s joint memo claiming Epstein’s client list “doesn’t exist,” O’Keefe says the “no-evidence argument” is always “a red flag.”</p><p>“In fairness to the Department of Justice, perhaps it's not what the MAGA people want it to be. But I would bet you a hundred bucks that there's something there … that they don’t want us to see,” he says.</p><p>To hear more of his take and more about other OMG sting operations, watch the episode above.</p><h2>Want more 'Normal World'?</h2><p>To enjoy more whimsical satire, topical sketches, and comedic discussions from comedians Dave Landau and 1/4 Black Garrett, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/normalworld/?utm_source=theblaze&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=article_shortcode_normalworld" target="_blank">subscribe to BlazeTV</a> — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:11:28 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/normal-world/unmasking-the-elite-o-keefe-s-american-swiper-exposes-mishandling-of-epstein-scandal</guid><category>Normal world</category><category>Blazetv</category><category>Blaze media</category><category>Dave landau</category><category>James okeefe</category><category>Okeefe media group</category><category>Epstein</category><category>American swiper</category><dc:creator>BlazeTV Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61244112&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Child entertainer Ms. Rachel faces bitter backlash over video with pro-Hamas photographer</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/ms-rachel-gaza-hamas-azaiza</link><description><![CDATA[
  18. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/child-entertainer-ms-rachel-faces-bitter-backlash-over-video-with-pro-hamas-photographer.jpg?id=61244042&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C104%2C0%2C105"/><br/><br/><p> A popular child entertainer is getting lambasted online for posting a video with a pro-Palestinian photographer whom many accuse of being a Hamas sympathizer.</p><p>Rachel Accurso has <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/01/16/ms-rachel-youtube-star-netflix-deal/" target="_blank">millions</a> of followers on YouTube and other social media platforms and has garnered billions of views, which led to a deal with Netflix. But many of her previous supporters have vowed to boycott her after she boosted photographer Motaz Azaiza.</p><p class="pull-quote">'Millions of kids consume her content. To expose them to Motaz is to expose them to the Palestine death cult.'</p><p>Azaiza is a Palestinian photographer who has earned praise for covering the war in the Gaza Strip, but he's also been excoriated for <a href="https://x.com/EFischberger/status/1945935092594913596" target="_blank">a post</a> that encouraged people to join the violence perpetrated by Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar.</p><p>"Ms. Rachel, who makes content for toddlers, posted a video to her 3.4 million followers with her 'friend,' Palestinian journalist Motaz. Azaiza has called on his followers to support the 'resistance' and celebrated Yahya Sinwar," author Hen Mazzig <a href="https://x.com/HenMazzig/status/1945857056386212101" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">responded</a>.</p><p>"Millions of kids consume her content. To expose them to Motaz is to expose them to the Palestine death cult," writer Eitan Fischberger <a href="https://x.com/EFischberger/status/1945935082063073288" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">replied</a>.</p><p>"Ms Rachel is a Hamas supporting sell out who ... platforms Palestinians that advocate the kidnapping of Israeli children. She is now collaborating with Motaz, a Gazan who praises Hamas and who openly encouraged rape, murder, and kidnapping — including of children, on October 7th," journalist Emily Schrader <a href="https://x.com/emilykschrader/status/1946129159660433869" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a>.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/nyt-kristof-30k-trucks-israel" target="_blank"><strong>New York Times writer mocked and ridiculed for regurgitating bizarre NPR claim against Israel in Gaza war</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2f09b7e855c2c050bc9cb6223cb8f02c" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z3_mk-n_adA?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span> </p><p>"Has Ms. Rachel ever featured an Israeli child on her show to raise awareness about the thousands of orphans in Israel whose parents were murdered in the war Hamas launched?" writer and speaker Yoni Michanie <a href="https://x.com/YoniMichanie/status/1946004186622992823" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">asked</a>. "Or to highlight the trauma of enduring nights in bomb shelters? Because I haven't seen any examples yet."</p><p>Accurso has been <a href="https://stopantisemitism.org/as-week/ms-rachel/" target="_blank">accused</a> of spreading anti-Israel propaganda about the war in Gaza by an organization battling anti-Semitism. And the entertainer has <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/lgbt-kids-propaganda-msrachel" target="_blank">claimed</a> that her Christian faith leads her to celebrate Pride Month and LGBTQ causes.</p><p>Azaiza was <a href="https://time.com/6964147/motaz-azaiza/" target="_blank">named</a> one of the top 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2024.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>! </em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 19:05:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/ms-rachel-gaza-hamas-azaiza</guid><category>Ms rachel</category><category>Child entertainers</category><category>Pro-hamas celebs</category><category>Motaz azaiza</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Carlos Garcia</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/child-entertainer-ms-rachel-faces-bitter-backlash-over-video-with-pro-hamas-photographer.jpg?id=61244042&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>The A&amp;W Drive-In in Cortland, New York, isn't just a lunch spot — it's a time machine</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/align/the-aw-drive-in-in-cortland-new-york-isn-t-just-a-lunch-spot-it-s-a-time-machine</link><description><![CDATA[
  19. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/the-a-w-drive-in-in-cortland-new-york-isn-t-just-a-lunch-spot-it-s-a-time-machine.jpg?id=61239385&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C96%2C0%2C96"/><br/><br/><p>There’s a time portal in Upstate New York that can take you back 40-50 years.</p><p>You’ll have a hard time believing this, but it’s true. You’ll find normal people, friendly customer service, sincere smiles, and multi-generational families having good old-fashioned fun. Inside this wrinkle in time, there are no touchscreens, no questions about signing up for text messages to get a discount, and no dead-eyed Gen Z cashiers who need to get a manager if they key in the wrong amount.</p><p class="pull-quote">Every carhop was a pretty, well-put-together woman between 20 and 50. All wore clean, well-fitting uniforms and <em>genuine</em> smiles on their faces.</p><p>This doorway to a better time is disguised as the <a href="https://awrestaurants.com/locations/new-york/cortland/883-route-13/" target="_blank">A&W Restaurant on route 281 in Cortland</a>, and I believe it can save America. Stay with me for details below; first we have to take stock of where we are in 2025.</p><h2>Chimes and misdemeanors </h2><p>In a typical day, the average American — let’s call him Matt — gets into his car and struggles with a touchscreen TV just to get the air conditioning going while a series of “helpful reminder” chimes and warnings lecture about seatbelts and looking behind before he backs up.</p><p>At work, he has to answer to Caitlynne, the candy-haired HR manager who demands to know when he’s going to sit through the Belonging and Inclusion video. When he answers the phone, some random under-35 with phone anxiety who won’t identify himself asks, “Is this, like, Matt?”</p><h2>Check yourself</h2><p>The fast casual lunch spot has his favorite burrito ready to go at 12:15, but Worker Tyler insists Matt “has to” use “the app” to pay “because we don’t have the staff for the register.”</p><p>On the days that they do have the staff, Adelaide hands him the bag over the counter, then swings the iPad around: “It’s just gonna ask you a question?” Fast-food workers believe they’re entitled to tips for handing you a bag, but they don’t have the character to ask directly, so they disguise it with a phony statement delivered in “upspeak.”</p><p>On the way home, Matt’s wife, Becca, texts him to ask him to stop at the grocery and get half and half. This “quick stop” takes a half-hour because while the store is filled with shoppers, only one live human is on a register. The self-checkouts have lines going down the paper towel aisle and one sullen heifer with face metal to supervise the so-stupid customers, who, like, can’t even figure out how to scan milk?</p><h2>Tech tyrants</h2><p>Once Matt is home, Becca apologizes that the laundry isn’t done, but she can’t get the washing machine to run. It has 26 “features” and cycles — none of which say simply, “Wash in hot water.”</p><p>Becca made the inferior-human mistake of trying to make the tub fill all the way, but the Wi-Fi-enabled machine decided that using enough water to get the clothes clean is Causing the Environment to Experience Harm. So it just sits there doing nothing, and Becca can go suck eggs.</p><p>In bed with their books, Becca and Matt sigh as Matt’s work phone dings at him with a message from his boss that “can’t wait” until morning. But he can’t open his email, because company policy requires two-factor (read: “You must have two computers on your person at all times”) authentication, and the “super easy app” with a special secret code keeps shutting down.</p><h2>Fridge opens YOU</h2><p>Does any of this sound familiar? It’s what life looks like in 2025, a time that most of us in Generation X thought would look like "The Jetsons." But instead of friendly robot maids and easy-to-fly space cars, we’re bossed around by over-digitized automobiles and jacked-up telephones.</p><p>For the first time in history, our machines don’t execute our commands. Instead, they issue orders and commands to us. Get the key sequence right or you’re not eating tonight, meat bag.</p><blockquote>Matt to the fridge: “Open the freezer doors, HAL.”<br/><br/>The fridge: “I feel like maybe I can’t do that, Matt?”</blockquote><p>Woe betide anyone who complains about this. Complainers will be assured by young people (and a surprising number of middle-agers) that they’re lol-boomer-stupid for not instantly recognizing that the squiggly line drawing on the touchscreen is supposed to mean “send this text.”</p><p>We humans are fairly begging the machines to finish us. Have you noticed how we walk around all day with devices the size of a pack of cards with alphabetic letters so tiny your finger selects four at once and yet we apologize for having “fat thumbs”?</p><p> Since when did we accept that we don’t measure up to the machine, instead of making the machine measure up to our needs?</p><h2>Time portal</h2><p>That was a long wind-up before I tell you about the A&W time portal in Cortland, New York, I know, but it was necessary. Now that you’re feeling 21st-century exasperation, imagine what it would be like to have the lunch I had with my sister last week.</p><p>That restaurant has been in Cortland since long before I was born. My mother worked there when I was a baby, and Grandma brought me in to eat cut-up hot dogs in a high chair. This all took place in the same dining room, under the same roof, with the same sign and the same food that I enjoyed the other day on a hometown trip with my sister.</p><p>The first thing you notice is that there’s no drive-through. That’s because it’s a <em>drive-in.</em> For those younger than 45, that means you pull into a covered parking spot, you place your order through an intercom, and a waitress called a “carhop” brings you food on a tray that hooks onto your car door. On this visit, my burger came in a bag, but you get the idea.</p><h2>Flipping the switch</h2><p>The menu boards are printed and static, not revolving LED displays. The intercoms are the very same heavy-duty steel and chrome units originally installed in the late 1950s. Operating them could not be simpler. Press the button — yes, a physical button that does one thing and gives tactile feedback — to place your order. On the right, there’s a toggle switch (again, yes) you flip to have your tray picked up.</p><p>“NO CARDS — CASH ONLY — ATM INSIDE,” says a sign on the menu. I walk into the dining room to get my cash. It’s an actual dining room with carpet, padded booths, and attractive hanging lamps. Each table features A&W’s 1980s signature traditional corded handset phones; you can place your order or call for a waitress by picking one up.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/align/fear-the-beaver-how-a-gas-station-became-a-cult-and-why-you-should-consider-joining" target="_blank">Fear the beaver: How a gas station became a cult (and why you should consider joining)</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a3bafff04f24a00f4e4491bf1d941558" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="4c18b" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61239446&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images</small></p><h2>Warm welcome</h2><p>The place was hopping, and everyone on staff had a chipper tone and a smile. I worked in restaurants for years, and this was a sure sign of a well-run establishment where staff enjoyed their work. That was probably the part of this visit that felt most like I had slipped back in time — there were zero mumbling Gen Z kids acting like my patronage was a burden.</p><p>At almost every table was a multi-generational family from toddlers to grandpas eating together and behaving like sane humans. I had to slap my own face to make sure I was awake.</p><p>The carhop brought our order out and, <em>mirabile dictu</em>, counted my change back up to the original tender amount. All without an iPhone. She was about 22, attractive, and genuinely cheerful. I gave her a 50% tip.</p><p>Every carhop was a pretty, well-put-together woman between 20 and 50. All wore clean, well-fitting uniforms and <em>genuine</em> smiles on their faces. No outrageous makeup or clacking face jewelry — and no attitude.</p><h2>A quick 18</h2><p>Next door is the A&W mini-golf course. Most of the families went over there after burgers and onion rings. The course had no Branded Franchise characters, no X-Men(™) or Marvel Universe Friends(™). Instead, you aimed your ball at holes graced by miniature fairy-tale castles, cartoon bears, and raging tigers.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e2c3e77272b9d2618bd8a996b826a8a5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="a599b" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61239407&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Cortland Miniature Golf Course</small></p><p>Faithful readers, it was <em>wholesome. </em>The burgers and rings were bigger, better, hotter, and about a third cheaper than the slop served at more famous national chains. Yes, the onion rings are still the best you can get.</p><h2>The best of American life</h2><p>My sister Jesse and I grew up in Cortland. It was a hard childhood; our mother was deranged and violent, and we wanted nothing more than to run away from that stupid, awful small town and have a life somewhere, anywhere, that didn’t look like home.</p><p>Today I’m 50 and she’s 46. When we drive through Cortland of 2025, we see a town that looks pretty much the same as it did in the 1980s.</p><p>What we couldn’t see as children is obvious now. Cortland is a working-class town full of people who keep their houses and lawns tidy, know the value of a dollar, and take pride in doing their work well. Frankly, it seems like paradise.</p><p>There’s no better example of the best of American life than what you get at the A&W Restaurant on Route 281. If more of the country would look at that example and remember how good work — and life — can be when it's done sensibly with a smile, America could save itself. God bless that place and everyone who works there.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/align/the-aw-drive-in-in-cortland-new-york-isn-t-just-a-lunch-spot-it-s-a-time-machine</guid><category>God bless america</category><category>Lifestyle</category><category>A&amp;w drive-in</category><category>Cortland</category><category>Ny</category><category>Small town usa</category><category>Intervention</category><dc:creator>Josh Slocum</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/the-a-w-drive-in-in-cortland-new-york-isn-t-just-a-lunch-spot-it-s-a-time-machine.jpg?id=61239385&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>CNN analyst warns Democrats they are 'way behind' Republicans</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/democrats-are-way-behind-25</link><description><![CDATA[
  20. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=61243212&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>CNN analyst Harry Enten warned Democrats this week they could trail Republicans by the largest margins in decades if they do not turn things around.</p><p>Enten, the resident stats expert at CNN, told Democrats to "hold the phone" if they think criticizing the Trump administration over the Jeffrey Epstein files is going to save them.</p><p>Instead, Trump's support has been resilient among likely voters, with the Democrats in danger of taking a monumental backstep in the 2026 midterm elections.</p><p class="pull-quote">'Democrats have not come anywhere close to sealing the deal at this particular point.'</p><p>Enten delivered the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbgbZ5rYCGw" target="_blank">shocking numbers</a> to CNN's John Berman, giving him the grim "bottom line" for the Democrats.</p><p>"Democrats are behind their 2006 and 2018 paces when it comes to the generic congressional ballot."</p><p><span></span>In Democrat versus Republican congressional ballot margins, the Democrat lead has shrunk by more than two times when compared to July 2005, when it was a +7-point margin. The gap remained the same in 2017, but in July 2025, the margin is now just a +2 for Democrats.</p><p>"Donald Trump may be unpopular, but Democrats have not come anywhere close to sealing the deal at this particular point," Enten told his colleague.</p><p>The devastating numbers somehow got way worse for Democrats when breaking down the midterms race by race.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/election-officials-rage-as-trump-administration-pushes-for-election-security" target="_blank">Election officials rage as Trump administration pushes for election security</a></strong></p>        <p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9f42da95edb58950fdfe7a3cdf048089" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vbgbZ5rYCGw?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>                        </p>            <p>When comparing chances for seat changes ahead of previous midterms under Republican presidents, Democrats were favored by +7 in 2005 and a whopping +33 in 2017, CNN showed.</p><p>The Democrats over performed in both cases, picking up 31 seats in the 2006 midterms and 41 seats in the 2018 midterms.<br/></p><p>Now, CNN's Enten showed Republicans are up a shocking 12 points at the same time this year ahead of the 2026 midterms.</p><p>"So it's not just on the generic ballot where Democrats are behind their 2017 and 2005 pace. It's actually when it comes seat by seat, you see that at least at this particular point, Republicans actually have more net pick-up opportunities," Enten stressed.</p><p>"This doesn't look anything like those wave elections back in 2006 or 2018," he added.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/when-i-brought-the-truth-to-congress-democrats-lost-their-minds" target="_blank">When I brought the truth to Congress, Democrats lost their minds</a></strong></p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><blockquote align="center" class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-dnt="true">Reality check: Dems are way behind their 2006 & 2018 pace on the generic ballot at this point in the cycle.<br/><br/>Ahead by only 2 pt vs. 7 pt in 2006/2018 cycles.<br/><br/>Seat-by-seat analysis actually reveals more GOP pickup opportunities than Dems! Very much unlike 2006 & 2018 at this pt. <a href="https://t.co/CRgXukTjz6">pic.twitter.com/CRgXukTjz6</a><br/>— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForecasterEnten/status/1945492536836993510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><p>The stat guru concluded by showing the congressional ballot margin numbers were the same among voters in October 2024, before the presidential election, as they are now. </p><p>"Reality check," Enten wrote on his X <a href="https://x.com/ForecasterEnten/status/1945492536836993510" target="_blank">account</a>. "Dems are way behind their 2006 & 2018 pace ... at this point in the cycle."</p><p>The analyst emphasized that the numbers he is seeing are indicative of when Republicans have held onto a House majority and appear strikingly similar to the 2024 election cycle.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em></p><p><em></em><em>Editor's note: This article has been edited after publication to reflect that Harry Enten is an analyst, not a host, at CNN.</em><br/></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 17:05:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/democrats-are-way-behind-25</guid><category>News</category><category>Democrats</category><category>Republicans</category><category>Midterm</category><category>Polling</category><category>Cnn</category><category>Election</category><category>Trump</category><category>Biden</category><category>House</category><category>Congress</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Andrew Chapados</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=61243212&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Pistol-packing rabbi targets anti-Semitism in action flick 'Guns &amp; Moses'</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/align/pistol-packing-rabbi-targets-anti-semitism-in-action-flick-guns-moses</link><description><![CDATA[
  21. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/pistol-packing-rabbi-targets-anti-semitism-in-action-flick-guns-moses.jpg?id=61236645&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Director Salvador Litvak brought "Guns & Moses" to a Jewish film festival in Atlanta earlier this year, and an audience member gave him an earful.</p><p>The film follows Rabbi Mo Zaltzman (Mark Feuerstein), who becomes proficient in using firearms after a gunman targets his synagogue.</p><p class="pull-quote">'Now, in the Jewish community, the term "survivor" has a new meaning on top of the Holocaust — survivors of those kibbutzim on the border [of Israel].'</p><p>"I don't have a question. I have a statement. ... This is not what we need. This is not how we fight — with guns. We fight with a pen," Litvak recalls the woman telling him during a post-screening Q&A.</p><p>"Ma'am, I 100% agree with you. Articles, editorials, speeches. We need to be doing that the best that we can to fight anti-Semitism and to build alliances with our friends and supporters," Litvak told her. </p><p>"But when a bad guy enters a synagogue intent on killing people, then you need a guy like me and a guy like Rabbi Mo ... to stand between you and that would-be murderer," he continued.</p><h2>Protect and serve</h2><p>Litvak, an Orthodox Jew, is part of <a href="https://www.magenam.com/" target="_blank">Magen Am</a>, a volunteer security organization that trains Jews to protect their communities.</p><p>"The crowd applaude. ... You could see it was so difficult for her," the "Saving Lincoln" filmmaker said about the exchange.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="58389cf5ef27b361c85f2af9977800cd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="3b890" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61236655&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Pictures from the Fringe/Emma McIntyre/Getty Images</small></p><p>"Guns & Moses" — co-starring Neal McDonough, Dermot Mulroney, and Christopher Lloyd — offers a timely look at Jews fighting back via the Second Amendment. Litvak, who co-wrote the film with wife Nina Litvak, wrapped production before the Oct. 7 attacks.</p><p>The Jewish community already understood all too well the threats against it. Post-October 7, the film's sobering message hits harder.</p><h2>'Good and meaningful'</h2><p>Litvak says he decided to make a thriller as his next feature back in 2019. He began watching a classic thriller every day to study the best of the best. Then he read about a California synagogue shooting that killed member Lori Gilbert-Kaye.</p><p>Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein survived the assault but lost two fingers in the melee. Litvak later interviewed the rabbi.</p><p>Goldstein had asked people to make something “good and meaningful” from the tragedy, the director recalls.</p><p>"I was very moved by that," he said, and "Guns & Moses" was born.</p><h2>Fear of faith</h2><p>The director assembled a sturdy cast, including veteran thesp Lloyd, who plays a Holocaust survivor. Litvak landed on the "Back to the Future" alum — who hired a dialect coach to get his Eastern European accent just right — after being rejected by a series of "very big names of a certain age."</p><p>"This older Hollywood [community] is very afraid of faith. ... It's like a peanut allergy for them," said Litvak, whose mother and grandmother survived the Holocaust.</p><p>He faced more roadblocks while sharing the rough cut around Hollywood. He recalls screening the footage for a "big agent" who predicted the film would clean up on streaming platforms.</p><p>Litvak gently told him he saw the title as a theatrical release, adding that the film's audience will be not just Jewish patrons but Christians and conservatives.</p><p>"What are you talking about? Those people hate Jews," he recalls the agent saying.</p><p>"My jaw was on the floor. ... Have you ever met the people you fly over? Obviously, you don't know them. I know they support the Jewish people. I don't think this is news."</p><h2>Shattering stereotypes</h2><p>The exchange stuck with Litvak.</p><p>"This guy is so out of touch. Hollywood in general is so out of touch with half of America," he said.</p><p>He hopes "Guns & Moses," which opens in cinemas today, shows the power of self-defense in uncertain times. He also wants the movie to shatter Jewish stereotypes.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e8a16a9f17b04a31ad1d1a163c7050bf" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XnkqomKfd90?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>                        </p><p>"It's a faith-based movie. It's an action thriller, which isn't a typical genre within the faith-based [genre]. It's about an orthodox rabbi who takes his faith seriously. ... It's not about a nebbishy or neurotic Jew,' he said.</p><p>"[Judaism] is a beautiful tradition that has so much to share. It's very important to us to smash those stereotypes."</p><p>"Guns & Moses" takes firearm training seriously. It's not a matter of showing the hero knocking over a few tin cans in a slick montage.</p><p>"In the real world — God forbid you're ever under pressure and in danger and you have to draw a firearm and use it — to hit the bad guy and not hit innocent people ... takes not just skill but muscle memory," he said.</p><h2>'Never again,' again</h2><p>The film's subject matter meant Litvak's team had to work around the Hollywood system, not benefit from it.</p><p>"We knew that no studio was going to make this movie," he said. What he couldn't foresee was a massacre on the scale that Hamas committed two years ago.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/new-york-citys-likely-next-mayor-wants-to-globalize-the-intifada" target="_blank">New York City's likely next mayor wants to 'globalize the intifada'</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c8de4bd40c0aa6dda45d09030fc839a5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="7d2c8" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61236736&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by Adam Gray/Bloomberg via Getty Images</small></p><p>"We always thought [the topic] would be relevant. ... Now, in the Jewish community, the term 'survivor' has a new meaning on top of the Holocaust — survivors of those kibbutzim on the border [of Israel]," he says.</p><p>That, plus the "overt" anti-Semitism on college campuses nationwide, rocked him.</p><p>"It was at least considered inappropriate or impolite to call for the death of Jews on national TV," he said. "Democrats will not walk back support for 'globalize the intifada,'" he added, alluding to New York City mayoral hopeful <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/new-york-citys-likely-next-mayor-wants-to-globalize-the-intifada" target="_self">Zohran Mamdani</a>.</p><p>"We're living in such times," he said. "'Never again' means we have to take responsibility for our safety."</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/align/pistol-packing-rabbi-targets-anti-semitism-in-action-flick-guns-moses</guid><category>Salvador litvak</category><category>October 7</category><category>Hamas</category><category>Hollywood</category><category>Antisemitism</category><category>Guns</category><category>Culture</category><category>Movies</category><category>Interview</category><category>Align interview</category><dc:creator>Christian Toto</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/pistol-packing-rabbi-targets-anti-semitism-in-action-flick-guns-moses.jpg?id=61236645&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Police chiefs accused in massive visa fraud ring: Fake armed robberies for illegal immigrants?</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/police-chiefs-accused-in-massive-visa-fraud-ring-fake-armed-robberies-for-illegal-immigrants</link><description><![CDATA[
  22. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/police-chiefs-accused-in-massive-visa-fraud-ring-fake-armed-robberies-for-illegal-immigrants.jpg?id=61243470&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C26%2C0%2C56"/><br/><br/><p>A multiagency investigation into a suspicious uptick in reported crimes uncovered an alleged visa fraud scheme that led to the arrest of several current and former law enforcement officers.</p><p>U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Alexander Van Hook explained that an "unusual number of armed robberies" in small Louisiana communities sparked investigations. He noted that most of the listed victims were not from the area. </p><p class="pull-quote">'99.9% of law enforcement's good.'</p><p>"The armed robberies never took place, and those listed in the applications were never victims of crime," Van Hook stated during a Wednesday press conference.</p><p>The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/news-releases/uscis-uncovers-u-visa-fraud-scheme-by-corrupt-law-enforcement-leading-to-federal-indictments" target="_blank">announced</a> a 62-count indictment against a local business owner, Chandrakant Patel, and several current and former police officers: Oakdale Chief of Police Chad Doyle, Oakdale's Ward 5 Marshal Michael Slaney, Forest Hill Chief of Police Glynn Dixon, and former Glenmora Chief of Police Tebo Onishea.</p><p>The indictment charged the defendants with bribery, conspiracy to commit visa fraud, and mail fraud after the men reportedly ran a "more than nine-and-a-half-year alleged scheme to author, facilitate, produce, and authenticate false police reports of purported armed robberies in the central Louisiana area."</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/chinese-nationals-on-student-visas-indicted-for-their-role-in-nasty-scheme-ripping-off-elderly-americans" target="_blank"><strong>Chinese nationals on student visas allegedly ripped off elderly Americans in nasty scheme</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e7d8cbaa3fe07084c2dc47bf8367211a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="0bb4e" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243486&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images</small></p><p>Hundreds of foreign nationals used those alleged false police reports to apply for U visas, which are intended to protect crime victims who are willing to assist law enforcement in investigations or prosecutions.</p><p>The indictment claims that the foreign nationals contacted business owner Patel to request that they be labeled as armed robbery victims in police reports. Patel would then allegedly ask Doyle, Slaney, Dixon, or Onishea to write up the false police reports so the immigrants could use them as official supporting documents in their visa applications. </p><p>Patel allegedly received thousands of dollars for his participation in the scheme. According to the indictment, he offered to pay a Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office agent $5,000 in February for a fake police report.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/exclusive-government-does-not-know-if-any-illegal-aliens-registered-for-draft-as-they-are-required-to-do-during-biden-surge" target="_blank"><strong>Exclusive: Government doesn't know if any illegal aliens registered for draft, as they are required to do, during Biden surge</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4b874663eb2d2a662e6709c4c2b17561" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="852a3" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243489&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by Miami Herald via Getty Images</small></p><p>Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood told <a href="https://www.wbrz.com/news/five-including-two-police-chiefs-indicted-on-10-year-visa-fraud-scheme-in-western-louisiana/" target="_blank">WBRZ-TV</a>, "99.9% of law enforcement's good."</p><p>"We go to work every day. We get up, we do what we're supposed to do. For whatever reason, the allure of money, or whatever it is that leads them to do the wrong thing, don't do it," Wood stated.</p><p>The USCIS reported, "If convicted, the defendants each face a sentence of up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge; up to 10 years on the visa fraud charges; and up to 20 years on the mail fraud charge. Patel faces up to 10 years on the bribery charge. In addition, they could be ordered to pay a fine of up to $250,000 on each count."</p><p><em><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em></em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self"><em><em>Sign up here</em></em></a><em><em>!</em></em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 16:50:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/police-chiefs-accused-in-massive-visa-fraud-ring-fake-armed-robberies-for-illegal-immigrants</guid><category>News</category><category>Louisiana</category><category>Illegal immigration crisis</category><category>Illegal immigration</category><category>Immigration crisis</category><category>Immigration</category><category>Visa fraud</category><category>Uscis</category><category>Us citizenship</category><category>U.s. citizenship and migration services</category><category>United states citizenship and immigration services</category><category>False police reports</category><category>Police reports</category><category>Police corruption</category><category>Corruption</category><category>Bribery</category><category>Fraud</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Candace Hathaway</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/police-chiefs-accused-in-massive-visa-fraud-ring-fake-armed-robberies-for-illegal-immigrants.jpg?id=61243470&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Chip and Joanna Gaines: When influence replaces conviction</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/chip-and-joanna</link><description><![CDATA[
  23. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61242993&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Chip and Joanna Gaines built a brand on faith and family values — but after featuring a gay couple with two children born via surrogate on their new reality show — that’s now being called into question.</p><p>And now, comments the couple has made in the past are starting to make a lot more sense.</p><p>“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Can I just make a statement?’ The accusations that get thrown at you, like you’re a racist or you don’t like people in the LGBTQ community, that’s the stuff that really eats my lunch — because it’s so far from who we really are. That’s the stuff that keeps me up,” Joanna said in an interview with the Hollywood reporter in 2021.</p><p>“Of course, no Christian wants to be seen as hateful. I understand why that bothers them. But what I am saying is that they really care what the world thinks about them in this way. At least according to their own words, they seem to care about that,” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey explains on “Relatable.”</p><h3></h3><br/><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="01e1504771c560df4e365c5f2f7fb42b" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1ZNEgzn7z7c?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span><p>The couple has also publicly come out in support of Billy Jack Brawner, a man they have close personal and professional ties with who dragged his wife into a polyamory arrangement with another man — before coming out as gay with the man.</p><p>“He was married to a woman, has several children with her, and now he has come out as gay and is in love with a man, and he has a caption on Instagram from 2021 explaining this,” Stuckey explains.</p><p>“I was a gay little boy who grew up absolutely hating myself; and I’m a gay man who is learning to absolutely love myself. I am so good. I’m raising babies who are so good with my best friend on the planet who is so good (understatement). I’m in love with a man who is so good. My life is so good,” he wrote in an Instagram post.</p><p>Joanna commented on the post, “Yes, you are so good. We love you.”</p><p>“That’s probably a good indicator of where their heart is and where their mind is when it comes to the LGBTQ issue,” Stuckey says, noting that they’ve chosen the path of least resistance when it comes to being successful as an influencer.</p><p>“There is a lot of money there. You will get the accolades. You will get the mainstream support. And you might even tell yourself if you’re a Christian, the more mainstream you are, the more opportunity you have to share the gospel with people,” she continues.</p><p>“And you might even see that God is giving you these partnerships with all of these entities and giving you money and giving you fame because He is approving of what you do, and He is approving of the choices you make. And that is a very, very dangerous place to be,” she adds.</p><h2>Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?</h2><p>To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/allie/?utm_source=theblaze&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=article_shortcode_alliebethstuckey" target="_blank">subscribe to BlazeTV</a> — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 15:30:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/chip-and-joanna</guid><category>Camera phone</category><category>Video</category><category>Sharing</category><category>Free</category><category>Upload</category><category>Video phone</category><category>Youtube.com</category><category>Relatable with allie beth stuckey</category><category>Relatable</category><category>Allie beth stuckey</category><category>The blaze</category><category>Blazetv</category><category>Blaze news</category><category>Blaze podcasts</category><category>Blaze podcast network</category><category>Chip and joanna gaines</category><category>Christian influencers</category><category>Lgbtqia agenda</category><dc:creator>BlazeTV Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61242993&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Trump reverses course, orders release of Epstein grand jury testimony</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-orders-epstein-testimony-release</link><description><![CDATA[
  24. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/trump-reverses-course-orders-release-of-epstein-grand-jury-testimony.png?id=61241432&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>After media members accused President Trump of writing a friendly letter to Jeffrey Epstein and even drawing him a picture for his 50th birthday, the president decided late Thursday that more files related to Epstein should be released.</p><p>Trump had increasingly voiced his disdain for Democrat and media pressure, saying leftists were pushing more hoaxes like the "fully discredited" Russia dossier and former first son Hunter Biden's "Laptop from Hell."</p><p>It seems the president was finally pushed too far after the Wall Street Journal published a <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-epstein-wsj-note-lawsuit" target="_blank">piece</a> about his relationship with Epstein, which Trump vehemently denied, even telling the outlet he would sue.</p><p>"I'm gonna sue the Wall Street Journal just like I sued everyone else," Trump said.</p><p>Then, just after 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, the president took to Truth Social to let the world know he had had enough.</p><p class="pull-quote">'President Trump — we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.'</p><p>While voicing his displeasure with the Epstein saga, Trump expressed a desire to put the story to rest through more transparency.</p><p>"Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval," the president <a href="https://x.com/TrumpTruthOnX/status/1946014295659319486" target="_blank">wrote</a>. "This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!"<br/></p><p>Bondi immediately responded to the president online, with a <a href="https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/1946014427670851643" target="_blank">post</a> seen by over 10 million people on X alone.</p><p>"President Trump — we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts."</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-doubles-down-on-bulls-t-epstein-files-i-don-t-want-their-support-anymore" target="_blank">Trump doubles down on 'bulls**t' Epstein files: 'I don't want their support anymore!'</a></strong></p>        <blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1946014295659319486">
  25.        <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  26.        <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpTruthOnX/status/1946014295659319486"></a>
  27.    </blockquote>
  28.        <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>                    <p>Conservatives had <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/conservatives-rally-to-trumps-defense" target="_blank">rallied behind Trump</a> after he was accused of writing a creative but <a href="https://x.com/yashar/status/1945980280906580036" target="_blank">imaginary dialogue</a> between himself and Epstein, accompanied by a drawing of a naked woman.</p><p>Vice President JD Vance immediately called the alleged letter "bulls**t" and asked why it had not been published nor shown to the administration for comment.</p><p>"Does anyone honestly believe this sounds like Donald Trump?”</p><p>Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk similarly said <a href="https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1945990111142838476" target="_blank">on X</a>, “This is not how Trump talks at all. I don’t believe it.”</p><p>Despite the president's insistence that the Epstein files contained a combination of nothing-burgers and made-up information, the issue has continued to be hammered in the media in an apparent attempt to fracture his support.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/conservatives-rally-to-trumps-defense" target="_blank">Conservatives rally to Trump’s defense</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fb1bda9f2d8c9d197f2f65d62770632b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="bd8c5" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61243042&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images</small></p>            <p>On Monday, Trump supporters were shocked to find out that a GOP-majority House Rules Committee shut down a possible vote in the House to release more documents related to the Epstein files. </p><p>Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.) <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/republicans-house-committee-vote-epstein" target="_blank">put forward an amendment</a> from fellow Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna (Calif.) that, if passed, would have sent a vote to the House on whether to force Bondi to "preserve and release any records related to Jeffrey Epstein."<span></span></p><p>However, Republicans voted down the motion, defeating it 7-5 with one GOP member voting alongside Democrats.</p><p>With Trump stepping in to order the release, it seems the GOP faithful can get what they were asking for directly from the pen of the president.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em><em><br/></em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-orders-epstein-testimony-release</guid><category>News</category><category>Trump</category><category>Epstein</category><category>Doj</category><category>Pam bondi</category><category>Kash patel</category><category>Fbi</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Andrew Chapados</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/trump-reverses-course-orders-release-of-epstein-grand-jury-testimony.png?id=61241432&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>When I brought the truth to Congress, Democrats lost their minds</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/when-i-brought-the-truth-to-congress-democrats-lost-their-minds</link><description><![CDATA[
  29. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/when-i-brought-the-truth-to-congress-democrats-lost-their-minds.jpg?id=61243121&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C107"/><br/><br/><p>Democrats have dragged anti-law enforcement violence into the political mainstream. We’ve never seen this level of shameless rhetoric — let alone open justification of violence — from a major American political party in our history.</p><p>During a <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2025/07/17/its-a-pipeline-experts-reveal-how-taxpayer-funded-ngos-facilitated-human-trafficking-profited-from-biden-harris-border-crisis/" target="_blank">House Homeland Security Committee hearing</a> Wednesday, I opened <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/07.16.25-Witness-Testimony.pdf" target="_blank">my testimony</a> by reading direct quotes from Democrats calling for violence. I also cited the 830% spike in assaults against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. I even pleaded with Democrats to stop encouraging threats against law enforcement.</p><p class="pull-quote">Democrats’ goal was obvious: Slow the hearing down, bore the public, and turn a losing argument into a sleepy C-SPAN rerun.</p><p>That’s when Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) lost it.</p><p>After just one minute's worth of testimony, Thompson interrupted me mid-statement and demanded a vote to strike my remarks from the record. He failed. I reclaimed my time and continued.</p><p>A quick reminder: Thompson chaired the <a href="https://january6th-benniethompson.house.gov/" target="_blank">January 6th Select Committee</a> — the entire purpose of which was to blame President Trump for a riot he didn’t cause. Trump explicitly told supporters to remain peaceful and go home. But when I confronted Thompson and his colleagues with their own words — when I showed that <em><em>they</em></em> had actually called for violence—he tried to shut me up.</p><p>We already knew he was a hypocrite. He just confirmed it.</p><p>What triggered him exactly? Maybe it was me quoting a Democrat who told <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/07/democrats-trump-resistance-violence-congress" target="_blank">Axios</a>, “There needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public.” Or the one who said, “Civility isn’t working,” and told activists to prepare for “violence.”</p><p>Maybe it was when I reminded the room that <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/punch-a-cop-get-a-charge-even-if-youre-in-congress" target="_blank">Rep. LaMonica McIver</a> (D-N.J.) had been indicted for interfering with federal officers at an ICE facility. Or when I listed attacks on the Department of Homeland Security personnel in Alvarado, McAllen, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Linda Vista.</p><p>I didn’t even get into the stack of quotes from Democrats calling DHS officers “Nazis,” “terrorists,” or “the Gestapo.” I had pages of them. But with only five minutes to testify, I picked the highlights.</p><p>Later in the hearing, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) — who showed up late and left early — picked up where his colleagues left off. He said ICE was “terrorizing” illegal immigrants. He accused ICE of jailing a child with his parents instead of separating the family, apparently unaware that he was criticizing the very policy he demands.</p><p>The rest of the hearing dragged on for seven hours.</p><p>Democrats used procedural games to stall for time, forcing vote after vote on irrelevant subpoenas. Their goal was obvious: Slow the hearing down, bore the public, and turn a losing argument into a sleepy C-SPAN rerun. Not a single Democrat asked a question of any Republican witness until the very last minute.</p><p>I was barely paying attention by then.</p><p>When Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) said my name, I thought she was a staffer. I didn’t recognize her. I assumed she might be a delegate from one of the territories Americans forget they own.</p><p>She shuffled between reading from her Trapper Keeper and trying to deliver rhetorical questions that might eventually lead to something substantive. Then came her big moment.</p><p>She asked if I agreed with her description of a detention facility incident.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/democrats-clearly-weren-t-prepared-blaze-news-contributor-schools-libs-on-border-crisis-in-fiery-hearing" target="_blank">‘Democrats clearly weren't prepared’: Blaze News contributor schools libs on border crisis in fiery hearing</a><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/florida-police-go-full-steam-ahead-with-historic-partnership-to-enforce-federal-immigration-law" target="_blank"></a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2b82aec9c9a44658fbb2fd1efe8e3362" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="eba7e" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.webp?id=61243245&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Homeland Security Committee</small></p><p>I told her flatly that I wasn’t going to take her word for it — and yes, I support detaining illegal aliens during removal proceedings. That’s the law. Her response was dramatic. She looked like someone had slammed on the brakes while she was mid-sentence. Head thrown back. Eyes wide. Total shock.</p><p>She tried to recover, flipped back to her notes, and asked if I agreed that Democrats have the authority to just walk into ICE facilities and call it “oversight.”</p><p>I reminded her I’ve written about this extensively — including <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/memo-to-democrats-oversight-isnt-a-get-out-of-jail-free-card" target="_blank">right here</a> at Blaze News — and that no, Democrats can’t just show up at a federal detention center and expect to play dress-up as immigration watchdogs. I told her I was doing my best to keep them out of jail.</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1945589246586159505">
  30.        <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  31.        <a href="https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/1945589246586159505"></a>
  32.    </blockquote>
  33.        <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>        <p>Then, of course, she brought up Jeffrey Epstein.</p><p>At first, I considered thanking her for finally connecting mass illegal immigration to the topic of sex trafficking — but the exchange went in a different direction. She claimed I had reversed my position on the Epstein investigation to match the Trump administration’s narrative.</p><p><em><em>False</em></em>.</p><p>Since Axios published its memo announcing the case closure, I’ve criticized that decision <em><em>every single day </em></em>— on air, in print, on social media, and in private. I haven’t backed off an inch. I called her a liar because she was lying. That clip went viral, and I’m glad it did.</p><p>If Ansari had taken the time to read my <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-epstein-memo-is-a-joke-and-the-jokes-on-us" target="_blank">previous commentary</a> — especially at Blaze News — she might’ve avoided the embarrassment. Maybe it’s time she got <a href="https://subscribe.blazemedia.com/" target="_blank">a subscription</a>.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/when-i-brought-the-truth-to-congress-democrats-lost-their-minds</guid><category>Opinion &amp; analysis</category><category>Opinion</category><category>January 6</category><category>Jan 6</category><category>January 6th committee</category><category>Ice agents</category><category>Violence against police</category><dc:creator>Mike Howell</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/when-i-brought-the-truth-to-congress-democrats-lost-their-minds.jpg?id=61243121&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Man accused of killing 'American Idol' producer and her husband avoided prosecution for previous violent crime charges</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/american-idol-murder-update-news</link><description><![CDATA[
  34. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/man-accused-of-killing-american-idol-producer-and-her-husband-avoided-prosecution-for-previous-violent-crime-charges.jpg?id=61239349&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C80%2C0%2C80"/><br/><br/><p> An award-winning music producer of "<a href="https://www.theblaze.com/tag/american-idol" target="_blank">American Idol</a>" and her husband recently were shot to death inside their <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/tag/california" target="_self">California home</a>, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. But the suspect reportedly avoided prosecution in connection with three previous <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/tag/crime" target="_blank">violent crimes</a> he was accused of committing.</p><p>Robin Kaye was a music supervisor for TV shows such as "American Idol," "Lip Sync Battle," and "Hollywood Game Night," according to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2841282/" target="_blank">IMDb</a>. In addition, she was music supervisor multiple times for Miss USA, Miss Universe, and the NAACP Image Awards.</p><p class="pull-quote">'When the homeowners returned back to their residence, a violent struggle ensued between them and the suspect, who was already inside their home, which resulted in the victims tragically losing their lives.'</p><p>Kaye lived in a mansion with her husband, Thomas Deluca. Investigators noted the couple's residence was highly fortified — surrounded by an eight-foot wall with spikes and with surveillance cameras throughout the home, according to <a href="https://abc7.com/post/new-details-murder-american-idol-executive-and-her-husband-inside-encino-home/17155401/" target="_blank">KABC-TV</a>.</p><p><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/american-idol-murder-police-suggest-no-motive-home-invasion-suspect-who-gunned-down-exec-husband" target="_blank">Fox News</a> reported that officers with the Los Angeles Police Department on Monday around 2:30 p.m. responded to a welfare check call. Kaye and Deluca — both 70 years old — were found dead.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/no-kings-protest-shooting-salt-lake-city-video" target="_self">Former reality TV contestant shot and killed at No Kings protest by 'peacekeeper,' police say</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="af2c8dcf7b2e74480dd6661fb8aec138" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="88cc3" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61239120&width=980"/>                <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">            Photo by Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images        </small>        </p>                    <p>After reviewing surveillance video and forensic evidence, investigators said they believe a man entered the home on July 10.</p><p>The suspect jumped the fence and entered the mansion through an unlocked sliding glass door. The couple returned home about 30 minutes later.</p><p>"He was there for approximately half an hour," Los Angeles Police Lt. Guy Golan noted, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/16/us-news/la-creep-charged-with-killing-american-idol-boss-terrified-neighbors-was-repeatedly-arrested-locals-reveal/" target="_blank">New York Post</a>. "When the homeowners returned back to their residence, a violent struggle ensued between them and the suspect, who was already inside their home, which resulted in the victims tragically losing their lives."</p><p>Golan said the killings appeared to be random.</p><p>Police said they discovered a handgun at the suspect's home in Encino. </p><p>Lt. Golan told KABC, "We believe it's the murder weapon, but pending forensic analysis, we're not ready to say so yet."</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/paige-bell-murder-superyacht-update-bahamas" target="_self">She was about to celebrate her 21st birthday — then police found her dead in superyacht's engine room</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="60011e6b3e67a85b654669971bfbe0b0" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9l8Ku8Kp2Fk?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>                        </p><p>Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian; he was arrested Tuesday in connection with the murders, KABC said. In addition, he allegedly has a history of violence.</p><p>KABC reported that Boodarian was accused in 2023 of brandishing a knife and making criminal threats against his stepfather as well as battery against his mother and sister in 2024.</p><p>But all three misdemeanor charges were dismissed late last year after Boodarian was found mentally incompetent, KABC said, citing court documents.</p><p>Criminal defense attorney Lou Shapiro told KABC, "Some of the questions are going to be: 'Why was this case dismissed? Was he put on some type of diversion where he proved to the court and everyone that he had since been rehabilitated? Or did he slip through the cracks, and this case was dismissed by accident, which is very rare?'"</p><p>The couple were victims of a home invasion a few months ago, according to <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/arrest-made-in-deadly-shooting-of-american-idol-executive-her-husband-in-encino/" target="_blank">KTLA-TV</a>.</p><p>Guy Cohen — a security expert who had worked with the couple — told KTLA, "We consulted with them just a couple of months ago, and to think that maybe we could’ve prevented this from happening is just heartbreaking."</p><p>A spokesperson for “American Idol” told the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-07-16/america-idol-executive-slaying-at-encino-home" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a> that Kaye was a "cornerstone of the ‘Idol’ family."</p><p>"[Kaye] was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her," the spokesperson said. "Robin will remain in our hearts forever, and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”</p><p>Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact the Valley Homicide detectives at 818-374-9550 or submit tips anonymously at <a href="http://www.lacrimestoppers.org/" target="_blank">www.lacrimestoppers.org</a>.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a>!</em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:35:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/american-idol-murder-update-news</guid><category>Murder</category><category>American idol</category><category>California crime</category><category>California</category><category>American idol murder</category><category>Crime</category><dc:creator>Paul Sacca</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/man-accused-of-killing-american-idol-producer-and-her-husband-avoided-prosecution-for-previous-violent-crime-charges.jpg?id=61239349&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Tech won't kill education — it will return it to its roots</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/return/tech-won-t-kill-education-it-ll-return-it-to-its-roots</link><description><![CDATA[
  35. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/tech-won-t-kill-education-it-will-return-it-to-its-roots.jpg?id=61237049&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=3%2C0%2C4%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>I was recently asked a question by a conference participant about whether education faces an AI apocalypse. “I'm on staff at a college in Washington state, and in my work, I interface with our curriculum,” the concerned educator said.</p><p>“Our instructors tell us they're no longer really teaching because about 90% of assignments they get back are AI-generated,” they went on. “When you take the students away from the AI, they're functionally illiterate. Getting together is nice, as long as there's some commonality. But if AI destroys our ability to transmit culture meaningfully from person to person, the connections between humans will eventually fail, because there will be no commonality of learning, culture, or understanding.”</p><p>I have a pretty straightforward take on this — extremely basic, really.</p><p class="pull-quote">We ask education to be way too many things: It's a rite of passage, a day care, a credential factory, a gatekeeper, and so on.</p><p>In my day job at Symbolic AI, I'm always trying to get state-of-the-art language models to produce text artifacts reflective of human steering, human insight, and human intelligence. You input your notes and your thoughts, and it's supposed to become, say, a news article or something. But even the latest models are very brittle. LLMs are fragile.</p><p>When you color outside the lines, the whole thing starts to collapse and fall apart. If this brittle, janky prototype technology has destroyed higher education as we know it — really? I'm trying to imagine Professor Tolkien's seminar back in the day, where you show up to read some medieval history and you bring this ChatGPT output. Why would you even do that?</p><p>In seminars I was in, reading Plutarch or whatever, there would have been no room for this. Maybe AI is a bit like a wildfire in the ecosystem that burns away some of the dead wood, fertilizes the ground, and allows something better — and perhaps older, closer to what it once was — to grow back.</p><p>If someone genuinely wants to learn, grow intellectually, and become educated, and you tell him clearly, “Using AI in these ways will help you toward that goal, and using it in these other ways will hinder you,” then he'll generally choose the right path and avoid misusing the tools.</p><p>It's kind of like physical exercise. Imagine someone wants to build muscle. You could have a machine lift the weights for you — which would obviously be pointless, even though, sure, the weights got lifted — or you could use the machine to provide resistance and actually get stronger.</p><p>But if someone is just trying to check a box, gain status, or please his parents or peers with the appearance of being educated, he'll do whatever he has to do — AI shortcuts included. My honest feeling about those folks is that I'd rather not waste educational resources on them.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/supreme-court-trump-education-dept" target="_blank">Supreme Court grants massive victory to Trump administration on cutting down Department of Education</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c37c8ed9bbadcc7f9b732c9b79dc62f1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="1ff3c" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61237050&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images</small></p><p>Education should mainly be for those who truly want to learn. Right now, though, we ask education to be way too many things: It's a rite of passage, a day care, a credential factory, a gatekeeper, and so on.</p><p>My view here is grounded in my experience raising my own girls. I’ve found that when they genuinely want to learn something — whether it's painting, Iceland (my oldest is obsessed ... no clue why), algebra, pop-music lore — they naturally dive in with enthusiasm.</p><p>But if they have to do something just to check a box, we talk about whether there's actually any value in it. If we agree it's beneficial enough, they'll do it — but usually at around 70% effort, which is good enough. And if we decide it's pointless, we scheme up a shortcut to minimize their wasted effort so they can spend their time on something better.</p><p>My big question in these cases is always: What are you doing with the time you saved by taking that shortcut? Did you waste it, or did you put it to good use and end up ahead?</p><p>This exact question is going to apply to newsrooms adopting AI tools like mine. Once you gain back some of your time, what are you doing with it? Are you just churning out more content slop, or are you investing in better, deeper stories?</p><p>By the way: I don't assume that everyone's going to default to producing slop — the returns on that are diminishing anyway. In fact, there's a real chance we'll see better reporting emerge, because ultimately that's what audiences value and will pay for.</p><p><em><em>A version of this article was published at jonstokes.com.</em></em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/return/tech-won-t-kill-education-it-ll-return-it-to-its-roots</guid><category>Ai</category><category>Education</category><category>Tech</category><category>Lifestyle</category><category>Return</category><dc:creator>Jon Stokes</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/tech-won-t-kill-education-it-will-return-it-to-its-roots.jpg?id=61237049&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>After decades of promises, GOP finally defunds PBS and NPR</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/after-decades-of-promises-gop-finally-defunds-pbs-and-npr</link><description><![CDATA[
  36. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/after-decades-of-promises-gop-finally-defunds-pbs-and-npr.jpg?id=61243132&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54"/><br/><br/><p>President Donald Trump is among the Republicans who have long sought to terminate federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, a pair of outfits whose <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/nprs-new-ceo-outed-as-leftist-race-obsessive-amidst-calls-to-defund-the-polemical-news-outlet" target="_self">unmistakable ideological bias</a> and imbalanced coverage at taxpayers' expense have rankled conservatives. The call to defund the liberal networks goes back <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/18/business/media/npr-pbs-funding-cuts-republicans.html#:~:text=But%20for%20five%20decades%2C%20Republicans,PBS%20and%20NPR%20into%20law." target="_blank">at least as far as the Nixon administration.</a> </p><p>On May 1, Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/ending-taxpayer-subsidization-of-biased-media/" target="_blank">ordered</a> the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cut off the <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-news-investigates-sparing-taxpayers-from-funding-leftist-propaganda" target="_self">liberal propaganda networks'</a> direct and indirect funding, noting both that "Americans have the right to expect that if their tax dollars fund public broadcasting at all, they fund only fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage" and that "no media outlet has a constitutional right to taxpayer subsidies."</p><p>The president's order was, however, vulnerable to legal challenges — especially since Congress holds the power of the purse.</p><p>To ensure the success and permanence of this defunding effort, the White House <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/06/09/2025-10377/rescissions-proposals-pursuant-to-the-congressional-budget-and-impoundment-control-act-of-1974" target="_blank">proposed</a> that Congress cancel funding to public broadcasting for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. In addition to the proposed $1.1 billion in cuts to the CPB, the White House also <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/white-house-works-to-send-doge-cuts-package-to-congress" target="_blank">requested</a> that lawmakers cancel over $8 billion to various leftist projects disguised as foreign aid programs.</p><p class="pull-quote">'Washington has a spending problem, and we have to start making cuts.'</p><p>House Republicans ultimately obliged the president, delivering most of his desired cuts late Thursday night. None of the Democrats' amendments were adopted. A promise to voters decades in the making was finally delivered.</p><p>In the run-up to the vote in the House of Representatives, an Office of Management and Budget official seized on the historic nature of the cuts. In a statement to Blaze News, the official said, "Conservatives have been calling to defund NPR and PBS for decades. President Trump delivered in six months. Not only that, this package cuts billions in wasteful foreign aid that has been spent on projects including $4 million for 'sedentary migrants' in Colombia, $643,000 for LGBTQI+ programs in the Western Balkans, $833,000 for 'transgender people, sex workers, and their clients and sexual networks' in Nepal, and many more."</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1945793689525088493">
  37.        <div style="margin:1em 0"></div> —  (@)
  38.        <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateGOP/status/1945793689525088493"></a>
  39.    </blockquote>
  40.        <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>        <p>"The Trump administration is committed to putting America first and restoring fiscal sanity," continued the OMB official. "This recissions package is a huge step in the right direction."</p><p>Russ Vought, director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, <a href="https://x.com/Bannons_WarRoom/status/1945851119894225282" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">told</a> Steve Bannon's "War Room" on Thursday that the pending passage of the rescissions package and the defunding of the CPB in particular would be a "historic victory." After all, it is the <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/trump-rescission-proposal-builds-on-illegal-impoundments-would-undermine" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first successful presidentially proposed rescissions package</a> since fiscal year 1999.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/vance-casts-tiebreaking-vote-to-advance-doge-cuts-after-republicans-defy-trump" target="_blank">Vance casts tiebreaking vote to advance DOGE cuts after Republicans defy Trump</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e3b4b2570463d3b8a737bed3a57fbaca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="553ec" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61239139&width=980"/><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images</small></p><p>The U.S. Senate voted <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00411.htm" target="_blank">51-48</a> on Trump's requested cuts in an early Thursday-morning vote just hours after Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) <a href="https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=E458A54F-EE3B-421A-B3A2-97E4C1E014CF" target="_blank">emphasized</a> that "reining in waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government is a priority shared by President Trump and by Senate Republicans."</p><p>Thune noted further when teeing up the rescissions package that it was a "small but important step toward fiscal sanity that we all should be able to agree is long overdue."</p><p>When asked ahead of the Senate vote whether lawmakers might water down the DOGE cuts, Florida Rep. Greg Steube (R) expressed hope to Blaze Media that Republicans would see it through, stressing that "Washington has a spending problem, and we have to start making cuts."</p><p class="pull-quote">'Conservatives have been calling to defund NPR and PBS for decades. President Trump delivered in six months.'</p><p>Although the House already <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/house-narrowly-passes-doge-cuts-despite-republican-defectors-the-gravy-train-is-up" target="_blank">voted in favor</a> of the cuts in a 214-212 vote last month — where Republican Reps. Mark Amodei of Nevada, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Nicole Malliotakis of New York, and Mike Turner of Ohio voted in opposition — the small changes made in the Senate still needed to be voted on by the House.</p><p>The package <a href="https://x.com/RepublicanStudy/status/1946184337994744268">passed</a> the House again by a narrow margin late Thursday night, this time of 216-213. Once again, both Fitzpatrick and Turner voted against passing the cuts. </p><p>Trump pledged to sign the package into law at the White House on Friday afternoon. "Congratulations to our GREAT REPUBLICANS for being able to accomplish so much, a record, in so short a period of time," he posted to <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114874476139755852" target="_blank">Truth Social</a> Friday morning.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-news-investigates-sparing-taxpayers-from-funding-leftist-propaganda" target="_blank">Sparing taxpayers from funding leftist propaganda</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="66d39fe6a0cd9773b7d0d46abfa1923f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="86748" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61239125&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">NPR CEO Katherine Maher. Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images</small></p><p>Trump's success — which has enraged Democratic lawmakers and NGOs — will have a major impact at NPR and PBS.<br/></p><p>A spokesman for PBS, which has over 330 member television stations, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/01/30/nx-s1-5281162/fcc-npr-pbs-investigation" target="_blank">indicated</a> earlier this year that the organization receives 16% of its funding directly from the federal government each year.</p><p>While NPR <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/178660742/public-radio-finances?utm_source=podnews.net&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=podnews.net%3A2024-12-30" target="_blank">claims</a> that less than 1% of its annual operating budget comes in the form of grants directly from the CPB and other federal sources, the programming fees paid by CPB-funded public radio stations to NPR have been one of its primary sources of revenue. </p><p>Blaze News <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-news-investigates-sparing-taxpayers-from-funding-leftist-propaganda" target="_self">previously reported</a> that consolidated financial statements show that the organization secured <a href="https://media.npr.org/documents/about/statements/fy2023/National%20Public%20Radio%20-%20Consolidated%20Financial%20Statements%20-%20S2322%20FINAL%20(S).pdf" target="_blank">over $96.1 million</a> in "core and other programming fees" in 2023, $93.2 million in 2022, <a href="https://media.npr.org/documents/about/statements/fy2021/National%20Public%20Radio%20-%20Consolidated%20Financial%20Statements%20-%20S2120.pdf" target="_blank">$90.4 million in 2021</a>, and $92.5 million in 2020.</p><p>That tap has now been turned off for at least two years.<br/></p><p>Katherine Maher, president and CEO of NPR, said in a statement obtained by Blaze News after the Senate vote, "Public radio is a lifeline, connecting rural communities to the rest of the nation and providing lifesaving emergency broadcasting and weather alerts. It cannot be replaced, so it is essential that its funding be sustained."</p><p>Blaze News has reached out to PBS for comment. </p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:20:34 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/after-decades-of-promises-gop-finally-defunds-pbs-and-npr</guid><category>Rescissions</category><category>Rescission</category><category>Funding</category><category>Npr</category><category>Pbs</category><category>Leftist propaganda</category><category>Usaid</category><category>Government</category><category>House</category><category>Senate</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Politics</category><category>Trump administraiton</category><dc:creator>Joseph MacKinnon</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/after-decades-of-promises-gop-finally-defunds-pbs-and-npr.jpg?id=61243132&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>The GOP establishment lost to Trump — now it's rebranding as ‘neo-MAGA’</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-gop-establishment-lost-to-trump-now-it-s-rebranding-as-neo-maga</link><description><![CDATA[
  41. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/the-gop-establishment-lost-to-trump-now-it-s-rebranding-as-neo-maga.jpg?id=61242935&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>From the moment Donald Trump announced his run for president, the Republican establishment hated his guts. In 2016, the brash New York billionaire was treated like a joke — an embarrassment degrading the political process. But as Trump gained momentum, establishment figures faced a choice: Throw in with “NeverTrump” or pretend they’d seen the light.</p><p>Some bolted to NeverTrump outfits like the Bulwark or the Lincoln Project. Others stuck around, biding their time, waiting for a chance to reclaim the party from the populists. Now that Trump defines the GOP, they’ve shifted strategies. If you can’t beat MAGA, co-opt it.</p><p class="pull-quote">MAGA has never been a cult, despite what the detractors may say. Supporters have stood by him because he fought for the things they care about.</p><p>Trump’s first term resembled an awkward arranged marriage. He won the heart of the base and created a movement mostly detached from the GOP machine. But he lacked the institutional infrastructure necessary to govern. Running the executive branch requires armies of staffers, bureaucrats, and loyal operatives — none of which MAGA had.</p><p>That vacuum was filled by GOP establishment swamp creatures, many of whom actively opposed the president and his agenda. Key officials undermined him. Military leaders lied to his face. Despite some major victories, Trump’s presidency was defined by a constant war against a hostile ruling class.</p><h2>The great Republican hope?</h2><p>With outrageous legal attacks from the Biden administration raising doubts about Trump’s electability, Ron DeSantis was encouraged to step in. I like DeSantis — he’s my governor, and he has done an outstanding job, especially standing up to the COVID-19 insanity. But the truth is that DeSantis has never been a gifted campaigner. He barely scraped by in 2018 against a man later found doing meth in a hotel with a male prostitute.</p><p>Trump, whatever his flaws, is a force of nature on the campaign trail. Anyone paying attention could see that DeSantis was walking into a meat grinder.</p><p>Still, many Republicans who hadn’t declared themselves NeverTrump saw DeSantis as their chance to strike. He had a solid record and stuck closer to the establishment line. He was more disciplined, less prone to off-script rhetoric, and — most important — not under indictment.</p><p>So the donor class and the consultant class threw their weight behind him. The money flowed, the media declared him the future, and the campaign ... flopped. Hard.</p><p>After DeSantis’ inevitable loss, anti-Trump Republicans were left stunned, tending to their bruised egos and looking for a new angle. Trump had survived an assassination attempt and beaten Kamala Harris. It was clear: <em>He was the party</em>. The idea that he could be swapped out for a more polished Republican was delusional.</p><h2>Strain on the base</h2><p>MAGA wasn’t going to be defeated by recycled talk about small government and lower taxes. The only remaining play was to redefine the movement from within.</p><p>Trump’s second term began with a burst of action: government agencies were shuttered, birthright citizenship was challenged, and deportations resumed. MAGA supporters were elated. Progressives were stunned. But the GOP establishment was left wondering how to reinsert itself into power.</p><p>Then came the cracks.</p><p>Trump ordered a strike on Iran at Israel’s request — only for Benjamin Netanyahu to blow off the president’s social media appeals to honor a ceasefire. Trump floated amnesty for illegal aliens working in agriculture and hospitality. The Justice Department and FBI dismissed any suggestion that Jeffrey Epstein had blackmailed elites, was murdered, or left behind a client list.</p><p>This was especially disturbing given that Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel had built their MAGA reputations by promising to expose Epstein’s secrets. Suddenly, the story changed. The fabled “client list” did not exist after all. The “truckload” of evidence amounted to nothing. Cover-up? What cover-up?</p><p>The strain on Trump’s relationship with his base was real — and that was the opening establishment Republicans needed.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/progressive-castoffs-dont-get-to-define-the-right" target="_self">Progressive castoffs don’t get to define the right</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="114e92642c7ad7e40df04839111cb63e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="ecc63" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61241316&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Blaze Media illustration</small></p><h2>Enter ‘neo-MAGA’</h2><p>Out of nowhere, a new class of Trump supporter emerged: <em>neo-MAGA</em>. Most of these operatives were DeSantis die-hards last year. Now they claim to be Trump’s most loyal defenders. They spend their time lecturing actual Trump supporters for lacking faith in a man they previously ridiculed.</p><p>In their telling, MAGA never meant ending regime-change wars — it meant launching new ones in Iran. MAGA never meant deporting illegal aliens — it was just about gang members and drug traffickers. MAGA never cared about Epstein’s client list, so don’t worry about it. Just trust the process. Trust the staff. Trust the people who said the files were real and now insist they were imaginary.</p><p>The “trust the staff” line is especially rich, considering that many of these same influencers trashed Trump’s appointment of Steve Witkoff as a negotiator for not being sufficiently pro-Israel. Now they demand blind loyalty to the very people they attacked last week.</p><p>This isn’t about loyalty to Trump. MAGA has never been a cult, despite what the detractors may say. Supporters have stood by him because he fought for the things they care about: economic populism, national sovereignty, immigration, and a restrained foreign policy. When he delivers, they cheer. When he falters, they push back.</p><p>Neo-MAGA wants to replace that dynamic with a new one — one where dissent is heresy and the old GOP agenda returns under a different label. These operatives see a chance to ride the MAGA brand back into power, reshaping it into something safer, softer, and friendlier to the donor class.</p><p>But the base haven't forgotten. They remember who bolted. They remember who mocked them. They remember who told them DeSantis was the future. And they know that the same people now preaching unity were, until five minutes ago, rooting for Trump to fail.</p><p>Whatever disagreement exists between Trump and his base, both should beware of the interlopers trying to turn this moment into a reset for the GOP establishment. MAGA wasn’t built on loyalty to staffers or influencers. It was built on promises, and those promises still matter.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-gop-establishment-lost-to-trump-now-it-s-rebranding-as-neo-maga</guid><category>Opinion &amp; analysis</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Maga</category><category>Make america great again</category><category>Make america healthy again</category><category>Maha</category><category>Lincoln project</category><category>The bulwark</category><category>Illegal immigration</category><category>Mass deportations</category><category>Immigration and customs enforcement</category><category>Ice</category><category>Ron desantis</category><category>Republican party</category><category>Establishment</category><category>Covid-19</category><category>Money</category><category>Florida</category><category>2026 midterms</category><category>Gop</category><category>Pam bondi</category><category>Kash patel</category><category>Israel</category><category>Hamas</category><category>Iran</category><category>Nuclear program</category><category>Steve witkoff</category><category>Jeffrey epstein</category><category>Epstein list</category><category>Betrayal</category><category>Nevertrump</category><category>Neo-maga</category><dc:creator>Auron MacIntyre</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/the-gop-establishment-lost-to-trump-now-it-s-rebranding-as-neo-maga.jpg?id=61242935&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>YUGE WIN: Trump breaks America's mineral dependence on China</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/china-dependence</link><description><![CDATA[
  42. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61239207&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>President Donald Trump has scored yet another win against China — as the U.S. government has successfully negotiated a mineral deal using American companies rather than relying on China for our rare earth minerals.</p><p>In 2023, the country banned exports of its own IP regarding rare earth extraction methods, waste separation methods, rare earth magnet production technology — which is used by companies like Apple, as well as for electric motors for EVs, drones, missiles, and radar.</p><p>“It is pretty significant because China produced 60% of the world’s rare earth minerals, nearly 90% of the world’s rare earth processing, and 99.9% of America’s rare earth processing,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales explains on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”</p><p>“And of course, they’re weaponizing that control of all of these rare earth minerals and semiconductors to hurt the United States,” she continues. </p><p>“It’s crazy to rely on China for things that we really need.”</p><h3></h3><br/><span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3afd8e667086073565cef47e92e9d1cf" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9vvqi8Z-Em4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span><p>“And then you had a half-dead president named Joe Biden who didn’t do s**t about any of this. And then enter President Trump,” she adds, noting that Trump signed an executive order in March with the goal of making the United States the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals.</p><p>“I’d just like to say, more promises made, promises kept. Keep this one on the list. Check it off, okay, because last week the DOD spent $400 million of preferred stock in MP Materials, which operates the only rare earth minerals mine in the United States,” Gonzales explains.</p><p>“They are now the largest shareholder of the company that owns this,” she says.</p><p>Apple has also agreed to buy $500 million worth of rare earth magnets from the same company, MP Materials. Now, the company is going to expand operations and open a second domestic magnet manufacturing facility.</p><p>“President Trump successfully reducing our country’s dependence on China in just one more way. I think that’s a win,” Gonzales adds.</p><h2>Want more from Sara Gonzales?</h2><p>To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/sara/?utm_source=theblaze&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=article_shortcode_saragonzalesunfiltered" target="_blank">subscribe to BlazeTV</a> — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:30:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/china-dependence</guid><category>Video</category><category>Free</category><category>Upload</category><category>Camera phone</category><category>Sharing</category><category>Video phone</category><category>Youtube.com</category><category>Sara gonzales unfiltered</category><category>Sara gonzales</category><category>The blaze</category><category>Blazetv</category><category>Blaze news</category><category>Blaze podcasts</category><category>Blaze podcast network</category><category>Blaze media</category><category>Blaze online</category><category>Blaze originals</category><category>President trump</category><category>China</category><category>Rare earth minerals deal</category><category>Maga</category><category>Maga mandate</category><dc:creator>BlazeTV Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61239207&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>We’re finally living through the conservative revolution we’ve always needed</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/enough-epstein-were-finally-living-through-the-conservative-revolution-weve-always-needed</link><description><![CDATA[
  43. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/were-finally-living-through-the-conservative-revolution-weve-always-needed.jpg?id=61242598&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54"/><br/><br/><p>If you spend an inordinate amount of time online — doomscrolling, podcast-hopping, and trading theories with your pals on Signal — you might be fixated on every twist in the Jeffrey Epstein saga. Or maybe you’ve convinced yourself that the transgender sports fight doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of American politics.</p><p>That would be a serious mistake.</p><p class="pull-quote">Conservatives are finally acting like revolutionaries, while prominent Democrat mayors are screeching and sobbing in the streets.</p><p>You’d be missing the most significant conservative revolution Washington has seen in decades — maybe ever.</p><p>Start with sports. The right’s victory in pushing back transgender ideology on this front marks a turning point. Not just because it helps women’s athletics. Not even because it polls well.</p><p>It matters because it's the first real cultural win for truth over lies I've seen in my adult life. And without that kind of victory — without truth — nothing else can be fixed.</p><p>It might feel strange or even deflating to call broad public agreement on something so obvious a "major victory." But consider what has happened.</p><p>Picture a living Joseph Stalin stepping to a podium and admitting: Yes, the mass graves are real. The people already knew — they had lived it. But for years, they were forced to lie or risk losing their livelihoods.</p><p>That’s what Americans experienced just last year. We lived under a giant, state-sanctioned falsehood.</p><p>This country has a habit of moving on too quickly from moral failure. But conservatives shouldn’t forget what it felt like to endure the Democrats’ four-year crusade.</p><p>Welfare rolls soared. Government job numbers got a boost — <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/economy/comments/1g48h2o/high_job_growth_for_foreignborn_vs_low_growth_for/#lightbox" target="_blank">from foreign workers</a>. White men ages 50 to 65 <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/companies-avoid-hiring-white-men-070000617.html?guccounter=1" target="_blank">could not</a> <a href="https://www.resourcefulfinancepro.com/news/dei-hiring-gone-awry/" target="_blank">get hired</a>. The border stood wide open. And crime? It was tolerated, even sanctified, as if letting it happen was an act of charity.</p><p>In the six months since his inauguration, Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/04/28/100-days-most-secure-border-american-history" target="_blank">sealed the border</a>. On a shoestring budget, his administration launched raids up and down the country, striking fear into the hearts of illegal immigrants nationwide to the point that we’re seeing <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/06/06/jobs-report-may-unemployment/" target="_blank">serious self-deportations</a>.</p><p>The White House fired or bought out more than 100,000 federal bureaucrats, made the largest tax cut in U.S. history permanent — even with a geriatric Senate that still leans on liberal Republicans — and proved that America can hit its enemies hard without getting dragged into nation-building.</p><p>That same tax cut included <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-funding-big-beautiful-bill-trump-deportations/" target="_blank">$75 billion</a> for interior immigration enforcement. Just two weeks ago!</p><p>Think about this: The Republican Party has held the White House and both chambers of Congress three times since before 9/11, an atrocity committed by illegal aliens. This is the first time the GOP has used that power to deliver real results.</p><p>During the previous two trifectas, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2006/06/22/5503155/immigration-debate-divides-republican-congress" target="_blank">Republican leaders</a> <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jan/11/lindsey-graham-dick-durbin-immigrant-deal-falls-sh/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pursued amnesty</a>.</p><p>Amnesty!</p><p>Over the past six months, this administration has forced NATO to bow, won case after case at the Supreme Court against activist judges who imagine themselves kings, and finally pulled the plug on PBS and NPR.</p><p>That last one? A Republican campaign promise for decades. No one ever meant it — until now.</p><p>The White House just passed a tax law that allows companies to put $10,000 or $10 billion into building industrial infrastructure — and write 100% of it off on their taxes.</p><p>The administration made colleges rescind fake records set unfairly by men competing in women’s sports — <a href="https://apnews.com/article/upenn-lia-thomas-swimmer-transgender-athletes-trump-71720ecbeb8493ddbed539dd61995076" target="_blank">and offer apologies</a> to those women who were wronged.</p><p>It <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/trump-university-college.html" target="_blank">froze</a> tens of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds headed to liberal universities and sued them for racial discrimination.</p><p>Former CIA director and Russiagate hoax ringleader John Brennan is fuming <a href="https://x.com/townhallcom/status/1943048051092001032" target="_blank">on TV</a>. Top staff for Joe Biden are <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/1943094381281485141" target="_blank">on video</a> <a href="https://x.com/rachelbovard/status/1945804292209746187" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pleading the Fifth</a> Amendment to hide potentially criminal activity in the last administration.</p><p>The White House has completely redrawn America’s trade regime. There are <a href="https://www.tradecomplianceresourcehub.com/2025/07/17/trump-2-0-tariff-tracker/" target="_blank">tariffs across the board</a>, with harsher penalties for countries flooding cheap garbage manufactured by near-slave labor into U.S. markets. So far, few countries have risked any sort of retaliation, and our country’s economy has yet to suffer any serious consequences.</p><p>Birthright citizenship — long treated as sacrosanct in political debate — is finally <a href="https://www.aila.org/library/president-trump-signs-executive-order-protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship" target="_blank">on the chopping block</a>. And few Americans are remotely bothered about it.</p><p>This administration has also taken on the <a href="https://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/health/how-many-vaccines-do-children-get" target="_blank">vaccine-industrial complex</a>. For the first time <em><em>ever</em></em>, the Department of Health and Human Services is <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/nih-cms-partner-to-research-root-causes-of-autism.html" target="_blank">investigating</a> the explosion in <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/autism-epidemic-runs-rampant-new-data-shows-grants.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">autism rates</a>.</p><p>When Big Pharma corporatists in white coats pushed back, the administration didn’t flinch. <a href="https://19thnews.org/2025/06/rfk-jr-fires-vaccine-panel-replacements/" target="_blank">It fired them</a> from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. <em><em>Fired</em></em>.</p><p>President Trump also did what no Western leader would: He called out the South African government’s campaign of land seizures and <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2019/06/22/just-kill-him-brother-widow-south-african-farm-attacks-media/" target="_blank">government-incited murder</a>. While Pretoria wraps itself in the legacy of Nelson Mandela, it has driven a once-prosperous nation to ruin. Trump opened the door to the Boers without apology.</p><p>Meanwhile, polls are up among Hispanics and black men. Up! While the internet-obsessed kvetch endlessly that the president didn’t break court orders to unseal names of the accused on Epstein Island, a CNN <a href="https://x.com/jasonjournodc/status/1945836445257908281?s=46&t=86u7GtuNlU0uNBy3PipfgA" target="_blank">poll this week</a> found Republican approval for him rose two points to 88%. At the same time, a Quinnipiac Poll found that the number had risen three points to 90%. Ninety percent!</p><p>In the culture, conservatives have the <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/shane-gillies-espys-stand-up" target="_self">top comedians</a> and some of the coolest <a href="https://variety.com/2025/film/news/vince-vaughn-donald-trump-wedding-crashers-white-house-1236373324/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">actors</a>. Conservatives have finally realized they don’t need to defend the American institutions that loathe the right — they need to train their fire on those institutions.</p><p>Conservatives are finally acting like revolutionaries, prominent Democrat mayors are screeching and sobbing in the streets, and when violent left-wing mobs try to barricade police stations, the police open the doors and charge out — then <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/video-portland-ice-trump-voice" target="_self">mock them</a>. When 11 kitted-up, armed, and masked Antifa members launched a terror attack on a Texas detention center for illegal aliens, they were routed, hunted down, and arrested by police. Not special forces — frontline cops and agents.</p><p>Democrats and their allies are <a href="https://x.com/SonofHas/status/1940567890450894894" target="_blank">scattered</a>, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/07/democrats-trump-resistance-violence-congress" target="_blank">demoralized,</a> and <a href="https://x.com/CBedfordDC/status/1944054551151358356" target="_blank">afraid</a>. The influence of Hollywood and the corporate media is at an all-time low. They are cringey.</p><p>So set aside the Signal chat and step away from social media. This is the moment so many have been waiting for — <em><em>we’re living in it</em></em>. And we’re not tired of winning.</p><p><strong>Blaze News: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/democrats-clearly-weren-t-prepared-blaze-news-contributor-schools-libs-on-border-crisis-in-fiery-hearing" target="_self"><strong>'Democrats clearly weren't prepared': Blaze News contributor schools libs on border crisis in fiery hearing</strong></a></p><p><strong>JD Vance: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/jd-vance-rekindling-statesmanship-to-secure-americas-golden-future" target="_self"><strong>Rekindling statesmanship to secure America’s golden future</strong></a></p><p><a href="https://link.theblaze.com/click/35301187.0/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGhlYmxhemUuY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXJzL2JlZGZvcmQ_dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWJsYXplLWJlZGZvcmQtbmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249MjAyNDA1MDEtaXNzdWUtYmVkZm9yZC1uZXdzbGV0dGVy/000000000000000000000000B98a9ceb2" target="_blank"><strong>Sign up for Bedford’s newsletter</strong></a><br/><em><em>Sign up to get Blaze Media senior politics editor Christopher Bedford’s newsletter.</em></em></p><p><em><em>Editor's note: The headline of this article has been edited after publication.</em></em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:15:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/enough-epstein-were-finally-living-through-the-conservative-revolution-weve-always-needed</guid><category>Opinion &amp; analysis</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Christopher Bedford</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/were-finally-living-through-the-conservative-revolution-weve-always-needed.jpg?id=61242598&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Neocons are back — and they’re botching Trump’s Latin America policy</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/neocons-are-back-and-theyre-botching-trumps-latin-america-policy</link><description><![CDATA[
  44. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/neocons-are-back-and-theyre-botching-trumps-latin-america-policy.jpg?id=61240730&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54"/><br/><br/><p>A quiet but dangerous conflict is brewing within President Trump’s foreign policy team — a battle between the true red America First voices who made his first term successful and the same old neoconservative ideologues who have derailed U.S. diplomacy for decades.</p><p>Heightened by the bombing of Iran, this clash made headlines again earlier this month. This time, it was over botched negotiations over the return of Americans currently held by the socialist Venezuelan government.</p><p class="pull-quote">Marco Rubio’s hatred of Latin American socialism is clear, but that shouldn’t come at a strategic cost to our country.</p><p>Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell, a realist to his core, was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/world/americas/trump-venezuelan-migrants-us-prisoner-swap.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">on the verge of brokering a deal</a> that would have secured the release of imprisoned Americans in exchange for Chevron’s continued operations in Venezuela. It was classic Trump diplomacy: bold, transactional, results-oriented.</p><p>But Secretary of State Marco Rubio intervened. The State Department made a much less attractive and watered-down proposal to repatriate 250 Venezuelan aliens in exchange for the American prisoners. The interests of the U.S. oil industry were completely ignored.</p><p>Wires were crossed, and the talks collapsed.</p><h2>Two critical lessons</h2><p>Two lessons are evident: The first and most obvious is that Grenell is responsible for talks with Venezuela and that he is the only U.S. figure Venezuela trusts — a point that shouldn’t be undermined.</p><p>The second is that Trump’s transactional diplomacy, represented by Grenell, works — when it’s allowed to. We’ve seen this with Steve Witkoff’s trips to the Middle East and the president’s own handling of NATO.</p><p>The Venezuelan government wants to negotiate with Grenell and Grenell <em><em>alone</em></em> — and for good reason. He speaks the language of leverage, not lectures. As special envoy, he has built a diplomatic channel that has delivered in the past. In January, for example, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/trump-envoy-richard-grenell-secures-freedom-6-americans-following-meeting-maduro-venezuela" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Grenell secured the release</a> of six Americans, a great achievement.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/biden-did-that-no-its-marco-rubio-making-gas-prices-skyrocket-this-time" target="_self"><strong>Biden did that? No, it’s Marco Rubio making gas prices skyrocket this time</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c3c8674537a4fcfbbc0aa139f6f7a434" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="117f2" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61240746&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Photo by PEDRO MATTEY/AFP via Getty Images</small></p><p>In contrast, Venezuela all but refuses to communicate with Rubio. They see him as persona non grata. His methods, based on intervention and blunt force, are bound to fail.</p><p>This is particularly true now that we live in a world where U.S. dominance is not guaranteed. And as the United States has isolated Venezuela, the Latin American nation has been <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2025-07-06/venezuela-and-china-showcase-partnership-through-productive-deals-not-loans.html" target="_blank">pushed deeper into Beijing’s orbit</a>.</p><p>Oil exports to China, for example, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/venezuelas-oil-exports-rise-more-cargoes-head-china-2025-07-02/" target="_blank">have surged</a> since Chevron’s license to operate was canceled in May. In turn, Venezuelan exports to the U.S. and its capitalist allies have cratered.</p><h2>The strategic cost</h2><p>Rubio’s hatred of Latin American socialism is clear, but that shouldn’t come at a strategic cost to our country. This isn’t a diplomatic blunder. It’s a threat to U.S. energy security and a betrayal of Trump’s promise to bring down prices at the pump.</p><p>We want Venezuelan oil and gas to head to the U.S. Gulf Coast, not Beijing. We need to protect the <a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/monroe" target="_blank">Monroe Doctrine</a>, which says that no outside power should have a foothold in the Western Hemisphere.</p><p>The importance of energy security cannot be overstated. For an administration elected in large part on its promise to cut gas prices, it is a big mistake to turn our backs on <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/venezuela-crisis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Venezuela’s hydrocarbon reserves, the largest on earth</a>.</p><p>Doing so increases American dependence on Canadian oil — not a smart move as we fight a trade war with Prime Minister Mark Carney — and on suppliers in a volatile Middle East, where Iran still looms large.</p><p>This is not to mention that the policy of isolation is damaging to Chevron, a champion of the American oil industry.</p><p>Under its former special license, Chevron was pumping out <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/u-s-to-grant-chevron-license-to-preserve-oil-assets-in-venezuela-8cd2bca0?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAht94GimEqsu_ArIH9Xm3RLNAVUbWa4ePANPItENI79NCRO-L-uNAJsC92x2Bw%3D&gaa_ts=687036fa&gaa_sig=N_w4DLxomkK9GwXo2Vcc0XPFsHyGVqiAw-fSo4cNE0FHBV6q3Fd5wfzpR_iCy1_aKxM_7IghdwMUpEc_fWqD-w%3D%3D" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nearly a quarter of a million barrels</a> of oil per day. This went straight to thirsty refiners on the U.S. Gulf Coast, which depend on Venezuela’s unique heavy crude oil. That lifeline has been cut, and it’s American consumers who will pay the price.</p><p>Grenell understood this and so wrapped Chevron’s status into his negotiations, a deal that put American interests first. Rubio, on the other hand, prioritized an ideological pursuit of regime change over American energy security.</p><p>President Trump should intervene.</p><p>He praised Grenell’s successful negotiations in January and should make clear that Venezuela policy is not for Rubio to decide. The goal is clear: Bring our citizens home, restart Chevron’s work, and reassert U.S. influence in our own hemisphere.</p><h2>Renew Grenell’s leverage</h2><p>Grenell, with renewed powers, should return the United States to a policy of strategic engagement. That’s what America First really looks like. That’s the approach to foreign policy promised to us in 2024. That’s the MAGA way.</p><p>It’s time to put the neocons back in the box and go back to the bold, pragmatic diplomacy that made Trump’s first term — and will make his second — a victory for everyday Americans and a triumphant return to common sense.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/neocons-are-back-and-theyre-botching-trumps-latin-america-policy</guid><category>Opinion &amp; analysis</category><category>Venezuela</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Sanctions</category><category>Marco rubio</category><category>Richard grenell</category><category>Chevron</category><category>Oil and gas</category><category>Prices</category><category>Gasoline</category><category>China</category><category>Exports</category><category>Imports</category><category>Maga</category><category>America first</category><category>Monroe doctrine</category><dc:creator>Adelle Nazarian</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/neocons-are-back-and-theyre-botching-trumps-latin-america-policy.jpg?id=61240730&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>What Pedro Pascal’s stardom reveals about Hollywood — and its war on real men</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/align/what-pedro-pascals-stardom-reveals-about-hollywood-and-its-war-on-real-men</link><description><![CDATA[
  45. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/what-pedro-pascals-stardom-reveals-about-hollywood-and-its-war-on-real-men.jpg?id=61236205&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C33%2C0%2C74"/><br/><br/><p>Over the past several months, Hollywood has been pushing Pedro Pascal as its next big thing. </p><p>Since being cast in Marvel Studio’s next multimillion-dollar franchise-launching film, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," Pascal has been inescapable. From his heavily publicized appearance at the Cannes film festival to mainstream media cover stories fawning over the actor<em>, </em>he’s playing America’s golden boy. </p><p class="pull-quote">The single, middle-aged star’s harmless schtick is a massive threat to masculinity.</p><p> At 50 years old, Pascal has built a unique cult of personality around himself. </p><p>In a recent <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/pedro-pascal-cover-story" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vanity Fair article</a>, he is described by internet fans as “Daddy or Zaddy, meaning he’s a handsome, stylish older man they can imagine dominating them in a way they would not object to.” The article goes out of its way to make Pascal seem nonthreatening, often referring to him as “weird” and “sensitive,” describing how he was bullied in middle school for his artistic interests.</p><p> Pascal has tried to earn woke points for himself in Hollywood by being the stereotype of a social justice warrior. He has made his Latino heritage a huge part of his identity. In interviews, Pascal has expressed his desire for more “blind casting,” a term associated with increasing diversity quotas and changing the races, genders, and sexualities of pre-established characters. </p><p> Pascal is also no stranger to the LGBT movement. </p><p>He played the bisexual character Prince Oberyn Martell on the hit series “Game Of Thrones.”<em> </em>Additionally, he supported his sibling, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/lux-pascal-interview-netflix-miss-carbon-2-1236298797/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lux Pascal</a>, when he came out as a transgender woman. When asked about his own sexual identity, Pascal has remained intentionally silent. </p><p>This allows fans of all genders and sexualities to be part of his target audience. His use of “<a href="https://latv.com/is-pedro-pascal-gay/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gay slang</a>,” language that is heavily influenced by LGBT culture, has also teased fans into thinking he may not be heterosexual. </p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/align/pedro-pascal-jk-rowling-communism">All in the family: Hollywood golden boy Pedro Pascal's loony leftist pedigree</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="698b38d1acec56e57347ca4e78029d52" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="9c382" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61236199&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Joe Maher/Getty Images</small></p><p> Much of Pascal’s success has come from his roles in major franchises, like “Star Wars” and “Gladiator.”<em> </em>He’s nearly impossible to avoid, with rumors constantly circling about where he might appear next. After Disney announced it would be rebooting the “Indiana Jones” franchise, fans speculated that Pascal might be cast to play the titular role. </p><p>Brands can’t get enough of him and are anxious to include him in every upcoming project. But the single, middle-aged star’s harmless schtick is a massive threat to masculinity.</p><p>In the past, the biggest male stars were men like Harrison Ford, Cary Grant, and Sean Connery. They were defined by their strength, their suits, and their occasional ability to make women swoon. </p><p>Pascal, on the other hand, is known for his androgynous fashion choices, including when he wore thigh-high boots and short shorts to <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/pedro-pascal-thigh-high-boots-press-tour-style" target="_blank">the Met Gala</a>. He is also known for opposing traditional, brawny male archetypes, as other celebrities like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLppXlJStU4/" target="_blank">Dakota Johnson</a> have described him as a “soft boy.”</p><p> Pascal has given up his masculinity for the sake of Hollywood’s praise. He’s not the only star to have done this, with other male actors like Ryan Reynolds playing into similar tropes to gain attention. They aren’t just playing the humorous, eccentric male leads anymore. Rather, they’re going out of their way to stifle their male attributes in order to please liberals. </p><p> Men’s mental health has become a huge issue in America. </p><p>Currently, men account for <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/mens-health/mens-suicide-rate#statistics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nearly 80%</a> of all suicides in the United States. Among racial and ethnic groups, young white men have one of the <a href="https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">highest rates of suicide</a> in the U.S., and they account for nearly 70% of all suicide deaths in the country. </p><p>There are many factors that increase the risk of suicide, and mental health is a complicated topic. However, for all of Hollywood’s talk about equity and inclusion, it has gone out of its way to make masculinity look unattractive. </p><p>Young white men are constantly called racists, oppressors, or misogynists. Feminists have turned man-hating into a trend, as women increasingly post TikToks that make fun of their husbands and boyfriends. Other women have even joined the “<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/discover/i-would-never-date-a-white-guys" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why I Would Never Date a White Guy</a>” trend, giving superficial reasons for why they are ruling out young, white males from their dating pool. </p><p>Pascal has done everything possible to distance himself from the “oppressive male” label that leftists use to destroy men. His constant focus on his own racial identity and aligning himself with LGBT activism are ways for him to atone for his masculinity. </p><p>Worse, his plays at androgyny suggest that he is trying to subvert normal male expectations entirely. </p><p>Hollywood loves Pascal, and it's doing everything it can to make that painfully obvious. Hollywood's desire for him to be the film industry’s heartthrob reveals that they are finished with traditionally masculine actors. Even once-powerful figures like Robert De Niro and Will Smith have allowed themselves to be susceptible to the film industry’s calls. They have bent their knees to woke agendas, sacrificing their stoicism in the process. </p><p> Young white men in America are at risk. They deserve to have good leaders. While that starts in households, classrooms, churches, and their communities, they also come from the culture. Celebrities shouldn’t be afraid to hide their masculinity, but they should showcase what makes it great. </p><p>We don’t need any more “Zaddys,” we need men of virtue. </p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/align/what-pedro-pascals-stardom-reveals-about-hollywood-and-its-war-on-real-men</guid><category>Pedro pascal</category><category>Masculinity</category><category>Culture war</category><category>Manhood</category><category>Lgbtq agenda</category><category>War on men</category><category>Hollywood</category><dc:creator>Brooke Brandtjen</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/what-pedro-pascals-stardom-reveals-about-hollywood-and-its-war-on-real-men.jpg?id=61236205&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Jerome Powell’s luxury Fed is failing the American people</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/jerome-powells-luxury-fed-is-failing-the-american-people</link><description><![CDATA[
  46. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/jerome-powells-luxury-fed-is-failing-the-american-people.jpg?id=61240639&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C68%2C0%2C39"/><br/><br/><p>Rumors have picked up in recent weeks about Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s future. Some expect President Trump to fire him. Others think Powell may step down on his own. Either way, the speculation points to a larger problem: Powell and the Fed have lost touch with the realities facing ordinary Americans.</p><p>Powell’s refusal to lower interest rates, despite direct pressure from the White House, is just the start. The deeper issue is the Fed’s glaring hypocrisy. It preaches fiscal restraint while spending lavishly — most notably on a <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/vought-slams-fed-chair-powell-over-grossly-mismanaged-luxury-renovations" target="_self">$2.5 billion office renovation</a>.</p><p class="pull-quote">The Fed has become increasingly disconnected from the needs of the American people.</p><p>This kind of waste raises serious questions about the Fed’s credibility. How can the central bank warn the public about debt and overspending while burning billions on luxury upgrades?</p><p>The Federal Reserve has spent years warning about the dangers of excessive government debt. It insists higher interest rates are necessary to curb inflation and keep the economy from overheating. The message is simple: Control spending or risk a financial crisis.</p><p>But the Fed doesn’t follow its own advice.</p><p>While millions of Americans struggle with high prices, ballooning mortgages, and record credit card debt, the Fed overspent $700 million on a top-to-bottom renovation of its D.C. headquarters. The upgrades include a rooftop garden and decorative water features.</p><p>Yes, water features.</p><p>The hypocrisy is hard to ignore. The same institution that lectures the public on fiscal discipline is more than happy to greenlight luxury amenities for itself. If the Fed believed a word of its own rhetoric, it would lead by example.</p><p>Instead, it spends like a bloated federal agency while scolding taxpayers for doing the same. Its calls for restraint ring hollow — and Americans know it.</p><h2>Failure to lead</h2><p>The Fed’s primary role is to ensure the stability of the financial system and provide guidance to the U.S. economy. Yet, it has shown no willingness to practice the same fiscal restraint it urges on the rest of us. </p><p>If the Fed were truly concerned about the nation’s financial health, it would have used this money for something more productive — like investing in programs to reduce debt, support economic growth, or ease the burden on taxpayers.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/vought-slams-fed-chair-powell-over-grossly-mismanaged-luxury-renovations" target="_self"><strong>Vought slams Fed Chair Powell over 'grossly mismanaged' luxury renovations</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">        <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="682f8c2512f114923ee28c8d525c2515" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="82d58" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/vought-slams-fed-chair-powell-over-grossly-mismanaged-luxury-renovations.jpg?id=61240656&width=980"/>                        <small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Vought slams Fed Chair Powell over 'grossly mismanaged' luxury renovations.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit..."> Anna Moneymaker / Staff via Getty Images</small></p><h2>Time for accountability</h2><p>Instead, the Federal Reserve has chosen to prioritize its own image and comfort. The $2.5 billion renovation comes at a time when the economy is struggling to recover from the pandemic's effects, high inflation, and rising debt. While the Fed continues to push for higher interest rates, making borrowing more expensive for businesses and consumers, it’s simultaneously indulging in luxuries that most Americans would never dream of. </p><p>Jerome Powell’s refusal to lower interest rates is just one symptom of a larger issue within the Fed. The institution has become increasingly disconnected from the needs of the American people. The American people need a Federal Reserve that leads by example — one that practices the fiscal responsibility it preaches to others. </p><p>If the Fed cannot demonstrate fiscal discipline, it must be held accountable. That starts at the top. Powell needs to go.</p><p><em><span>Want more from Glenn Beck? Get Glenn's </span><a href="https://links.glennbeck.com/join/51r/signup-theblaze" target="_blank">FREE email newsletter</a> with his latest insights, top stories, show prep, and more delivered to your inbox.</em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/jerome-powells-luxury-fed-is-failing-the-american-people</guid><category>Opinion &amp; analysis</category><category>Opinion</category><category>Federal reserve</category><category>Fed chair jerome powell</category><category>Jerome powell</category><category>Jerome powell vs trump</category><dc:creator>Glenn Beck</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/jerome-powells-luxury-fed-is-failing-the-american-people.jpg?id=61240639&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Sports memorabilia industry in chaos after seller admits massive scheme to fake signatures, then commits suicide</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/brett-lemieux-dead-counterfeit-scam</link><description><![CDATA[
  47. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/sports-memorabilia-industry-in-chaos-after-seller-admits-massive-scheme-to-fake-signatures-then-commits-suicide.jpg?id=61241271&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C104%2C0%2C105"/><br/><br/><p>A major sports memorabilia seller reportedly tossed a grenade into the industry <a href="https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/breaking-news-sports-memorabilia-dealer-raided-admits-scamming-collectors-hobby-in-350m-fraud-and-forgery-scheme" target="_blank">through</a> a lengthy Facebook post and then committed suicide.</p><p>A post in an autographs group attributed to 45-year-old Brett Lemieux dropped dizzying details about a decades-long scheme to counterfeit signatures on sports memorabilia in order to profit from the sales.</p><p class="pull-quote">'I wish I had the exact dollar number of money taken in from this and I'll go to my grave never knowing. I kept this secret from everyone.'</p><p>The post was published on Wednesday, the same day that Westfield Police released a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16zk8AXmCT" target="_blank">statement</a> confirming that they had raided a property as part of an investigation into counterfeit memorabilia on Tuesday. Police then raided a second property Wednesday and found a man dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.</p><p>Sports Collectors Digest reported that property records connected a raid location to Lemieux.</p><p>The post said that Lemieux had sold $350 million worth of items through his company named Mister Mancave. It described the scam as an "addiction."</p><blockquote>How many items can I sell and give a front of a huge company. I did it for years. Purchased millions of dollars of legit items. Mixed it until [name withheld] found the hologram connect. Then I had the bank roll to buy even more. Do more signings. Every one item from a signing turned into 10,000. And it was certified. 95% of the [Patrick] Mahomes and Aaron [Judge] on the market are sold by me. Basically every autograph sold in the last 25 years you should have it looked at. It's fake and someone sold it to you other than me. I wish I had the exact dollar number of money taken in from this and I'll go to my grave never knowing. I kept this secret from everyone.</blockquote><p>While some are skeptical about the claims made in the post regarding the scale of the counterfeit scam, others say even a fraction of the numbers would toss the industry <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/sports-memorabilia-dealer-admits-to-counterfeiting-over-350-million-in-gear-after-police-raid-warehouses/" target="_blank">into chaos</a>.</p><p>“I was addicted. It was a rush. I wanted out. But the money was too good. I can make [$]100,000 in a week if I wanted to. The fact that not one dealer that knew what we were doing to the industry, or when I took their exclusive, no one ever picked up a phone to confront me. That baffled me," the post read.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/fraudulent-sports-mem-signed-scheme" target="_blank"><strong>Fake Masters jackets, Beatles signatures, and a Kardashian photo named in fraudster's memorabilia scheme worth up to $550K</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9623cf9d74b29252492a8c459d87a483" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zm6ljqcxrEI?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span> </p><p>"I told multiple dealers I will ruin you and your exclusive. They knew better,” it continued.</p><p>On Thursday, <a href="https://www.cllct.com/sports-collectibles/autographs/autograph-dealer-identified-as-man-found-dead-in-indiana-raid-of-fake-memorabilia" target="_blank">Cllct</a> said the person found dead in the police raid had been identified as Lemieux.</p><p>“If he made and sold that much, the autograph industry would have been crushed,” said one autograph dealer to Cllct.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>! </em></p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:30:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/brett-lemieux-dead-counterfeit-scam</guid><category>Brett lemieux post</category><category>Sports memorabilia scam</category><category>Counterfeit sports signatures</category><category>Is brett lemieux dead</category><category>Crime</category><dc:creator>Carlos Garcia</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/sports-memorabilia-industry-in-chaos-after-seller-admits-massive-scheme-to-fake-signatures-then-commits-suicide.jpg?id=61241271&amp;width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Obamas’ awkward podcast kiss backfires, ignites MORE divorce speculation</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/obamas-awkward-podcast-kiss-backfires-ignites-more-divorce-speculation</link><description><![CDATA[
  48. <img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61241076&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Divorce rumors began swirling around the Obamas in January of this year when Michelle was mysteriously absent from several high-profile events, including former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral and President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Speculation that former President Barack Obama was having an affair with Jennifer Aniston only fanned the flames.</p><p>The gossip died down for a while, but last month, Michelle’s <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/more-evidence-the-obamas-are-breaking-up" target="_self"><u>odd comments</u></a> expressing her objection to being called “Mrs. Obama” and claiming she was glad she didn’t have a son because he would’ve been too much like Barack reignited the rumors.</p><p>In an effort to quell the whispering, Barack joined Michelle and her brother on their joint podcast, “IMO,” on July 16, but instead of putting the chatter to rest, they made it worse.</p><p>Glenn Beck plays the clip of their awkward attempt to prove their love and commitment.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">        <span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="963c9390a5e9f54897b0ac491ad21b46" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dg5EDb-Z2X0?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>        </p><p>“There hasn’t been one moment in our marriage where I thought about quitting my man,” Michelle said. “I have become a better person because of the man I’m married to.”</p><p>“Okay, don’t make me cry now,” Barack responded.</p><p>If that exchange wasn’t forced enough, the kiss Barack gave Michelle when he walked into the podcast studio is plenty telling. It was barely a “peck on the cheek.”</p><p>Pat Gray, who joins Glenn, not only thought their exchange was painfully awkward, but he also noticed that Michelle contradicted herself. Back in 2022 during an interview promoting her book “The Light We Carry,” Michelle candidly shared that there was an entire <em><em>decade</em></em> during their marriage when she “couldn't stand” Barack — a statement at odds with her recent claim that she’s never even considered leaving him.</p><p>At this point, Glenn is certain: The Obamas are “not doing good.”</p><p>To see the footage of Michelle and Barack’s painful exchange, watch the clip above.</p><h2>Want more from Glenn Beck?</h2><p>To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/glenn/?utm_source=theblaze&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=article_shortcode_glennbeck" target="_blank">subscribe to BlazeTV</a> — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.</p>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/obamas-awkward-podcast-kiss-backfires-ignites-more-divorce-speculation</guid><category>The glenn beck program</category><category>Glenn beck</category><category>Michelle obama</category><category>Obamas</category><category>Obamas divorce</category><category>Divorce rumors</category><category>Jennifer aniston</category><category>Barack obama</category><category>Barack jennifer aniston</category><category>Imo podcast</category><category>Blazetv</category><category>Blaze media</category><category>The glenn beck program</category><dc:creator>BlazeTV Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=61241076&amp;width=980"></media:content></item></channel></rss>

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