FEED Validator

for Atom and RSS and KML

Congratulations!

This is a valid RSS feed.

Recommendations

This feed is valid, but interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendations.

line 2, column 0: description should not contain data-partner attribute (9 occurrences) [help]
```
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="h ...
```
line 2, column 0: description should not contain data-twitter-tweet-id attribute (9 occurrences) [help]
```
<rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="h ...
```
line 6, column 0: description should not contain script tag (9 occurrences) [help]
```
    </blockquote>
```
line 8, column 0: description should not contain data-rm-shortcode-id attribute (16 occurrences) [help]
```
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52134705&width ...
```
line 8, column 0: style attribute contains potentially dangerous content: position (24 occurrences) [help]
```
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52134705&width ...
```
line 8, column 0: description should not contain iframe tag (14 occurrences) [help]
```
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52134705&width ...
```
line 75, column 0: description should not contain data-rm-shortcode-name attribute (4 occurrences) [help]
```
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134485&width ...
```
line 75, column 0: description should not contain loading attribute (4 occurrences) [help]
```
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134485&width ...
```
line 78, column 0: description should not contain placeholder attribute (8 occurrences) [help]
```
        
```

Source: http://www.theblaze.com/feeds/feed.rss

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<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>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 05:05:29 -0000</lastBuildDate><image><url>https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8zMDc1MjEwMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTcyODcwODQxMn0.59DTUXtTHFlGjZ-jVF0n94q8MVzdlnElHjm2ftO6wY8/image.png?width=210</url><link>https://www.theblaze.com/</link><title>Blaze Media</title></image><item><title>Noem defends decision to kill dog, saying she 'was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor'</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/noem-defends-decision-kill-dog</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134938&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/> South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has defended her decision to kill a young dog many years ago.<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/apr/26/trump-kristi-noem-shot-dog-and-goat-book" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> reported that in her forthcoming book, "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward," Noem recounted the story about the dog, Cricket, that had been around 14 months old. According to the outlet, Noem recalled that she had taken the dog on a pheasant hunt with older canines, desiring to calm Cricket down and start to teach her how to act. But she was "out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life."When Noem stopped to speak to a family after that hunt, the dog escaped from her truck and killed the family's chickens, "grabb[ing] one chicken at a time, crunching it to death with one bite, then dropping it to attack another," Noem recounted, according to the outlet. When she grabbed the canine, Cricket "whipped around to bite me," she noted. Noem cut a check "for the price they asked, and helped them dispose of the carcasses littering the scene of the crime," she reportedly indicated."I hated that dog," Noem noted, according to the Guardian, which reported that she described the dog as "untrainable," "dangerous to anyone she came in contact with," and "less than worthless … as a hunting dog.""I realised I had to put her down," Noem recalled, according to the outlet. "It was not a pleasant job," she noted, "but it had to be done."Noem's story about killing the young dog sparked significant criticism, but she has defended her decision."I can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book — No Going Back," she <a href="https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/1784631108207849781" target="_blank">tweeted</a>. "The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down. Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did," she noted. "I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor."<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1784631108207849781">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/KristiNoem/status/1784631108207849781"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>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>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 04:06:53 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/noem-defends-decision-kill-dog</guid><category>Election</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Alex Nitzberg</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134938&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Tulsi Gabbard on whether she'd accept a Trump VP offer: 'I would say yes'</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/tulsi-gabbard-would-accept-vp</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52134705&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=544%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> Former U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard indicated to BlazeTV host Dave Rubin that if former President Donald Trump asked her to serve as his 2024 running mate, she would accept the offer.Gabbard told Rubin, "If that call came I would say yes." She indicated that getting the U.S. "back on track" would involve having courageous government figures "who care more about the country than they do about the political elite in Washington, and actually rooting out the deep rot that exists within our bureaucracies, the administrative state, the deep state in Washington."
<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RxgQN7l4mP0?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>
BlazeTV host Steve Deace <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveDeaceShow/status/1785030973316366595" target="_blank">noted</a> in a tweet that Gabbard is his "prediction for Trump's running mate."Gabbard, who <a href="https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/G000571" target="_blank">served</a> in Congress as a Hawaii Democrat from early 2013 through early 2021, backed Joe Biden in 2020 when she <a href="https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1240650484546859008" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dropped</a> her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. But she <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/tulsi-gabbard-leaves-democratic-party" target="_self">announced</a> in 2022 that she was "leaving the Democratic Party." Her <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Country-left-Democratic-Party/dp/1684514851/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2P31H33J1MYJY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.J-CYwfL5AH2zY7Ta4zAf-i5PW32eAT0U7G4J7kMUsglMuYIjDT_UldoG9dqneoj4a3J9Ia4sni-W5uR_vAKWgQ7UlGqmLR6i4TIVyh0J6VCfxypPEpJUs--K_jipak27OPYMZFfAZxOLDoZzsNcVZW-qAuPU3a6pg_qu4I58rCi-tc1o_96Z5eyhkeR7OxyMZDilrsEedpqepZRZDV4LDQqiW8nF1qOfqz4d2nDhQow.K18wzJ5UOpRn57u5Rpb4XP9z0GFGWL7Mq6YeOmTtjx8&dib_tag=se&keywords=tulsi+gabbard&qid=1714439457&sprefix=tulsi+gabbard%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-1" target="_blank">book</a>, "For Love of Country: Leave the Democrat Party Behind," is slated for release on April 30.<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/tulsi-gabbard-turned-rfk-jrs-offer-running-mate/story?id=108723568#:~:text=Tulsi%20Gabbard%2C%20who%20left%20the,would%20be%20his%20running%20mate." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ABC News</a> reported that Gabbard, referring to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said in a statement, "I met with Kennedy several times, and we have become good friends." Gabbard reportedly said in the statement, "He asked if I would be his running mate. After careful consideration, I respectfully declined."Kennedy <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/kennedy-announces-shanahan-running-mate" target="_blank">picked</a> Nicole Shanahan as his running mate.Former Vice President Mike Pence, who served with Trump from early 2017 through early 2021, has <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/pence-wont-endorse-trump-2024" target="_blank">said</a> that he will not endorse Trump in 2024. Pence mounted a Republican presidential primary bid last year but then dropped it months later.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> ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 02:45:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/tulsi-gabbard-would-accept-vp</guid><category>Tulsi gabbard</category><category>Rubin report</category><category>Vice president</category><category>Trump</category><category>Trump vp</category><category>Election 2024</category><category>News</category><category>Elections</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Alex Nitzberg</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52134705&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Northwestern University agreement with anti-Israel protesters includes Palestinian student scholarships and visiting faculty</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/northwestern-agreement-protest-israel-hamas</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134699&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=181%2C0%2C182%2C0"/> 
Northwestern University officials <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/04/29/northwestern-university-reaches-agreement-with-protesters/" target="_blank">announced</a> Monday that it had reached an agreement with anti-Israel protesters that included funding for Palestinian scholarships and for Palestinian visiting faculty members.

The agreement comes five days after the pro-Palestinian demonstrators began building an encampment in the middle of Deering Meadow on the Evanston Campus. <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/northwestern-university-deal-pro-palestinian-protesters/" target="_blank">WBBM-TV reported</a> soon after the agreement was announced that tents were already being dismantled. “This agreement was forged by the hard work of students and faculty working closely with members of the administration to help ensure that the violence and escalation we have seen elsewhere does not happen here at Northwestern,” said University President Michael Schill in a campus-wide email. Schill said that university officials agreed to allow peaceful demonstrations to continue until June 1 but that the demonstrators must agree to observe their security regulations. The university will provide funding for two visiting at-risk Palestinian faculty members for two years and for five visiting at-risk Palestinian students for four years.
Some of the protesters were angry that the deal was struck with a small group of demonstrators that they claimed were not representative of the entire group.

Schill also said that the demonstrations could only include students, faculty, and staff in order to exclude outside participants. 
“Acts of antisemitism, anti-Muslim/Arab racism, and hate will not be tolerated, and community members who can be identified participating in such acts will face disciplinary action,” he wrote in the email. 
Junior Abhi Nimmagadda told WBBM that the agreement was a tremendous achievement for the anti-Israel movement. "No other university, to my knowledge, has been able to secure wins this great," said Nimmagadda. "I don't believe my heart has been fuller. I'm very, very proud of everything we have been able to achieve." But other students were reportedly angry that the university did not agree to concrete steps to end any investments that might be tied to the state of Israel. WBBM reported that they felt "blind-sided" and accused those who made the agreement of being "sellouts." The university did agree to relaunch an advisory council to review the organization's investments and answer protesters' questions within 30 days. The private research university serves more than 23,400 students and is located in Evanston, Illinois. <h2>
Here's more about the protests:
</h2>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b7A3tUQs4Dk?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>
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" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a>! 
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 02:15:57 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/northwestern-agreement-protest-israel-hamas</guid><category>Northwestern univ agreement</category><category>Univ agreeement protesters</category><category>Anti-israel protests</category><category>Michael schill vs protesters</category><category>News</category><category>Education</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Carlos Garcia</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134699&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Man allegedly vandalized cars at New Hampshire GOP convention, police say they found guns and 'suicide manifesto' at his home</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/vandalism-gop-nh-cars-manifesto</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134663&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=136%2C0%2C228%2C0"/> 
A man who was arrested for <a href="https://patch.com/new-hampshire/concord-nh/new-hampshire-republicans-threatened-cars-keyed-party-convention-concord" target="_blank">allegedly vandalizing</a> almost a dozen cars outside of a New Hampshire Republican convention was denied bail after police found weapons and a manifesto at his home.

Police said 37-year-old Lawrence Anthony Dunlap keyed the cars on April 13 as Republicans were at a biennual event at the Christa McAuliffe Auditorium at Concord High School. “It seems as if someone knew there was a Republican event going on at the high school, and this was their chance to tell Republicans they hate us,” said GOP delegate Di Lothrop at the time. “Divisiveness at its worst!”Others reported threats made around the same time. 
Concord Police Det. Sgt. Benjamin Mitchell said that they were able to obtain surveillance video of a suspect with a beard, long hair, and riding a long skateboard near the cars. They identified the man as Dunlap and arrested him on Friday. Police said a search warrant at his home “yielded firearms, a manifesto, suicide notes, and a bag containing zip ties, masks, and gloves." A weapon described as a "medieval mace" was also found in the man's belongings. Deputy Chief John Thomas <a href="https://www.concordmonitor.com/Lawrence-Dunlap-plea-Concord-NH-GOP-vandalism-facebook-54928248" target="_blank">said</a> that they found eight guns, including one AR-15.
He <a href="https://nhjournal.com/trump-hating-realtor-with-guns-manifesto-arrested-in-gop-vandalism-incident/" target="_blank">reportedly</a> made political postings online, including one in which he referred to the rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as “domestic terrorism." He also accused former President Donald Trump of being a dictator. WMUR-TV <a href="https://www.wmur.com/article/vandalism-cars-concord-lawrence-dunlap-42924/60640490" target="_blank">reported</a> part of the manifesto obtained through the search warrant. "I can't continue to exist for everyone else. I truly despite humanity and all the filth we have accepted as acceptable," the manifesto read. "I'm sorry for the pain I know I will cause with this decision." Dunlap's defense attorney, Jim Rosenberg, argued that the items obtained through the search warrant were unrelated to the incidents of vandalism. "This is a person with no significant prior criminal record, who has struggled with regard to his professional relationships work-wise recently," said Rosenberg in court. The judge denied bail out of concern for the safety of the community as well as for the safety of the suspect.
Dunlap was charged with 11 felony counts of criminal mischief.<h2>Here's more about the arrest: </h2>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mk9Gaesi64A?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>
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" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a>! 
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 01:50:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/vandalism-gop-nh-cars-manifesto</guid><category>Crime & human interest</category><dc:creator>Carlos Garcia</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134663&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Jerry Seinfeld gets brutally honest about what ruined comedy television: 'Extreme left and PC crap'</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/jerry-seinfeld-leftists-ruined-comedy-tv</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/jerry-seinfeld-gets-brutally-honest-about-what-ruined-comedy-television-extreme-left-and-pc-crap.jpg?id=52133627&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=103%2C0%2C70%2C0"/> Legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld thinks he knows what ruined television comedies.Seinfeld — co-creator and star of "Seinfeld," which is regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time — <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/the-scholar-of-comedy" target="_blank">told the New Yorker in an interview</a> that political correctness and the "extreme left" ruined comedic television."Nothing really affects comedy. People always need it. They need it so badly and they don’t get it," Seinfeld said."It used to be, you would go home at the end of the day, most people would go, 'Oh, "Cheers" is on. Oh, "M*A*S*H" is on. Oh, "Mary Tyler Moore" is on. "All in the Family" is on.' You just expected, 'There’ll be some funny stuff we can watch on TV tonight.' Well, guess what — where is it?" he continued. "This is the result of the extreme left and PC crap, and people worrying so much about offending other people," Seinfeld declared.If progressivism ruined TV comedy, then Seinfeld believes the same forces are behind the renaissance of stand-up comedy."Now they’re going to see stand-up comics because we are not policed by anyone," Seinfeld, himself a stand-up comedian, observed. "The audience polices us. We know when we’re off track. We know instantly and we adjust to it instantly."That is the key difference between stand-up comedy and TV, he explained: Whereas a stand-up comedian gets direct feedback from the audience, Hollywood writers, directors, and producers control scripts. And through the production process, someone somewhere is bound to be offended by certain jokes.The irony, Seinfeld said, is that networks like HBO understand people like the "offensive" material."But they’re not smart enough to figure out, 'How do we do this now? Do we take the heat, or just not be funny?'" he explained. "And what they’ve decided to be is, 'Well, we’re not going to do comedies any more.'"Fortunately, Seinfeld believes there is a "slight movement" away from the PC-heavy culture that has dominated entertainment for the greater part of the past two decades."With certain comedians now, people are having fun with them stepping over the line and us all laughing about it," he said. "But, again, it’s the stand-ups that really have the freedom to do it because no one else gets the blame if it doesn’t go down well. He or she can take all the blame themself."Seinfeld is trying to bring legitimate comedy back to television. His newest film, "Unfrosted," a story about the origins of the Pop-Tart, will e released on May 3.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>!]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 01:35:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/jerry-seinfeld-leftists-ruined-comedy-tv</guid><category>Jerry seinfeld</category><category>Politically correct</category><category>Pc culture</category><category>Liberalism</category><category>Comedy</category><category>News</category><category>Entertainment</category><dc:creator>Chris Enloe</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/jerry-seinfeld-gets-brutally-honest-about-what-ruined-comedy-television-extreme-left-and-pc-crap.jpg?id=52133627&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>RFK Jr. fires back at Trump and calls for 'mano-a-mano' debate</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/rfk-jr-calls-trump-debate</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52134557&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/> Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired back after former President Donald Trump targeted him in social media posts.In a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112340329782516692" target="_blank">post</a> on Friday, Trump described Kennedy as "a Radical Left Liberal who's been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden." Trump also called Kennedy "totally Anti-Gun, an Extreme Environmentalist who makes the Green New Scammers look Conservative, a Big Time Taxer and Open Border Advocate, and Anti-Military/Vet." Last year, Kennedy <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70jEwHF9lsE" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced</a> a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, but then later, he <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/rfk-jr-announces-independent-bid" target="_self">pivoted</a> to an independent White House bid.In another <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112340327686462794" target="_blank">post</a>, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee declared, "I'd even take Biden over Junior', because our Country would last a year or two longer prior to collapse - But it would be dead either way. His Views on Vaccines are FAKE, as is everything else about his Candidacy."In responding to Trump, Kennedy called for him to do a debate."President Trump's rant against me is a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims that should best be resolved in the American tradition of presidential debate," Kennedy said in a Saturday <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1784267700304335087" target="_blank">post</a> on X. "Instead of lobbing poisonous bombs from the safety of his bunker, let’s hear President Trump defend his record to me mano-a-mano by respectful, congenial debate.""To preview my arguments, I will show how President Trump betrayed the hopes of his most sincere followers. He promised to end the Ukraine war and then colluded with Speaker Johnson and President Biden to fund it. He let Big Pharma and his corrupt bureaucrats run roughshod over him as President. He promised to cut the deficit and ran up the biggest debt in history. He promised to run the government like a business and then closed down our businesses. He promised to drain the swamp and then filled his administration with swamp creatures. He promised to protect our rights and then torpedoed the Constitution," Kennedy asserted.<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1784267700304335087">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1784267700304335087"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Trump, who did not participate in any the Republican presidential primary debates last year, has expressed interest in debating President Joe Biden. "Dear Joe, now that you've committed to Debate," Trump declared in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112340120096250197" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">post</a> on Truth Social, "let's set it up right now. I'm ready to go anywhere that you are."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>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 01:18:43 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/rfk-jr-calls-trump-debate</guid><category>Donald trump</category><category>Rfk jr</category><category>Robert f kennedy jr</category><category>News</category><category>Elections</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Alex Nitzberg</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52134557&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>NY district attorney apologizes for ignoring cop who tried to pull her over for speeding: 'Get out of my f***ing house!'</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/rochester-da-video-curses-officer</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134460&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C23%2C0%2C0"/> 
A district attorney in New York was forced to apologize after she ignored police commands and tried to get out of a speeding ticket by calling the police chief.

Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley refused to pull over for a police officer in Rochester on April 22 and instead drove to her residence where she tried to ignore his commands, as <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/new-york-district-attorney-traffic-stop-bodycam-video" target="_blank">Blaze News previously reported.</a>
The officer told her that she was driving 55 miles per hour in a 35 MPH zone, but she responded by cursing at him.

“You know what I’ve been dealing with all day? Three murders in the city,” Doorley said in the video released by police. “Do you think I really care if I was going 20 miles over the speed limit?”

The officer told her that failing to follow his commands is an "arrestable offense," but she responded by cursing at him.

"Get out of my f***ing house!" she told him.

The body cam footage showed the officer print out the ticket and give it to Doorley with a final warning.

"At the end of the day, if you see my lights and sirens behind you, and obviously they're going off, pull over, we can have a conversation, and be on our way," he said.

Later, Doorley released a statement explaining that she had pleaded guilty to speeding.

“I acknowledged that I was speeding and I accepted the ticket. By 1 p.m. the following day, I pled guilty and sent the ticket to the Webster Town Court because I believe in accepting responsibility for my actions and had no intention of using my position to receive a benefit," she wrote.

"Nobody, including your District Attorney, is above the rule of law, even traffic laws," Doorley added.
She also released a video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMVtUiBWVic" target="_blank">apologizing</a> for the incident. "I've been fumbled by my own stupidity, and I fully to blame," she said in the video. "Nobody is perfect." 
Critics have called on Doorley to resign, but the head of the Monroe County Legislature Republican Conference issued a <a href="https://www.whec.com/local/head-of-monroe-county-gop-says-doorley-will-not-be-going-anywhere/" target="_blank">statement</a> in support of the DA keeping her day-job. “Nobody is perfect, and everyone has a bad day – District Attorney Doorley has atoned, should not, and will not be going anywhere, and the Monroe County Republican Party continues to fully stand behind her and her office’s mission,” said Pat Reilly. GOP Conference leader Steve Brew agreed. “We will not allow a moment of clearly expressed regret to overshadow decades of dedication to our community, law enforcement, and the rule of law," Brew said. "The Republican Conference continues to support our District Attorney Sandra Doorley.”On Monday, community members protested outside her office and demanded that she resign. Others showed up to defend Doorley. "It was a bad day, a bad mistake. She understands it, she apologized," said Randy Cimino<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMVtUiBWVic" target="_blank"> to WHAM-TV.</a> <h2>
Here's more about the incident:</h2>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zBW-7Wzp7Lo?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>

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" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a>! 
]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:40:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/rochester-da-video-curses-officer</guid><category>Doorley curses cop</category><category>Rochester da curses cop</category><category>Da vs police officers</category><category>News</category><category>Crime & human interest</category><dc:creator>Carlos Garcia</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134460&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Arizona rancher will not be retried for murder following hung jury in deadly shooting of illegal alien: 'Nightmare is over'</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/arizona-rancher-will-not-be-retried-for-murder-following-hung-jury-in-deadly-shooting-of-illegal-alien-nightmare-is-over</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134485&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=160%2C0%2C14%2C0"/> The elderly Arizona rancher whose murder trial recently resulted in a hung jury will not be retried, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-mexico-border-rancher-migrant-killed-trial-877c1740e69bb576717873fd31961309?taid=663007718f3d490001f58d6e" target="_blank">prosecutors said</a>.In January 2023, 48-year-old Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, a Mexican national who had been deported from the U.S. multiple times after he crossed the border illegally, was found shot to death on the property of 75-year-old George Alan Kelly. Kelly owns 170 acres of land near Nogales, Arizona, which is across the border from Nogales, Mexico. Kelly was the person who found Cuen-Buitimea's body and called police to report it. Kelly admitted to firing several warning shots into the air earlier that day after he spotted a group of men armed with AK-47s invading his property but insisted that none of the warning shots could have possibly hit anyone, <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/column/opinion/horowitz-prosecution-or-persecution-arizona-rancher-charged-with-first-degree-murder-for-death-of-illegal-alien" target="_blank">Daniel Horowitz</a>, host of “Conservative Review with Daniel Horowitz,” reported shortly after Kelly's arrest.Kelly was ultimately charged with second-degree murder. He had previously refused a <a href="https://www.kold.com/2024/04/29/george-alan-kelly-wont-face-another-murder-trial/" target="_blank">plea deal</a> that would have convicted him of one count of negligent homicide.At Kelly's trial earlier this month, his attorney, Brenna Larkin, noted that the bullet which killed Cuen-Buitimea was never recovered and argued that Cuen-Buitimea's unzipped backpack and broken buckle suggested that he had been the victim of robbery gone wrong, the <a href="https://tucson.com/news/local/border/arizona-mexico-border-trial-second-degree-murder-migrant-killed-rancher/article_7c5f6018-fc4b-11ee-a059-27b19a9c9bf7.html" target="_blank">Arizona Daily Star</a> reported.Cuen-Buitimea was also not an innocent "migrant ... seeking the American dream," according to Dr. Ron Martinelli, who assisted Kelly's defense pro bono. Martinelli told NewsNation that Cuen-Buitimea may have been involved with human smuggling, and for evidence, Martinelli pointed to the following photo, reportedly taken a day or two before Cuen-Buitimea's death. The photo, which was likewise shown to jurors, shows Cuen-Buitimea wearing "camouflage clothing and tactical boots" and carrying "a sophisticated two-way radio," all signs that he may have worked as a scout for cartels or other human traffickers, Martinelli explained.
<img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4d20d94b41510b9ded720debcde91dbe" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="c61e0" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134480&width=980"/>
Screenshot of NewsNation YouTube videoMost jurors seem to have been persuaded by Kelly's defense. After two days of deliberations, they could not come to a unanimous decision in the case, and on April 22, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Thomas Fink officially declared a mistrial. Of the five men and three women <a href="https://www.kold.com/2024/04/29/george-alan-kelly-wont-face-another-murder-trial/" target="_blank">on the jury</a>, seven had voted to acquit, leaving "one, lone holdout" voting to convict, a statement from Kelly's <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/arizona-rancher-george-alan-kelly-will-not-retried-after-deadlocked-jury-prosecutors-announce" target="_blank">defense team</a> said. Following the mistrial, Kelly was still left uncertain whether prosecutors would retry him. At a hearing on Monday, he got his answer."Because of the unique circumstances and challenges surrounding this case, the Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office has decided not to seek a retrial," Deputy County Attorney Kimberly Hunley told Judge Fink.Yet another hearing will convene in Fink's court at a later date to determine whether Kelly's case will be dismissed with or without prejudice. If it is dismissed with prejudice, Kelly will <a href="https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/difference-between-dismissed-or-without-prejudice" target="_blank">never</a> be retried in this case.Outside the courthouse, Kelly told reporters the "nightmare is over" and expressed condolences to Cuen-Buitimea's loved ones.
<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fJADFSgejsA?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>
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>!]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:10:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/arizona-rancher-will-not-be-retried-for-murder-following-hung-jury-in-deadly-shooting-of-illegal-alien-nightmare-is-over</guid><category>News</category><category>Politics</category><category>Crime</category><category>Illegal immigration</category><category>Illegal immigrant</category><category>George alan kelly</category><category>Arizona rancher</category><dc:creator>Cortney Weil</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134485&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Trump says he and DeSantis 'had a great meeting' in Florida</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-desantis-meeting-in-florida</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134317&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C1%2C0%2C0"/> Former President Donald Trump met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday, Trump noted in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112356502702151765" target="_blank">post</a> on Truth Social."I am very happy to have the full and enthusiastic support of Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida. We had a great meeting yesterday, arranged by mutual friend Steve Witkoff," Trump said in the post, adding that the meeting took place in the Sunshine State at the Shell Bay Club."The conversation mostly concerned how we would work closely together to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Also discussed was the future of Florida, which is FANTASTIC! I greatly appreciate Ron’s support in taking back our Country from the Worst President in the History of the United States. November 5th is a BIG DAY!!!" Trump said in the post.DeSantis, who <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Ron_DeSantis" target="_blank">won</a> re-election in 2022 and is serving his second term as governor, <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/ron-desantis-announces-presidential-bid" target="_blank">launched</a> a presidential bid last year but ultimately <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/ron-desantis-suspends-2024-presidential-campaign" target="_blank">dropped out</a> of the 2024 GOP presidential nominating contest earlier this year after <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/01/15/us/elections/results-iowa-caucus.html" target="_blank">placing</a> second in the Iowa presidential caucuses. When dropping out, DeSantis endorsed Trump, calling him "superior" to President Joe Biden.<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1749159384112845285">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1749159384112845285"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Florida <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_voting_trends_in_Florida" target="_blank">went</a> to Trump, a Republican, in the 2016 and 2020 presidential election contests, but to Barack Obama, a Democrat, in 2008 and 2012."Crooked Joe Biden just announced that he's willing to debate! Everyone knows he doesn’t really mean it, but in case he does, I say, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, an old expression used by Fighters," Trump has declared in a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/112338695931922120" target="_blank">post</a>. 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>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 23:40:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-desantis-meeting-in-florida</guid><category>Donald trump</category><category>Florida</category><category>Meeting</category><category>Presidential election</category><category>Ron desantis</category><category>News</category><dc:creator>Alex Nitzberg</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134317&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Liberal viewers pounce on MSNBC host after Nancy Pelosi furiously accuses her of defending Trump on-air</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/nancy-pelosi-katy-tur-apologist</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134338&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=382%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> 
MSNBC viewers went on the attack against anchor Katy Tur after she received a furious tongue-lashing from Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California.

The former speaker of the House accused Tur of defending the jobs record of former President Donald Trump when she pushed back gently against Pelosi's tirade.

“Joe Biden is doing that, [he] created 9 million jobs in his term in office," said Pelosi. "Donald Trump has the worst record of job loss of any president. So, we just have to make sure people know.”

"There was a global pandemic," Tur interjected. 

Pelosi appeared stunned by the anchor's interruption and lashed out at her.

“He had the worst record of any president. We’ve had other concerns in our country," Pelosi snapped. “If you want to be an apologist for Donald Trump, that may be your role, but it ain’t mine!"

“I don’t think anyone can accuse me of that," Tur replied.

Some MSNBC viewers agreed with Pelosi and pounced on the opportunity to accuse Tur of being biased in favor of Republicans.
"Pelosi basically just called Katy Tur an apologist for trump and I’m glad somebody finally said it. To note the pandemic, which happened in the LAST year of his term, as some sort of defense of his jobs record is insane. She is such an unserious host," read one very popular <a href="https://twitter.com/PettyLupone/status/1785036603158893010" target="_blank">response.</a> "Thank you @SpeakerPelosi for calling Katy Tur out on her egregious politicking for Trump!" <a href="https://twitter.com/lesleyabravanel/status/1785031313096917234" target="_blank">replied</a> writer Lesley Abravanel. "Pelosi praised Biden as the best jobs prez in history. Tur replied with MAGAt talking point about it being a global pandemic. NP wasn't having it & shut it down.""Nancy Pelosi annihilated Katy Tur specifically as a gift for those of us who loathe the midday MSNBC lineup as 'leans right,'" <a href="https://twitter.com/VABVOX/status/1785048127524806885" target="_blank">read</a> another response.
"Pure perfection. @katytur needs to reapply for Fox news," <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmaSElliott1/status/1785066638536003914" target="_blank">another</a> viewer agreed. Tur previously made headlines when she <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/msnbc-anchor-tells-audience-all-life-is-pointless-if-were-not-addressing-climate-change" target="_blank">said in 2018</a> that her life and day-to-day decisions were meaningless because global warming was going to destroy the Earth. 
Pelosi also said in the interview that Congress would have to consider term limits for judges on the Supreme Court if they didn't rule against Trump in a way that helped Democrats.
<h2>Here's the interview with Pelosi: </h2>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ih0QTIa4uhQ?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>

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" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a>! 
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 23:10:04 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/nancy-pelosi-katy-tur-apologist</guid><category>Nancy pelosi vs msnbc</category><category>Trump apologist</category><category>Katy tur helps trump</category><category>Pelosi attacks katy tur</category><category>News</category><dc:creator>Carlos Garcia</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134338&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Slack co-founder's missing teen daughter found in white van with 26-year-old male suspect: 'The allure of drugs'</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/slack-co-founder-s-missing-teen-daughter-found-in-white-van-with-26-year-old-male-suspect-the-allure-of-drugs</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134241&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=20%2C0%2C18%2C0"/> Over the weekend, the missing teen daughter of two tech moguls was found inside a white van in San Francisco. The girl appears to be safe, and the suspect who owns the van is now in jail.On April 21, the 16-year-old daughter of Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield reportedly left a note to inform her family that she had run away from her home in Bolinas, California, about 30 miles from San Francisco. Fake and Butterfield <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dizefalo-arrested-mint-butterfield-disappearance-slack-flickr-cofounders-van-2024-4?op=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">co-founded Flickr</a> in 2004, and Butterfield later co-founded Slack, a messaging application popular with many businesses. Blaze News is not reporting their daughter's name.As the days ticked by without any sign from the girl, her parents and other friends and family became increasingly worried as the girl reportedly had a drug problem and had threatened to commit suicide <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/29/us-news/mint-butterfield-found-in-van-with-man-26-now-facing-kidnapping-charges/" target="_blank">at least once</a> in the past. Police likewise considered the girl to be "an at-risk missing person."Perhaps adding further complication to the case was the fact that the girl reportedly identifies as "nonbinary" and prefers "they/them" pronouns, though previous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNnMSXTw0ps&list=RDNSUNnMSXTw0ps&start_radio=1" target="_blank">reports</a> did describe her as female. A <a href="https://www.marinsheriff.org/community/news-press-releases/press-release-mint-butterfield-located-missing-person-april-28-2024" target="_blank">press release</a> from the Marin County Sheriff's Office also refers to the teen as "she" on one occasion.Through their investigation, MCSO detectives learned that the girl may have run off with Christopher "Kio" Dizefalo, a 26-year-old San Francisco parking valet identified in the press release as the teen's "adult friend." Dizefalo reportedly owns a white van, which was located late Saturday night in Tenderloin, a shady area of San Francisco "known for homelessness, crime, and drugs," Business Insider reported.Thankfully, the girl was found inside the van. She was "uninjured," the MCSO press release said, and she apparently reiterated to detectives that she had left with the suspect "voluntarily."Whether the girl was a willing participant or not, Dizefalo may be in deep trouble. The MCSO press release noted vaguely that he was arrested "for multiple criminal violations," but a review of Marin County Jail records indicates that those charges include child stealing and unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, both felonies. He remains in custody on $50,000 bail.Still, the MCSO has also given mixed messages. Even with the felony charges against Dizefalo, MCSO spokesperson Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn told the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/2024/04/28/mint-butterfield-found-san-francisco/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">San Francisco Standard</a> Sunday evening, "I don’t think there was foul play related to kidnapping or anything else, which is what some people were saying is what happened." He claimed the charges are "based on statements that were made and some work that our detectives were able to uncover." Schermerhorn declined to comment further.A statement from the girl's parents and stepfather — Jyri Engeström, yet another tech mogul — expressed relief and gratitude about the teen's safe "recovery" and suggested she may have been "groom[ed]" by the suspect."A heartfelt thanks to all the family, friends, volunteers and strangers who called in tips and made this recovery possible," the statement said. "We especially want to thank the seasoned law enforcement officers who understand the very real threat of predators who use the allure of drugs to groom teenagers."The girl has since been returned to her family.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" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a>!]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 22:26:05 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/slack-co-founder-s-missing-teen-daughter-found-in-white-van-with-26-year-old-male-suspect-the-allure-of-drugs</guid><category>News</category><category>Crime</category><category>Tech</category><category>San francisco</category><category>Kidnapping</category><category>Slack</category><dc:creator>Cortney Weil</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52134241&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Radicals are targeting the esteemed doctor whose UK-commissioned report blew up the transgender narrative</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/radicals-are-targeting-the-esteemed-doctor-whose-uk-commissioned-report-blew-up-the-transgender-narrative</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.webp?id=52134039&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=97%2C0%2C98%2C0"/> 
Dr. Hilary Cass is an award-winning British medical doctor who previously served as president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health. Esteemed in her field, politically innocuous, and a recipient of the Order of the British Empire, National Health Services England evidently figured Cass was the ideal candidate to lead an independent investigation into the U.K.'s sex-change regime and its youth-facing services.

Cass obliged them and started work on the review in 2020. Her landmark report — the product of roughly four years of penetrating investigation and analysis — came out earlier this month, transitioning public opinion and effectively putting a nail in the coffin of LGBT activists' narrative about so-called gender-affirming care.
The
<a href="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/" target="_blank">388-page report</a> not only indicated that the sex-change regime is built on weak and unreliable science but that if left unchecked, it has the potential to continue irreversibly damage minors, many of whom are, to begin with, likely incapable of properly consenting to sex-change medical interventions.

For daring to present the facts as they are contra what some may have hoped them to be, Cass has become a popular target for threats and smears by desperate gender ideologues and other leftist radicals.

The 66-year-old pediatrician recently
<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hilary-cass-i-cant-travel-on-public-transport-any-more-35pt0mvnh" target="_blank">told</a> the Times (U.K.) that the most recent wave of backlash "started the day before the report came out when an influencer put up a picture of a list of papers that were apparently rejected for not being randomised control trials."

Among the fact-averse activists who seized upon the suggestion that the Cass report had failed to factor in various transgender narrative-affirming studies was Labor parliamentarian Dawn Butler. Butler told her fellow lawmakers in the House of Commons, "There are around 100 studies that have not been included in this Cass report and we need to know why."

Cass called Butler's assertion "completely wrong" and said it was "unforgivable" to undermine the report with such blatant falsehoods. The pediatrician told the Times that contrary to Butler's suggestion, researchers had gone through all of the activist-preferred studies, but pulled results from only 60 as the remainder were of inferior quality.

Butler eventually had to <a href="https://x.com/DawnButlerBrent/status/1782449267853918702" target="_blank">eat crow</a>, apologizing in the British parliament, indicating she made the mistake of quoting a Stonewall briefing.
<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1782449267853918702">
<div style="margin:1em 0">Last week I inadvertently misled the House by quoting a figure from a Stonewall briefing.\n\nI'm grateful for conversation with Dr Cass and am happy to correct the record because that's what politicians should do.\n\nI have more to say watch this space !</div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/DawnButlerBrent/status/1782449267853918702"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Stonewall, of the U.K.'s most influential LGBT activist groups, has a knack for circulating false claims, having responded last month to NHS England's decision to
<a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/englands-top-health-authority-just-came-out-against-puberty-blockers-for-children" target="_blank">end the prescription puberty blockers for children</a> with the <a href="https://twitter.com/stonewalluk/status/1767603259932361036" target="_blank">suggestion</a> that luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists, long used to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28661259/" target="_blank">chemically castrate sex offenders</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2121238" target="_blank">known</a> to deplete bone density, were "reversible."

Stonewall has also <a href="https://x.com/stonewalluk/status/1550427949819695104" target="_blank">parroted</a> the claim that "children as young as 2 recognise their trans identity."

"If you deliberately try to undermine a report that has looked at the evidence of children's healthcare, then that's unforgivable. You are putting children at risk by doing that," added Cass.

Cass has apparently also been flooded with abusive emails, such that security services have reportedly had to intervene with advice.

"There are some pretty vile emails coming in at the moment. Most of which my team is protecting me from, so I'm not getting to see them," she told the Times. Some of them contained "words I wouldn't put in a newspaper."

"What dismays me is just how childish the debate can become," continued the pediatrician. "If I don't agree with somebody then I'm called transphobic or a Terf [trans-exclusionary radical feminist]."

Apparently, the security services Cass has been dealing with figure some radicals may seek to do more than threaten the doctor online.

"I'm not going on public transport at the moment," she told the Times, "following security advice, which is inconvenient."

Cass drew the ire of radicals for noting in her report that:<ul>
<li>the "systematic review showed no clear evidence that social transition in
childhood has any positive or negative mental health outcomes, and
relatively weak evidence for any effect in adolescence";
</li>
<li>puberty blockers "exert their intended effect in suppressing puberty," but compromise
bone density and have no apparent impact on "gender dysphoria or body
satisfaction";
</li>
<li>there is a dearth of consistent evidence about the "effect of puberty suppression on psychological or psychosocial
wellbeing, cognitive development, cardio-metabolic risk or fertility";
</li>
<li>there is a lack of high-quality research assessing the outcomes of hormone interventions in adolescents confused about their sex;</li>
<li>there is no evidence to support the popular claim amongst gender ideologues that cross-sex hormones reduce the elevated risk of deaths amongst those suffering from gender dysphoria;</li>
<li>clinicians are incapable of determining with certainty which prospective child victims might simply grow out of their confusion;</li>
<li>for "most young people, a medical pathway will not be the best way to manage their gender-related distress"; and </li>
<li>the so-called science regarding "gender-affirming care" is "an area of remarkably weak evidence" built on "shaky foundations."
</li>
</ul>
Whereas Stonewall and leftists find the facts hard to digest, others have willingly admitted fault.

A group of 16 senior clinical psychologists <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/commentisfree/2024/apr/21/we-are-ashamed-of-role-psychology-played-gender-care-observer-letters" target="_blank">penned</a> a letter in the Guardian on April 21, noting, "Whether intentionally or not, and many were doing their best in an impossible situation, it was clinical psychologists who promoted an ideology that was almost impossible to challenge; who, as the Cass report found, largely failed to carry out proper assessments of troubled young people, and thus put many on an 'irreversible medical pathway' that in most cases was inappropriate; and who failed in their most basic duty to keep proper records."
They concluded, "We are ashamed of the role psychology has played [in gender-affirming care]."

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" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a>!
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:35:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/radicals-are-targeting-the-esteemed-doctor-whose-uk-commissioned-report-blew-up-the-transgender-narrative</guid><category>Transgender</category><category>Gender</category><category>Lgbt</category><category>Leftism</category><category>Social constructivism</category><category>Cass report</category><category>Hilary cass</category><category>Nhs england</category><category>Nhs</category><category>United kingdom</category><category>Britain</category><category>Science</category><category>News</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Joseph MacKinnon</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.webp?id=52134039&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Dumb twerking teens caught on video vandalizing business. Dumber still? Gang symbols carved into cars lead to arrest.</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/dumb-twerking-teens-caught-on-video-vandalizing-business-dumber-still-gang-symbols-carved-into-cars-led-to-arrest</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133310&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=82%2C0%2C83%2C0"/> Twerking teenagers were caught on surveillance video recently vandalizing a Los Angeles-area business called Pink Sponge Home Cleaning, <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/twerking-vandals-cause-25k-in-damage-to-southern-california-business/" target="_blank">KTLA-TV reported</a>.<h2>What are the details?</h2>The station said vandals broke into the Glendora business in the early morning hours of April 20. Surveillance video from the Pink Sponge's rooftop parking lot showed at least three teens carrying out vandalism, including blasting a fire extinguisher and chucking a large object at one of the company’s 25 pink Volkswagen Bugs, KTLA said.
<img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="96a7031c93e3dd328fa3808632129201" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="dba74" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52133800&width=980"/>
Image source: YouTube screenshotOf course, two of the vandals also were infamously caught twerking atop the hood of one of the cars.
<img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="13de622137b12db3590ccd905427731b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="930f1" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133806&width=980"/>
Image source: YouTube screenshot“They kicked in every headlight they could,” Jennifer Ahlgrim of Pink Sponge told KTLA. “They pulled down the windows so hard, they broke the regulators. They carved on the hoods of cars.” 
<img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="92e6a62539ae0801394a3e25b2779b64" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="74308" loading="lazy" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52133809&width=980"/>
Image source: YouTube screenshot“They tore open a door and threw products over the side of the building," Ahlgrim added to the station. "It was disgusting." <h2>Dumb and dumber</h2>You'd think that today's teens would be savvy enough to know that just about every business is outfitted with surveillance cameras, but the dumb teens either didn't know or didn't care.Dumber still is that police told KTLA gang symbols were carved upon some of the Pink Sponge company cars, and that led them to a juvenile suspect — a 15-year-old gang member from La Verne who was arrested in connection with the break-in. Authorities added to the station that they have the suspect's cell phone and are hoping to use it to find the two teen girls who were involved in the break-in.Meanwhile, the outfit is picking up the pieces after 18 of its vehicles were heavily vandalized to the tune of $25,000 in damages, the station said.“I couldn’t understand how someone could do something like this to a company that’s trying to do good,” Ahlgrim added to KTLA. “It just doesn’t make sense.”The co-founder of the company added to the station that the insurance claim was denied because the company had been vandalized previously. A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/local-small-business-becomes-victim-to-random-vandalization" target="_blank">GoFundMe</a> has been organized to help the business with the cost of repairs and the loss of many of its supplies, KTLA noted.
<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/23mp5pD0f1I?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>
Teens vandalize San Gabriel Valley business

<a href="https://youtu.be/23mp5pD0f1I?feature=shared" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>

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>!]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:20:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/dumb-twerking-teens-caught-on-video-vandalizing-business-dumber-still-gang-symbols-carved-into-cars-led-to-arrest</guid><category>Twerking</category><category>Watch</category><category>Los angeles area</category><category>Vandalism</category><category>Arrest</category><category>Property damage</category><category>Pink sponge home cleaning</category><category>Glendora</category><category>Gang member</category><category>Gang symbols</category><category>News</category><category>Crime & human interest</category><dc:creator>Dave Urbanski</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133310&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>WATCH: Pro-Palestinian protesters TAKE OVER college campuses</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/israel</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133923&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=300%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> 
If there’s a leftist cause, a protest is bound to follow — no matter how little those protesting understand why or what they're protesting in the first place.

This is especially the case after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.

Pro-Palestinian protesters have now taken over college campuses across America, from Columbia University in New York to the George Washington University in D.C. and Cal Poly Humboldt in California.

The protesters spent the past weekend setting up autonomous zones in solidarity with Gaza, held Islamic prayer sessions, and chanted about the intifada.

“Seems to be the only thing that Americans want to do these days is protest the right of Israel to exist,” Stu Burguiere says to Glenn Beck.

In one of the protests at Columbia University, the students knelt on Islamic prayer rugs while a man sang a prayer.

“The nice thing is they’re including women in the call to prayer, which is very popular in the Middle East. They love it when women get down and pray right alongside the men,” Glenn jokes.

At another protest in Canada, a woman praised Hamas’ attack on Israel. “We stand with the Palestinian resistance and their heroic and brave action on October 7. And they said, 'Long live October 7,' and we say today, 'Long live October 7!'” she yelled.

“You know, I love it when the Nazis are like, ‘Long live the Holocaust,’” Glenn mocks. “‘Long live those really cool showers and oven system that we came up with.’”

 
 
 
<h3></h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2x15YS70eeo?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><h2>Want more from Glenn Beck?</h2>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.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:03:39 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/israel</guid><category>Blazetv</category><category>Glen</category><category>Beck</category><category>Video</category><category>Beck podcast</category><category>College palestine</category><category>George washington university</category><category>Glenn beck radio</category><category>Conservative podcast</category><category>Blaze</category><category>College protests</category><category>Intifada hall</category><category>Glenn beck podcast</category><category>Conservative</category><category>Cal poly humboldt protest</category><category>Blaze tv</category><category>Glenntv</category><category>Glenn beck</category><category>Theblaze</category><category>Columbia protest</category><category>Glen beck</category><category>Glennbeck</category><category>News</category><category>Islamic prayer on college campus</category><category>Muslim prayer on college campus</category><category>Palestine protest</category><category>Columbia university</category><category>Glenbeck</category><category>Glenn tv</category><category>Pro palestine protest</category><category>Israel protest</category><category>Glenn</category><category>Youtube.com</category><category>The glenn beck program</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=52133923&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>An unserious press corps for a deadly serious moment</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/an-unserious-press-corps-for-a-deadly-serious-moment</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/an-unserious-press-corps-for-a-deadly-serious-moment.jpg?id=52134082&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/> 
Stay ahead with Christopher Bedford’s insider newsletter, delivering sharp analysis straight from the heart of Washington, D.C., every Monday morning. <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/bedford" target="_self">Subscribe</a> to cut through the noise and get the insights that matter. Exclusive for Blaze News readers — don't miss out!

All eyes were on President Joe Biden at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, though few came for the jokes. (This is good, considering how few he actually cracked.) The question is far beyond whether his cognitive abilities have declined — all honest assessors understand he’s slowed dramatically just since he was vice president — but on how he presents. Could he cut and jab like he did at the State of the Union? Or would he mumble into the microphone, mixing up continents and dishing the latest on long-dead leaders?

Mind you: Very little of the glitzy annual D.C. party weekend is concerned with reality. It’s performance, just as this whole White House has been.

The president’s January State of the Union successfully quieted the growing chorus of professional Democrats calling for a new candidate, and this weekend the White House hoped to reinforce that win in front of the courtiers (which is exactly what the people in the room are).

He toasted them, they toasted him, and he slurred on, garnering the kind of forced laughs an elderly relative might get from polite grandkids.

The reporters and their celebrity guests applauded themselves when the president lauded their bravery. "You literally risk your lives doing your job,” he assured the champagne-drunk crowd.

The crowd tensed up when Biden instructed them to “rise up to the seriousness of the moment,” however. It’s all well and fine that the American corporate media effectively ran Biden’s election campaign and will have to run his re-election effort, but you’re not supposed to talk about it out loud.

Outside, anti-Israel and pro-Hamas protesters let the D.C. elites know their kind of liberalism isn’t nearly enough, hurling curses and tossing fake blood onto bedazzled attendees who had to wade through the crowds to get inside.

Violent radical protests have been a left-wing election constant since 2016 but weren’t a concern to the Democrats when they consisted mainly of masked, black-clad radicals attacking grandparents at Trump rallies. Now that the cosplay revolution has come for Democrats, pitting elite liberal Israel supporters against black-clad, masked Hamas supporters, it’s finally become an electoral liability — a painful thorn the White House has struggled to remove.

Time and again, politics tie Biden’s instincts down to the earth. Like Gulliver, he is a creature out of his element, stumbling and alien among the newest new left.

“I condemn the anti-Semitic protests," Biden told reporters April 15. "I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians.”

“Those who don’t understand”? It’s the kind of both-sides-ism that feels politically necessary to a White House staff whose classmates and peers are among the mob, but that pleases no one. And it’s far from the first time we’ve heard such equivocation stepping on political momentum in this administration.

The White House, for example, pressured the president to walk back one of the finer moments of his State of the Union, when he apologized for calling Laken Riley’s illegal immigrant murderer an “illegal.” His impromptu boldness in passionately answering Republican heckling with righteous anger had been a shining deflection of GOP criticism to a national audience. The internal politics of the White House, however, would not let him enjoy the win, lest he insult illegal-immigrant murderers and their many proponents.

Of course, there’s no better example of the White House’s elitism than its response to the East Palestine train disaster, when a moment to appeal to white working-class voters with an environmental, pro-regulation message was squandered by a White House that disdains the voters it used to represent so much that it can’t even hold a presser for their sufferings.

And now, the White House is tripping over itself to get around the end-of-year disorder gripping America’s most famous universities. While even the politically tone-deaf Republican speaker was able to travel to Manhattan’s Columbia University to condemn violent and menacing anti-Semitism, an administration staffed by a lot of friends and peers of those masked radicals is missing the moment.

But back in D.C., an NBC comedian was busy telling jokes about Donald Trump, and it was time to laugh and mingle. Afterward, the guests would try to get into NBC’s party at the French ambassador’s house. Earlier in the weekend, a goodly number of them had partied with Washingtonian magazine and the government of Qatar at the Four Seasons, where you can be sure they toasted themselves some more.

<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/comment/2024/04/25/israel-protests-hamas-palestine-war-gaza-columbia-dnc-biden/" target="_blank">The Telegraph</a>: Israel could be Biden’s Vietnam: The war in Gaza is hammering the president’s domestic support and could lead to ’68-style convention bust-up.

IN OTHER NEWS

They’re already drafting next Ukraine supplemental

Just days after passing $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, news leaked that another supplemental is already in the works for the fall. Did you really think this would be the end of it?

“A Republican congressional aide,” The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4619185-gop-critics-vow-no-more-us-aid-for-ukraine/" target="_blank">reports</a>, “said Department of Defense officials and European allies will begin putting together a new funding request for Ukraine in September and for it to come to Congress in the lame-duck session.”

Tuesday’s vote was a political triumph for outgoing Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who took the unusual step of whipping for the Democrats’ bill, deeply unpopular with his own voters, just to rack up more Republican votes for his own legacy project.

The effort even helped flip Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who, as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, had repeatedly warned against sending money abroad before tackling serious border security. Daines pointed out how the move would be a hard thing for his candidates to defend back home in their states.

Taxpayers have already sent at least $174 billion to Ukraine. Meanwhile, even the war’s staunchest champions have voiced skepticism that money and equipment can materially change the outcome of the war.

None of that matters in D.C., where “the consensus” exists outside and apart from reality.

TikTok now, Big Tech next?

TikTok news was muffled by the $95 billion foreign aid package it passed with, but with it, the United States struck the first blow against the Chinese-owned tech company.

While the White House has been pumping the brakes on other pet projects that officials worry will upset constituents in an election year, such as their proposed ban on menthol cigarettes, the president lauded the success of the TikTok bill.

While TikTok’s expensive and ham-fisted lobbying efforts even saw the Chinese government lobbying Congress, it was unable to convince enough lawmakers the forced foreign divestment was an attack on free speech.

Thus far, all signs point toward TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, choosing to shutter the highly popular and addictive app rather than selling the algorithm to a non-Chinese company.

“Our batting record on Big Tech — we’re batting zero,” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/tiktok-big-tech-trouble-coming-bytedance/" target="_blank">told</a> Punchbowl News. “We’ve not done privacy, we’ve not done kids’ online safety, we’ve not done low-hanging fruit [bills]. … Taking this first step is really important.”

<a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/bytedance-prefers-tiktok-shutdown-us-if-legal-options-fail-sources-say-2024-04-25/" target="_blank">Reuters</a>: ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US if legal options fail, sources say

<a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/tiktok-big-tech-trouble-coming-bytedance/" target="_blank">Punchbowl</a>: After TikTok, are more Big Tech hits coming?

While the lawfare rages on, the Supreme Court seems poised to give Donald Trump a rare reprieve

The Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday on the question of whether former presidents have immunity for actions they took while in office.

Most of the justices seemed primed to establish at least some level of immunity for official actions.

A ruling would impact the former president’s D.C. January 6 trial most directly but could have implication far beyond that.

<a href="https://thefederalist.com/2024/04/26/last-week-in-lawfare-land-witness-testimony-another-scotus-case-and-a-new-indictment-drop/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=last-week-in-lawfare-land-witness-testimony-another-scotus-case-and-a-new-indictment-drop&utm_term=2024-04-27" target="_blank">The Federalist</a>: Last Week In Lawfare Land: Witness Testimony, Another SCOTUS Case, And A New Indictment Drop. Here’s the latest information you need to know about each case.

<a href="https://thefederalist.com/2024/04/26/scotus-agrees-presidents-do-have-immunity-from-criminal-prosecutions-but-to-what-degree-is-unclear/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=scotus-agrees-presidents-do-have-immunity-from-criminal-prosecutions-but-to-what-degree-is-unclear&utm_term=2024-04-28" target="_blank">The Federalist</a>: SCOTUS Agrees Presidents Do Have Immunity From Criminal Prosecutions, But To What Degree?

Will Biden debate Trump?

Joe Biden in a Thursday interview with aging pervert Howard Stern suggested he might, saying he's planning to but doesn’t "know when,” adding: “I’m happy to debate him.”

The announcement might make for unwelcome news at a White House so eager to hide the octogenarian boss’ age that staff have recently taken to sending aides with him on his walk to Marine One to take focus off his unsteady walking.

Don’t count on any debates happening any time soon, however. The White House and corporate media have long established that their political opponent is beneath their dignity and could well make that case again to avoid debating Trump entirely.

The fire rises: “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/business/media/npr-uri-berliner-diversity.html" target="_blank">Inside the Crisis at NPR</a>,” The New York Times

Illiberal bias, insufferable self-regard, and Republican calls to defund National Public Radio aren’t the only problems the facing the nonprofit.

“Internal documents reviewed by The Times and interviews with more than two dozen current and former public radio executives show how profoundly the nonprofit is struggling to succeed in the fast-changing media industry. It is grappling with a declining audience and falling revenue — and internal conflict about how to fix it.”
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 21:02:40 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/an-unserious-press-corps-for-a-deadly-serious-moment</guid><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Christopher Bedford</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/an-unserious-press-corps-for-a-deadly-serious-moment.jpg?id=52134082&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>This state is giving the middle finger to Biden’s new Title IX rules targeting females!</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/title-ix</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133830&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=134%2C0%2C166%2C0"/> 
The new Title IX rules from the Biden administration leave American girls in public schools completely defenseless from males who are not only dominating their sports but who are showing up in their locker rooms.

The Biden administration is doing this by redefining what constitutes sex-based discrimination in schools to include gender identity in the definition.

“By the way, those who don’t use somebody’s preferred pronouns would be in violation of the new Title IX guidelines according to the Biden regime,” Sara Gonzales says, disturbed.

“I would ask if they had ever read the First Amendment, but I know the answer is no,” she continues, adding, “This leaves young females in this country completely vulnerable to having their rights assaulted.”

However, there is at least one state official fighting back.

Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s superintendent of public instruction for the state’s department of education, sent an official letter to all public school superintendents instructing them not to make any changes to their policies based on the latest Title IX guidance.

Walters called the federal rule changes “illegal” and explained that the USDE “has not been given the legislative or judicial authority to redefine sex.”

The response Walters has received from the school administrators has been hopeful.

“I’ll be honest with you, the initial response has been a lot of them thanking me, a lot of them telling me how much they appreciate it,” he tells Gonzales.

“I’ll be honest with you, Sarah, not only should states not comply, not only should states fight back, we should send a loud resounding message to the Federal Department of Education: You guys shouldn’t even exist,” he adds.

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
<h3></h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62Pyr_-zJb4?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><h2>Want more from Sara Gonzales?</h2>To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/?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.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 20:56:57 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/title-ix</guid><category>Blaze tv</category><category>Blazetv</category><category>Conservative</category><category>Sara gonzales</category><category>Sara gonzales clips</category><category>Sara gonzales unfiltered</category><category>Sarah gonzales</category><category>The blaze</category><category>Video</category><category>Youtube.com</category><category>Title ix</category><category>Joe biden</category><category>Transgender agenda</category><category>Transgenderism</category><category>Women's rights</category><dc:creator>BlazeTV Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133830&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Physical media not dead? Taylor Swift album sells 800,000 vinyl records, the 5th-highest selling album since 1991</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/phsyica-media-taylor-swift-sales</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52133097&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C149%2C0"/> Taylor Swift spawned an anomaly in record sales, selling nearly one million vinyl copies of her latest album "The Tortured Poets Department," which was also one of the best-selling albums in over 30 years.The latest drop from Swift had fans in a frenzy to pick up collectible versions of her album across different formats. The singer released nine different iterations on CD, six on vinyl, and even four different styles on cassettes.Fans got their money's worth for the 31-song album, as Swift's physical media play paid off massively. She sold a combined 1.6 million albums in just one week across all formats, including digital downloads, CD, vinyl, and cassette. Typically, this would be written off as a number that is almost entirely made up of digital sales only. However, as <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-the-tortured-poets-department-first-day-sales-release-week-1235662005/" target="_blank">Billboard</a> reported, vinyl represented at least half of those sales with 800,000 sold.Swift's week of sales also landed her in the fifth all-time spot for album sales since 1991. The top spot on that list belongs to Adele, who sold 3.38 million albums for "25" in 2015. Second and third place are held by *NSYNC, which sold 2.42 million in 2000 ("No Strings Attached") and 1.88 million in 2001 ("Celebrity"). The numbers put Swift fewer than 200,000 sales behind Eminem's 2000 record "The Marshall Mathers LP" that sold 1.76 million its first week.The album's record-setting did not stop there. With 799 million on-demand official streams between April 19-24, 2024 (U.S. only), Swift now has the biggest streaming week for an album in America ever, which was set by Drake's "Scorpion" in 2018 with 745.92 million.<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1784666499233268171">
<div style="margin:1em 0">My mind is blown. I\u2019m completely floored by the love you\u2019ve shown this album. \n2.6 million ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS?? Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed.\nI was already so fired up to get back to the tour\u2026</div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1784666499233268171"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Swift's album could serve as a lesson on how large brands or artists can capitalize on the growing nostalgia marketplace, coupled with the ever-growing sector of collectibles and their resale.While DVD sales have "circled the drain" for many years, according to <a href="https://variety.com/vip/dvd-biz-has-circled-the-drain-for-years-2024-takes-it-down-the-tubes-1235912373/" target="_blank">Variety</a>, select artists are attempting to capitalize on a resurgence of physical media with dedicated fans. Although Swift's numbers and fan dedication means she could likely sell anything, there has been significant backlash against the elimination of physical sales in several industries.In the realm of video games, for example, companies have faced backlash for <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/ubisoft-subscription-game-model-ownership" target="_blank">removing digital products</a> without notice, leaving customers with nothing to show for their purchase.Director Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight," "Oppenheimer") also criticized digital media for this very reason in an interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC25mKvYrTo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IGN</a>. Nolan explained that access to digital products often relies on the status of a distributor's relationship with the platform providing access to the media."If you buy a [DVD], you buy a Blu-Ray, it's on your shelf, it's yours. No company is going to break into your house and take it from you, repossess it; you know it's yours and and you own it," Nolan explained. "That's never really the case with any form of digital distribution. You're relying on the continued health of the supplier, the company who's supplying."<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1784993298152657268">
<div style="margin:1em 0">.@taylorswift13 becomes the first artist in history to occupy the entire top 14 spots of the #Hot100 simultaneously:\n\nNo. 1, \u201cFortnight\u201d ft. @PostMalone \nNo. 2, \u201cDown Bad\u201d\nNo. 3, \u201cI Can Do It With a Broken Heart\u201d\nNo. 4, \u201cThe Tortured Poets Department\u201d\nNo. 5, \u201cSo Long, London\u201d\nNo.\u2026</div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/billboardcharts/status/1784993298152657268"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>There could be a "whiff of nostalgia in play" for Swift, says entertainment writer <a href="https://twitter.com/HollywoodInToto" target="_blank">Christian Toto</a>. "It could also be a growing distrust of our digital age," he theorized.Pop culture critic <a href="https://twitter.com/natbiase" target="_blank">Natasha Biase</a> added that it's time for right-wing commentators to stop brushing Swift off if they hope to win the culture war."Taylor Swift’s track record proves that anything she touches turns to gold. She has undeniable influence and embracing an inoffensive and moderately conservative pop star like Swift is a winning tactic in 2024," Biase told Blaze News.As of April 29, 2024, Swift became the first artist to occupy the entire top 14 positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.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>!]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 20:46:15 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/phsyica-media-taylor-swift-sales</guid><category>Taylor swift</category><category>Physical media</category><category>Vinyl</category><category>Music</category><category>News</category><category>Align</category><category>Entertainment</category><dc:creator>Andrew Chapados</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/png" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=52133097&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Nearly all states take foster kids' federal benefits and use them to offset cost of foster care: Report</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/nearly-all-states-take-foster-kids-federal-benefits-and-use-them-to-offset-cost-of-foster-care-report</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/nearly-all-states-take-foster-kids-federal-benefits-and-use-them-to-offset-cost-of-foster-care-report.jpg?id=52133561&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> A disturbing <a href="https://catcher.sandiego.edu/items/usdlaw/Foster_Care_or_Foster_Con_Report_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">report</a> from the Children’s Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law indicates that nearly all states routinely take federal benefits from children in the foster system and use those benefits to offset the cost of foster care.Like their counterparts who are not in the foster care system, some foster kids are entitled to receive federal money, including disability benefits associated with Social Security as well as survivor benefits associated with the Veterans' Administration and the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program, which are issued upon the death of a parent, the Children's Advocacy Institute study noted.However, of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, only seven received a passing grade in the study: Arizona, D.C., New Mexico, Oregon, Maryland, Illinois, and Washington state. The rest received an F because they otherwise abscond with the foster kids' federal money in the name of "revenue maximization," oftentimes without even bothering to tell the children first."For this subset of foster youth, who face tremendous obstacles when they transition out of care, these assets can serve as a lifeline, contributing to economic stability, self-sufficiency, and successful outcomes," the study said. "Most foster youth eligible for these federal benefits will never see a dollar of their money, or even know that someone has applied for and received benefits on their behalf."The <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2024/04/22/michigan-foster-care-federal-benefit-money-child-welfare-costs/73355844007/?s=01" target="_blank">Detroit Free Press</a> investigated the issue in Michigan, one of the 44 states to receive a failing grade in the study. According to the outlet, in fiscal year 2022-23, Michigan collected $3.2 million in federal benefits designated for foster children, all of which went toward reimbursing "the state for the cost of caring for kids in the child welfare system."The only way a Michigan foster child may begin receiving some of his or her federal benefits or have those benefits saved on the child's behalf is when "the child’s total income exceeds the cost of care," the <a href="https://dhhs.michigan.gov/OLMWEB/EX/FO/Public/FOM/902-12.pdf" target="_blank">Michigan Department of Health and Human Services</a> indicated. Yet, the state has apparently failed to deliver in some of those cases as well. The Free Press noted that one former foster youth whose father died did not receive federal benefits for the first six months after he was returned to the care of his birth mother, meaning the state collected nearly $5,400 to which the young man was entitled."I don’t understand how they can do that to kids when they’re trying to move forward with their life," said the boy's mother, Jenny Bowden."It makes you feel like they really don’t care about it, or they’re trying to have a good image without having to do the work," Bowden's son added.When asked for comment, the Michigan DHHS made no attempt to deny denying foster kids their federal benefits. "This is common practice among many states," the agency said."When a child is placed in an out-of-home situation with MDHHS, income or funds available to the child are secured and used to reimburse the public taxpayer dollars that provide payment for the child's care. If the child's total income exceeds the cost of care, the excess is saved for the child," the agency helpfully explained.Jill Bauer, a staff attorney at Legal Services in Washtenaw County in Michigan, took a decidedly different view. "Why should kids with Social Security have to pay for their own foster care?" she asked rhetorically.Elisa Weichel, administrative director of the Child Advocacy Institute, even suggested that the state practice of taking federal money that belongs to foster children just reinforces to such children that they are viewed as possible revenue sources rather than as human beings. "We believe that the state is choosing to put its own financial interests above the best interests of the children in its care," Weichel told the Free Press, "which unfortunately is a message these children probably also get in other ways."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" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a>!]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 19:38:24 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/nearly-all-states-take-foster-kids-federal-benefits-and-use-them-to-offset-cost-of-foster-care-report</guid><category>News</category><category>Foster care</category><category>Foster children</category><category>Federal benefits</category><dc:creator>Cortney Weil</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/nearly-all-states-take-foster-kids-federal-benefits-and-use-them-to-offset-cost-of-foster-care-report.jpg?id=52133561&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>2 illegal aliens arrested in largest fentanyl bust in Florida county's history: 'Didn't come here to better themselves'</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/2-illegal-aliens-arrested-in-largest-fentanyl-bust-in-florida-county-s-history-didn-t-come-here-to-better-themselves</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133202&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=164%2C0%2C36%2C0"/> Polk County Sheriff's Office in Florida recently announced the "single-largest" fentanyl bust in the county's history, the department revealed in a Friday press conference, <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/grady-judd-multiple-people-arrested-as-deputies-make-largest-fentanyl-seizure-in-polk-county-history" target="_blank">WTVT</a> reported. The sheriff's office launched the investigation into the illicit operation in August after it learned about an organized drug trafficking operation based out of Mexico. The department arrested four individuals in connection with the scheme and seized 14 kilograms of fentanyl, two vehicles, and $5,261 in cash. Two of the suspected criminals, Pedro Rodriguez Correa and Maria Machuca-Alderete, were in the country illegally, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. The other two individuals, Maria Guadalupe-Garcia and Sergio Garcia, were from California."It seems like every time I come up here to talk about fentanyl with my colleagues I'm always saying, 'It's the largest fentanyl seizure in the state of Florida' and, once again, that's what I'm saying today with a seizure of 14 kilos of fentanyl," Judd stated Friday morning. "This is the single-largest seizure in the history of Polk County and that's nothing to be proud of."One of the detained suspects, Guadalupe-Garcia, told deputies that she did not know anything about the narcotics and claimed to be delivering a box of diapers. "When was the last time you picked up a box of Huggies that weighed 27 pounds? Maria, we don't have any Huggies in the county jail, but we will have you there," Judd said, according to WTVT."They didn't come here to better themselves and their family," he continued, referring to the two illegal migrants. "They came here to kill people in America with a deadly drug through a porous border that we need to seal off."According to Judd, the amount of drugs seized in the bust is enough to kill one-third of Florida's population. He stated that the traffickers expected to be paid $42,500 for the delivery from Mexico to Florida. In total, the 14 kilogram shipment was worth $3.5 million, the office reported.According to the sheriff's office, Rodriguez-Correa, the driver for the criminal organization, brought a six-year-old boy along for the fentanyl delivery. The Florida Department of Children and Families seized custody of the child.Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Machuca-Alderete and Rodriguez-Correa for being in the country illegally.Machuca-Alderete was charged with trafficking fentanyl, maintaining a vehicle to traffic illegal drugs, resisting arrest with violence, battery on an officer, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and possession of drug paraphernalia, WTVT reported. Rodriguez-Correa was charged with trafficking fentanyl, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the outlet.Guadalupe-Garcia and Sergio Garcia were both charged with trafficking fentanyl, maintaining a vehicle to traffic illegal drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia.A fifth suspect, whose identity has not been released to the public, is still at large and wanted for similar charges.Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said during the Friday news conference, "I would submit to you that an appropriate response would not just be, 'We are going to address the cartels with hugs, not violence.' But how about how I have demanded and suggested in that we declare the cartels terrorist organizations and we designate fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction.""Over the past year, the PCSO seized 30 additional kilograms of fentanyl - about enough to kill all the people in the state of Florida," according to the sheriff's office.<div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://w3.mp.lura.live/player/3.12.14-beta/v3/anvload.html?key=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%253D" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe></div> 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>!]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 19:20:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/2-illegal-aliens-arrested-in-largest-fentanyl-bust-in-florida-county-s-history-didn-t-come-here-to-better-themselves</guid><category>Illegal immigration</category><category>Illegal migrants</category><category>Open border</category><category>Border crisis</category><category>Migrant crisis</category><category>Florida</category><category>Polk county</category><category>Grady judd</category><category>Ashley moody</category><category>Fentanyl</category><category>Fentanyl crisis</category><category>Fentanyl bust</category><category>Drug bust</category><category>Drugs</category><category>Drug trafficking</category><category>News</category><dc:creator>Candace Hathaway</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133202&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Shocking new theory about Malaysian Airlines flight 370</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/pat-gray-unleashed/ashton-forbes</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133166&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=300%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> 
On March 8, 2014, Malaysian Airlines flight 370 set off from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia for China’s capital city. Thirty-nine minutes after taking off, the aircraft disappeared from air traffic control radar displays.

The plane was never found.

However, a decade after the plane's disappearance, citizen journalist Ashton Forbes believes he has the answer to what exactly happened to flight 370.

“Where did this plane end up, do you think?” Pat Gray asks Forbes.

“I think that the plane’s most likely location is Diego Garcia military base,” Forbes tells Gray. “There’s circumstantial evidence that points to that location.”

With the evidence Forbes has been dissecting, he tells Gray that the plane appears to have gotten pulled to the West, which puts it over the Maldives.

“Interesting note is that there was a B-777 fire suppression device. It washes up in the Maldives, and it was reported on as a bomb, but it’s actually just a B-777 fire suppression device. The only way this could wash ashore is if it was empty,” Forbes explains, noting that this may mean there was a fire event.

Forbes also tells Gray that there were twenty islanders on a small island just north of Diego Garcia that had seen the plane in the early morning.

“They seemed very credible, they saw the blue and red stripe of Malaysian airlines, they saw it flying so low they could make out the windows on the plane,” he says, adding that the islanders saw it flying south toward the Diego Garcia military base.

According to Forbes, the only adult American passenger on board posted to 4Chan that he “was drugged, held prisoner in a dark area and that he couldn’t think clearly.”

The passenger posted a black photo, and the metadata of the photo has coordinates that indicate Diego Garcia.

“This was us, we did this. We hid it in our advanced military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, which is the perfect place to hide it, where no one’s going to find it,” Forbes says.

 
 

 
 
<h3></h3> <iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dx2ALwMS440?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe><h2>Want more from Pat Gray?</h2>To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/pat/?utm_source=theblaze&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=article_shortcode_patgray" target="_blank">subscribe to BlazeTV</a> — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 19:00:52 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/pat-gray-unleashed/ashton-forbes</guid><category>Conspiracy theory</category><category>Video</category><category>Blaze podcasts</category><category>Shorts</category><category>Pat unleashed</category><category>Mh370</category><category>Blaze</category><category>Ashton forbes</category><category>Talk radio</category><category>Mh370 found</category><category>Glenn beck</category><category>Pat gray podcast</category><category>Pat gray videos</category><category>Pat heads</category><category>Pat gray</category><category>Pat gray radio</category><category>Pat grey unleashed</category><category>Mh370 flight</category><category>Stu does america</category><category>Social commentary</category><category>Mh370 documentary</category><category>News</category><category>Blazetv</category><category>Malaysian airlines</category><category>Conspiracy</category><category>Ashton forbes mh370</category><category>Pat gray unleashed</category><category>Pat grey</category><category>Commentary</category><category>Pat and stu</category><category>Malaysian airlines flight 370</category><category>Pat gray show</category><category>Pat gray youtube</category><category>Youtube.com</category><dc:creator>BlazeTV Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52133166&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Remember the young surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack? 21 years later she’s fighting to protect women’s sports</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/remember-the-young-surfer-who-lost-her-arm-in-a-shark-attack-21-years-later-shes-fighting-to-protect-womens-sports</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52131203&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C300%2C0"/> 
A promising young surfer, then 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton’s world was turned upside down when she lost her arm in a shark attack. On “Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey,” Bethany detailed how her family’s faith in God helped her through these troubling times:

“My dad worked really hard — like two to three jobs at a time, so we had a really simple childhood. But they gave me so much. They gave me so much time, and they gave me my faith in God. ... And so, when I lost my arm, it was almost like I was ready, because my mom had raised me in my faith, she would pray with me, she read the Bible to me at bedtime, we went to church ... and so, when chaos hit, I was ready.”

She also explained how she had to relearn surfing and what drove her to get back in the water just 21 days later: “For me, surfing was more than just a childhood hobby. I feel like it was a way of life and culture and art and sport.”
Bethany said the physical journey was actually pretty easy, but it took a while for her to regain her confidence while surfing and figure out how to do things differently with just one arm — what she calls “Bethany’s version” of surfing. She also explained how frustrating it was to figure out how to do life with just one arm but that her faith in God and His plan for her life kept her going.

She discussed meeting her husband, motherhood, and even surfing while pregnant. According to Bethany, there are certain waves that are better while pregnant, and she surfed well into all her pregnancies, which is apparently commonplace in Hawaii.

Bethany has also been an outspoken advocate for the protection of women’s sports and explained her choice to speak out against biological men in women’s sports, specifically the World Surf League’s rule allowing males to compete against females:

“I feel like, too, a lot of it’s just such an interesting thing, because I feel like if women just said no, this wouldn’t be an issue. If all the female surfers — if the 70% that disagree with [the rule], if they all said no, then the World Surf League would not have an option.”

In the full episode, Bethany dives deeper into her faith, becoming well-known, and her partnership with pro-life diaper brand, EveryLife.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kyug_d7uL3I?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>
<h2>Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?</h2>
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.
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:56:24 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/remember-the-young-surfer-who-lost-her-arm-in-a-shark-attack-21-years-later-shes-fighting-to-protect-womens-sports</guid><category>Abortion</category><category>Allie beth stuckey</category><category>Allie on blaze tv</category><category>Allie on the blaze</category><category>Allie stuckey</category><category>Bethany hamilton</category><category>Bethany hamilton interview</category><category>Bethany hamilton surfing</category><category>Blazetv</category><category>Christian podcast</category><category>Christianity</category><category>Conservative</category><category>Crtv</category><category>Everylife diapers</category><category>God</category><category>Jesus</category><category>Jesus christ</category><category>Motherhood</category><category>News</category><category>Politics</category><category>Relatable podcast</category><category>Relatable with allie beth stuckey</category><category>Relatable with allie stuckey</category><category>Soul surfer</category><category>Surfer</category><category>Surfing</category><category>Theology</category><category>Title 9</category><category>Title ix</category><category>Title ix changes</category><category>Trans athletes</category><category>Transgender</category><category>Video</category><category>Youtube.com</category><dc:creator>BlazeTV Staff</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=52131203&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Biden’s bend to trans activism leaves women’s sports in turmoil</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/bidens-bend-to-trans-activism-leaves-womens-sports-in-turmoil</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/bidens-bend-to-trans-activism-leaves-womens-sports-in-turmoil.jpg?id=52114108&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/> 
Over the past year, I’ve had numerous conversations with people, including family members, who believe the whole transgender issue is a big old nothing-burger. They say it’s just another political football used to score points with the right to drum up rage and, ultimately, votes.

I wish that were true. In its never-ending genuflection to extreme activists, the Biden administration continues to undo years of women’s rights efforts with the single stroke of a pen. Late last week, Biden, in coordination with Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, revised Title IX rules to “extend legal protections to LGBTQ students” and “roll back several policies under the Trump administration,” according to most mainstream media reports.

It’s a shame that sports, like almost everything else, has become so political.

What most of these stories fail to describe is how doing so undermines everything that Title IX was written to do — namely, protect women. Biden’s cohort has sacrificed women at the altar of some fringe activist movement.

The new regulations, which take effect August 1, extend the law’s reach to prohibit discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity, rather than sex alone. That means boys and men who “identify” as women, despite having all their male sexual organs intact, may enter women-only spaces like locker rooms in educational institutions from elementary school through college.

The rules also widen the prosecutorial scope of allegations of “misgendering.” If your kid refers to a transgender kid by biological sex and not preferred gender, your kid will be accused of misconduct, not the boy in the girls' locker room. Because let’s face it, the reverse is rarely an issue. No real girl wants to enter a boys' restroom.

Betsy DeVos said the inclusion of transgender students in the law gutted decades of protections and opportunities for women — protections that she advocated so strongly during her tenure as President Trump’s education secretary. Biden’s rules also reverse the sexual misconduct guidelines DeVos put in place in 2020 that helped prevent many young men from being unjustly accused of sexual assault, charges that could effectively ruin their lives.

Schools that fail to uphold the new regulations risk losing educational funding. Either comply with preferred pronouns or no school lunches!

Part of the reason so many seem to be burying their heads in the sand is that media outlets, and sports media especially, refuse to report on the outrageous offenses that seem to be increasing at an alarming rate.

Everyone knows about Will (aka Lia) Thomas’ stunt in NCAA women’s swimming only because Riley Gaines had the courage to stand up and talk about it. Otherwise, people — particularly administrators and coaches at the University of Pennsylvania where Thomas was a student — were all too happy to let a man steal medals from his female competitors.

Most sports outlets, like ESPN, are <a href="https://x.com/KarluskaP/status/1775498974465581456" target="_blank">too busy pushing politics</a> to report on the Massachusetts high school girls' basketball team that was forced to forfeit a game after a transgender player on the opposing team injured three players. Or the volleyball player <a href="https://www.outkick.com/sports/girls-hs-volleyball-player-suffers-concussion-misses-remainder-of-season-after-trans-identifying-biological-male-injures-her" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">who suffered a traumatic brain injury</a> from a man who aimed his spike at her. The video showing the incident has been removed from YouTube, but you can still watch it on <a href="https://x.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1648892612709953537" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Riley Gaines’ post on X</a>.

The New York Times only wants to portray trans athletes as inspirational, rather than what they really are — cheaters. In 2021, the Times celebrated CeCe Telfer in a glowing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/sports/olympics/cece-telfer-olympic-trials.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">feature</a> titled “For My People” outlining the runner’s dream to compete in the Olympics after snatching the NCAA title in the 400 meter hurdles in 2019. Between 2016 and 2018, Telfer competed on the men’s team at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire and didn’t even rank in the top 200 as a male.

That didn’t stop the Times from making Telfer the victim. “It’s important for me to do it for my people — whether it be women, Black people, transgender people, LGBTQ people — anybody who is scrutinized and oppressed,” said Telfer.

There it is — the magic word that gets you where your talent won’t. Oppressed.

It's a shame that sports, like almost everything else, has become so political. It used to be the one thing that united people. But the left’s insistence on upholding lies — such as a woman can become a man — has given rise to parallel economies and institutions. In sports, OutKick is one of the only outlets that highlighted the <a href="https://www.outkick.com/sports/west-virginia-girls-protest-transgender-biological-male-track-field" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brave teens from West Virginia’s Lincoln High School</a> who protested the inclusion of a transgender athlete in a meet last week by refusing to throw shot put.

While ESPN honored Will Thomas during International Women’s Month, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2938302/riley-gaines-draws-womens-history-honors-on-same-day-one-year-later-as-lia-thomas-in-rebut-to-espn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OutKick rightly upheld Riley Gaines</a> as the role model young girls should look up to. OutKick's reporter, Dan Zaksheske, was the one who <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2024/04/12/meet-the-outspoken-women-leading-the-fight-against-men-in-womens-spaces/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">asked Dawn Staley</a> whether transgender women should be allowed to compete in women’s sports. As a result, OutKick was denied credentials to the WNBA draft, according to the publication’s founder, Clay Travis.

It’s a shame we all can’t agree on obvious truths. But until a new administration comes along to uphold the truth, the lies will persist, and so will the need for those who speak out against them.
]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:15:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/bidens-bend-to-trans-activism-leaves-womens-sports-in-turmoil</guid><category>Opinion</category><category>Politics</category><dc:creator>Jennifer Galardi</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/bidens-bend-to-trans-activism-leaves-womens-sports-in-turmoil.jpg?id=52114108&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Will conservatives sleep through yet another primary cycle?</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/will-conservatives-sleep-through-yet-another-primary-cycle</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/will-conservatives-sleep-through-yet-another-primary-cycle.jpg?id=52112303&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> We are rapidly approaching the most important primaries of our lifetime. Sure, the presidential primary — the one we all slept through — might be behind us, but most states still have not held their primaries for down-the-ballot state and federal offices. Will the unprecedented betrayals of the past few months finally catalyze change among Republican voters and activists? Or will we continue to reflexively nominate every incumbent and the most well-known politician with an “R” next to his name, ensuring we perpetuate dystopian uni-party governance?The reality is, despite the shocking betrayals, not a single House or Senate Republican has gone down in a primary this year. If we don’t step up our game, the bad guys will pitch a shutout.Thanks to state freedom caucuses, we now have an established brand challenging the uni-party across the country.Nine of the 50 states have held primaries so far, including Texas. Dozens of Republicans who have voted for Ukraine funding and omnibus bills have sailed to renomination before our eyes. Even the few who voted properly will likely revert to their natural disposition once they’ve secured the nomination. Several of the worst senators, such as Mississippi’s Roger Wicker, won Donald Trump’s endorsement even while he was opposing us on every major issue.What we are doing is not working.<h2>Sorry, but Trump backs RINOs</h2>We have slept through the primaries ever since the Tea Party era, intoxicated by the personality of one man as if that one man alone would fix everything wrong with the party. Sadly, Trump has come full circle. Over the course of the four election cycles that he’s dominated the party, he has endorsed nearly every lukewarm Republican incumbent. He only opposes RINOs when they slight him personally. The newer crop of Republicans has gotten smarter and learned to ingratiate themselves to the man at the top even as they repudiate the values of his base.This has created a dynamic where the Chamber of Commerce Republicans we were beginning to defeat during the Tea Party era are more secure now than ever before. Very few conservative rising stars in state legislatures will challenge incumbent members of the House or Senate when they know Trump will likely pull the rug out from under them. This is why we have not drained the GOP swamp since Trump took the party by storm in 2016.A whopping 24 of the 31 GOP senators who voted for the Ukraine grift have been endorsed by Trump — not just during the general election but in the primary — at some point over the past six years. Two of them — Wicker and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota — are up for reelection this year but had Trump’s endorsement early on, despite their globalist voting records on nearly every important issue.It doesn’t have to be this way.We learned from the Texas legislative primaries that when Trump and the party leadership unite behind principle, we reap immediate dividends. More than a dozen incumbents were either defeated or drawn into runoffs, including state House Speaker Dade Phelan. Imagine if Trump would endorse against incumbents in other states?<h2>Building a bench in the states</h2>Thanks to state freedom caucuses, we now have an established brand challenging the uni-party across the country. These are the most important elections of our lifetime because they will decide whether we have authentic red state alternatives in which to seek shelter when the federal system becomes even more insufferable than today, especially if Biden wins re-election.In Wyoming, for example, 13 RINOs face challenges in the House and several others in the Senate. In Idaho, another state with a liberal Republican governor, the freedom caucus has challengers against 19 sitting House members and seven senators who are allies of Gov. Brad Little.If the freedom caucuses succeed in these states, they will gain a majority in some chambers and will be the last thing standing between us and complete dystopia. In that sense, red state primaries are our insurance policy against federal malevolence.The importance of the freedom caucus legislative elections will also resonate for years as we build a bench of candidates to run for higher office.It’s already happening. In Missouri, state Sen. Bill Eigel is running for governor and Denny Hoskins is running for secretary of state. They were both kicked off their committees by leadership for forcing votes on bills that the uni-party hates. State Rep. Bob Onder, a member of the Missouri House Freedom Caucus, is running against incumbent Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer in the Show Me State’s 3rd Congressional District.The South Carolina Freedom Caucus has landed challengers to 33 incumbents in the June 11 primaries and is defending many of its existing stars. State Rep. Adam Morgan is challenging William Timmons in the Spartanburg-based 4th Congressional District. Trump has endorsed Timmons, but Morgan might be our only chance to knock off an incumbent this year. Stewart Jones, another freedom caucus warrior, is running in the other upstate district, an open seat.In 2026, the South Carolina Freedom Caucus will likely have the clout to field a candidate for governor next cycle. But that would necessitate the right to pressure Trump away from endorsing Tim Scott, who might seek the governorship. He also needs to be dissuaded from endorsing Lindsey Graham for re-election.This is just a small sampling of what is at stake in the upcoming congressional primaries. There are several open red seats as well as perfidious incumbents standing for renomination. Our future success every day between the election hinges upon these primaries that we all too often snooze through the process.We should make it clear early on that we will not support any candidate who does not commit to joining a freedom caucus so that we finally break this cycle of apathetically choosing the first big-name Republican that pops out on the ballot. Of course, 90% of the biggest names are the biggest troublemakers bought out by the industries.Much of what happens in the presidential election is out of our hands. But it is emphatically within our power to influence the remaining red state primaries. If we continue to renominate these clowns, it won’t be the result of some phantom voter fraud in red states (unlike the blue states). If we are stuck with the same crop of uni-party Republicans this time next year, it will all be the result of our intractable laziness.]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/will-conservatives-sleep-through-yet-another-primary-cycle</guid><category>Opinion</category><dc:creator>Daniel Horowitz</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/will-conservatives-sleep-through-yet-another-primary-cycle.jpg?id=52112303&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Blaze News investigates: Small border town battles port closure amid rising immigration</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-news-investigates-small-border-town-battles-port-closure-amid-rising-immigration</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/blaze-news-investigates-small-border-town-battles-port-closure-amid-rising-immigration.jpg?id=52112191&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C12%2C0%2C95"/> United States Customs and Border Protection <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/statement-cbp-operations-lukeville-az" target="_blank">announced</a> on December 1, 2023, that the Lukeville Port of Entry in Arizona would be "temporarily" closed down "until further notice." Nearby local communities and small businesses were stunned by the abrupt news and were left with no indication of when the port's operations would resume.Less than 30 miles up the road from the Lukeville Port of Entry lies the town of Why, an unincorporated rural community with approximately 100 residents, a number that fluctuates depending on the time of year with snowbirds heading elsewhere during the hot summer months. Travelers on their way to Mexico from the Phoenix metropolitan area, Tucson, and California converge at Why, the final stop before reaching the Lukeville port. The border crossing offers the most direct route for those headed to Puerto Peñasco, also called Rocky Point.Why has one Mexican food restaurant and a convenience store, the Why Not Travel Store, a favorite pitstop for many tourists.Blaze News spoke with the store's general manager, Bernadette Nez, about the port of entry closure, how it impacted her business, and the unknowns regarding its reopening. "Everything was very slow," Nez stated. "We didn't get any travelers heading down to Mexico. We only had a few locals, and Why is very small."Nez explained that when the port of entry closed, her business saw only about 15 people per day. She has never seen the port completely shut down during her 40 years of residing in the area."We barely even had enough to make our light bill," she told Blaze News. "It was like a ghost town."Nez said her business ultimately survived the lull thanks to the area's residents, including Border Patrol agents living in the town, who stepped up by shopping at the convenience store more frequently during the closure. She noted that Why is a tight-knit community where everyone knows their neighbors.Lukeville itself is not much of a town but serves as more of a stopping point for those heading across the border. It includes one gas station market, about a dozen or so trailer homes, and not much else. The Pima County Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement services to the area. On the other side of the border in Mexico, business owners also felt the sting of the shutdown.David Grosse, an Arizona resident with rental properties in Rocky Point, told Blaze News that approximately 90% of his renters canceled their stays upon hearing the news that the Lukeville Port of Entry was closed. Arizona residents own the majority of the 6,000 condos and 3,500 homes in Puerto Peñasco, the <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/closed-lukeville-border-crossing-has-puerto-pe%C3%B1asco-facing-catastrophic-economic-impact/ar-AA1lycGe" target="_blank">Arizona Republic</a> reported.Most tourists headed to the vacation destination drive through the Lukeville border because it is "convenient, and people feel comfortable with it," Grosse said."Every property in the area got impacted. And, for me, I was controlling around 50," he explained. "Everyone drives down to Rocky Point because it's the closest beach. And the renters going down for two or three nights basically all canceled and needed to be refunded or moved into some sort of unknown future."He noted that when the port of entry was shut down, no one had any indication of when it might reopen. "The people going back and forth are all Americans," Grosse stated, adding that the closure impacted the area's restaurants and those with rental properties. Some of Grosse's prospective renters are still hesitant to book their travel accommodations because they are not confident the port will remain open.<h2>Port closure sparks safety concerns</h2>The Lukeville border shutdown was necessary to "redirect personnel to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody," the CBP argued."In response to increased levels of migrant encounters at the Southwest Border, fueled by smugglers peddling disinformation to prey on vulnerable individuals, CBP is surging all available resources to expeditiously and safely process migrants," the agency wrote.CBP's Tucson sector, which includes the Lukeville Port of Entry, is one of the busiest areas for illegal migrant crossings. According to the agency's <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/nationwide-encounters" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reporting</a>, in the first six months of fiscal year 2024, the sector experienced a shocking 342,002 migrant encounters. The next busiest sector, Del Rio in Texas, experienced 194,288. These numbers do not include known or unknown gotaways.Pima County Sheriff Chris Naños has staunchly maintained that the issues at the border are CBP's responsibility and should not fall on the shoulders of county or state law enforcement agencies. "The border is a federal government issue. It's their problem," he told Blaze News. "If [Border Patrol] needs our assistance, we'll assist them. But I do not want my deputies doing Border Patrol work. My deputies have a job to do, and it's not working the border."A December <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/migrants-released-us-streets-record-border-crossings-shelters-overflow-rcna130781" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NBC News</a> report, which was published amid the Lukeville closure, stated that CBP was releasing illegal migrants into the interior of the country "as fast as possible to avoid overcrowding," according to three Department of Homeland Security officials who spoke to the news outlet. The sources claimed that migrants were "released directly onto the streets" in the Tucson area.Naños said that the migrant street releases are a "concern," not so much for the department but for "the city of Tucson and the Board of Supervisors of Pima County."Referring to the supervisors, he remarked, "They saw — and I agree with this — the need to deal with, in a humanitarian crisis, people who were going to be released out onto the street. Basically, 'We don't know what to do with these people.' They have crossed the border lawfully through the asylum process, and Border Patrol was going with what they're challenged with and that was: Under the federal government guidelines, if they meet the asylum protocols, they're to be released into the United States until their court date time.""Whether that court date's tomorrow or 10 years from tomorrow, is another issue. But that's not for the sheriff to deal with. Even Border Patrol will tell you, they have no control over those federal courts. They just schedule the court date that they're given," he added.Blaze News asked Nez whether she had seen any migrants wandering the streets near Why or Ajo, the neighboring community. "No, surprisingly we haven't," she replied. "We have just seen a lot of Border Patrol."Naños told Blaze News that Ajo's crime levels are low, with the town averaging 1.4 to 1.8 emergency calls to the department per day. He stated that CBP alerted the county with "a week or two's notice" that the Lukeville Port of Entry would be shut down — more warning time than locals were provided.Arizona state Sen. David Gowan (R), whose district includes the Douglas Port of Entry, painted a different picture regarding immigration's impact on rural Arizona communities. He told Blaze News that law enforcement officers have "reached their break point," noting that the state's ranchers and farmers are also battling increased criminal activity that threatens their lives and livelihoods."Our local sheriffs and their deputies are overwhelmed with crimes being carried out in our communities as a direct result of this open border crisis. Instead of focusing on responding to calls for service from our citizens, they're juggling the influx of drug trafficking, human smuggling, high speed chases, rapes, murders, and other atrocities from criminals either coming across our border from Mexico, or U.S. citizens who are trying to make money by participating in these crimes," Gowan commented.One story that received media attention amid the Lukeville Port of Entry shutdown involved an American citizen who was forced to take an alternate route on his way back from Rocky Point. Craig Ricketts, an Arizona resident, was driving outside of Sasabe, Mexico, when he got caught in the crossfire of two rival smuggling gangs, <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2024/01/02/tempe-man-shot-while-trying-cross-mexico-into-arizona-near-sasabe-checkpoint/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">KTVK</a> reported. Ricketts' vehicle was shot at least 16 times, and he sustained two gunshot wounds to his ankle and arm. "The first thing I noticed was my left window was shattered. I saw a bullet hole through my front window, and my radio was blown out with a bullet," Ricketts told the news outlet shortly after the attack.He said he planned to travel through Nogales, but his GPS led him just outside Oquitoa, Sonora, roughly an hour and a half from Sasabe. The Attorney General's Office in Sonora told the media outlet that it was the second violent incident in the last month involving an American victim.According to <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2023/12/05/violent-drug-wars-forcing-residents-mexican-border-town-flee-into-arizona/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">KTVK</a>, two rival smuggling gangs began fighting near Sasabe in November. Due to the conflict, many of the town's residents fled to the U.S. after being granted humanitarian waivers. The ongoing violent rivalry has also rocked communities south of Sasabe, including Altar, Caborca, and Benjamin Hill, the media outlet reported.Lora Ries, the director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation and former acting deputy chief of staff for the DHS, told Blaze News, "The Lukeville Port of Entry was shut down because border agents were overrun due to the Biden administration's open border policies. If communities want a functioning border, they should direct their ire at the Biden administration and demand that it stop the illegal flow of people.""Those who benefit from legal travel and immigration and demand more of it need to be vocal about advocating against illegal immigration. Solve the whole problem, not just their special need by exception," Ries added.<h2>The port reopens, but issues remain</h2>The Lukeville Port of Entry remained closed for a month before CBP <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/statement-cbp-resumption-field-operations-arizona-california-and" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced</a> it would resume field operations on January 4, 2024, just days after Ricketts was injured.Nez told Blaze News that she is thankful the closure did not last longer and is happy to see her customers again. "We're just hoping that another shutdown of the border doesn't happen, ever," she remarked. "It really caused a lot of trouble within our personal lives and our work lives."When asked whether he is concerned the port could be shut down again, Grosse told Blaze News, "I don't know exactly what any government is going to do. Somebody's allocating these people — the migrants, or forces, or whatever it is — and they're designating where they're supposed to cross the border."Grosse, who has managed rental properties in Rocky Point since 2010, explained that, during his recent travels between Arizona and Mexico, he has observed many migrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border who "look like foreign troops," noting that nearly all are adult males around military age. He noted that he began noticing this right after the October 7 attack on Israel."I've been traveling back and forth for years," he stated, noting that the experience has previously always been "incredibly normal.""The reaction to: I'm seeing what looks like an army of troops coming across — everyone says it's not that; it's something else," he told Blaze News. "And I'm supposed to ignore what I saw with my eyes. And I do have concern," Grosse added.Jeff Rainforth, a reporter and videographer, recently spent <a href="https://jeffrainforth.com/my-border-lukeville-video-gallery-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seven weeks in Lukeville</a> filming his experiences at the southern border. In October, Rainforth captured video of large groups of illegal migrants he stated were mainly from Middle Eastern and African countries. His observations aligned with what Grosse described to Blaze News. "It was surreal," Rainforth wrote, regarding his accounts in Lukeville. "Like out of an apocalyptic movie."<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1731893708923011278">
<div style="margin:1em 0">Been camping on the border in Lukeville, Arizona for 6 weeks and finally got the elusive footage of illegal aliens pouring through a cut open border wall. A Fox team found the cut, and Ali Bradley was there. My supply donation link on cashapp https://t.co/l3SbuRVb4l</div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/liberty_clarion/status/1731893708923011278"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>In a January post on X, he wrote, "From my time on the border near Lukeville, Arizona. The port of entry closed because so many illegal aliens were there. Mostly male illegal aliens from the African countries of Senegal and Guinea which are majority Islamic. Tensions were very high because people tried to cut in line to get on transport vehicles first. I see that all the time. There were so many illegal aliens, many had to sleep here 3 days. There's not enough Border Patrol and the Biden administration refused to call in the national guard to help."<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1748167477748740366">
<div style="margin:1em 0">From my time on the border near Lukeville, Arizona. The port of entry closed because so many illegal aliens were there. Mostly male illegal aliens from the African countries of Senegal and Guinea which are majority Islamic. Tensions were very high because people tried to cut in\u2026</div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/liberty_clarion/status/1748167477748740366"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><h2>Anything else?</h2>Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2024/03/15/arizona-cities-bracing-release-migrants-onto-streets/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a> last month that the state is "at a crucial juncture" regarding the number of migrants crossing the southern border."I hope that we don't see street releases. We're going to do everything we can to avoid that, but as you know, our budget picture isn't great, and we've expended a good amount of the funding we have for these programs," Hobbs stated.The governor requested $752 million for CBP's Shelter and Services Program to cover the costs of humanitarian aid expenses in an effort to keep migrants off the street.Pima County, which includes Lukeville, has been using federal funds since 2019 to provide temporary housing and transportation out of state for those claiming asylum. The county has the largest linear border with Mexico than any county in the country, Sheriff Naños explained. Along that border and under the county's jurisdiction sit several small towns in addition to Lukeville, including Sasabe and Arivaca. Of all the townships and communities along Pima County's border with Mexico, the sheriff's department received only 126 calls in one year, according to Naños."And, of course, you have the Indian reservation, which takes up probably about I'm guessing, 70 to 75 miles of that border," he continued. "I wouldn't say it's open, but the reservation — most people don't realize this — the reservation is its own nation. … And their border actually exceeds south of the Mexico border. So, that reservation goes beyond the Mexican line that we know of. They have quite a bit of impact with the Mexican population and that governance."Naños explained that federal funding to provide services to migrants was set to run out on April 1, igniting great concern that waves of individuals would be released onto the streets. He said that using Pima County or the city of Tucson's funds to address migrants' humanitarian needs means less money in the budget for his department and other community necessities."Fortunately, last minute, the federal government stepped in and has now taken on some responsibility. I guess at least for now until December to continue funding those asylum seekers," he told Blaze News.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>!]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/blaze-news-investigates-small-border-town-battles-port-closure-amid-rising-immigration</guid><category>T3</category><category>Immigration</category><category>Illegal immigration</category><category>Illegal migrants</category><category>Migrants</category><category>Asylum seekers</category><category>Arizona</category><category>Lukeville port of entry</category><category>Lukeville</category><category>Lukeville arizona</category><category>Why arizona</category><category>Ajo arizona</category><category>Az</category><category>United states customs and border protection</category><category>Customs and border protection</category><category>Cbp</category><category>Mexico</category><category>Border crisis</category><category>Southern border</category><category>Puerto penasco</category><category>Rocky point</category><category>Pima county</category><category>Pima county sheriff's department</category><category>Pcsd</category><category>Chris nanos</category><category>Migrant street releases</category><category>Tucson</category><category>Sasabe</category><category>David gowan</category><category>Craig ricketts</category><category>Oquitoa</category><category>Sonora</category><category>Nogales</category><category>Cartels</category><category>Mexican cartels</category><category>Cartel violence</category><category>Department of homeland security</category><category>Dhs</category><category>Biden administration</category><category>Katie hobbs</category><category>News</category><dc:creator>Candace Hathaway</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/blaze-news-investigates-small-border-town-battles-port-closure-amid-rising-immigration.jpg?id=52112191&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Regulating AI won't protect Americans; it's about Big Tech having a monopoly</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/return/regulating-ai-won-t-protect-americans-it-s-about-big-tech-having-a-monopoly</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/regulating-ai-won-t-protect-americans-it-s-about-big-tech-having-a-monopoly.jpg?id=52108405&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C346%2C0%2C50"/> The more I read and write about AI, the firmer I get in my conviction that Big Tech incumbents absolutely must strangle the decentralized AI in its cradle before it wrecks everything.Take a look at <a href="https://stratechery.com/2023/new-bing-and-an-interview-with-kevin-scott-and-sam-altman-about-the-microsoft-openai-partnership/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this interview</a> Ben Thompson did with OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott. I call your attention to this part in particular:<blockquote>From Microsoft’s perspective, is this going to be a funnel into new products or do you see it as an end goal in and of itself, winning search? KS: So I think you hit on a very important point which is even if the ad economics of this system doesn’t have the same economics that “normal search” has, if we gain share, it’s just great for Microsoft. I think we have a lot of ability here, partially because we’ve done so much performance optimization work and we’re really confident around costs, that we can figure out what the business model is. The thing that I know having been a pre-IPO employee at Google is the search business that you have now is very different from the search business that we had twenty years ago, and so I really think we’re going to figure out what the ad units are, we will figure out what the business model is, and we have plenty of ability to do all of that profitably at Microsoft. SA: There’s so much value here, it’s inconceivable to me that we can’t figure out how to ring the cash register on it. [Emphasis added]</blockquote>I recently said the same thing to an interviewer who asked me about search and Google. The point I made was that Google was here before with search the first time — there was no business model for it until it hit on one (by acquisition, no less). Don’t assume, I argued, that it won’t hit on another profitable model for whatever kind of user experience BingGPT and Bard evolve into.But I also made another point to the interviewer that’s not at all captured in the above but that’s critically important for everyone thinking about tech policy in the current moment: to make any business model work for them, they will first have to kill decentralized AI.<h4>Centralized vs. decentralized</h4>There’s a set of assumptions implicit in Scott and Altman’s vision of how they might eventually “ring the cash register” on AI-backed chat as the new query interface for most information:<ul><li>Users go to their centralized servers and type text into a box that they host.</li><li>Advertisers go to those same servers to get in front of all the users.</li><li>Somehow, the advertisers and the users can be connected to one another, with Microsoft acting as a middleman.</li><li>Or, maybe the users pay Microsoft directly for the queries via a subscription or micropayment scheme.</li></ul>In other words, Microsoft’s ability to squeeze profits out of the experience of interacting with an LLM presumes that billions of users will continue to flock to a handful of centralized services to get their queries answered. This is a vision, then, predicated on a world of centralized AI.But what if we end up in a world of decentralized AI instead? What if I can download an app that will answer current questions from all of Wikipedia and Reddit, in some cases going out to both of those sites and pulling in fresh data?What if some of the data sources are my favorite news websites and forums, all of which have signed up to provide data to the app and which get a cut of whatever revenue it generates?Or, what if multiple such apps are powered by open-source language models and kept fresh by access to current data sources via an API? I could certainly see the New York Times publishing such an app all by itself, with the ability to answer any question from its vast archives of past issues.<h4>Decentralized AI is a real threat</h4>To give some technical context for why the vision of app-based, decentralized AI I’ve described above is quite possible, consider that the size of the models needed to do this might be on the order of a few gigabytes each. For instance, the Stable Diffusion model file that powers its image generation is from 2.5 to 4.5 GB, depending on the version, and it was trained on 240TB of image data. That’s an astonishing level of compression.So, it may be possible that the average size of the models that we need to answer, say, 75% of our random questions about the world is roughly 3GB or so — about the size of a large mobile game download. If I can download models that can reliably answer questions about their training data, why do I need to visit a Microsoft- or Google-hosted website and type queries into their text boxes? If I want recipes from my favorite recipe site, maybe I visit their site instead and talk to their model. If I want the current NYT or WaPo consensus on Ukraine, why won’t I just go to those sites and chat with their bots? Why does a Microsoft or a Google need to be involved in any of this?The answer, of course, is that they don’t need to be involved. Decentralized AI can and will cut them out entirely, assuming it’s allowed to.But that’s a big assumption because the future of decentralized AI is by no means guaranteed.But before we go into who’s trying to kill decentralized AI and why, some caveats:<ol><li>Using the models to answer questions requires quite a bit of computing power. But these inference costs can and will be reduced with innovation, as this is an active area of research. Also, have you seen mobile phones, lately? There’s no shortage of computing power, and phone makers are always looking for ways to use it. After a few product cycles of optimizing the hardware for running queries, it’s not hard to imagine very fast local performance on many kinds of models.</li><li>Yes, the models still make up facts. This hallucination is a big problem, but it’s also one that everyone is working on. The models will get better at faithfully representing the facts in their data sources.</li></ol><h4>We’ll have to fight for a decentralized future</h4>I’ve written at length on my Substack about the <a href="https://www.jonstokes.com/p/the-story-so-far-ai-makes-for-strange" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">forces arrayed against decentralized AI</a>, so I won’t repeat that here. But to summarize: The aforementioned model files representing the “brains” of an AI like Stable Diffusion or ChatGPT could very easily be treated like digital contraband and wiped from the internet.Everyone from Googlers to Google-hating former Googlers to indie artists to profiteering lawyers are hard at work constructing rationales for why these model files should be subject to the same censorship as child porn, 3D-printed gun files, pirated movies, SPAM, and malware. Here are some of the rationales currently being explored for banning decentralized AI:<ul><li>All the model files are full of copyright violations because they were trained on copyrighted data.</li><li>Generative text models can cause harm to the marginalized because “hate speech” can be coaxed out of them.</li><li>Generative text models will catastrophically increase the threat of “disinformation.” </li><li>Generative image models will be used for non-consensual fake porn of real people, many of them children.</li></ul>We wouldn’t even have to pass any new laws to have these model files banned. All it would take was an agreement among a handful of large players that these files and any apps or sites based on them pose a threat. I imagine the following platforms can and probably will come together to effect what amounts to an effective ban on decentralized AI:<ul><li>Google Play</li><li>Apple’s App Stores</li><li>Amazon Web Services</li><li>Cloudflare</li></ul>This means a world where everyone gets to host their own models backed by their own data sources, and facts are by no means guaranteed. Going by <a href="https://www.jonstokes.com/p/politics-broke-the-internet-and-it" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the lessons of history</a>, I’d say it’s probably unlikely.It seems increasingly likely to me that the forces of centralization will succeed in getting unauthorized model files treated like contraband, and in five years, we’ll still be running all of our queries on servers hosted by one of the Big Tech platforms.I hope I’m wrong about this, but I do know that if we’re going to have decentralized AI, then we’re going to have to fight for it.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 12:45:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/return/regulating-ai-won-t-protect-americans-it-s-about-big-tech-having-a-monopoly</guid><category>Ai</category><category>Ai regulations</category><category>Artificial general intelligence</category><category>Google</category><category>Microsoft</category><category>Big tech censorship</category><category>Big tech</category><category>Artificial intelligence</category><category>Return</category><dc:creator>Jon Stokes</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/regulating-ai-won-t-protect-americans-it-s-about-big-tech-having-a-monopoly.jpg?id=52108405&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Overreaching prosecution tactics face high court scrutiny in Jan. 6 cases</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/analysis/overreaching-prosecution-tactics-face-high-court-scrutiny-in-jan-6-cases</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/overreaching-prosecution-tactics-face-high-court-scrutiny-in-jan-6-cases.jpg?id=52107425&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=68%2C0%2C68%2C0"/> 
Because I’ve followed the progress of so many of the January 6 defendants’ trials, I was fully aware of the implications — and the government’s misapplication — of the much-discussed Section 1512(c)(2) felony that has been applied to more than 350 cases. But it wasn’t until I heard the nine members of the U.S. Supreme Court grill Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar that I became genuinely frightened by the overreach of the Justice Department’s never-before-used application of this law.

Sitting in the press gallery during last week’s oral arguments in
Fischer v. United States, I wrote in my notebook, “The questioning by the Justices of the solicitor general made me realize how dangerous 1512 could be.”
<h2>The background</h2>
18 U.S. Code
<a href="https://casetext.com/statute/united-states-code/title-18-crimes-and-criminal-procedure/part-i-crimes/chapter-73-obstruction-of-justice/section-1512-tampering-with-a-witness-victim-or-an-informant" target="_blank">Section 1512</a>, titled “Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant,” was enacted by Congress in 1982 to protect witnesses and victims in criminal cases from harassment and intimidation. Subsection 1512(c) was added in 2002 in response to the Enron scandal as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to punish corporate executives and their accounting firms for the willful destruction of documents and other evidence with the intent of obstructing investigations into alleged financial crimes.

1512(c)(1) reads: “Whoever corruptly alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or other object, or attempts to do so, with the intent to impair the object's integrity or availability for use in an official proceeding.”

The first part of this subsection could hardly be applied to anyone charged with entering restricted spaces at or inside the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. It also certainly has no bearing on even those who engaged in violence against law enforcement officers or property destruction that afternoon.

The controversy began with the government’s interpretation and application of 1512(c)(2), which reads: “[Whoever corruptly — or] otherwise obstructs, influences, or impedes any official proceeding, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.”

The
mostly peaceful, nonviolent protesters on January 6 are being charged for the “intent” behind their entrance into the Capitol Building.

Before its application in January 6-related charges, 1512(c)(2) had never been utilized by federal prosecutors in any crimes unrelated to evidence tampering. The questions, debates, and controversies begin with the question why federal prosecutors are applying this felony charge — clearly enacted to punish destruction of evidence — to more than 350 January 6 defendants when it had never been used against any protesters who had temporarily impeded or interrupted any federal proceeding.

Why?

The first reason seems to be the Justice Department’s response to outcries from the left that the charges and subsequent punishments by the court against nonviolent January 6 protesters weren’t severe enough. Leftist politicians, media, and grassroots social media users have accused protesters of being “terrorists” and “insurrectionists.” No January 6 defendants have been charged with terrorism or insurrection.
Prosecutors have also used 1512(c)(2) as a cudgel to frighten January 6 defendants into quick plea deals on lesser misdemeanor charges. The threat of a felony with a maximum 20-year prison sentence can be very persuasive. The Justice Department gets its guilty plea to those lesser charges, and prosecutors move on to the next victim without the costly and time-consuming preparations for trials.

Even for those initially charged with only misdemeanors, the threat of a superseding 1512(c)(2) felony indictment — assuming the defendant refuses to take a deal — also looms large.

Then, there is the seemingly random and selective application of 1512(c)(2) against some January 6 defendants and not others. Some who were more aggressive or boisterous that day were not charged with obstruction. Others who were more passive in their activities were so accused.
<h2>Enter Fischer v. United States</h2>
Joseph W. Fischer of Jonestown, Pennsylvania, was a police officer with the North Cornwall Township Police Department.
<a href="https://www.justice.gov/d9/fischer_-_indictment_0.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fischer was charged</a> in February 2021 with seven crimes for his actions on January 6: civil disorder; assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building; and the 1512(c)(2) obstruction of an official proceeding.

In March 2022, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols dismissed the obstruction charge against Fischer, ruling that prosecutors had improperly applied the evidence-tampering law in his case. But in April 2023, the D.C. Circuit Court reversed Nichols in a 2-1 ruling, finding the statute covered “all forms of corrupt obstruction of an official proceeding,” including Fischer’s actions on January 6. Fischer appealed this ruling to the Supreme Court, and in December the justices
<a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2024/04/jan-6-defendant-asks-supreme-court-to-throw-out-obstruction-charge/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">agreed to hear his case</a>.
<h2>Alito, Gorsuch, and other justices come out swinging</h2>
During last week’s
<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2023/23-5572_0pm1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">oral argument</a> on behalf of Fischer by attorney Jeffrey T. Green, Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor seemed to support the government’s application of 1512(c)(2) to the January 6 defendants by using baseball terminology.

Kagan observed that Congress intended 1512(c)(2) “to function as a backstop” to “fill the particular gap that they found out about in Enron.” Sotomayor added, “[Congress] wanted to cover every base, and they didn’t do it in a logical way, but they managed to cover every base.”

After Green finished his argument, the solicitor general began her defense of the government’s use of 1512(c)(2). But the more conservative justices were having none of it, and the most significant pushback against the government’s arguments began.

“Would a sit-in that disrupts a trial or access to a federal courthouse qualify?” Justice Neil Gorsuch asked Prelogar. “Would a heckler in today's audience qualify, or at the State of the Union address?”

Referring to last year’s incident in the Cannon House Office Building, when U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.)
<a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/jamaal-bowman-fire-alarm-obstruction-government-shutdown" target="_self">pulled a fire alarm</a> to delay a congressional vote, Gorsuch asked, “Would pulling a fire alarm before a vote qualify for 20 years in federal prison?”

Gorsuch’s question drew sideways glances and raised eyebrows in the press gallery.

Prelogar argued that such an act wouldn’t fall within the “actus reus” or “guilty act” guidelines. Gorsuch pushed back. “The pulling of the fire alarm, the vote has to be rescheduled, or the protest outside of a courthouse makes it inaccessible for a period of time,” he said. “Are those all federal felonies subject to 20 years in prison?”

Prelogar tried to argue that the government would need to prove the “corrupt intent” of otherwise “peaceful protesters” for the felony charge to apply.
Thought crime. But who gets to make that determination?
Gorsuch shot back: “So a mostly peaceful protest … that actually obstructs and impedes an official proceeding for an indefinite period would not be covered?”

“Not necessarily,” Prelogar replied. “We would have to have the evidence of intent, and that’s a high bar, we argue.”

There it is. The
mostly peaceful, nonviolent protesters on January 6 are being charged for the “intent” behind their entrance into the Capitol Building. Anyone who jokingly posted on social media, “Hey! We stormed the Capitol today!” could be nailed for “intent.” But what about those who firebombed the federal courthouse in Portland? Apparently not.

Justice Samuel Alito piled on. “Let’s say that today, while you’re arguing or Mr. Green is arguing, five people get up, one after the other, and they shout either ‘Keep the January 6th insurrectionists in jail’ or ‘Free the January 6th patriots.’ And as a result of this, our police officers have to remove them forcibly from the courtroom … and it delays the proceeding for five minutes … so would that be a violation of 1512(c)(2)?”

“I think it would be difficult for the government to prove that,” the solicitor general said.

I wish Alito had followed up and asked her why. How could it possibly be anything other than their “intent” to “obstruct” or “impede” this “official proceeding"?

Justice Brett Kavanaugh added another pointed question “There are six other counts in the indictment here [against Fischer] … why aren’t those six counts good enough, just from the Justice Department's perspective, given that they don’t have any of the hurdles?”

Prelogar attempted to explain that Fischer’s “intent” was indeed to stop the function of government on January 6. Citing Fischer’s own words, “He said [before going to D.C.] they can't vote if they can't breathe.” But Kavanaugh seemed perplexed, asking, “The sentence available is longer for this count than for any of the other counts or all of them together?”

In other words, how is a possible 20-year prison sentence for the thought crime of “intent” worthy of a significantly longer sentence than committing violence against a police officer?

But we’ve already seen the government successfully use the
thought crime argument against the likes of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. Unable to present any evidence to the jury of Rhodes having given either a verbal or written order for his nonviolent group to stop the election certification, storm the Capitol, attack Congress members, or overthrow the government, the Justice Department convinced the jury that Rhodes and other Oath Keepers engaged in an “implied” seditious conspiracy.

Implied. A telepathic thought crime that earned Rhodes — who committed no violence and never entered the Capitol Building — an 18-year prison sentence.

Jeffrey Green during his rebuttal laid out the danger of applying Section 1512(c)(2) to January 6 protesters.

“I would point the Court to 1752 [of the U.S. Code], which is civil disobedience in a restricted space, which is what Mr. Fischer is charged with,” Green told the justices. “That’s a misdemeanor. If you cause substantial bodily injury, that is a 10-year maximum penalty. The government wants to unleash a 20-year maximum penalty on potential peaceful protests.”

“That in and of itself is a bad idea because it’s going to chill protected activities,” Green said, emphasizing that the law has never been used in such a way. “People are going to worry about the kinds of protests they engage in, even if they’re peaceful, because the government has this weapon.”

A new precedent of a never-before-used weapon is now aimed selectively by
this government against those who think and speak of disapproved ideas, regardless of their actions or inaction. Call it a weapon of mass First Amendment destruction.

Let’s pray the Supreme Court terminates the government’s weaponization of 1512(c)(2) with extreme prejudice.
]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 12:15:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/analysis/overreaching-prosecution-tactics-face-high-court-scrutiny-in-jan-6-cases</guid><category>Analysis</category><category>Politics</category><category>Courts</category><category>Crime</category><category>January 6</category><category>January 6th</category><category>Obstruction of justice</category><category>Section 1512(c)(2)</category><category>Fischer v. united states</category><category>First amendment</category><category>Free speech</category><category>Government overreach</category><category>Supreme court</category><category>Steve baker</category><category>Truth about jan 6</category><dc:creator>Steve Baker</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/overreaching-prosecution-tactics-face-high-court-scrutiny-in-jan-6-cases.jpg?id=52107425&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>The dangerous public-private partnerships behind America’s elections</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-dangerous-public-private-partnerships-behind-americas-elections</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/the-dangerous-public-private-partnerships-behind-americas-elections.jpg?id=52107566&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/> Why have so many Americans lost faith in our election system? Have you lost faith? I would like to discuss how we can fix the loss of trust in our electoral system, but to do so, we must first address the root of the problem.I do not want to discuss the results of 2020 here. But we do need to look at the system that was unleashed during the pandemic: expanded absentee voting, mass mail-in voting, ballot harvesting, chain-of-custody of those ballots, ballot curing. All of these practices cause questions and sow doubt. Where are all the ballots coming from? Where are they going? Who’s directing it all? And who’s paying for it?More than half the country has banned private funding in our elections. If your state isn’t among that group, why not?The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway wrote <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2021/10/14/zuckerbucks-101-how-a-media-mogul-took-over-the-2020-election-and-why-gop-leaders-must-never-let-it-happen-again/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">one of the best accounts</a> of what was happening behind the scenes during the weirdest election of our lifetime. The left mobilized en masse to ensure Donald Trump would lose. It included billionaire Mark Zuckerberg and more than $350 million of his own money.Private dollars were given to public election offices through left-wing nonprofit organizations — but with a few conditions. It amounted to a Democratic get-out-the-vote effort, which included mass mail-in voting and ballot “curing,” whereby election workers fix mail-in ballot problems after the ballot has been submitted.And the money wasn’t thrown around willy-nilly. It was directed toward government election offices in the biggest cities in swing states, where a majority of the Democratic Party’s voters live. Those funds were used for Democrats’ voter outreach, designing and translating ballots, along with ballot harvesting, curing, and counting operations.The conflict of interest here is obvious. Partisan and private funding, going to partisan Democrat organizations, then funneled to public election offices to target Democrat voters, was being done in the most unprecedented election in modern history.This was all part of the system that emerged after 2020. I’m not arguing about the eventual election results, but this new system doesn’t breed a great deal of voter confidence.More than half the country has now <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/prohibiting-private-funding-of-elections" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">banned private funding</a> in our elections. If your state isn’t among that group, why not? Why does it need private funding? Why doesn't it care that those funds might have strings attached like in 2020?All of this was justified because of the pandemic. They don’t have that anymore. But never to fear. Three years ago, Joe Biden issued an executive order titled, “<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/03/10/2021-05087/promoting-access-to-voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Promoting Access to Voting</a>.”Its stated goal was to “promote and defend the right to vote,” and Biden directed every agency in government to participate.Federal agencies were somehow supposed to look into voter registration, expand vote-by-mail, and use approved third-party organizations to help them get it all done. We all saw what approved third-party organizations meant in 2020. It meant partisan politics with strings attached. In short, Biden refused to let us know just what this executive order was meant to do.In the weeks leading up to the midterms, Biden’s Justice Department <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doj-stonewalling-requests-details-implementation-bidens-federal-election-scheme" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stonewalled Freedom of Information Act requests</a>. Was Joe Biden picking up where Mark Zuckerberg left off? Leaders refused to tell us, but the Foundation for Government Accountability called Biden’s executive order an “unconstitutional taxpayer-funded ‘get out the vote’ effort designed to benefit the president’s political party.”So, it’s essentially “Zuck Bucks” on government-funded steroids, and new information appears to prove this. <a href="https://twitter.com/OversightPR/status/1759766360182161836" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This email</a> was revealed by the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project. It’s a collaboration between an apparent approved third-party and the Department of Agriculture. The subject line states that this collaboration is regarding Biden’s secret squirrel voting rights executive order. This line jumps out:<blockquote>Y'all had asked for some data on voter registration through NVRA [National Voter Registration Act] at the state level, which I’ve pasted below. So the Department of Agriculture — of all agencies — had enlisted the support of this approved third-party to get their info at state level on voter registration data.</blockquote>Who is this third party helping the government? It’s a nonprofit called Dēmos. Here is part of its <a href="https://www.demos.org/about" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mission statement</a>:<blockquote>Working to build a just, inclusive, multiracial democracy ... Dēmos has worked at the intersection of democracy reform, economic justice, and racial justice ... Dēmos has moved progressive issues from the movement to the mainstream, such as debt-free college.</blockquote>That doesn’t sound very nonpartisan, does it? In fact, <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/demos/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dēmos has</a> “close ties to the wing of the Democratic Party associated with U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and the left-wing progressive movement, advocating a far-left agenda.” And now it's working directly with the U.S. government on our elections.I’ve been exposing the big progressive financing to fundamentally transform our country for a long time. But who really needs the Tides Foundation, Mark Zuckerberg, or even George Soros anymore? The U.S. government is now taking their place, and Uncle Sam’s pockets are a bit deeper than all of them combined.In this system, the unprecedented changes to the way we vote — expanded early and absentee voting, mass mail-in ballots, ballot harvesting — will become the norm. But why are leftists so laser focused on mail-in and early voting? Because for them and their media surrogates, all they’re doing is making voting easier. Bull crap. They’ve done the studies, and they know exactly what they are doing.Want more from Glenn Beck? Get Glenn's <a href="https://links.glennbeck.com/join/51r/signup-theblaze" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FREE email newsletter</a> with his latest insights, top stories, show prep, and more delivered to your inbox.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 11:45:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-dangerous-public-private-partnerships-behind-americas-elections</guid><category>Opinion</category><category>Glenn beck</category><category>Tides foundation</category><category>George soros</category><category>Electioneering</category><category>Elections</category><category>Mark zuckerberg</category><category>Public funding of elections</category><category>Mollie hemingway</category><category>Donald trump</category><category>Stolen election</category><dc:creator>Glenn Beck</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/the-dangerous-public-private-partnerships-behind-americas-elections.jpg?id=52107566&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>A shocking number of voters are open to election fraud</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/a-shocking-number-of-voters-are-open-to-election-fraud</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/a-shocking-number-of-voters-are-open-to-election-fraud.jpg?id=52104875&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=96%2C0%2C97%2C0"/> 
A new survey by the Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports shows that more than one in four likely voters say they would break election laws in the 2024 election, “if given the opportunity.” The results raise serious questions not only about political polarization in America but also whether the country’s election laws are secure enough to stop illegal voting in the next election and beyond.

The Heartland-Rasmussen <a href="https://heartland.org/opinion/heartland-institute-poll-shows-nearly-three-in-10-voters-would-vote-illegally-in-2024-presidential-election/" target="_blank">poll</a> asked 1,467 likely voters whether they plan to vote for Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., or some other candidate. It then asked respondents a series of questions about illegal voting behaviors. Many of the questions were written specifically to gauge voters’ willingness to undermine the candidate they view as their primary opponent.

If voters are willing to cheat, lawmakers must enact policies to stop them.

For example, one question asked, “If given the opportunity, would you cast a ballot in two different states to help stop [Joe Biden / Donald Trump] from being re-elected as president?”

Another asked, “If given the opportunity, would you throw out or destroy a mail-in ballot belonging to a friend or family member, without their knowledge, to help stop [Joe Biden / Donald Trump] from being re-elected as president?”

Questions also asked voters whether they would fill out and sign the ballot of a friend or family member, give another voter incorrect information about the place or time of the election, secretly alter another voter’s mail-in ballot, or offer to “pay or reward another voter” to influence his or her decision. All these actions violate federal and state election laws.

The results of the survey are nothing short of stunning: 28% of voters said they would be willing to engage in at least one form of illegal voting. If that’s an accurate reflection of the entire voting population, it would amount to more than 44 million voters, based on 2020 <a href="https://www.fec.gov/resources/cms-content/documents/2020presgeresults.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">voter turnout data</a>.

Perhaps most surprisingly, there was very little difference between voters’ political affiliations and their willingness to cheat: 32% of Democrat respondents said they would be willing to cheat, compared to 28% of Republicans and 24% of “other” voters.

Trump voters (29%) were slightly more likely than Biden voters (27%) to say they would break election rules, clearly indicating that there is a willingness to cheat on both sides.

One demographic characteristic that stood out was the age of the respondent in the survey. More than half of voters ages 18-39 said they would be willing to break election rules, compared to just 20% of those ages 40-64 and 15% of voters ages 65 or older.

The Heartland-Rasmussen survey further illustrates how wildly polarized America has become, but it also raises key concerns about the security of U.S. elections.

Most of the questions in the survey asked about behavior related to mail-in balloting, which has become significantly more common since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.

According to a <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-1-states-with-no-excuse-absentee-voting" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> by the National Conference of State Legislatures, 28 states allow “no-excuse” mail-in balloting, which means voters don’t need to have a special reason to vote by mail, such as a physical disability.

Another eight states conduct their elections primarily by mail: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.

More importantly, every one of the most important 2024 swing states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — allows no-excuse mail-in voting or has a vote-by-mail system.

Some states say that they protect against absentee ballot fraud by requiring signature verification. But the Heartland-Rasmussen survey shows that voters are willing to cheat in ways that wouldn’t be caught by signature verification.

For example, the survey asked, “If your spouse or another trusted family member gave you permission to fill out and sign their mail-in ballot, allowing you to use their ballot to vote for anyone that you choose, would you?” Eighteen percent of respondents answered “yes.”

Under such a scenario, a person might be able to replicate the signature of a spouse well enough that it wouldn’t be caught by election officials. However, even if officials were to flag the signature as suspicious, in many cases, states ask the voter before tossing out a ballot. Unless a voter is willing to admit his or her spouse broke election laws, there would be no way for officials to know that the ballot was filled out illegally.

There are two solutions to these concerns. First, states could require that able-bodied, in-state residents vote in person, not by mail.

Second, states could require that mail-in voters have their signatures verified by a notary. Notaries are readily available, often for free, at banks and other institutions. Many government buildings have one or more notaries as well.

Currently, only <a href="https://www.usvotefoundation.org/absentee-ballot-notary-witness-requirements" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three states</a> — Mississippi, Missouri, and Oklahoma — require a notary for absentee ballots.

Free and fair elections are the bedrock of a democratic republic. If voters are willing to cheat, as the recent Heartland-Rasmussen survey shows, lawmakers must enact policies to stop them. Unfortunately, that has yet to happen.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 11:15:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/a-shocking-number-of-voters-are-open-to-election-fraud</guid><category>Opinion</category><dc:creator>Justin Haskins</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/a-shocking-number-of-voters-are-open-to-election-fraud.jpg?id=52104875&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>10 reasons not to buy an electric car</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/align/10-reasons-not-to-buy-an-electric-car</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/10-reasons-not-to-buy-an-electric-car.jpg?id=52081108&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C1"/> 
Align: Vroom editors Paul Brian and Lauren Fix may be seasoned car industry experts, but that doesn't mean they're completely immune to the electric vehicle hype. 


"As far as looks ... spectacular," says Lauren. "Technology, amazing. And all of this entices you because the car manufacturers are doing something completely different than they did before." 


But those compliments come with some pretty big misgivings. Should you hop on board the EV bandwagon? Paul and Lauren recently sat down with me to share their 10 reasons not to go electric.


-- Matt Himes


<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yPlKWXr5HT4?si=43OP47eygbiCx4qd" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
 


<h2>1. We've been down this road before</h2>

Paul: Electric cars are not new. When the 1901 Chicago Auto Show was staged, more than half of the fourteen vehicles that were shown at that show were electric vehicles. It's not a new idea at all. The problem is, is that there's this nasty little thing called practicality.


It's all smoke and mirrors. This is all about control. Don't let anyone kid you that this electric car thing isn't about limiting your range.


There are a lot of people who are saying, "I've seen all of this, I apparently should be doing it." And then they get hit with the harsh realities of what happens with an electric vehicle.

<h2>2. They're more expensive than you think</h2>

Lauren: If you're thinking about buying an electric car ... you have to look at the full costs. The first thing you're gonna do is [ask], "What's the payment? Oh, ok, I think I can afford that, especially with all these incentives."


[But these incentives] are now only for 12 cars, that's it. Because they kept changing their regulations and they're gonna make them even stricter. Right now we have 12 cars that qualify, and not all the Teslas even qualify, only the high-performance versions do.


And many of the states are out of the matching credits. ... [They] have either stopped or have no more money left in their funds to have matching credits to support this incentive.


The insurance is twice as much or close to twice as much [as] a regular gasoline-powered car.


The tires wear out quicker because these are heavier, they're low-rolling resistant and run-flat tires. They're not $100 a tire, they're $400 a tire, and they wear out about every 10,000 miles. Of course, no one talks about that ... but it's important that you look at all the true cost of owning a vehicle.


<h2>3. They depreciate faster than a Model S Plaid in Drag Strip mode</h2>

Lauren: Look at that really cool Porsche Taycan — I think it's spectacular. Unfortunately, [it's a] $200,000 car [that's] available used for $100,000. So, if you buy one of these vehicles, you're losing about half as soon as you drive off the lot.


If you are considering an electric vehicle, a lease would be your smartest move. Walk away at the end of your two- or three-year period.


Paul: Do not buy an electric vehicle. Period.


Lauren: The battery replacement will make you cry. Some of them are as much as $60,000 for a new battery. Lease it, give it back to the dealer. That's your smartest move.

<h2>4. The charging infrastructure just isn't there yet</h2>

Paul: I just took a trip up to Road America [race track] last weekend. I live in the Chicago suburbs, and I happen to have a Kia EV9. That's what I was driving last week.


Lauren: Cool car, by the way. Very, very cool. Expensive, but very cool.


Paul: I had to charge up on Friday night to make sure that I was topped off, and then I drove to Milwaukee, and I did some interviews at the Milwaukee Mile. Then I said, "Hey, you know what, I can't find a level-3 charging station in Elkhart Lake."


[A level-3 charger] you can read a comic book while you're charging; the other ones you better have a copy of a Leo Tolstoy novel with you.


So, I had to drive from Milwaukee to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to find a level-3 charger. Well, that's 35 miles, 40 miles away from where I was going — Road America. So, then I had another two hours while I was charging that vehicle.


Lauren: Who's got two hours? Isn't time money? It is to me.


Paul: When I finally got home, I had 19 miles of range [left]. It was terrifying because I'm watching that gauge closer than I'm watching the road.


Lauren: [Ask yourself], is there charging available around you? Now, we were just in California driving one of the newest Honda electric cars, and they said, "Oh, there's four superchargers in this northern California town."


So, we went there, and three of them weren't working. One of them was, but there was a Tesla there. If it takes 20 minutes to charge, you should kind of hang around. Nope: 20 minutes later [it was clear] someone had plugged it in and taken off.


The fact is that you're relying on public charging, but you have to still pay for that. And there's a cost to it. And electricity in California especially is the most expensive in the country. And I live in New York, and Paul lives in Illinois, also extremely expensive. So the three of us live in states where it's just crazy expensive for electricity, and it's not going down. Look at your electric bill every month. Now, add in a charging station.

<h2>5. Charging may pose hidden health risks</h2>

Lauren: They always say, "Oh, just sit in your car. It's fine. We have fully reclining seats and big screens and you can play video games," and it all sounds great on the surface.
 


We've all heard, don't put your phone in your ear, right? Don't put your phone in your ear. Even these AirPods, if you put in two, it's causing all kinds of issues. Don't put your phone in your pocket, especially for guys. We've all heard and read about this in a million different places.


But it's okay to sit in a car with alternating current.


So, I actually have one of these gauges that I bring with me. The manufacturers hate when I bring it, so I have to keep it hidden.


Paul: Did you get a tin foil hat?


Lauren: [laughs] If you're sitting in the car while it's charging, you're not just exposing yourself but anyone in the car. So, it's like being in a microwave. It's alternating current, which is the problem.


Actually, you were with me, Paul. We were at one of the vehicle [test] drives at the super fast charger [that] takes 20 minutes. So, I asked the guy, and he said off the record, "Get out of the car and go as far away as you can."


And I said, "Really?"


He said, "We're not going to tell anyone this because I'll lose my job. But get in the car, and park the car, plug it in, and go. Just go get something to eat and walk away."


But they're telling us all in the mainstream, "Oh, you can sit in the car with your kid and your dog and you can play games and make it fun."


No one has addressed the medical side of this. And I fear that at some point, like much of the stuff the government sometimes pushes, [we'll find out it has health risks]. And I'm not wearing a tinfoil hat, you can talk to anyone.

<h2>6. The capacity just isn't there yet 
</h2>
<div>
Paul: And it's not only the infrastructure, but it's the capacity. I know about a company that — because they had bought into the hype so heavily — wanted to change their trucks to EVs. And it was, I think, a fleet of about 20 or 25 trucks that they had.
</div>

And they went to the village board and the village board said, "Wait a minute. We're talking about you guys building this whole charging farm, and the amount of juice that you're requesting far exceeds the capacity of the entire village." And it wasn't a small village.


We don't have the capacity. We don't have coal plants. We don't have enough new plants to do it.


Lauren: They want to shut those [coal plants] down.


Paul: And it's just antithetical to what they're pitching. It's like nobody thought about this. They just said, "This is a new idea, this is good, we're saving Mother Earth. We've got John Kerry, we've got Al Gore, we've got St. Greta ..."
 

<h2>7. They're bad for the environment ... and the roads</h2>

Paul: When Lauren said the tires are more expensive, there's a secondary problem with the tires as well. And that's particulate pollution.


Lauren: It's bad. It's worse. It kills the air. There's less CO2, but you're breathing in particles of tire.


Paul: [Because an EV] could be 1,500, 2,000 pounds heavier [than a gas powered car]. And so now you've got a whole lot more weight that's playing on those tires.


Lauren: I have a lot of friends who are first responders and they say the biggest thing is when [an EV] catches fire for whatever reason, the problem is that it's a chemical reaction. It's polluting the environment worse than you can imagine.


Not just digging up the raw materials to make the batteries, but if [a battery] catches fire, there's no way to recycle it. It's a nice idea, but the fact is, it'd be like me handing you a birthday cake and saying, "Could you take the eggs out?"


I just read an article that older cars from the '60s and '70s are better for the environment than the new cars because of the impact from what we call in our business "cradle to grave." In other words, from all its raw materials all the way to the finished product and then the end-of-life cycle.


Paul: And secondarily, for a long time states have been very generous with licensing fees for electric vehicles. [Now] they're waking up, and they're saying, "Well, wait a minute, how come that our pothole problems, our repaving problems, all of those things, are costing us more than they ever did before?"


Lauren: Especially on local roads, not necessarily highways. Highways are designed for 18-wheelers.


Paul: The taxpayer is paying that.


Lauren: The state of Texas is charging $400 when you register your car and $200 for every year after that. Every state is starting to charge by the mile.


If you're thinking, "Well, I don't have to pay gas taxes" ... well, if you're not paying gas taxes, then who's going to repair the roads and bridges? That comes out of the general fund. And that's what a lot of states have done, including here in New York.


They gotta come up with the money from some other places to pay for the electricity, to pay for the tax credits on a federal and a state level, and that's you who's paying for that. So, whether you think you're getting it for free, you're actually paying for it. Nothing is free.

<h2>8. They're about government control</h2>

Lauren: It's all smoke and mirrors. This is all about control. Don't let anyone kid you that this electric car thing isn't about limiting your range.


Paul: [They're working on technology that] if you're not making your payments, the auto drive system will drive it back to the dealership, so that it will in fact repossess your vehicle for you.


Lauren: Without a person.


Paul: Yeah.


Lauren: So, you come out, and you're like, "Where's my truck?" It's at the dealer because you didn't make your payments.


 They've been able to lock you out of your car for a long time, especially on used car lots. But if you look at the infrastructure bill from 2021, the one that apparently Attorney General Ken Paxton has found to be illegal because they passed it without people actually being in Congress, there is a kill switch [proposal]. It will monitor everything in your car.


They put this under the guise of [stopping] drunk driving. They want to put in a fingertip device [on the start button]. So, you took a medication, you've had a stressful day. I don't know, maybe you were using rubbing alcohol to remove nail polish. You touch that [and the car will decide] whether you should start [it] or not.


There's a company called Gentex. You want to look it up. It tracks from the rearview mirror. Your eyes and [the eyes of] every person in the car. Second row, third row, your dog, your kid, everyone, your facial movements, what's going on.


If it feels you're stressed, you're not paying attention, that's going to be added into the AI in the computer in front of you.


If you don't know if you have it, take your phone, just stand in front and take a picture [of your rear view mirror]. You'll see two red dots or blue or green. It's tracking your eyes. You've seen that. "Please pay attention to the road. Do you need a coffee?"

<h2>9. Nobody wants them</h2>

Paul: If you need some sort of an impartial barometer as to what's been going on, take a look at what's been happening at the car rental companies, where the car rental companies have just been having a horrible, horrible time renting the EVs that they already had.


Lauren: Nobody wants them.
 
 
Paul: Yeah, nobody wants them. They've sold off half of their inventory. And, and gee, what did they find out when they went to sell their existing fleet? Well, they're not really worth what they were worth. You know, what they thought they were.


Lauren: They're taking a huge hit. Remember, there was a shortage of cars because of the chip shortage. So.
 
Elon Musk, smart guy that he is, he's the marketing king. He went to the car rental company and said, "Hey listen, I've got cars, I can't sell them. Let's work a deal, I'll cut you a deal, you can offer electric cars, everybody's happy, the government's happy, you look like you're helping in the agenda, everybody's happy."


Well, people don't want them. I've talked to quite a few people, including myself, where I've gone to Hertz and they said, "Hey, we don't have that car that you wanted, that SUV, but we do have a Tesla." They're so excited to tell you, and I'm like, "No, that's not gonna work."


So, are people accepting it? He goes, "No, we can't, we can't not rent them." You have to return them fully charged. That takes time. When you're at a destination, whether it's a vacation or a business meeting, you have a very tight schedule. You go, you do what you need to do. You want to drop the car and take off at the airport. I get the field purchase option. If you look at the charging, you can't bring it in on fumes. And they've also found there's a high maintenance on tires, because like I said, tires wear out quicker, but also there's a lot of damage to these cars and the cost to repair the damage like any rental car.

<h2>10. They're bad for America</h2>

Lauren: We have more fossil fuels here, or oil, underneath the ground than any other country. But instead, we're buying it from Russia and the Middle East. And we're getting all of our battery materials from China.


So, while you think it's being environmentally friendly, all you're doing is helping China and the Middle East and Russia make more money. Now, wherever you think about that politically has nothing to do with it. The fact is, we can be energy efficient, and we were. But this administration wants to be reliable on other countries.


And China, of course, would love to take over our country by bringing in Chinese cars and owning everything that we have and making us basically sit at home and play video games all day.


Paul: We're trying to limit the amount of Chinese product that we're bringing into the States. But if the Chinese build their plants in Mexico, well, then all of a sudden, there's a trade agreement that we have with Mexico and with Canada, that allows those same vehicles to be accessed by Americans.


Lauren: You know what's interesting, Paul, is if you look at China, why they're telling us, "Oh, electric," because they knew they couldn't take over the U.S. car industry. They knew they couldn't beat the Germans. So they came up with this electric story and pushed the story, helped politicians get reelected by helping them push the narrative.


Now, there are five Chinese car manufacturers building plants in Mexico as we speak. At the same time, they're building nuclear power plants and coal-fired plants in China. We're taking those down where they're building seven a week.


So, they've got plenty of energy ... and of course they're building stuff quick because that's how they do everything. They're gonna build plants in Mexico already started, they're gonna be fully automated.


I'm on the World Car of the Year. We've driven the Suzuki, the SAIC, BYD, all of them. As a matter of fact, I'm supposed to go to China to see the plants, which I'm finding very interesting. But the fact is they want to bring these cars in here. And what does that mean? Everyone's like, "Oh, great, low-cost cars."


Be careful what you wish for, because the big three automakers that are here in the U.S. and all the manufacturers that are building here, Honda, Toyota, all of these plants are going to lose jobs.


And that affects not just the Dow, and the stock market, it affects jobs, it affects the economy. And believe it or not, the auto industry and all the little companies that support it is so big it's half of the Dow Jones, and people don't even realize that.

]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:15:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/align/10-reasons-not-to-buy-an-electric-car</guid><category>Vroom: align cars</category><category>Electric cars</category><category>Electric vehicles</category><category>Ev</category><category>Electric vehicle charging</category><category>Electric car cost</category><category>Electric car depreciation</category><category>Electric car battery</category><category>Electric car health risks</category><category>Government control</category><category>China</category><category>Matt himes</category><category>Paul brian</category><category>Lauren fix</category><dc:creator>Lauren Fix</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/10-reasons-not-to-buy-an-electric-car.jpg?id=52081108&width=980"></media:content></item><item><title>Survivor of communist concentration camp makes peace with dying in US prison over peaceful pro-life protest</title><link>https://www.theblaze.com/news/survivor-of-communist-concentration-camp-makes-peace-with-dying-in-us-prison-over-peaceful-pro-life-protest</link><description><![CDATA[
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/survivor-of-communist-concentration-camp-makes-peace-with-dying-in-us-prison-over-peaceful-pro-life-protest.jpg?id=52091061&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=270%2C0%2C0%2C0"/> 
A Christian pro-life activist who survived a communist concentration camp in post-war Yugoslavia is now making peace with the possibility she may not outlast the Biden administration.

Eva Edl, 88, has long been familiar with the consequences of dehumanization. After the Nazi forces were routed in Europe and the war at large was coming to an end, Edl, not yet 10 years old, was tossed into one of communist dictator Josip "Tito" Broz's concentration camps in Yugoslavia along with thousands of other Danube Schwabians who had been collectively branded as Nazi collaborators by Tito's communist Partisans and targeted for their German ethnic backgrounds.

Edl
<a href="https://www.wjbf.com/news/special-reports/special-report-a-story-of-survival/" target="_blank">told</a> WJBF-TV, "We were considered to be non-human. It was just permission for torture and killing by the government."

In camp <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/12/01/gakova-survivors/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gakowa</a>, Edl indicated she ended up losing all of the skin on her legs and was hobbled by sores. "People gagged when they came near me," she said. "The flies and the fleas and the lice, and the bed bugs just loved this festering body."

Edl and her remaining family members ultimately managed to escape into Austria. After spending several years in refugee camps, they made it to the United States where she now might die in prison for defending the lives of the biggest cohort of dehumanized people,
<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/abortion" target="_blank">slaughtered by the tens of millions globally every year</a>.

The Biden Department of Justice
<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/pr/four-defendants-found-guilty-federal-charges-after-obstructing-patients-and-providers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">charged</a> Eva Edl, 88, and 10 other pro-life activists in October 2022 for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act — a law ratified in 1994 by former President Bill Clinton. The pro-life activists had <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/tennessee-pro-life-activists-arrested-charged-doj-abortion" target="_blank">staged a peaceful protest</a> inside the Carafem abortion clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, on March 5, 2021, singing and praying in support of those persons who had and would be slain deeper inside the abattoir.
<blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1775322296493707333">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@)
<a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1775322296493707333"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Earlier this month, Edl and the final four of the 11 pro-life activists were convicted. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee indicated the octogenarian
<a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/pr/four-defendants-found-guilty-federal-charges-after-obstructing-patients-and-providers" target="_blank">faces</a> up to six months in prison, five years of supervised released, and up to $10,000 in fines. It appears she was spared what could otherwise have been over a decade in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 because of the strictly nonviolent nature of her perceived offense.

Edl recently
<a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/04/21/exclusive-she-survived-death-camp-facing-biden-doj-charges-shes-prepared-die-prison/" target="_blank">told</a> the Daily Signal in an interview, "When I was indicted, I began to prepare to die there."

"Right now, I'm ambivalent," she continued. "I'm doing the best I can to get ready. Haven't talked to a funeral director yet."

"I'm just being sensible," added Edl. "There's no guarantee that I survive it."

Edl explained to the Daily Signal that her activism started when the issue was brought to her attention during an English course in 1968.

"I didn't know what [abortion] meant," she said. "I tried to speak up in that subject, but I must have done a very bad job because I don't think I convinced the person that I was speaking with. And after that, I just brought the subject up all the time because it bothered me that people would actually think of killing their own children."

She made clear to her husband that inaction was unacceptable.

"We are doing what we are condemning others for," Edl recalled telling her husband. "This is what people should have done for us."

Edl began actively protesting abortion and staging rescues in the late 1980s, which landed her in jail even before Clinton signed the FACE Act into law.

Despite her conviction earlier this month, Edl maintains her actions were justified, certain that such protests can spare babies' lives today just as similar protests could have saved multitudes of lives in the mid-20th century.

"When we were rounded up to be killed, we were placed in cattle cars, and our train was headed toward the extermination camp. What if citizens of my country would have overcome their fear, and a number of them stood on those railroad tracks between the gate of the entrance to the death camp and the train?" said Edl. "The train would have to stop. And while the guards on those trains would be busy rounding up the ones that were in front of the train, another group could have come in, pried open our cattle car and possibly set us free, but nobody did."

"When we place our bodies between the woman and the clinic, we buy time to get our sidewalk counselors the opportunity to speak with women, and hopefully open their hearts with love for their babies and let their babies live," said Edl.

Tommy Valentine, the director of accountability at CatholicVote,
<a href="https://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-justice/4603098-biden-doj-hounds-elderly-concentration-camp-survivor-serial-church-arsonist-skates/" target="_blank">suggested</a> in an op-ed Monday, "It is unquestionable that Eva and her pro-life compatriots' prosecutions are intended to send a message. The FBI and Department of Justice have prosecuted nonviolent pro-life offenders with the FACE Act, while turning a blind eye to the violent, ongoing and terrifying attacks on other institutions protected by the FACE Act: churches and pregnancy help centers."

Valentine noted that while Edl is likely headed to prison, the Biden DOJ has "failed to federally prosecute a single one of the more than 400 egregious FACE Act violations against Catholic Churches since May 2020, or to meaningfully address the 90 attacks on pregnancy resource centers across the nation since May 2022."

Last year, Republicans Rep. Chip Roy (Texas) and Sen. Mike Lee (Utah) proposed
<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5577/all-actions?s=1&r=76" target="_blank">legislation</a> that would repeal the FACE Act.

"Free Americans should never live in fear of their government targeting them because of their beliefs. Yet, Biden's Department of Justice has brazenly weaponized the FACE Act against normal, everyday Americans across the political spectrum, simply because they are pro-life," Roy
<a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-chip-roy-fights-repeal-face-act" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement.

Lee stated, "Joe Biden's DOJ has weaponized this constitutionally dubious law against pro-life sidewalk counselors while failing to protect pregnancy centers and churches from arson, vandalism, and violence. It's time to repeal the FACE Act once and for all."

<iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" lazy-loadable="true" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ba-dMfBCsBY?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe>
Eva Edl Full WJBF Interview

<a href="https://youtu.be/Ba-dMfBCsBY" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>


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" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a>!
]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:20:00 +0000</pubDate><guid>https://www.theblaze.com/news/survivor-of-communist-concentration-camp-makes-peace-with-dying-in-us-prison-over-peaceful-pro-life-protest</guid><category>Eva edl</category><category>Concentration camp</category><category>Pro-life</category><category>Culture</category><category>Lifestyle</category><category>Life</category><category>Dehumanization</category><category>Abortion</category><category>Murder</category><category>Biden doj</category><category>Department of justice</category><category>South carolina</category><category>Tennessee</category><category>News</category><category>Pro-life activist</category><category>Face act</category><category>Concentration camp survivor</category><category>Prison</category><category>Abortion debate</category><category>Nonviolent protest</category><category>Freedom of speech</category><category>Religious persecution</category><category>Human rights</category><category>Clinic protests</category><category>Joseph mackinnon</category><dc:creator>Joseph MacKinnon</dc:creator><media:content medium="image" type="image/jpeg" url="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/survivor-of-communist-concentration-camp-makes-peace-with-dying-in-us-prison-over-peaceful-pro-life-protest.jpg?id=52091061&width=980"></media:content></item></channel></rss>

If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:

Download the "valid RSS" banner.
Upload the image to your own server. (This step is important. Please do not link directly to the image on this server.)
Add this HTML to your page (change the image src attribute if necessary):

<a href="http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=http%3A//www.theblaze.com/feeds/feed.rss"><img src="valid-rss-rogers.png" alt="[Valid RSS]" title="Validate my RSS feed" /></a>

If you would like to create a text link instead, here is the URL you can use:

http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=http%3A//www.theblaze.com/feeds/feed.rss

Home · About · News · Docs · Terms