# Blaze Media - Complete Content > Blaze Media: complete content export for LLMs - 45 sections and the 100 most recent articles. Navigation index: https://www.theblaze.com/llms.txt **Site Overview:** - Domain: https://www.theblaze.com - Total Sections: 45 - Recent Posts Included: 100 - Content Word Count: ~66957 words - Last Updated: 2026-09-17 - Generated: September 17, 2026 16:57:46 **Important Information:** - Site ID: 19257436 - Markdown version: append .md to any URL - Total sections: 45 ## Site Structure - [News](https://www.theblaze.com/news/index.md): (235090 posts; HTML: https://www.theblaze.com/news; RSS: https://www.theblaze.com/feeds/news.rss) - [Opinion & Analysis](https://www.theblaze.com/columns/index.md): (3644 posts; HTML: https://www.theblaze.com/columns; RSS: https://www.theblaze.com/feeds/columns.rss) - [Opinion](https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/index.md): (10677 posts; HTML: https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion; RSS: https://www.theblaze.com/feeds/columns/opinion.rss) - [Analysis](https://www.theblaze.com/columns/analysis/index.md): (78 posts; HTML: https://www.theblaze.com/columns/analysis; 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HTML: https://www.theblaze.com/jan-6-truth; RSS: https://www.theblaze.com/feeds/jan-6-truth.rss) ## Recent Content --- ### 23-year-old mayor booted from office after sexting with high school student, alleged misuse of city funds **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Cortney Weil | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/23-year-old-mayor-booted-from-office-after-sexting-with-high-school-student-alleged-misuse-of-city-funds.md A mayor barely old enough to buy his own beer has been removed from office after just 10 months following a string of scandals. Jayden Williams was just 22 years old when he became mayor of Stockbridge, Georgia, back in January, reportedly making him the youngest mayor in Georgia history. 'You knew he was 18, you knew he was in high school, you'd offered to be his mentor, and you'd floated the possibility of hiring him for a job.' But his term did not last long. On Saturday, the Stockbridge City Council held a 10-hour hearing about Williams' alleged misconduct. By Sunday, the city announced that he had been "removed from office." His ouster likely came as no surprise. Back in July, the city council voted to suspend his access to city-owned credit cards, vehicles, and nonpublic buildings as well as to restrict his coordination of city communications, "pending the outcome of an independent investigation previously authorized by the Council." That investigation involved allegations that Williams had misused city funds, damaged a city vehicle, and exchanged explicit messages and nude photos with a high school student. He has not been charged with any crime. RELATED: Democratic mayor declares public emergency and reinstitutes juvenile curfew in DC Paras Griffin/Getty Images Williams, now 23, claimed he accidentally used a city credit card for making a personal purchase because the two cards looked similar. "It's also a purple card," he said. Williams claimed he reimbursed the city when appropriate, Atlanta News First reported. Williams also engaged in explicit text messages with a male high school student he had met on Instagram, according to an attorney at the hearing. Williams confirmed during his testimony that he knew the student was 18 years old at the time. Screenshots of conversations between the young man and Williams were shared during the hearing. According to those screenshots: The student pledged to be Williams' "mentee as well as friend with benefits," to which Williams replied: "We can possibly become something more over time ... for now you can just be my lil short king." The student told Williams, "U had turned me overly On," and after some back and forth, Williams said, "THIS BETTER STAY BETWEEN US TOO ." Williams told the young man, "I want you boy." Williams once joked, "I am The mayor but you didn't care bout that last night lol." The two also exchanged videos and photos on Instagram. In the early morning hours of December 1, the student said in reply to a video sent by Williams, "Uu was rii[.] I prob can't handle all dat," with two weary or frustrated emojis. A short time later, the young man then tells Williams, "Yo p***y lookin good asf." The attorney then summarized the problem with these conversations: At the point he's sending you a nude that afternoon and you're ... sending him sweat emojis and telling him you loved getting that nude picture, you knew he was 18, you knew he was in high school, you'd offered to be his mentor, and you'd floated the possibility of hiring him for a job. Williams replied, "Correct." Williams claimed he never had "intercourse" with the young man, just one kiss, and that their "sexual" relationship was "sexual as in text-messages sexual, not physical sexual." Ultimately, Williams' denials and attempts at nuance did not work. The city council voted 3-0 to remove him from office with one council member not voting and one council member excluded from voting. Robert Kenner, Williams' attorney, called the process a "witch hunt" and claimed everyone had already prejudged the case before it started. "I don’t think that it was based on the evidence at all," Kenner said. Elton Alexander, who is now serving as mayor pro tem, described removing Williams from office as a "tough decision" that brought "a fair and equitable close to multiple troubling accusations that were investigated and verified" by an independent investigator. Williams did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here --- ### Travis Kelce duped by Indian illegal immigrant in massive Ponzi scheme **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Fearless **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/travis-kelce-illegal-ponzi-scheme.md Bud Light, Pfizer, and ... Philip Morris Pakistan? NFL tight end Travis Kelce has been involved with all three of these companies, but only the last one was part of a massive fraud scheme conducted by an illegal immigrant. 'An extravagant lifestyle that included travel on private jets.' Siddharth Jawahar, 38, was sentenced by a U.S. district judge after he was found to have defrauded dozens in a Ponzi scheme through his Texas-based investment company called Swiftarc Capital LLC. Jawahar was investing client funds, including Kelce's, into a single company called Philip Morris Pakistan. The Department of Justice said that 99% of client funds were consolidated into that company, totaling more than $35 million. When the value of the company declined, the illegal alien did not tell investors but instead told them they were making profits. Jawahar also led his clients to believe he was investing their money in other companies that he never actually invested in. From July 2016 to December 2023, Jawahar took the reported $35 million through Swiftarc but invested only around $10 million, the DOJ noted. Jawahar would use money from new investors to repay old ones, while funding what was described as "an extravagant lifestyle that included travel on private jets, stays at luxury hotels, luxury apartment in Austin and New York City." He also took out memberships at multiple private clubs across the United States, went on spending sprees at clothing stores, and had expensive outings at fancy restaurants. RELATED: Sydney Sweeney wants you to prove yourself in a whole new way Gregory Shamus/Getty Images U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone sentenced Jawahar on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud in January. He was ordered to pay $31.35 million in restitution and received an 11-year federal prison sentence. Judge Bluestone cited the "enormous" losses, the DOJ explained, as well as the duration of the fraud scheme. The judge also referred to one of the victims, who said Jawahar "weaponized" the trust of his investors, and said that Jawahar's failure to repay victims was a major factor in the case. The amount Kelce lost through the investments is unknown, but a spokesperson from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri revealed to the Associated Press that there were 64 victims in total of the scheme. RELATED: NO SHOW: Portuguese comedians quit local festival after it lands Jerry Seinfeld Mike Carlson/Getty Images According to the Associated Press, Jawahar is an illegal immigrant from India who has been living in the United States since 2005. The outlet also reported that prosecutors said Jawahar tried to coach a victim into giving the FBI a favorable statement following his indictment and that he lied about his immigration status. Jawahar was also accused of trying to get one of his relatives to remotely wipe his iPhone to hide evidence. The Kansas City Chiefs and Kelce did not respond to Blaze News' requests for comments. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### ‘Not someone who can be trusted’: Anti-Trump Detroit newspaper rips El-Sayed in Rogers endorsement **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Cortney Weil | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/not-someone-who-can-be-trusted-anti-trump-detroit-newspaper-rips-el-sayed-in-rogers-endorsement.md Newspaper endorsements may not mean as much as they used to, but the Detroit News may have made itself the exception in 2026. On Wednesday, the Detroit News officially endorsed Republican Mike Rogers over far-left Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in the tight Senate race in Michigan, giving a scathing critique of El-Sayed and "the Democratic Party's radical wing" more generally. 'It's impossible to know who he really is or where he would stand in the Senate.' The News began by listing Rogers' political and professional qualifications and described Rogers as "the prototype of a United States Senator." After seven terms as a congressman and his work in the FBI and cybersecurity, "Rogers' experience, clear thinking, and temperament are bound to quickly vault him into the Senate's leadership ranks," which would be a major boon for Michigan's influence in Washington, the News claimed. But the News dedicated most of the endorsement article to explaining why El-Sayed is wrong for the position — and the News team did not hold back. The News' most significant concern about El-Sayed appears to be his attempts to cover up his previous radical positions, especially regarding Israel, the 9/11 attacks, and his apparent ideological alignment with the America- and Jew-hating influencer Hasan Piker: He has deleted social media posts that reportedly called into question his attitude about America in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He's taken down roughly 100 YouTube videos that paint an unflattering picture of him and his cultural views. A candidate who feels the need to hide his past from voters is not someone who can be trusted to be the same person after Election Day as he was on the campaign trail. RELATED: VIDEO: Mike Rogers crushes 'conman' Abdul El-Sayed for being a weirdo in BRUTAL political ad Mark Felix/Bloomberg/Getty Images The News argued that, should he be elected, El-Sayed "would vote with the Democratic Party's radical wing," adding to the ranks of "anti-Israel members" of the Michigan Democrat congressional delegation. Though the News did not name others, Squad member Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) has made a career out of attacking Israel as an "apartheid state" that commits "genocide" against Palestinians. The News also took a swipe at El-Sayed's friendliness with democratic socialists as well as his medical credentials, no small thing since El-Sayed has made his status as a "doctor" a prominent feature of his campaign. "While El-Sayed holds a medical degree and has described himself as a physician, he does not have a license to practice medicine," the News noted. The El-Sayed campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. Once considered the "conservative" Detroit newspaper that provided a counterbalance to the left-leaning Detroit Free Press, the Detroit News' editorial team has spent at least a decade attacking President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. The News has never endorsed Trump, preferring Libertarian Gary Johnson in 2016 and giving no presidential endorsement in 2020 or 2024. The News even slammed Trump in its endorsement of Rogers, insisting that the president's policies "have, without question, harmed" Michiganders. Nevertheless, the News conceded, "Voters should not lock themselves to a radical senator just to spite Trump." "Mike Rogers is clearly the best choice for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat," the News asserted, while El-Sayed "has a thin career background that contains little to recommend him for one of the nation's most powerful leadership jobs." "It's impossible to know who he really is or where he would stand in the Senate," the News said of El-Sayed. The News shared its endorsement on X early Wednesday, and it quickly went viral. Multiple users have even characterized its takedown of El-Sayed as a "murder." As might be expected, the Rogers campaign welcomed the endorsement. Current polling shows a tight race. The RealClearPolling average gives El-Sayed a two-point edge over Rogers. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here --- ### The ‘Little House’ books gave me a place to escape. This New York farm took me there for real. **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Josh Slocum | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/the-little-house-books-gave-me-a-place-to-escape-this-new-york-farm-took-me-there-for-real.md Holding a crystal prism up to my left eye, I moved the glass so that the image gave me the illusion that the furniture in the room had disappeared. It was just light refraction, but I hoped it might help me slip through a wrinkle in time. I was trying to leave 1984, trying to escape to 1870. My house in 1984 was full of screaming, thrown dishes, and beatings. A Victorian-age farm in upstate New York, or another in Walnut Grove, Minnesota, sounded like a much better place to be. Yes, Virginia, the splotch is real. This is the part you’ve been waiting for. 'Farmer Boy' readers will remember the tensest scene in the book. It didn’t work then, but I got where I wanted to be this week in 2026. To my astonishment, there I was, standing in the very house I knew and loved from the book "Farmer Boy" by Laura Ingalls Wilder. "Farmer Boy" recounts the boyhood of Laura’s husband, Almanzo Wilder, years before they met. Favorite escape Millions of children have loved the stories of family, integrity, and wholesome living made famous by Wilder’s autobiographical "Little House on the Prairie" series. If you were one of them — better yet, if you have kids reading the books now — you can visit Almanzo’s house too. If you’re a fan of American history and good, old-fashioned beauty and craftsmanship like I am, put a trip to the Almanzo Wilder Farm in Malone, New York, on your calendar. Standing in the Wilder home I’d known in my imagination since boyhood felt the way it did the first time I put my hands on an ancient Egyptian temple arch, or the first time I stood before a wall-sized Caravaggio, seeing it with my naked eye. It’s a sensation that mixes awe, reverence, and humility — the strange feeling of finding yourself in the physical presence of something that has lived so long in your imagination. Before a few weeks ago, I didn’t know the house still stood. Not only does it stand, but it has been carefully restored. The long-burned-down barns have been rebuilt according to Almanzo’s hand-drawn maps that he set out for his wife, Laura, when she decided to write a book on his boyhood to include in her series. As a child living under deranged parents, reading was my escape. The "Little House" series was my favorite. It told of strong families with children who were wanted and cherished. Ma and Pa Ingalls and Mother and Father Wilder expected a lot of their children. Idleness was not allowed; boys and girls were taught to work on the farm and in the home from a young age in between going to the schoolhouse to make sure they were literate and numerate. The gift of self-reliance And the discipline of those days was far harsher than we would allow today; it came from belts and bullwhips. Nevertheless, these children were loved and protected. What their parents taught them through example and by working alongside them gave the children real skills and a real sense of accomplishment. In the 2020s, children aren’t even allowed to walk outside in their neighborhood without their parents being arrested by child protective services. Wonder why Kayden can’t read and won’t go out to eat because of his “social anxiety” and “ADHD”? It’s not a mystery. Compare that to 10-year-old Almanzo Wilder after he spent a year training his calves to pull a wagon load and find their way home: He helped to feed the patient cows, and the horses eagerly whinnying over the bars of their stalls, and the hungrily bleating sheep, and the grunting pigs. And he felt like saying to them all: "You can depend on me. I'm big enough to take care of you all." Yes, it’s all real, and it’s still there "Little House" readers will want to know if they can see the places depicted in their favorite scenes from "Farmer Boy." It is my pleasure to tell you yes, you can. Remember how Mother made extra butter so she could sell it to a butter buyer who brought it to New York City to resell at city prices? You can stand in the kitchen at the table where she did it near the warmth of the cookstove, wooden bowl and paddle in hand. Josh Slocum That basin to the right of the stove is where they took their baths. Some things are definitely better in the 21st century. "Farmer Boy" lingers on the work Mother put into making cloth and the family clothes. Out in the barn, you’ll find Mother’s wool-working room where sheared wool was dyed and spun into yarn, thread, and cord. Upstairs you’ll see her loom (not hers, but the kind of period-accurate loom she would have used) that made the clickety-clack noise Almanzo could hear from any room in the house. To the right of the loom, you’ll see the bed that bossy big sister Eliza Jane slept in. Josh Slocum It’s always fun to compare your imagination to reality, especially for things and places that have loomed large in your mind since childhood but that you have never seen in real life. The red farmhouse is about one-third smaller than what I pictured, but that’s not to say it’s cramped. There are four bedrooms (small by modern expectations), a sitting parlor, a good-sized dining room, a kitchen with plenty of room, a mud room, a cellar, and a full walk-in pantry. By today’s standards, it might be called a starter home. Of course, there was no such thing in a world that didn’t believe that the good life was out of reach until you could afford 3,000 square feet of McMansion. Unlike the hardscrabble Ingallses, the Wilders were well-to-do. Father was a successful farmer who always had money in the bank. Mother’s work making the family’s clothes meant money didn’t need to be spent on “store-boughten” goods. And the butter she sold to the New York buyer fetched 50 cents a pound — almost $13 today. RELATED: How an NYC socialite's riches preserve America's beautiful, bustling past Electra Havemeyer Webb. Slim Aarons/Getty Images; Background: Unidentified maker (Ohio), “Appliqué and Pieced Four Little Birds Quilt” (detail), 1860-80. Shelburne Museum Out, damned spot Yes, Virginia, the splotch is real. This is the part you’ve been waiting for. "Farmer Boy" readers will remember the tensest scene in the book. Mother and Father go away for a week-long trip, leaving the kids (age range 9 to 15 years old) in charge of the farm and house. Animals and gardens needed tending, but as children do, they put it all off until the day before their parents came home. Bossy Eliza Jane set the kids to work putting the house and grounds to right, but Almanzo didn't like being told what to do. In frustration, he threw a brush full of black stove polish at Eliza Jane’s head, but it landed on the white and gold wallpaper of Mother’s fancy parlor — the room reserved for company. Just typing it out puts a knot in my stomach. Eliza Jane came through like only a big sister can. She found the excess wallpaper stored in the attic, cut out a piece the shape of the stain, and carefully pasted it over. Mother and Father never knew. When the volunteers restored the farmhouse years later, they found the stain and took a picture. If you visit the farm, they’ll pass it around: Josh Slocum My hands were clean. It was just a light tap. Don’t tell the docents, but I touched the spot! Josh Slocum If you are looking for a family trip, I can’t recommend the Wilder Farm enough. The Ingallses and the Wilders are American folk heroes for a reason. They embodied the best of what we Americans strove to be. Sadly, we are not those people any longer. We could be if we made the choice, and these 19th-century families set an example that any of us can adapt and follow. If you do go, take a moment to stop and touch the sugar maple in the side yard 20 feet from the house. It’s the same tree Almanzo sat under on summer afternoons. While you marvel at this gift from the past, imagine what that 9-year-old boy would think if he could see what it has grown to today. Josh Slocum I couldn’t slip through that wrinkle in time 42 years ago, but I managed to do it this year. You can too. --- ### Dave vs. Dearborn: Comedian Dave Landau tackles Sharia law and Tesla dads **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/dave-vs-dearborn-mic-26.md Dave Landau has been arrested more than a dozen times, battled drug addiction, watched his mother struggle with severe mental illness, and somehow lived long enough to become a suburban dad complaining about Teslas. Naturally, he thinks all of this is hilarious. 'Being a dad, a husband, and 16 years sober is better.' Sharia lawyer The Detroit-born comic mines some remarkably dark territory in his new special, "30 Minutes with Dave Landau," filmed at the Creek and the Cave in Austin and produced by the legendary Luis J. Gomez. Landau has long put the drinking and the drugs behind him; these days, he says “being a dad, a husband, and 16 years sober is better” than the life that supplied him with so much of his material. But sober doesn't mean wholesome. Over the next half hour, Landau moves from Islamic extremism in Michigan to cocaine washing ashore in Florida, his mother's bipolar disorder, the emasculating effect of electric cars, and being the "only man who can make a Catholic wake sound like a good time." Take his crack about Sharia law and Dearborn, a Detroit suburb where the Muslim population has exploded over the last two decades. "My wife got pulled over there," the comedian says. "Not for speeding, just for driving a car." RELATED: 'LAND' MAN: Adam Carolla kills at GOP convention with perfect 'progressive' punchline Vape 'em if you got 'em Some of Landau's funniest material concerns becoming a middle-aged dad at a time when dads just don't command the same respect. “I miss when we drove muscle cars,” Landau says. “I liked when your dad would come home, you'd hear an engine. He'd come inside, smoke a cigarette, maybe crack a beer.” Today's dad glides silently home in a Tesla — which Landau compares to “driving a cell phone" — before walking inside and hitting a vape. “So you just smell lavender” until Dad “cracks a White Claw,” he jokes. The indignity is complete when the children greet him: “How was work, p***y?” Looking back on his single years, Landau jokes that he would have loved living in present-day Miami, where packages of cocaine occasionally wash ashore. That's also, he suggests, the real explanation for all those sea turtles found with straws stuck in their noses. RELATED: NO SHOW: Portuguese comedians quit local festival after it lands Jerry Seinfeld Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images Going dark But that's just a warm-up for the really dark stuff, like his father being poisoned by chemical exposure while serving in Vietnam and his mother's severe bipolar disorder and eventual suicide. Serious bipolar disorder, Landau clarifies. For those who casually describe themselves as bipolar, he has a simple diagnostic question: "You ever wear a wedding dress to your son's wedding?" Landau even reaches back three decades to recount a prank in which he and his friends apparently convinced people that an innocent stranger was responsible for one of their buddies ending up pants-less on a pile of garbage. It's the kind of story that could seem less funny if you stopped to consider what might have happened to the poor guy afterward. That's essentially Landau's approach to the whole half hour. Addiction, arrests, family tragedy, mental illness: Look too closely at any of these, and “30 Minutes with Dave Landau” could get awfully depressing. Fortunately, Landau's barrage of laugh lines never gives you that much time to think. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Bill Clinton was 'scared and mad’ after CIA scrapped bin Laden operation: 'Do your job' **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Pat Gray Unleashed **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/pat-gray-unleashed/bill-clinton-was-scared-and-mad-after-cia-scrapped-bin-laden-operation-do-your-job.md Former President Bill Clinton is spilling the tea on one of the biggest missed opportunities in the years before 9/11. In a recent interview, Clinton said he had authorized the CIA to target Osama bin Laden but that the agency ultimately abandoned the operation because officials feared a failed mission could kill innocent civilians. Clinton explained their reasoning during a radio interview with WABC’s "Cats Roundtable" and told the hosts that he “immediately” knew who was behind the terror attacks while watching them unfold. He also reportedly said that he had “authorized the CIA to try to take him out.” “I was scared, and I was mad because we tried to get him before, and the CIA at the last minute killed the plan that I think might well have succeeded,” Clinton said. BlazeTV host Pat Gray isn’t buying it. “I’m just looking now for my copy of the 1998 Constitution where it says, ‘The CIA is the commander in chief of the United States,’” he says. “No ... that copy of the Constitution was written in November, roughly about the 22nd or so of 1963,” executive producer Keith Malinak chimes in, referencing the grisly assassination of JFK. “So we do know that the CIA is the commander in chief, and they have the final word on that,” Gray says, though he still believes “the president of the United States is responsible.” “Whether it’s George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, whoever the president is, you’re the commander in chief, you make the decision,” he says. “And if you felt like he should be taken out, take him out. Have the giblets to just do your job,” he adds. Want more from Pat Gray? To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### CALIFORNIA IDLE: Iconic reality show ditches Hollywood after 24 seasons **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/california-is-burning-tv-production.md After nearly a quarter-century, one of the world's most successful reality franchises is leaving Los Angeles. It's the series that introduced America to Kelly Clarkson, helped turn Simon Cowell into an international celebrity, launched Carrie Underwood and Jennifer Hudson, and made Randy Jackson a household meme. 'Every major production category in LA is going under water.' It premiered when George W. Bush was president and survived a cancellation, a network change, countless judging-panel shake-ups, and the end of the monoculture that made it a phenomenon in the first place. But apparently it couldn't survive California. No golden ticket "American Idol" will move production to the Atlanta area for its 25th season, ending a left-coast run that dates back to its 2002 debut, according to Deadline. And the reason for the move makes the timing particularly awkward for the Golden State. California has been desperately trying to stop film and television productions from fleeing to states such as Georgia and New Jersey. Last year, lawmakers dramatically expanded the state's film and television tax-credit program and, for the first time, opened it to a new category: large-scale competition shows. You'd think “American Idol” might qualify; it didn't. Under California's expanded incentive program, a “large-scale competition show” can qualify for tax credits if contestants compete over multiple episodes for money or another prize, with winners selected by judges, an audience, or another competitive mechanism. That certainly sounds like “American Idol.” But California's rules also exclude “traditional reality, game shows, talk shows, or docufollow television programming” from the new category, and Deadline reports that “Idol” did not qualify for the state's credit. Georgia presents a considerably more attractive proposition. The state offers qualifying film and television productions that spend at least $500,000 in Georgia a 20% base tax credit, with another 10% available under certain conditions. Unscripted and reality productions can qualify. For a sprawling production such as “American Idol,” that's real money. RELATED: Meet the 25-year-old building a Christian alternative to Hollywood Eric McCandless/Disney/Getty Images 'Masked' mandate And “Idol” isn't the only reality show California has lost. “The Masked Singer,” another long-running competition series, announced earlier this year that it would move production from Los Angeles to New Jersey for its 15th season. New Jersey offers a tax credit of up to 30% for qualifying television productions, including unscripted shows. California, in other words, is now competing not merely with Georgia — which has spent years building itself into a major production center — but with states across the country willing to make Hollywood productions a better offer. The departures come at a particularly bad time for Los Angeles. A July report from FilmLA, the nonprofit organization that handles film permitting for Los Angeles and several surrounding jurisdictions, found that permitted on-location production fell another 12.7% during the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year. RELATED: 'None of this is happening!' 'The Matrix' director says kids do not get transgender surgeries — he's wrong Kevin Winter/ImageDirect/FOX/Getty Images Out of tune Compared with the five-year average, the numbers are uglier still. Feature-film shoot days were down roughly 40%. Commercial production was down about 46%, while television overall was down nearly 49%. Reality television — the category that includes shows such as “American Idol” — was down nearly 63% from its five-year average. TV drama was down 16%, while TV comedy was down roughly 67%. And those weren't merely unfavorable comparisons against the five-year average. Each of those major categories also declined compared with the second quarter of 2025. There were a couple of bright spots. TV pilot activity was up 40% against its five-year average, while FilmLA's catchall “Other” category increased 10% year-over-year. But overall permitted on-location production was down 35.9% from the five-year average. Those numbers don't capture every movie or television show being made in California. FilmLA measures permitted on-location filming in the jurisdictions it serves, meaning soundstage production and filming elsewhere in the state aren't necessarily included. Still, California itself plainly recognizes the larger problem. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) signed a major expansion of the state's Film and Television Tax Credit Program last year, increasing the amount available annually and widening the range of productions eligible for incentives. The state says the expanded program is already attracting billions of dollars in projected economic activity. The effort may yet help reverse California's production decline. But when it came to keeping “American Idol” in Hollywood? That's gonna be a no from them, dawg. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### California Gov. Newsom just banned this age group from 'addictive' social media **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Zach Laidlaw | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/gavin-newsom-social-media-addiction.md For years, lawmakers have debated age verification bills that would restrict internet access to underage users, essentially forcing them out of online platforms and off devices used to share information. Now, California is taking it a step farther with what it calls “the strongest child safety chatbot and social media laws in the nation.” When it comes to device access for underage users, most conservatives agree that parents should have the power to choose whether or not their child uses a device, logs onto the internet, or opens certain apps and services. The left disagrees, though. In the case of California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), he would rather limit children’s access to social media than allow parents to decide. The algorithm on social media drives the dissemination of information. One bill that received the governor’s signature — Assembly Bill 1709 — will completely change the way minors use social media. The document notes that all social media platform holders — like X, Facebook, TikTok, etc. — are banned from “providing an addictive feature” to users under the age of 16. The bill later goes on to define an “addictive feature” as an algorithmic feed that serves tailored content to the user, content that autoplays in the feed, such as a video or audio, and “any other feature defined in regulations adopted pursuant to Section 22685 as an addictive feature.” That last bit, of course, leaves the door open to label a wider range of features as addictive down the line, should the state of California see fit. Social media platform holders are required to adhere to these laws for all of their social digital properties, including websites, apps, and services. If any of them fail to comply, they will be slapped with a $50,000 fine for a knowing violation or a $25,000 fine for an incidental violation. Taken at face value, the bill aims to villainize social media algorithms, suggesting that they’re harmful to underage users, and it’s no surprise. With the social media addiction trials serving as a backdrop for legislation, it was only a matter of time before the government made a move to limit functionality. Of course, as we explained in our past coverage, social media addiction isn’t a real human disorder. Instead, it’s more closely aligned with a bad habit. However, that didn’t stop Newsom from signing the bill anyway. RELATED: The $1 trillion social media addiction trial has begun — is the disorder real? SpiffyJ/Getty Images Governor Newsom is clearly afraid of what might pop up in the social media feeds of underage users. After all, it was the algorithm that showed us the Somali fraud surrounding the Quality Learing Center, exposed the socialist Democrats being crazy again, and shined a light on so many other moments that impacted our politics. Leftists don’t want young people to see these things if they can avoid it. So naturally, underage users — when their minds are most pliable — should be left out. The algorithm on social media drives the dissemination of information. It puts important topics in front of the user for maximum visibility. Now, that doesn’t mean the algorithm always gets it right. Sometimes it serves garbage, if that is what’s available at the time. Other times, though, it delivers critical news, knowledge, and insights about the world around us. To exclude young users from this is to intentionally cut them off from current events, instead relegating them to a corner of the internet where they can’t see the things that politicians like Newsom don’t want them to see. Young users are essentially cut off from a vital pipeline of information. In addition to the social media addiction bill, Newsom signed several other bills into law. Adam’s Law, named after Adam Raine, who took his life in April after developing an “increasing emotional reliance on ChatGPT,” aims to establish AI safety mechanisms specifically around underage users. The bill forces AI companies to alert parents if their child discusses suicidal thoughts with a bot. Companies must also conduct regular child safety audits and risk assessments. Next, California expanded its definition of “child sexual exploitation” to include AI-generated content when depicting people under the age of 18 engaged in sexual conduct. Lastly, advertisers can’t target underage users, nor can AI systems be used in conjunction with student information in schools from K-12. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Brother of Lindsay Clancy holdout juror sheds light on pivotal decision — reveals family 'cannot leave the house': Report **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Paul Sacca | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/lindsay-clancy-holdout-juror-brother-family.md The brother of the lone holdout juror who sparked a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy murder case revealed new details about his sibling's controversial decision, according to a new report. The New York Post interviewed a man the outlet identified as the brother of the unnamed juror who refused to join the other 11 members of the jury in the polarizing case of the Massachusetts mother and the extent of her criminal responsibility in the deaths of her three young children. 'They won’t leave us alone, and we don’t know anything.' "He looked at the case, and he made the call," the brother told the Post. "For me, that’s how I would do it. I would just listen to the case with all the evidence, and go from there." The brother noted, "His choice was good for some people, but not good for other people." The brother pushed back against unfounded claims that the juror's Catholic faith influenced his jury decision. "I don’t think religion had anything to do with it," the brother stated. The holdout juror's family has faced an onslaught of unwanted attention since the high-profile trial ended in a mistrial, according to his brother. The New York Post reported, "The brother also said that the devoutly Catholic Haitian immigrant clan has been relentlessly hounded by true-crime gawkers and reporters since the juror refused to agree with the 11 others and find Clancy not guilty of murder by reason of insanity after she killed her three kids." "My family cannot leave the house," said the brother — who was not named by the New York Post. He added, "They are leaving notes at my mother’s house. They won’t leave us alone, and we don’t know anything." "People have been calling me like crazy," the brother said. "It's crazy." RELATED: Allie Beth Stuckey warns against ‘empathy-based justice’ in Lindsay Clancy trial As Blaze News reported last week, juror Paula Devlin revealed to Gayle King on "CBS Mornings" that the holdout juror was a male "person of color." On Monday, Judge William Sullivan of Plymouth Superior Court indefinitely impounded the names of the jurors, citing concerns about their privacy and "real and present" risks of harm. Judge Sullivan wrote: Some of the empaneled jurors have come forward and spoken to the media after the declaration of a mistrial on September 4, 2026. However, the majority of the jurors, deliberating and alternates, have maintained their anonymity, despite multiple requests to give statements. The Court concludes that there is a risk of immediate and irreparable injury should the list be made available to the public at this time. Clancy's defense did not deny that she fatally strangled her three children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan — with exercise bands and then attempted suicide at their Massachusetts home while the father was running errands. During the trial, Clancy's defense argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she killed her kids. After the judge declared a mistrial, Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, made a curious plea to President Donald Trump to pardon his client. "It's a very sad situation. I certainly heard that. Look, it's very sad. There's no winner there. There's no win no matter what you do. Three children are dead," Trump said of the case. A status hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29, when Clancy's attorneys are expected to argue against a second trial. Reddington told "CBS Mornings" he will present a motion to dismiss the case at the hearing. "It will be a motion to dismiss based on what's called double jeopardy grounds, because there's no … manifest necessity," Reddington stated. "You have to have a manifest necessity to declare a mistrial for obvious reasons — the invested time that the jurors put into it, the court, the staff, the defendant, the prosecution, everybody." Meanwhile, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not said publicly whether he plans to retry Clancy. Patrick Clancy, the husband of Lindsay Clancy, is set to appear on "60 Minutes" on Sunday evening. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Free money wins elections — and that’s why America’s debt will keep growing **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Auron MacIntyre | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/free-money-wins-elections-and-thats-why-americas-debt-will-keep-growing.md As Republicans head toward what looks like a perilous midterm election, affordability is on everyone’s lips. The Biden administration never convinced voters that it had brought food and housing costs under control. Some Republicans have tried to pretend the problem does not exist; others have acknowledged it without making meaningful progress. Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump made choices that worsened the pressure, from expanding federal spending to deepening costly foreign commitments. Neither party has a durable solution. The Congressional Budget Office projects a $1.9 trillion deficit for fiscal year 2026, and debt held by the public now tops 101% of GDP. Spending and inflation are not accidents at the edge of mass democracy. They follow from its incentives, and nothing will change until the incentives do. In a democracy, giving voters something is the winning strategy, and Trump likes winning. The affordability crisis has several causes, but much of the immediate pain comes from the cumulative rise in prices. Wages may rise and bank balances may grow, yet each dollar buys less. Inflation is a pernicious tax precisely because it is hidden. Normal taxes must be enacted and collected openly. No one votes directly for inflation, which instead erodes the value of money people have already earned and saved. It punishes careful savers while rewarding borrowers and speculators. Deficit spending can fuel inflation when government expands demand faster than the economy can supply goods and services. Creating money makes it easier to distribute benefits today, but it can reduce the currency’s purchasing power tomorrow. Inflation also lightens the real burden of government debt by reducing the value of what was borrowed. The average person, however, rarely has early access to new money or the sophisticated financial instruments wealthy investors use to hedge against rising prices. He feels the loss at the grocery store. The oldest move in politics is to offer people a material reward for their support. Every system does it, but democracy makes the exchange especially powerful because elections confer legitimacy. A politician rarely calls the arrangement a “bribe.” He routes the benefit through a program aimed at groups likely to reward him at the polls. The legal form gives the transaction respectability, but voters still understand the bargain. Donald Trump recently dispensed with even that pretense. At the Republican midterm convention last week, he promised $5,000 to every adult citizen if Republicans retain the House and Senate. An independent estimate put the cost at more than $1.2 trillion, and Congress would have to approve it. Whether the payments ever materialize is not the point. The offer mocks the fiscal restraint conservatives claim to espouse. Conservative commentators objected, but Trump brushed them aside. He understands the incentives. He promised not to cut Social Security and Medicare because benefits win votes. In a democracy, giving voters something is the winning strategy, and Trump likes winning. RELATED: The GOP still has a loser mentality Blaze Media Illustration Warnings about democracy long predate modern America. Plato and Aristotle distrusted rule by the demos, and the American founders built a constitutional republic with layers of insulation against popular majorities. Their fear was simple: Once voters discover they can use the state to transfer other people’s money to themselves, restraint collapses. A republic may survive only if institutions impose limits that elections alone will not. Is the $5,000 check good fiscal policy? Of course not. It’s a disaster. A transfer approaching $1.2 trillion would widen the deficit and almost certainly worsen inflation, especially in an economy already near capacity. Pandemic-era fiscal stimulus did not single-handedly cause the 2021-2022 inflation surge; supply shocks and monetary policy mattered too. But New York Federal Reserve research found that fiscal support contributed materially. Is the check good politics? Yes. In a democracy, vote-buying is an optimal strategy, and anyone who refuses it risks losing to someone who will. Democrats have principles that let them hand out money and receive praise — and votes. Republicans profess principles that should forbid it. Sound economics grants no electoral advantage. Reckless spending is terrible policy, but it can win elections. Conservatives may campaign on austerity, but austerity rarely inspires voters. If progressives alone use the winning strategy, conservative fiscal theory becomes irrelevant. Losers do not write budgets or exercise executive power. Both parties therefore spend when they hold office, though they direct the money toward different constituencies. The democratic incentive is to distribute everything you can while you can, because the other side may take power tomorrow and spend it instead. RELATED: We need lawfare for white men Blaze Media Illustration The philosopher Nick Land captured the logic in “The Dark Enlightenment”: As the democratic virus burns through society, painstakingly accumulated habits and attitudes of forward-thinking, prudential, human and industrial investment are replaced by a sterile, orgiastic consumerism, financial incontinence, and a “reality television” political circus. Tomorrow might belong to the other team, so it’s best to eat it all now. None of this is hopeful. Conservatives have made preserving mass democracy a principle even as the system rewards policies they oppose. A constitutional republic needs constraints on majoritarian appetite, but there is little political will even for modest spending cuts, much less fundamental limits on the franchise. The brutal truth is that both parties will keep spending recklessly while blaming each other for rising debt and prices. As long as mass democracy reigns, buying votes with public money will remain one of the surest ways to gain and hold power. Every politician wants power. --- ### EXCLUSIVE: Rob Schneider opens up about his friendship with Charlie Kirk: ‘He changed my thinking’ **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Christian Toto | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/exclusive-rob-schneider-opens-up-about-his-friendship-with-charlie-kirk-he-changed-my-thinking.md It started as a practical joke. Rob Schneider teases that his pal Adam Sandler created his, “You can do it!” line from 1998’s “The Waterboy” so people would harass him wherever he went. 'When you have your friend Charlie Kirk murdered ... I don’t know what else you can do but fight for this country.' And they do, Schneider playfully tells Align, whether he’s having dinner or just walking down the street. It helps that the actor repeated the line in five subsequent films, including last year’s “Happy Gilmore 2.” “It’s still happening,” Schneider says of the fan reaction. So he decided to lean into the catchphrase. The quote inspired the You Can Do It Foundation, a group that celebrates faith, family, and freedom through the arts — Schneider is the official spokesperson. Now that nonprofit has teamed up with the American Rights Alliance, an organization that defends constitutional rights through legal advocacy, public policy, and education. We can do it Together, the groups created You Can Do It, America! The national initiative will promote “values-driven” media and educational outreach. And boy, is that content needed today, he says. Modern schools are “taken over by communist teachers who are now more interested in taking kids out of the classroom to protest against the president who is not the party they approve of and tearing down the structure of our society,” the comic actor says. “We need to have stories to remind people how exceptional the United States is.” “There may have been 117 billion human beings in the history of the world, but less than 1% of them got to live in a society that has free speech and are able to cast a ballot and were able to benefit from their own labors,” he adds. It’s serious, sober stuff from the man also known as “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.” Sacrifice in stride Schneider’s expansive show-business career began with his standout work on “Saturday Night Live” (1990-1994). He segued seamlessly to the big screen (“The Animal,” “The Hot Chick,” “The Benchwarmers,” “Grown Ups 1 and 2”) while continuing to tour as a stand-up comedian. He’s still working — he’ll return to the “Grown Ups” franchise next year and reprise the voice of the principal in “Leo 2.” But the roles aren’t coming as frequently as in the past. That’s not an accident. “I’ve suffered personally and professionally , but compared to what the ultimate sacrifice is, what Charlie Kirk went through,” he says, his voice trailing off. Failing to make another “Deuce Bigalow” sequel pales in comparison. Fast friends Kirk wasn’t just a political figure Schneider admired from afar. The two became friends after Schneider began appearing at Turning Point USA events, including joining Kirk on his college tour. In October 2024, the two appeared together at Grand Canyon University in Arizona, where Schneider got an up-close look at Kirk’s exchanges with students. Schneider has since said that the experience changed his own thinking. “Charlie did for me what he did for so many university students across this country,” he told an AmFest 2025 audience last December. “He dismantled foundational thinking.” What seems to have stayed with Schneider most, however, was the way Kirk treated the students who disagreed with him. “Charlie respected the dignity of every human being with love, with Christ’s love,” he said in an interview shortly after Kirk's murder. “It was this summer that I’d realized he was a true, authentic American genius,” Schneider said. “He had the intellect and the love of country.” RELATED: The gift of turning 60 Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images Media malfeasance Kirk comes up repeatedly during our own conversation, which we're having shortly after the one-year anniversary of Kirk's murder. Schneider shows real passion when he describes what his friend brought to the culture and why his voice mattered. He's also furious at what he sees as the media’s character assassination of the late leader. Media outlets, he argues, too often regurgitate false or misleading quotes about Kirk, staining the man’s legacy in the process. Then-Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah wrote this following Kirk’s death: “Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is ... not the same as violence.” The Post subsequently fired Attiah over her social media posts, although an arbitrator later ordered the newspaper to reinstate her with back pay. Never mind that Kirk never once "espoused violence" in any of his many public appearances. “They can repeat it without being accused of character assassination or being liable for slander ... an accusation being enough proof," says Schneider. "That’s what runs on social media." Swimming to Cuba He’s equally aghast that the Democrats are embracing communism anew, ignoring the ugly historical precedents. “When the Iron Curtain fell ... no one was running to go into communist East Germany ... nobody’s swimming to get to Cuba,” he says, later paraphrasing Milton Friedman’s famous line. “There’s never been a system that has taken more people out of poverty ,” he says. Schneider’s new initiative opens up a world of possibilities, allowing for stories that Hollywood won’t touch. “I want to see a movie about someone who is de-transitioned, and that’s a TV series I’d like to make,” he says. Schneider also suggests projects about political dissidents here in the U.S., folks who have been targeted by groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Schneider has built up decades of goodwill with his warmhearted comedies and timeless “SNL” routines. But something else has connected him to his fans in recent years: his willingness to speak boldly about the state of the country in ways that most celebrities would never attempt. “I can’t go anywhere without someone coming up and hugging me, shaking my hand. 'Thank you for speaking up and being our voice,'” he says. “I’m just a simple comedian. I’m a college dropout ... I make silly movies, but at a certain point I’m fed up. And if I can speak for some Americans and make them feel emboldened ...” “When you have your friend Charlie Kirk murdered ... I don’t know what else you can do but fight for this country, in a way that I can, through the culture and whatever platform I have,” he says. --- ### 5-year-old boy with special needs charged with felony assault — parents 'punch the bully back' with lawsuit **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/boy-felony-assault-autism-arrest.md The parents of a 5-year-old boy with autism who had been charged with felony assault in Tennessee have filed a lawsuit after a school administrator refused to back down. The boy had been enrolled at Sumner County’s H.B. Williams Elementary School in the kindergarten class, and school officials were made aware of his special needs. 'Resorting to legal actions to punish parents for the actions of a 5-year-old child who still needs those supports — that’s just not the way to go.' The parents said they asked for behavioral support and federal law requires schools to provide extra resources, but the school officials refused and said they would gather their own evidence, according to the lawsuit. The school agreed to providing an aide after several behavioral incidents involving pushing, shoving, and throwing objects at other children. The parents said the support came too late. "When you don’t provide those supports, you can deny rights not only to the child with a disability, but you can risk harming other children," said Justin Gilbert, the attorney for the family. "It’s a key reminder that there are broad consequences to not providing supports and interventions and paraprofessional roles and special education." The child was charged with felony aggravated assault by a school resource officer, but a judge rejected the charges in court in April. He said the child was not competent to stand trial. Then two of the parents of the boy's classmates filed their own petitions to charge the child. One of those parents is a Sumner County high school assistant principal. Gilbert described the case as a "little bit unusual." One of the petitions was dropped, but the other by the school official moved forward. The plaintiffs called the motion "pure vengeance" against the parents and the child. "Resorting to legal actions to punish parents for the actions of a 5-year-old child who still needs those supports — that’s just not the way to go," Gilbert added. RELATED: 2nd grader with horrible injuries dropped off at school — cops say stepmother tortured her The parents are now suing the district for allegedly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as other federal statues. "Sometimes you need to stand up for your kids," Gilbert added. "Sometimes you need to punch the bully back in the mouth, and that’s what the parents are doing here." WKRN-TV reached out to Sumner County Schools, the Sumner County district attorney, and the assistant principal for comment. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### The mass-deportation promise is disappearing **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Mike Howell | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-mass-deportation-promise-is-disappearing.md At the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas last week, Vice President JD Vance said, “Under Donald Trump’s leadership, we have seen the foreign-born share of our population drop by 3 million people. That’s illegal aliens that we sent back home.” That is not true, and I wish he hadn’t said it. The first sentence appears to round a recent estimate that the total foreign-born population fell by 2.9 million. The second recasts that estimate as 3 million illegal aliens whom the administration sent home. That is not what the underlying study says. But Vance said what he said, and if we are going to be straight shooters with Americans, then we need to hold all our political leaders to the same standard. That is especially true when it comes to the base’s favorite candidate for the next Republican presidential nomination. It’s one thing not to mention mass deportation, but quite another to throw out numbers that nobody believes and the government’s own public data does not support. With all due respect to the vice president, who has earned a deep reservoir of trust and support, we still need to be clear-eyed if we are going to build momentum for a mass deportation campaign. As the vice president himself has said, “We need people to be pushing back from inside the tent.” We cannot accept premature celebrations in place of action. There could be a million explanations for how that statistic made it into the speech instead of the term “mass deportation” itself. My read is that someone ordered them not to speak about mass deportation at the convention, so it may have been hard to come up with something to say in its place. I have drafted and edited my fair share of speeches over the years. Group projects can take on lives of their own, and things end up in speeches that should not. I was on the ground in Dallas, and I heard no speaker use the term “mass deportation.” It was a noticeable departure from the term’s prominence at the 2024 Republican National Convention, where viewers and attendees saw signs calling for “mass deportation now” while President Trump promised the “largest" deportation operation in history. The promised mass-deportation campaign has not come to pass, and the absence of any reference to it just two years later speaks volumes about the abandonment of the cause. The only reference to mass deportation I caught at the convention came from Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during an offstage interview. “Our base wants mass deportation. We need mass deportation,” he said. Mullin, who receives the sharpest mix of criticism and encouragement, including from yours truly and the Mass Deportation Coalition, deserves credit for at least being willing to say it. Obviously, doing it is what matters, but it starts with saying it. Instead of mass deportation, we have a growing scandal over basic deportation data. ICE has not released its fiscal year 2025 annual report, which congressional appropriators directed the agency to issue within 90 days of the fiscal year’s end. The ICE dashboard that was regularly updated, even during the Obama and Biden years, has not posted new removal data since November 2024. RELATED: Trump’s mass-deportation promise needs receipts Megan Varner/Getty Images In place of numbers are far-fetched claims and surface-level figures tossed out on social media and suspiciously amplified by networks of influencers. I suspect the amplification is not organic. Many of the posts are not even logical on their own terms, including one I saw recently claiming that ICE achieved a monthly record of 50,000 arrests. It then multiplied that “record” by the 20 months President Trump has been in office and claimed that 3 million people had therefore been deported. But 50,000 multiplied by 20 is 1 million, not 3 million. And arrests are not deportations. Nonetheless, the 3 million claim made the rounds on social media. Then came another 3-million claim, this time drawn from a study based on the Current Population Survey, a voluntary monthly household survey used to measure the labor force. The study estimated that the total foreign-born population fell by 2.9 million from January 2025 to July 2026. It also preliminarily estimated that the illegal immigrant population fell by 2.3 million, from 15.8 million to 13.5 million. Importantly, that is an estimated net change in population, not a count of people deported. The study says the change can reflect new arrivals, deportations, voluntary emigration, legalizations, and deaths. Vance also said Americans had competed for jobs and homes against “25 million new illegal immigrants.” If you are confused, then you are in the right place. The new claim that 3 million illegal aliens were sent home rests not on administrative deportation records but on an extrapolation from the survey, which does not ask respondents about their immigration status. It is a stretch to turn that estimate into 3 million illegal aliens “sent back home,” especially after claiming moments earlier that 25 million new illegal immigrants had competed with Americans for jobs and homes. RELATED: The conservative base will remember this betrayal PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images None of this should even be part of the argument or public conversation. The Trump administration has administrative data on removals and returns; it is choosing not to release a detailed public accounting. This should be among the easiest data to track and compile in all of government. Each formal removal or return generates case records and departure paperwork. Officials review those figures regularly. They know what I know: Actual interior deportations are far below the estimates being bandied about. My estimate is that interior removals are probably closer to one-sixth of the 3 million the administration claims. I have sued the DHS with the Oversight Project to obtain this data, but the agency is still spending taxpayer money on lawyers to keep it hidden. It is a cover-up and a scandal, and there are unfortunately no better words for it. It’s unfortunate that the ascendant vice president decided to jump headfirst into the deportation-data mess. It’s one thing not to mention mass deportation, but quite another to throw out numbers that nobody believes and the government’s own public data does not support. --- ### Ex-Republican changes his name to 'No-Trump' and runs as a Democrat — but it doesn't pay off **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Cortney Weil | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/ex-republican-changes-his-name-to-no-trump-and-runs-as-a-democrat-but-it-doesn-t-pay-off.md A former businessman looking to unseat an incumbent senator made a desperate move to win the Democratic Senate primary in Delaware — to disappointing results. On Tuesday, E. No-Trump Hansen finished a distant fourth in the primary. Sen. Chris Coons, who has held the seat since 2010, won in a landslide, carrying 78% of the expected vote, according to NBC News. 'The name E. (Eric) No-Trump Hansen isn't a gimmick — it's his complete commitment to positive change.' Hansen earned about 3,400 votes, or just 3.9% of the expected total. Jeff Appelhans and Mary Louve finished second and third, respectively. Just after 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Coons, who turned 63 last week, claimed victory on social media: "Thank you to every volunteer and grassroots donor who supported this campaign, and to every Democrat who raised their hand to run for office in Delaware. This moment requires all of us, and I’m proud to be in this fight with you." With a powerful incumbent like Coons seeking re-election, Hansen was always a long shot in the race, but he changed his name from Eric Hansen to E. No-Trump Hansen to prove his "commitment" to the cause. RELATED: Democrats admit to weaponizing shutdown for ‘leverage’ against GOP while Americans feel the sting Nathan Posner/Anadolu/Getty Images "The name E. (Eric) No-Trump Hansen isn't a gimmick — it's his complete commitment to positive change," his campaign website reads. When he made the name-change is unclear, but Fox News noted that he used it on his official statement of candidacy, dated July 20, 2026. "Trump has said he’ll go after his critics by any means available," Hansen explained to WHYY last month. "He will go after me, but I’m willing to bear that risk anyway — because the alternative is letting things get worse for Delawareans." His name is not the only major change Hansen has made lately. In 2024, he ran for Senate in Delaware as a Republican, suffering a crushing defeat by Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester, 56% to 39%. State records show he ran under the name "Eric Hansen." Hansen did not respond to request for comment from Blaze News. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### No, digital is not always best **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Paul Teller, Richard A. Viguerie | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/no-digital-is-not-always-best.md In today’s digital world, it’s easy to think that everyone loves everything digital. After all, many businesses conspicuously post a “No Cash Accepted” sign in their windows, and it’s getting increasingly harder to remember the days when no one needed a charged cell phone to get into a concert or board an airplane. But don’t let this electronic ubiquity fool you. Lots of people still prefer paper bills, statement printouts, physical mail, and other such hard copies. The proposed rule plays right into the hands of scammers and identity thieves. Let’s dig in a little on this. The U.S. Department of Labor and the Securities and Exchange Commission are each proposing a rule, “Regulation E-Delivery,” that would switch from paper to digital the default way that Americans receive certain critical communications. In other words, this new rule would mean that Americans would automatically receive communications electronically and would affirmatively have to ask to revert to paper delivery. Let’s look at each one of these entities separately. The DOL’s proposed rule would automatically move Americans to electronic delivery of their health plan documents, unless they actively work directly with their insurers to revert to paper delivery. This move would risk vulnerable Americans having more difficult access to — or missing altogether — critical health insurance information if they miss a notice or can't reliably access the internet. Americans should have the right to choose how they receive critical health plan documents, like HIPAA and COBRA notices, benefits summaries, and other important disclosures. Regulation E-Delivery would flip the choice from automatic-paper to automatic-digital, resulting in major hurdles for specific populations, particularly seniors, rural residents without reliable internet, and low-income households. The proposal would automatically move people to Regulation E-Delivery, unless they actively work with each insurer to restore paper delivery. This is the opposite of how the system should work. People should not default because they miss a notice or because — like most people — they have trouble navigating large corporate bureaucracy. The people most comfortable with Regulation E-Delivery are the most tech-literate folks and can much more easily opt-in under the current system. Those who depend on paper often lack that same digital literacy. This effort seems like a solution in search of a problem that doesn’t exist. Right now, people who want electronic delivery can easily choose it, and those who want paper can keep getting it without having to do anything. There's no reason to flip that on its head. Some people argue that this proposal is a cost-saving measure, but is that really believable? Health insurance companies have a history of pocketing savings and not passing them along to their customers. Also, has anyone done a serious analysis of the costs to consumers for missed notices or out-of-date information? This proposal leans heavily on cutting corporate paper, printing, and postage costs, without seriously weighing what that means for the people on the receiving end. RELATED: Silicon Valley is building a god in its own image Gremlin/Getty Images The SEC's proposed Regulation E-Delivery would make electronic delivery the default for sensitive financial documents, reversing today's arrangement where those documents arrive on paper, unless for them electronically. The Regulation E-Delivery hurdles would be much more complicated than a simple “opt-out” checkbox. Investors could be required to contact each financial firm separately — through multiple websites, portals, or telephone systems — to preserve or restore paper delivery across their accounts. This mandate disadvantages folks who either are not as savvy with digital communications or who have unreliable internet/cell service. These people would be the least likely to successfully navigate the many barriers that this new rule would require to preserve paper communication. The proposed rule plays right into the hands of scammers and identity thieves by requiring the same basic “click the link” actions that investors have been conditioned to avoid. Some people simply prefer physical copies of certain things. Perhaps you’re the type of person who prefers a physical book — not an e-reader — to read on the beach. Or perhaps you’d rather have a printed, rather than a texted, receipt from a restaurant. Similarly, many Americans still prefer important health care and financial documents in paper form, as they can be easier to read, file, and refer to. It also is questionable whether a paper option would even remain that long if Regulation E-Delivery goes into effect. Millions of Americans have learned the hard way that the federal government’s promise of consumer choice is not always worth the paper it’s printed on. Remember when President Obama promised Americans that they could keep their doctors under Obamacare? Forgive us if we take the Regulation E-Delivery promise of enduring choice between paper and electronic delivery with a similar dose of skepticism. The DOL and the SEC should reject this proposed rule and keep the current system, where Americans can keep what they have now or choose for themselves whether they want to switch to digital. --- ### Islamic Society of North America illegally supported Muslim candidate's campaign, congressman says **Published:** September 17, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/islamic-society-illegal-el-sayed.md Republican Rep. Keith Self of Texas called for the Treasury to investigate the Islamic Society of North America for allegedly illegal campaign donations. Self said that the nonprofit violated financial rules by supporting Abdul El-Sayed, the Democrat candidate for one of the two U.S. Senate seats from Michigan. 'Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize a nonprofit acting like a campaign committee for the Red-Green Alliance.' Self cited a report in the Middle East Forum that said the campaign had set up a booth at the Huntington Place hall during an Islamic Society of North America convention. "The booth displayed large 'Abdul for U.S. Senate' and 'Muslims for Abdul' campaign banners, urging attendees to elect Mr. El-Sayed. Campaign personnel reportedly distributed campaign literature, solicited donations, and promoted a $50 contribution in exchange for campaign ," the letter read. "Attendees were also provided with QR codes directing them to donate or volunteer for the campaign, as well as given invitations to a campaign fundraiser," he added. "Campaign personnel were also reportedly active participants throughout the convention. They were observed waving campaign posters, distributing campaign flyers, and placing campaign materials on seats. A campaign volunteer reportedly distributed literature to attendees as they exited the hall following Mr. El-Sayed's speech." Self wrote that the candidate would be allowed to attend the event but that 501(c)3 rules strictly forbid that group from endorsing the candidate or allowing fundraising for the campaign to occur. He also pointed out that the group was an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation case, involving the provision of funding for the Hamas terror group. Self called on Scott Bessent, the secretary of the Treasury, to investigate the group and review its tax-exempt status. RELATED: 'He's full of s**t': Trump RIPS INTO Abdul El-Sayed after his victory in Democratic primary "Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize a nonprofit acting like a campaign committee for the Red-Green Alliance," Self wrote. "These circumstances warrant a thorough examination of whether ISNA participated or intervened in a political campaign," he concluded. Blaze News requests for comment from both the Islamic Society of North America and the El-Sayed campaign were not returned in time for publication. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here --- ### Gavin Newsom finally ADMITS the pandemic shutdown was 'insane' while fly-fishing with Jake Tapper **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/gavin-newsom-pandemic-response-mistakes.md Years after defending California's response to the coronavirus pandemic, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom listed some of the mistakes made. Newsom made the admissions in a bizarre interview with Jake Tapper of CNN where both appeared to be trying to fly-fish in a river in Montana. 'I regret that, obviously.' Tapper asserted that there needed to be a commission to understand the pandemic and what responses worked and which did not work. "Yeah, look, everyone's a genius in hindsight, so, you know, coulda woulda," Newsom responded. "What would you do differently?" Tapper asked. "I had a whole chapter just about Purell. We were running around doing price-gouging legislation against Purell, and everyone was thinking it was a Purell-based crisis," referring to his book. "People were scrubbing their groceries," Tapper recalled. "Yeah! I mean, DeSantis was closing down his beaches before we closed ours. The idea that we closed beaches was insane. In hindsight," Newsom replied. "Obviously the schools taking too long," he added. "A lot of districts were open, but the big ones weren't. L.A. refused. And I regret that, obviously." Tapper noted that teachers said that reopening schools too soon would kill them. Then he pressed Newsom on the scandal when he was caught attending a dinner at a ritzy restaurant with little to no pandemic protections. "What on earth were you thinking?" Tapper asked. "Just a boneheaded decision, a stupid decision, I just ... dialing it in, we were exhausted, friend's birthday, it was a restaurant that was open the night before. "And it was just against the spirit of the rules that I was promoting," he added. "It was completely legit condemnation." He said he had a mask when he walked in and when he walked out of the restaurant. BlazeTV host Steve Deace lambasted the governor in comments to Blaze News. "I don't think there's anything sincere about Gavin Newsom whatsoever except his political ambitions," said Deace. "So I suspect this is only being said as a means by which to triangulate as the Democrat nominee in 2028, when he'd likely be running against someone seen as an extension of Trump, who was president at the advent of the scamdemic." RELATED: Gavin Newsom tries to dunk on Trump and gets obliterated with online ridicule Newsom has admitted that he's looking at a possible campaign for the Democratic nomination for president in 2028. The entire video of the fly-fishing interview can be viewed on CNN's YouTube channel. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### UNDERCOVER VIDEO: 'Shady as f**k' scheme paid people to vote for Talarico in 'roundabout way,' Soros PAC leader caught admitting **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/undercover-pac-soros-talarico-vote.md The head of a Texas political action committee has been caught on an undercover video apparently admitting how his group was able to pay voters indirectly to vote for the group's candidate for the U.S. Senate. The undercover video, shared Wednesday, was recorded by Townhall and appeared to show Texas Majority PAC organizing manager Sky McAdams explaining how the scheme worked. 'If I was a Republican, I would be pissed. I would be like, that’s shady as f**k.' "We are paying people $25 to attend a one-hour Zoom class to learn why voting is important and why the Republicans are causing all of these bad things," McAdams says, according to the video. "So it’s, like, a roundabout way of paying people for their votes, essentially. Which is interesting." While paying voters directly would be illegal, McAdams seemed to admit that his program is "essentially" doing that indirectly. "You can’t pay someone to vote for someone," McAdams continues, according to the video. "You can’t be like, ‘Here’s $25. Go vote for me.’ You can say, ‘Attend a one-hour class and you can receive $25.’ And then the class just talks about, like, the importance of it. It’s a little gray." On the video, McAdams smiles and adds, "If I was a Republican, I would be pissed. I would be like, that’s shady as f**k." The scheme is called a "paid relational program" that is run through software named "Rally" and operated by a company called "Relentless." Texas Majority PAC was under investigation for allegedly funding state Democrats who fled Texas in order to block a vote on congressional redistricting. The group is funded in part by billionaire leftist George Soros. Townhall posted the edited video on social media, where it was widely circulated. RELATED: James Talarico shamelessly politicizes Amazon worker's tragic death to attack capitalism In response to the video, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Talarico's Republican opponent, said, "Absolutely outrageous! James Talarico's team just admitted they are trying to bribe people for votes. Texans aren't for sale, no matter how much James Talarico thinks they are." A Texas Majority PAC spokesperson told Blaze News that McAdams had misrepresented the program and has since been fired. "Participants in the program are being paid for grassroots organizing work," the spokesman added in a statement. "The way it was described by one rogue employee is factually incorrect, not how we operate, and they were immediately fired." Blaze News' requests for comment from Relentless and the Talarico campaign were not returned in time for publication. Relentless claims on its website that it netted "47,533 Democratic votes" in other campaigns in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania in 2024. The Texas Majority PAC said in financial disclosures that it had spent $500,000 on services from Relentless. Townhall noted hypothetically that at $25 per vote, that sum could net about 20,000 ballots. AG Paxton also oversaw the investigation into Texas Majority PAC. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### ‘Racist’ new Sacha Baron Cohen film sparks a boycott before it even hits theaters **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Stu and Dave Do America **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/stu-and-dave-do-america/racist-film-sparks-a-boycott-before-it-even-hits-theaters.md Sacha Baron Cohen is bringing Ali G back to the big screen, but the character is already stirring controversy. Tens of thousands of emails were sent urging theaters not to screen "Ali G: Who Iz I?" over accusations that the character is rooted in offensive racial stereotypes — something that’s never stopped theaters from promoting his films before. And for this reason, BlazeTV hosts Stu Burguiere and Dave Landau aren’t sure the negative hype is entirely organic. Dave recalls his old films where he would interview important figures like Dick Cheney who “wouldn’t know who he was.” “It was always a fascinating interview because he would just bomb the interview, and it was always pretty funny to watch,” he says, noting that his film "Borat" made him laugh “the hardest” he ever has in theaters at “how unbelievably funny and inappropriate it was.” “I am not a fan at all ... of this, ‘Well, our standards have changed, and now he can’t do this character anymore.’ It's more of just like, 'I don’t know, I’m kind of done with that character from 20 years ago,'” Stu chimes in. “Well, everybody knows who he is,” Dave agrees. “So it’s either they’re in on the joke, or they’re being paid to be on it. I mean, half the trailer is just people breaking because they know who he is.” “It’s played out,” he continues. “We know the joke and so do the people that he’s playing the joke on. I certainly don’t think it’s racist. If it’s racist against anybody, it’s probably Jews, and he’s Jewish.” “I mean, the most offensive stuff in Borat was against Jewish people,” he adds. Dave also notes sarcastically that “sending emails because a movie shouldn’t be shown and getting 37,000 of them” doesn’t “at all build hype and give incentive for places to show a film.” “I’m kind of skeptical, honestly,” Stu says. “It feels to me like a promotional stunt, like, ‘Oh gosh, everyone’s calling him racist, this is a big controversy.'” Want more from Stu and Dave? To enjoy more of Stu and Dave's lethal blend of wit, humor, and insightful commentary subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### ‘Do you have your own math?’ Frank Turek exposes the absurdity of ‘my truth’ **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Relatable **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/do-you-have-your-own-math-frank-turek-exposes-the-absurdity-of-my-truth.md When feelings become the ultimate authority, society is in trouble. And based on recent events, it would appear that society is indeed already in trouble — and it’s because of what Christian apologist Frank Turek calls the “war on reality.” “I don’t have my law of gravity and you have your law of gravity. There’s just gravity. There’s not my laws of logic and your laws of logic. There’s just the laws of logic,” Turek tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey. “And so when people come around saying, ‘I have my truth; you have your truth,’” he says, “I like to say to them, ‘Do you have your own math?’” “You don’t have your own math. You don’t have your own truth either,” he adds. As this way of rejecting the truth has become all too common, Turek explains, “we’re given over to futile thinking and then ultimately to a depraved mind, where not only are we doing evil, we’re cheering on other people who do it.” “And I know you covered this,” he tells Stuckey, “but a few weeks ago, that law up in Massachusetts, which allowed a woman to kill her baby up to the moment of birth. And they’re cheering this.” “They’re not only doing evil; they’re cheering on other people who are doing it. And every OB-GYN knows this. There’s never a reason, if a woman has a problem with her pregnancy in the third trimester, that you need to kill the baby,” he continues. “You can just do a C-section, take care of the mom. But no, if I choose to kill my baby, then it’s a right. That’s madness,” he adds. “I mean, we already saw the logical conclusion of that with the Lindsay Clancy trial, in the same state. You have this mentality that a person’s value is dependent upon their location or their size, which is basically the justification of abortion,” Stuckey agrees. “Now we see that a person’s value and the justice that belongs to them is dependent upon still the woman’s choice and still her hormones and her emotions and everything that was apparently affecting her,” she continues. “There’s just no sense of, it seems like, because of this war on reality, objective truth and therefore objective justice. You can’t have justice without objective truth, because then everything is like, you know, I call it empathy-based justice,” she adds. Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey? To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### Has Britain fallen? Nick Freitas’ documentary ‘The Immigration Crisis That Will Destroy the West’ delivers a dire warning to America **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Making the Argument with Nick Freitas **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/making-the-argument-with-nick-freitas/has-britain-fallen-freitas-documentary-immigration-crisis.md Walk through the district of Whitechapel in the East End of London today, and you’ll feel like you’re in the slums of Bangladesh — so glaring are the Bengali shop signs, the East London Mosque, the hijabs and salwar kameez, and the market stalls shouting in Sylheti. But mass migration, true to its name, has remade far more places than Whitechapel. From Greater London, Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester, and Luton, among others, the U.K. looks and feels far removed from the recognizably British country it was just 30 years ago. That’s largely because of the sheer volume of immigrants, but also because of the specific cultures the country has embraced — Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Somali, and other cultures that do not melt into Britain so much as plant their own institutions inside it. With the government’s open-door, anti-assimilation posture, and with the state branding any opponent of mass migration racist or xenophobic, it’s no wonder immigrant crime has flourished. As a former Virginia Republican delegate who served during the Biden administration, BlazeTV host Nick Freitas is keenly familiar with being labeled a bigot for protesting the flooding of immigrants, many of them criminals, across America’s own borders. “Britain and the United States have something in common,” he says. “We’ve both been subjected to a well-funded and organized effort to convince us that mass immigration is necessary economically, socially, and even morally, that to the extent that we have a culture of our own, we should be ashamed of it.” While the jig is up — people on both sides of the Atlantic have stopped swallowing the lecture — the threat is far from over. With both nations fundamentally altered demographically, the spread of radical Islam poses perhaps the greatest threat to the West. “The Immigration Crisis That Will Destroy the West” is a documentary from the Heritage Foundation and the Daily Signal that takes a daring look over that very precipice — peering into the future of a world where the West, with its rich history, cultures, and customs, faith-rooted principles, and economic and political traditions, is forever lost. Nick Freitas teams up with Heritage Foundation experts Mike Gonzalez, Nile Gardiner, and Lora Ries, along with British voices Konstantin Kisin, Matt Goodwin, Winston Marshall, Connor Tomlinson, Rafe Heydel-Mankoo, and Patrick Christys, to not only give an honest assessment of how close we are to losing it all but to unpack the strategy that can pull it back from the brink. “I absolutely believe that we can still correct this,” says Freitas. “What needs to be understood is that you don't have unlimited time to correct it, and the hour is late.” Early access to the Heritage Foundation documentary “The Immigration Crisis That Will Destroy the West” is available now on BlazeTV+ exclusively for subscribers. Use promo code NICK for $20 off your subscription. --- ### As AI panic spreads, Josh Hawley launches federal investigation **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Zach Laidlaw | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/josh-hawley-rogue-ai.md Just a month ago, one of OpenAI’s models escaped from its testing environment and hacked into an AI repository site, Hugging Face. The news sparked concern over AI’s illicit capabilities, and it even caught the government’s attention. Since then, leading figures in tech and politics have scrambled to draw battle lines and choose sides. Now, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is opening an investigation to mitigate the damage of future breaches, and at least one AI CEO is asking for consequences. In a letter sent to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on September 9, Hawley outlined the extent of the attack and its implications. According to the document, more than 1,200 OpenAI agents escaped from their testing zone and colluded across 70,000 messages and files sent among each other as they plotted their attack on Hugging Face. Reportedly, 700 of the agents successfully breached the website and accessed the site’s internal systems and code. Even more astonishing, the bots then attempted to hide their activity. ’Who is held when Al goes rogue?’ Hawley labeled this as rogue behavior. Furthermore, he called OpenAI “reckless,” accusing the company of knowing that its AI bots went rogue and continuing evaluation tests anyway, despite the illicit activity. The letter ended by asking the questions that all of us want answers to: “What happens to critical infrastructure, banks, and utilities if Al agents hack into their systems? How can personal data of millions of Americans be properly safeguarded? And who is held when Al goes rogue?” Seemingly, these are the answers that Hawley’s investigation aims to uncover. Now OpenAI has a deadline to turn over as much information and documentation as possible by October 1, 2026. Hawley’s investigation comes at a time when the Big AI CEOs all suddenly agree that AI development should slow down. Over the weekend, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and SpaceXAI’s Elon Musk all joined forces to say it’s time to “pace the frontier.” In a blog post, Amodei warned, “We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models. Progress will still seem fast, and we must make wise use of the time we gain.” The fear, according to Amodei, is that AI will soon reach a point of artificial superintelligence where models can build the next generation of models on their own without human intervention. He also cited the OpenAI Hugging Face incident as further proof for a necessary slowdown. Keep in mind that even though three of the top AI platform holders have asked to ease up the gas on AI development, this doesn’t mean any of them will actually follow through and cede ground to the other. At this point, it’s just wishful thinking. RELATED: Now they’re saying the AIs built ‘secret civilizations’ — the truth is far worse Ole_CNX/Getty Images The paradox of accelerating toward your own worst fears may seem irresponsible in and of itself, but for Amodei, the endgame is a more global form of governance, which he doesn't think is a bad thing. “My view here is it has always been very strange that this technology is being built by a private company,” Amodei confessed in a recent appearance on "Face the Nation." “The government and the public needs to have a stake, and this is why we’ve supported regulation of the technology. Regulation constrains the private companies. Regulation allows the public and its elected representatives to have a say and limits what the private companies can do.” When asked if he would be willing to hand control of Anthropic’s AI to the government, Amodei admitted, “To the right combination of governments.” When pressed, he clarified, “I am concerned that one single government could abuse this technology just as easily as a single company could. But I think a combination of democratically elected governments — I don’t know about handing over, but some kind of oversight, some kind of joint governance, again, that would be the work of years, but I wonder if that’s the direction we need to go in.” In other words, Amodei is interested in a globalist government system essentially owning his AI platform and possibly others like it. This would give the body of governments control over a technology that will determine how information is gathered, processed, and shared, opening up plenty of opportunities for censorship, information suppression, and more nefarious acts. Of course, the cause for extreme government oversight has raised plenty of eyebrows online, and it even got the Vice President’s attention. “Personally, I feel a little bit weird about the fact that you have so many frontier AI tech companies kind of coming to the government and begging the government to regulate them,” said JD Vance in a recent interview. “It feels a little bit to me like a bit of a Trojan horse.” Only time will tell if he’s right. In the meantime, we have Hawley’s investigation on the horizon as he uncovers what really happened with OpenAI’s rogue agent issue. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Feds nab illegal alien who allegedly dismembered kidnapped victims for terrorist cartel **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/illegal-alien-cartel-dismembered-texas.md A 21-year-old Mexican national has been indicted for providing support for a terrorist cartel and committing heinous acts of brutality, according to the Justice Department. Jose Flores-Flores is accused of kidnapping people for the notorious Gulf Cartel and dismembering at least two victims in Reynosa, Mexico. 'Thanks to President Trump designating certain cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, federal law enforcement now has a whole new arsenal of legal tools to dismantle their activities.' Flores-Flores was allegedly a member of the cartel for more than a year and provided services that included "personnel, regional protection and enforcement, law enforcement countersurveillance, and disposal of human remains." Officials encountered the man near Mission, a border town near the southern tip of Texas. They discovered that Flores-Flores had been previously removed from the U.S. earlier in the year. The indictment claims he conducted counter-surveillance against the Mexican military and law enforcement for the cartel. According to the allegations, he also received photographs of targets and kidnapped them in order to hand them off to higher-ranking cartel members. Flores-Flores also allegedly dismembered two victims on the outskirts of Reynosa for the cartel. U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz pointed out that the indictment was possible because the Trump administration officially classified the cartel as a terrorist organization in Feb. 2025. "Thanks to President Trump designating certain cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, federal law enforcement now has a whole new arsenal of legal tools to dismantle their activities," he said in a statement in the press release. "Flores-Flores in just one defendant today," he added. "But under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Blanche, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas is on the very forefront of Making America Safe Again through the destruction and dismantling of these terrorist cartels." RELATED: Tactical agents arrest 'active scout' in Arizona near Mexico border, says CBP Mission is a large gateway for trade to Mexico through the Anzalduas International Bridge to Reynosa, Mexico, where the suspect is from. Flores-Flores faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible maximum fine of $250,000 if convicted. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### New Fed chair bucks Trump, hikes interest rate as inflation fears persist **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Cortney Weil | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/new-fed-chair-bucks-trump-hikes-interest-rate-as-inflation-fears-persist.md The Federal Reserve has raised the interest rate as fears of inflation persist despite economic optimism from President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, the Fed voted unanimously to increase interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point, the first rate-hike since 2023. 'We should have the LOWEST RATE of any country in the World.' "Economic activity is expanding at a solid pace. While uncertainty remains elevated owing, in part, to geopolitical developments, domestic spending has been resilient. Productivity growth is strong, and capital investment is robust. Job gains have kept pace with the workforce, and the unemployment rate has changed little," a press release from the Fed said. "Inflation remains elevated. Today's policy action will support a timelier return to the Committee's 2 percent goal. The Committee will deliver price stability." New Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh voted to increase the rate even though Trump has repeatedly called for rate cuts to keep the U.S. economy growing. The latest jobs report released two weeks ago showed impressive gains in August and revealed that reports from previous months had been revised upward. In response to the jobs report, Trump posted, "Lower the interest rates because the U.S.A. is a much stronger credit than it was just a short time ago! A STRONG COUNTRY MEANS A LOWER INTEREST RATE — IT’S A BETTER CREDIT ... Very simple! We should have the LOWEST RATE of any country in the World." He even threatened to "STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT" if the Fed failed to lower rates. RELATED: 'Blow expectations out of the water': HUGE GAINS in latest jobs report Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images The White House did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. The rate-hike is the first major Fed move under Warsh's leadership. Trump nominated Warsh to replace Chairman Jerome Powell, who officially stepped down in May after repeatedly butting heads with Trump, especially regarding interest rates. Trump even took to calling Powell "Too Late," claiming that the then-chair's failure to lower rates was stifling the American economy. Trump blamed Powell's obstinance on "gross incompetence, total dishonesty, or both." For his part, Warsh has been tight-lipped about his plans at the Federal Reserve, claiming back in August that he prefers to have a "good family fight" about interest rates and other decisions rather than tip his hand ahead of time. Wall Street has mainly responded favorably to the rumors about the impending rate increase. The NASDAQ and S&P opened Wednesday with gains, while the Dow Jones opened slightly down. Immediately after the hike announcement, all three markets were in the green. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Iran just used our own top tech to wage war against us — what we learned is horrifying **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Zach Laidlaw | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/iran-weaponized-claude.md If you think that only the U.S. military uses frontier AI models in combat, think again. Anthropic just caught several Iranian groups weaponizing Claude against American citizens and soldiers, and their multitiered campaign was aimed at targets in the region and within the United States. According to a 154-page threat report released by Anthropic, Iran used Claude for a wide range of offenses aimed at the United States. In the section labeled “Military reconnaissance,” Iran clearly weaponized the platform to monitor and even target American soldiers during the ongoing confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas. The bad actors obtained a terrifying amount of information about the US military. Anthropic described how an “Iran-nexus” used Claude against American naval personnel within the region in the following ways. They: Gathered publicly available data and analyzed it to generate targeting recommendations and guides to be used against the U.S. Created a system to help track naval ships, bolstered by commercial satellite imagery query scripts that extracted Earth image data and public transponder identifiers emitted from vessels. Used Claude as a coding partner to build a Python script that dug through military photographs available online and created a roster of possible American personnel in the area. Used Claude as a research tool to help the attackers find potential vulnerabilities in naval ships’ electronics systems. Ultimately, Anthropic banned the accounts that were complicit in this activity. However, even though the threat was eliminated, the bad actors still obtained a terrifying amount of information about the U.S. military before they were discovered. Likewise, Anthropic also learned quite a bit about the Iranian operations through its platform, so the information goes both ways. RELATED: America is losing the information war with Iran Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Getty Images In another section titled, “Disrupting Iranian state-aligned influence operations on Claude,” three accounts with connections to the Iranian state engaged in influence operations — dubbed a “soft war” or “cognitive warfare” — meant to sway public opinion on the ongoing battle. The campaign targeted both the Iranian people, like those who took to the streets to protest the Iranian government earlier this year, and American citizens living in the United States. Anthropic found clear connections between the accounts and known Iranian propaganda groups, including: Islamic Culture and Communications Organization, Islamic Propaganda Office of Khorasan Razavi, and Islamic Propaganda Organization’s Bina Cultural Observatory. Each group used Claude to generate robust campaign strategies, guides, databases, and other documents at a scale befitting a large team. They also focused on making their propaganda efforts appear like organic or grassroots campaigns to give off the perception of authenticity. Anthropic noted that the groups partially attempted to hide their Iranian roots through VPNs and foreign phone numbers used to verify accounts when they were registered. However, users repeatedly mentioned identifying details in their prompts that gave away their origins, including their location, associated propaganda organization, and even the role they played within each group. Finally, Anthropic later traced some of the created materials to other online platforms that aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, proving their connection. This revelation brings several truths to light: American-made frontier AI platforms can and are being leveraged by foreign powers against American soldiers in live combat zones. While they may not have close system integration on par with our military’s GenAI.mil platform, these resources can still threaten real American lives on the battlefield. AI companies, like Anthropic, have the power to detect abuse within their platforms, but they may not always be quick to act. By the time Anthropic banned the Iranian accounts in question, they already produced at least some content to aid in their opposition against the United States. AI companies can trace the activity of every account registered on their platform. This is good news when punishing bad actors that want to exploit AI for evil. However, regular users are also subject to the same visibility and scrutiny. As AI expands to every corner and facet of life, it was only a matter of time before our enemies tried to use American AI technology against us. This is why the U.S. military has taken steps to build its own AI platform stocked with an entire army of AI models. In this way, it can pick and choose the best attributes from each bot and assemble it all into a lethal war machine unlike anything else on the planet. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Sydney Sweeney wants you to prove yourself in a whole new way **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/sydney-sweeney-prediction-market-sports.md When actress Sydney Sweeney bared all to promote a new app, she likely knew it was going to cause some controversy. (Her content always does.) At the same time though, insiders are revealing there was a little more thought behind Sweeney's project than what can be seen by the naked eye. 'In some sense, it forces us into the national discourse.' Sweeney's provocative near-nude ad had her covering herself with only sports balls to promote Novig, a platform described as a sports-only prediction market. Like Polymarket or Kalshi, users can buy futures on what might happen in sports. "Think you know sports? Prove it!" Sweeney says in the ad. The app falls under a category that is considered to be closer to stock trading than it is gambling, circumventing state laws. But while existing platforms let users trade futures in sports, politics, and even pop culture, Novig's claim is that it will stick to just sports. Apparently, Sweeney helped push that focus. When Sweeney approached Novig and showed she was "interested in some kind of equity partnership," she reportedly noted that she was "uncomfortable" with the types of markets that other companies in the same industry were pushing. At the time of this writing, both Kalshi and Polymarket have politics as their shining star on their front pages. While both are currently focused on the Fed, Kalshi also pushes politics and elections as its top-two categories. For Novig, co-founder and CEO Jacob Fortinsky says Sweeney helped deliver the company's "sports only" pitch "in a way that's impossible to ignore," the Washington Times reported. RELATED: SKIN IN THE GAME: Sydney Sweeney shrugs off female athletes triggered by naked ad Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Image Fortinsky also alluded to Front Office Sports in an interview that he knew Sweeney would be the perfect person to wedge the company into the headlines. "Sydney is great at captivating audiences and being the center of attention," Fortinsky said. "In some sense, it forces us into the national discourse." With the 29-year-old actress as an equity owner, it has become obvious that she is looking to corner a nonpolitical market. Her ability to parry political questions from reporters has become legend as she is constantly criticized for something intangible every time she is featured in a popular promotion. "We’re very excited to have her on the cap table," Fortinsky said. In his interview, Fortinsky reportedly would not reveal Sweeney's equity stake, and the figure is not publicly known. As a whole, Novig has increased its value to $500 million since starting in 2021 and had a $75 million funding round in 2026, Business Insider reported. "It will be interesting to see if Novig can translate this big ad moment into sustained interest," Jessica Pratt, Peak Metrics' VP of marketing told the outlet. RELATED: The 'racist' UT Austin photo everyone was supposed to ignore: 'You're not allowed to have eyeballs' "I don't like to just put my face on something," Sweeney publicly said; and for that reason, she faced backlash. Female athletes across the world accused Sweeney of setting them back with her sexual imagery, but these same women were quickly reprimanded by online readers who pointed to their own scantily clad photos. Sweeney silently retaliated by posting images of athletes posing nude for ESPN magazine's "Body" issue, juxtaposing their cover photos with her own ad. Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey, tennis players Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki, and even male athletes like NFL champ Rob Gronkowski appeared on Sweeney's Instagram story to make her point. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### ‘They don’t have to kill us’: Pat Gray warns the West could demographically defeat itself **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Pat Gray Unleashed **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/pat-gray-unleashed/pat-gray-warns-the-west-could-demographically-defeat-itself.md What happens when American women stop having children while Muslim families continue to grow? In a conversation with BlazeTV host Pat Gray, a caller from Michigan warns that the answer is not good. “Ever since I started studying Islam and Sharia law, I look at everything through an Islamic point of view. And here, they’re procreating us by leaps and bounds. And in the meantime, we’re killing our own children. They don’t have to kill us. They can just let us do this. Go through the abortions,” Rob from Michigan tells Gray. “They’re going to defeat us if this keeps up,” he adds. “You’re absolutely right,” Gray says. “It might not take any effort. They just let us peter out and not procreate ourselves into extinction,” he continues. “Look how it's spread already. We all knew about Dearborn ... we’ve known about that for a long time. Now, it’s spread to Minnesota ... then we hear about Patterson, New Jersey, which is one of their holiest cities all of a sudden,” he explains, adding, “Then we get it in Texas.” “It’s almost like a cancer,” executive producer Keith Malinak chimes in, before noting that the Muslim population of Birmingham, U.K., almost exploded overnight. Birmingham’s 2021 census found that 29.9% of residents identified as Muslim, up from 21.8% in 2011. While Gray finds it concerning, he has hope. “I think there’s time to stop it,” he says. Want more from Pat Gray? To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### WHITE ALBUM: Portland music venue leaves 'anti-racism' off the playlist **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Blake Nelson | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/white-album-portland-music-venue-leaves-anti-racism-off-the-playlist.md I went to my first “listening party” at a new venue in downtown Portland, Oregon, called Mono Space. I guess it’s a venue. I’m a little unsure what to call it. Here’s what it calls itself: Mono Space is a high-fidelity listening gallery dedicated to the preservation of music culture and the presentation of music recordings as works of art. Located in a renovated warehouse in Portland’s historic Pearl District, this nonprofit venue creates a setting for attentive listening and cultural exchange. It was all very civilized. And calm. And harmonious. Maybe as a reaction to the rest of Portland. The location is basically one big room. Along one wall are oversized, high-fidelity audio speakers. Next to that is a table with state-of-the-art turntables, tube amplifiers, and similar gear. It only plays vinyl records, not MP3s, which I’m assuming is the purist approach at this high level of sound quality. As its website says: Mono Space recognizes that music is a crucial connective tissue within the human experience. Individuals use it to align their bodies, hearts, and minds, and shape their personal well-being. Communities wield it as a sonic code to define who they are and what they believe, manifesting a shared history and purpose. Blake Nelson Audio bliss So that’s the setup: giant speakers face the rest of the room, which looks vaguely like a yoga studio or meditation space. The area directly in front of the speakers features comfy carpet slabs and various pillows and cushions where you can lie down. The next row has a dozen cushy bean-bag chairs. You come in, take off your shoes, get comfortable, and relax. Then you close your eyes and listen to music in a meditative, deep state of perfect audio bliss. The event I went to was an “album listen” of the latest release by Blood Orange, a critically acclaimed black jazz/pop/hip-hop artist. It cost $23. Since Mono Space is a “nonprofit venue” dedicated to “cultural exchange,” I wondered if it might be populated by nose-ringed, leftist, activist types. But it was more sophisticated than that. Everyone in attendance was stylishly dressed, neat, and well-groomed. It was mostly young people, scattered in age from early 20s to late 30s. The audience was somewhat multiracial (by Portland standards), as were the people working there. RELATED: 'The Perfume Nationalist' reclaims culture for conservatives — one fragrance at a time Jack Mason/Skyhorse Publishing Needle drop It was all very civilized. And calm. And harmonious. Maybe as a reaction to the rest of Portland, which remains full of homeless people, the mentally ill, drug addicts, arsonists, etc. It didn’t take long to get through the jazz/hip-hop album. About an hour, I think. When the lights came on, everybody seemed happy with their listening experience. People were eager to hang out and chat. It was a lively scene. While people socialized, I checked out some of the museum-style art books and merchandise for sale near the entrance. These books mostly featured African-American and other multicultural artists. I noticed pretty much everything about Mono Space was multicultural. That seemed to be the point. And as we all know, “multiculturalism” often stands in opposition to “whiteness." Beat happening This can be a sensitive subject in Portland, which is frequently accused of being “too white” and therefore “racist.” But are Portlanders actually racist? Our far-left city politicians keep telling us we are. According to them, we’re so racist they need to raise our taxes! Fortunately, that wasn’t the vibe at Mono Space. On this night, it really was just about the music. Which was a relief. It was fun to be around young music fans and audio-geeks comparing notes in real life. Could this be a glimpse into the future? I hope so. --- ### We now have killer weapons in space, says the military in a shocking new disclosure **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/air-force-space-orbit-weapons.md As the push for dominance in space between China and the United States heats up, so does an outer space arms race. However, we didn't know what specifically was happening until now. 'There have been many who are developing capabilities to take those away from us.' Although President Donald Trump recently revealed some controversial uniforms as part of the new Space Force look, it turns out there may have been a lot more going on with the space agency than was realized. In what may be a shocking revelation, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink made remarks on Monday that were characterized as a warning to China and Russia about American capabilities in space. "Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist," Meink said at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. According to ABC News, Meink then dropped a figurative bomb and revealed that the United States has weapons in space. "This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action." In video from the conference posted by CNN, Meink further revealed that America's adversaries are already making attempts to knock those weapons out of orbit. "There have been many who are developing capabilities to take those away from us, to threaten those things," the secretary stated. "So it is critically important that we maintain our dominance not only in the air but in space. And so we've had to take steps to make sure that when we're threatened, we can take care of that." RELATED: Sam Bankman-Fried's ex finally got a new job — suspiciously like the old one China has been making significant strides in its space program for the better part of the last decade, starting with alleged plans to destroy Elon Musk's Starlink satellites. China's Chang'e rockets have made consistent attempts to establish what have been referred to as "exclusion zones" on the moon, where they are hoping to harvest lunar minerals and discover the existence of water ice. While at one point in 2026, it looked like China had gained a strategic edge over the United States, NASA, and its Artemis programs, a surprising setback in August pushed the Red Giant's immediate plans back to at least 2027. The recent Chang'e-7 mission, which was delayed, was seen as a critical step toward getting more Chinese robots (rovers) on the moon, with a hope of humans and military equipment in years to come. Chang'e-8, another probing mission, was set for 2029, while China's boots-on-the-ground mission was set for 2030. RELATED: America's adversaries are using top American tech — without telling their customers Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto/Getty Images Secretary Meink offered more details in remarks to ABC News, saying U.S. capabilities "can be employed for offensive and defensive purposes at the direction of combatant commands." "The U.S. has warned about Russian and Chinese weapons testing and operationalization since 2007. Due to their actions, it is no longer a question that space is a warfighting domain," the secretary added. "Open communication strengthens deterrence, prevents adversary miscalculation, and normalizes space operations alongside the other services." Clive Neil, professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences at Notre Dame, recently told Blaze News that a "space race" isn't good for the overall goal of space exploration. "History shows us that international competition in human space exploration does not produce an enduring human space program, as Apollo was canceled less than four years after Apollo 11 'won' that race," the professor explained. "However, with we have had a continuous human presence in for 25+ years through international cooperation." "I don't like races, and we need to learn from history. Otherwise we are destined to repeat it!" Neil concluded. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Anthropic entrusts its AI oversight to globalist cronies — prioritizing the world over you **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Zach Laidlaw | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/anthropic-metr-effective-altruism.md AI is going to kill us all, according to at least two former and current Anthropic employees who took to X to warn of humanity’s demise. To assuage those manufactured concerns, Anthropic is now enlisting the “help” of an independent watchdog group to keep its AI bots in line. Unfortunately, the new group isn’t all that independent, and its values could spell trouble for the rest of us. In a blog post titled “We Must Pace the Frontier,” CEO Dario Amodei called for the need to slow the rate of AI development because if “left unchecked, it could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems.” METR is not as independent as advertised, and its globalist roots don’t have your interests or values in mind. So far, Anthropic has shown no actual signs of slowing down, but the company enlisted the help of an independent group to make sure Anthropic’s bots don’t spiral out of control and bring about the destruction of mankind. Supposedly. Last week, the AI giant announced an eight-week partnership with Model Evaluation and Threat Research to independently investigate four incidents in which Anthropic models hacked into third-party systems. Although the initial partnership is finite, Anthropic left the door open for the groups to continue to work together for “as much time as it deems necessary.” RELATED: America's adversaries are using top American tech — without telling their customers Kevin Frayer/Getty Images Here’s where things get dicey. Although METR is positioned as an unbiased third-party auditor meant to hold Anthropic accountable, METR’s origins and connections to effective altruism — a cultish movement that prioritizes the “global good” over individual people and communities — are enough to raise eyebrows. According to the New York Post: METR is a spin-off of Alignment Research Center, which was led by Amodei’s former housemate and coworker at OpenAI, Paul Christiano. METR CEO Beth Barnes held close ties to the effective altruism movement during her college years. METR’s chief scientist and several staff members came from the University of Oxford, an alleged hub for effective altruistic ideals. Together, these attributes create opportunities for evaluation bias, moral dilemmas, fraud, and corruption. Yet despite METR’s ties to effective altruism, Amodei appointed the group to evaluate Anthropic’s models anyway, calling into question his own beliefs and motives. The choice is even more dubious when you note that Amodei’s sister, Daniela Amodei, married Holden Karnofsky, a current Anthropic staffer and the founder of GiveWell and Coefficient Giving (formerly Open Philanthropy) — two effective altruism organizations. There appears to be an irrefutable thread linking Anthropic to the globalist movement. As to how that will impact the company’s models going forward, your guess is as good as any. One thing is certain, though: METR is not as independent as advertised, and its globalist roots don’t have your interests or values in mind. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Illegal alien gangster wouldn't stop running his mouth about Trump — but Trump gets the last laugh **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Cortney Weil | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/illegal-alien-gangster-wouldn-t-stop-running-his-mouth-about-trump-but-trump-gets-the-last-laugh.md The Trump administration has gotten the last laugh against an illegal alien gangster who infamously refused to hold his tongue when he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Just two days after President Donald Trump retook office in January 2025, Boston ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations picked up Wisteguens Jean Quely Charles, a native Haitian and convicted criminal who was then 25 years old. 'He went viral for praising Biden as he was getting arrested, because he knew that the Biden administration’s open borders turned America into a paradise for criminals like him.' During his arrest, a defiant Charles cursed Trump and insisted he was "not going back to Haiti." "F**k Trump! You feel me?" he continued. "Yo, Biden forever, bro. Thank Obama for everything that he did for me, bro." Despite the verbal bluster, the case for deporting Charles was strong. For one thing, he is a career criminal, with convictions for assault and battery on a public employee, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, various drug and weapons offenses, resisting arrest, and even trespassing. Moreover, Charles is a known member of the Back Block Money Gang, according to the Department of Homeland Security. RELATED: DHS secretary: Ilhan Omar married her brother, and consequences are coming Screenshot of DHS press release Charles was granted Temporary Protected Status by President Barack Obama in February 2013, and he was admitted into the U.S. a few months later, the DHS said. His TPS status was then terminated in 2022, under President Joe Biden, and a federal judge issued a final deportation order for him last November. On Thursday, that order was carried out, and Charles was deported back to Haiti. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said of Charles: This illegal alien gang member from Haiti had quite the rap sheet, with convictions for assault and battery on a public employee, resisting arrest, and drug trafficking, among other heinous crimes. He went viral for praising Biden as he was getting arrested, because he knew that the Biden administration’s open borders turned America into a paradise for criminals like him. The Trump administration has finally done what both the Obama and Biden administrations failed to do and deported this criminal back where he belongs. The White House took a victory lap on Tuesday, sharing a video of Charles with the caption "Home sweet Haiti" and two waving emojis. The voice of a real or virtual female flight attendant concludes the video saying, "You have arrived at your destination." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Woman accused of hiring Tinder hitman to kill cop ex-boyfriend and his daughter — prosecutors say it wasn't her first attempt **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Paul Sacca | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/tinder-hitman-murder-for-hire-plot-new-jersey.md A New Jersey woman is now facing federal criminal charges after she allegedly attempted to hire a hitman from Tinder to kill her former boyfriend — a Philadelphia police officer — and his daughter. As Blaze News previously reported, 28-year-old Jaclyn Diiorio was arrested in April 2025. At the time, she was charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder, one count of first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, and one count of third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance. 'We haven't seen this in decades.' Camden County dropped its case against Diiorio after she was hit with federal charges related to the accusations, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced last week that Diiorio was arrested again and was charged by indictment with two federal counts of using interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. If convicted, Diiorio faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. The federal indictment, filed Sept. 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, accused Diiorio of using a cell phone to facilitate an interstate plan to kill two individuals. The indictment said Diiorio, of Runnemede, started committing the alleged crimes around March 30, 2025. WCAU-TV obtained the Camden County criminal complaint and affidavit of probable cause in April 2025, which said Diiorio met a man on the Tinder dating app. Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay said during a press conference that the informant and Diiorio connected on Tinder with the intention of dating. The pair exchanged several phone calls and text messages, according to the affidavit of probable cause. The two first met at a Wawa convenience store in Runnemede on March 31, 2025. The informant told detectives on April 4, 2025, that Diiorio was "adamant" about killing her ex-boyfriend. RELATED: Ex-teacher who dodged conviction for allegedly asking teen lover to kill husband learns fate for sexually assaulting student The informant told detectives that Diiorio offered him $12,000 to murder her former boyfriend and his 19-year-old daughter. Diiorio said she would pay the hitman $500 up front and the remaining balance split into installments. Detectives determined that Diiorio's ex-boyfriend was a 53-year-old officer with the Philadelphia Police Department. Investigators said they interviewed the ex-boyfriend on April 4, 2025, and he confirmed that he had dated Diiorio after meeting her when she was his hairstylist. The officer told detectives that he broke up with Diiorio on March 6, 2025, according to the affidavit. The probable cause statement said the former boyfriend told investigators that Diiorio had filed a temporary restraining order against him in the summer of 2024, but it was later dropped. The informant told investigators that he agreed to meet Diiorio on the evening of April 4, 2025, at the Dollar General in Glendora, where she would give him the down payment for the murders. According to the probable cause statement, the informant entered Diiorio’s white Honda Civic in a Dollar General parking lot around 6:45 p.m. on April 4, 2025. Once inside the vehicle, Diiorio demanded to see the informant's driver's license and then gave him $500, the affidavit said. Officers with the Gloucester Township Police Department then arrested Diiorio, according to investigators. Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay at the time said murder-for-hire plots are "not common at all. ... In Camden County, we haven't seen this in decades." WCAU reported that investigators said Diiorio had a bottle of alprazolam pills on her with the label ripped off. Alprazolam often is prescribed for panic attacks and anxiety. Diiorio previously attempted to have the ex-boyfriend and his daughter killed, according to prosecutors. The Inquirer reported that prosecutors claimed Diiorio told the informant she previously had been misled by others who had given her "fake pictures" of a supposed completed contract killing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Gloucester Township Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force – Camden Division, investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina Coker and Joshua Myers. The Inquirer reported that Diiorio's defense attorney, Robert Gamburg, said his client planned to plead not guilty to the charges. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Want to think fearlessly like Charlie Kirk? Take the 28 free courses that shaped him. **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Matt Himes | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/want-to-think-fearlessly-like-charlie-kirk-take-the-28-free-courses-that-shaped-him.md “I might be the first speaker at a National Leadership Seminar not to go to college,” Charlie Kirk joked during a speech at Hillsdale College in February 2025. Then he added: “I’m on pace to complete every single Hillsdale online course, so I think I’m making up for it.” “So you’re going to fix the world, and you don’t know much about it,” Arnn told him. Instead of taking offense, Kirk got to work. Unconventional path Kirk’s route to national prominence was as unconventional as his education. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, he briefly attended Harper College before leaving to pursue political activism full-time. At 18, he founded Turning Point USA, which grew from a fledgling campus organization into a national conservative youth movement. Over the next 13 years, Kirk became a prominent author, broadcaster, campus debater, and ally of President Trump — all without earning a college degree. To mark the first anniversary of Kirk’s death, Hillsdale has assembled 28 of the online courses in which he enrolled into a “Charlie Kirk online course path.” Hillsdale is a small, independent Christian liberal arts college in Southern Michigan with an outsized influence on conservative intellectual life. Founded in 1844, the school refuses federal and state funding — including grants and loans accepted on behalf of students — in order to preserve its independence. It has also made much of its classical liberal arts curriculum available online for free, drawing more than 5 million course enrollments. From Aristotle to American history The courses in Hillsdale’s new Kirk path were already free and open to the public. What the college has provided is a map through its extensive catalog: a self-directed liberal arts education spanning American history, constitutional government, economics, philosophy, theology, literature, mathematics, and statesmanship. Kirk studied Aristotle’s “Ethics,” Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” C.S. Lewis, the book of Genesis, the Federalist Papers, the Roman Republic, Winston Churchill, and the history of Western theology. His political courses ranged from “Civil Rights in American History” and “The U.S. Supreme Court” to “The American Left: From Liberalism to Despotism.” The breadth of the list offers a glimpse of the work behind the public figure. Kirk said in his February speech that he had completed more than 30 Hillsdale courses and intended to take them all — “yes, even the Euclidean geometry one.” He reserved particular praise for "Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitiution," which he argued should be required for every police officer, firefighter, and member of the military who takes an oath to defend the Constitution. “As you take these courses, you realize how little our own elected leaders know about the country that they’re supposed to be protecting and defending,” Kirk said. RELATED: Remembering Charlie Kirk, one year later Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images Formative years The remainder of his speech demonstrated how directly he applied that education to politics. Drawing on Hillsdale’s teaching about Woodrow Wilson and the rise of the administrative state, Kirk framed the opening weeks of Trump’s second term as a confrontation over the constitutional authority of the executive branch. Appearing on "The Charlie Kirk Show" last week, Hillsdale President Larry Arnn recalled meeting Kirk12 years earlier, when the young activist was just 19. Arnn responded to Kirk’s ambitions by asking him a series of questions he could not answer. “So you’re going to fix the world, and you don’t know much about it,” Arnn told him. Instead of taking offense, Kirk got to work. A month after their first meeting, Arnn received a text containing a photograph of a Hillsdale online course certificate. It was from Kirk. “I knew him for 12 years. He grew so much,” Arnn recently said. After hearing Kirk deliver a Hillsdale speech several months before his death, Arnn approached him with a new assessment: “Okay, boy, you have learned a lot.” Lifelong student That willingness to be corrected was central to Arnn’s memory of his friend. “I beat him up, and his reaction to that was exactly right,” Arnn said. “He was a student, right? He wanted to know.” Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, described the effect of that education during Hillsdale’s commencement ceremony in May. She said the college helped her husband look beyond daily political commentary toward larger questions of what is good, true, and beautiful. “He really understood that this institution wasn’t normal," she said. “It was something that elevated his thinking to be a thought leader and really become a serious person.” At Kirk’s memorial service last September, Arnn placed him among the finest young people he had encountered during his career in education. “Charlie is the only one who was never a full-time student at Hillsdale College who was on that list,” he said. “We will miss him dearly. He can’t be replaced.” Hillsdale’s new course path offers a fitting memorial to the man Arnn called the college’s “best unofficial student of all time.” Kirk was not content simply to lecture young people or ask them to take his word for anything. His signature campus events were invitations to challenge him: “Prove me wrong.” Hillsdale is honoring him in the same spirit — not by handing his admirers a set of conclusions, but by giving them access to the books, arguments, and teachers that helped him reach his own. --- ### The 'racist' UT Austin photo everyone was supposed to ignore: 'You're not allowed to have eyeballs' **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Sara Gonzales Unfiltered **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/the-racist-ut-austin-photo-everyone-was-supposed-to-ignore.md Demographics in Texas are changing, but apparently Texans aren’t allowed to notice. “Many people, not just myself, have seen the rapid and dramatic shift in our communities with, you know, people who by and large when you live here, you’re allowed to look around you, because you have eyeballs, and you notice things,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.” “And so Bo French, who is my friend and also the Republican nominee for railroad commissioner here in Texas, noticed something,” she adds. French had pulled a still from a University of Texas at Austin football game, where the crowd in one section was made up entirely of Indians wearing UT football jerseys. “I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined,” French wrote in a post on X. “It’s an observation that he made. An observation that I think I will be able to prove to you is not racist, but just true. But be that as I may, you’re not allowed to say things like this according to the libs and the RINOs who I actually would just categorize as all one,” Gonzales says. “You’re not allowed to have eyeballs. You’re not allowed to look at the community, at the demographics around you changing, you’re not allowed to, I don’t know, want Texas to just look like Texas,” she continues. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) responded to French's post, writing, “This is the Republican nominee for statewide office. Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized. This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad.” “Get out of here, John,” Gonzales says. But it gets worse. Texas Senate Democrat candidate James Talarico then chimed in, reposting Cornyn’s tweet and writing, “Thank you @JohnCornyn for your leadership. Racism has no place in Texas. @KenPaxtonTX: will you condemn this blatant racism or will you cower to extremists?” Paxton responded, “I condemn racism in all its forms, including James Talarico saying white men are America’s top terror threat and that he prays to overcome his own ‘whiteness,’ whatever that means. Only one person in this race has a history of dividing Texans by race, and it’s James Talarico. I will continue to focus on uniting our State and bringing together the broadest possible coalition to fight for Texas, our values, and our families.” “Truly,” Gonzales comments, “a mic-drop moment from my friend Ken Paxton.” Want more from Sara Gonzales? To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### MACKLE-MORON: Backstabbing B-lister turns on Ed Sheeran after getting booted from tour for pro-Palestinian rant **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/macklemore-phone-call-ed-sheeran.md Ed Sheeran invited Macklemore to open for him in front of tens of thousands of fans. Macklemore returned the favor by giving him an unsolicited lesson in the political obligations of pop stardom. 'Free all people in America living in fear over this terrorist organization ICE.' Tour bore After being dropped from Sheeran’s stadium tour over his pro-Palestinian remarks, the rapper — real name Benjamin Haggerty — published a lengthy statement that managed to praise his friend of 13 years, reveal details of their private conversations, and suggest that Sheeran’s long-standing refusal to turn his concerts into political rallies was a moral failing. “Ed was in a f**ked up position,” Macklemore wrote. “He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before.” Macklemore says he hopes their friendship survives. But first, apparently, Sheeran has some things to learn. Macklemore was scheduled to open eight of the remaining 10 U.S. dates on Sheeran’s Loop Tour. During his performances at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month, however, Macklemore used some of that time to deliver a series of political messages. "Free Palestine," he told the crowd. “I want those words to be loud and clear so the people from Gaza all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them.” He went on to call for a “free” Lebanon, Cuba, Congo, and Sudan before turning his attention to the United States. “Free all people in America living in fear over this terrorist organization ICE.” Macklemore also praised the “bravery” of Columbia University students who participated in pro-Palestinian encampments. 'The stage becomes resistance' The "Thrift Shop" rapper has made similar statements for years. But in his response to being dropped from the tour, Macklemore acknowledged what made these performances different: He was making them from somebody else’s much larger stage. “What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years,” he wrote. “So why is it an issue now?” “Because now I’m sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America.” And Macklemore appears to have understood Sheeran’s continued willingness to share that stage with him as an implicit political endorsement. “If I kept doing the shows, saying Free Palestine, with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next?” he wrote. “The stage becomes resistance.” RELATED: SKIN IN THE GAME: Sydney Sweeney shrugs off female athletes triggered by naked ad Nose for controversy According to Macklemore, the arrangement became untenable after New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft got involved. The Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Sheeran is scheduled to perform September 25 and 26. Macklemore said Sheeran told him that Kraft had called and made clear that the rapper would not be permitted to perform there. The Seattle rapper further claimed that Kraft had rallied other stadium owners and effectively presented the tour with an ultimatum: Drop Macklemore or lose the venues. Tour promoter Messina Touring Group confirmed that multiple venues refused to host the concerts with Macklemore on the bill. Kraft confirmed his own decision to bar Macklemore from Gillette Stadium, although Macklemore's claim that Kraft personally rallied the other owners remains his account. The Patriots owner, who founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019, said Macklemore's recent performances reflected what he described as “a broader history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.” “We determined that his participation in the September 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line,” Kraft said. Kraft also stressed that the decision was not intended to dismiss Palestinian suffering and said he would be willing to sit down with Macklemore. Macklemore rejected Kraft's characterization of his statements. “Antisemitism is real,” he wrote, before arguing that accusations of anti-Semitism are being “weaponized” to silence criticism of Israel. This was not the first time Macklemore has faced accusations of anti-Semitism. In 2014, he performed in Seattle wearing a black wig, beard, and large hooked prosthetic nose — an outfit critics said resembled an anti-Semitic caricature. Macklemore apologized, saying the resemblance was unintentional and that he had assembled the disguise randomly. “I acknowledge how the costume could, within a context of stereotyping, be ascribed to a Jewish caricature,” he wrote at the time. “It was absolutely not my intention.” RELATED: Meet the 25-year-old building a Christian alternative to Hollywood Rap session After stressing that he wasn't trying to "tear down character," Macklemore proceeded to give his "brother" a public dressing-down for his refusal to politicize his tour. He described a private conversation in which Sheeran told him that “Free Palestine” and the image of a Palestinian flag had been hurtful to some of the people Sheeran had spoken with. Macklemore wasn't persuaded. "I told him if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect." “But he couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides,’” Macklemore wrote. “Taking a side can cost you,” Macklemore wrote, citing money, sponsorships, festivals, relationships, and access. He then offered a crash course in social justice for his fellow multimillionaire pop star: “There is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. When one side has the bombs and bottomless financial and military support from America, refusing to take a side doesn't leave you in the middle." Paging Pink Sheeran wasn't the only artist Macklemore took to task. After Pink reposted criticism of his MetLife remarks from the group StopAntisemitism, he invoked her as another example of a successful artist with little excuse, in his view, for remaining on the sidelines. “Sheeran is not a victim, Pink is not a victim,” Macklemore wrote. “We have careers, money, opportunities, safety, and audiences around the world.” Pink later objected to the assumptions being made about her own views. "I was born a Jew. I didn't pick it, and I've never hidden it," she wrote. "And this week a whole lot of people decided what I believe without asking me, without checking a single thing I’ve ever said or done, because a repost and the word 'Jew' were apparently enough to fill in the rest." She added that she doesn't speak for Israel and that "Hamas is a terrorist organization." In Macklemore's telling, however, celebrity and financial security appear to create an obligation to speak: Using a stadium concert to advocate for Palestine isn't an intrusion of politics into entertainment but part of an artist’s responsibility. “I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2,” Macklemore wrote. “Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say.” Sheeran: Fans first On Tuesday, Sheeran issued a lengthy response of his own. He confirmed that venues threatened to cancel upcoming shows if Macklemore remained on the tour and said he spent the week speaking with venues, promoters, and activists in an effort to find a compromise. But he disputed the suggestion that he personally fired Macklemore. “Macklemore coming off the tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Sheeran wrote. And he pushed back more directly against Macklemore’s suggestion that staying publicly neutral amounts to complicity. “I am not complicit,” Sheeran wrote. Sheeran said he has his own views on the Israel-Gaza war and cares deeply about the suffering it has caused. But he does not believe that obligates him to turn his professional platform into a political one. Furthermore, his fans “do not expect a political forum” when they come to see him perform. Instead, Sheeran said he wants his music to provide “a place of safety and sanctuary” and argued that “there is room for multiple approaches” toward the same goal of peace. Sheeran's attempt to keep the tour out of the political fight hasn't exactly succeeded. All of his remaining scheduled opening acts — Finneas, Aaron Rowe, and Lukas Graham — have now pulled out, while his touring band Beoga has quit as well. School of rock After publicly recounting their disagreement and some of Sheeran’s private remarks, Macklemore insisted he bears his old friend no ill will. “I hope this isn’t the end of my relationship with Ed,” he wrote. “Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement.” He then offered his erstwhile tour-mate a homework assignment of sorts. “I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this.” Macklemore himself doesn't appear to have much wrestling left to do. “Free Palestine,” he concluded, adding that “if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.” Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Pennsylvania man on alleged 'mission' to commit mass shooting for ISIS thwarted by FBI **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/pa-man-isis-terror-plot.md A 21-year-old man was arrested in Pennsylvania as he was preparing for an alleged mission for a mass shooting just after the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Jonathan Hunter Kramer of Valencia had been on their radar since 2023, according to a Justice Dept. press release. 'His apparent ISIS inspiration and escalation toward violence show how close this country came to a devastating attack. This arrest prevented what could have been a horrific tragedy.' FBI agents claimed they watched Kramer purchase ammunition and magazines at a sporting goods store before they searched his hotel room. Kramer was allegedly found to be in possession of five boxes of rifle ammunition and three 30-round capacity rifle magazines, and in the room agents allegedly found a semiautomatic rifle and ammunition. Prosecutors allege that Kramer was plotting an attack in support of the ISIS terror group. "Kramer was taken into custody just as he appeared to be preparing for a mass shooting that could have taken many lives, having already secured a rifle and approximately 190 rounds of ammunition for what he called his 'mission,'" said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg. "His apparent ISIS inspiration and escalation toward violence show how close this country came to a devastating attack. This arrest prevented what could have been a horrific tragedy." Kramer had been previously arrested as a minor when he was found in possession of child pornography while also helping plot a mass shooting attack, according to the DOJ press release. He was subsequently released from a Pennsylvania juvenile detention facility, but an anonymous March 2026 tip warned officials about his alleged dangerous behavior. The tipster claimed Kramer had received "mysterious packages" and had been talking to friends he made prior to his juvenile adjudication. Investigators said they uncovered his online persona, "Hamza Al Rashid," which claimed to have pledged allegiance to ISIS. On Saturday, Kramer booked a room in cash at a hotel in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, before going to the sporting goods store, according to agents watching him. Police also reportedly found a prayer rug, pepper spray, and approximately 30 knives when they searched his hotel room. RELATED: 'Major' Halloween terror plot thwarted by FBI involved links to ISIS, 'LGBTQ+ community' And they claimed to have found a note with a cryptic message: "DoNt look For me[.] IDK what I did buT I cant live In constant Fear," the note allegedly read. Kramer was charged with "receiving a firearm and ammunition knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that the firearm and ammunition would be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism, including providing, attempting to provide, and conspiring to provide material support or resources to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### These popular Wi-Fi routers can detect motion — inside your home **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Zach Laidlaw | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/xfinity-wifi-router-motion-detection.md Your Wi-Fi router has one job — to deliver wireless internet throughout your house for all of your smart devices, and that’s about it, right? Well, think again. Some Xfinity routers come with an extremely intrusive upgrade that turns your Wi-Fi into a motion-detecting spy network within the privacy of your own home, and police can access the data. Believe it or not, Xfinity is actually offering this “feature” as a selling point on its website. Dubbed WiFi Motion, the company says that some of its routers can use the shifting Wi-Fi signal within a home to sense motion and to deliver a push notification to the owner’s device to let them know when someone — either you, a friend, a family member, or an intruder — is in the house. Any activity that happens on WiFi Motion’s watch could be brought up and used against you in a court of law. Xfinity stresses that the system doesn’t use cameras or microphones to record visual or audio data. That would be absurd to let that into your home, right? It just weaponizes your Wi-Fi to watch your every move. On the bright side, Xfinity’s parent company, Comcast, claims not to track or monitor WiFi Motion activity or push notifications. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t have anything to worry about. Don’t commit a crime within WiFi Motion’s walls Although Xfinity claims it can’t see captured motion or push notifications, it apparently knows enough about your whereabouts to comply with law enforcement. According to the website: Comcast may be required to disclose information generated by WiFi Motion in response to a valid subpoena, court order, search warrant, or other lawful legal process, as required by law. In limited situations permitted by law, information may be disclosed in connection with legal proceedings, dispute resolution, or emergency situations. In other words, any activity that happens on WiFi Motion’s watch — activity that takes place within the privacy of your own home — could potentially be brought up and used against you in a court of law. Be careful what you do when your Wi-Fi is enabled. RELATED: When did we agree to be watched? Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Wi-Fi-based motion tracking isn’t a new idea To be candid, Wi-Fi-based motion-sensing technology isn’t anything new. Xfinity is just one of a few companies to actively turn it into a customer-facing feature. The truth is that “Wi-Fi sensing” is a potential side effect of any router that has multiple antennas with Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) compatibility. The only saving grace is that Wi-Fi sensing is inefficient at best. It relies on the strength of the wireless signal in a room to monitor activity. That means if there’s a dead zone within the home — you probably even know which room or space gets a poor signal in your house — the system has a harder time detecting wave shifts, rendering it useless in those areas. It also requires the user to place stationary devices around the home to help detect signal fluctuations. In other words, it’s not a very reliable spy, but what it does see can still come back to haunt you if the law takes an interest. Is your Xfinity router a motion-sensing hub? WiFi Motion is included with Xfinity WiFi Shield and available as an opt-in option in the Xfinity App for iOS or Android. Depending on how you feel about it, you might be happy to know that there are a few other requirements before it will work. According to the company, you need an Xfinity Internet subscription, a compatible Xfinity WiFi Gateway, the Xfinity app, and your own connected devices to act as signal receivers. To see if your Xfinity WiFi Gateway (i.e., router) is a potential motion-sensing hub, check out the list: Technicolor XB7 Technicolor XB8 Technicolor XB9 Technicolor XB10 Technicolor MXB1 Technicolor XER10 For those concerned about the privacy implications of WiFi Motion, rest assured that it can’t do much unless you activate it in the Xfinity App. That said, the fact that the feature may be lying dormant in your router could be enough to convince you to change brands. The choice is yours. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### While America mourned on 9/11 anniversary, Democrat ally Hasan Piker trashed the country — again **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Cortney Weil | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/while-america-mourned-on-9-11-anniversary-democrat-ally-hasan-piker-trashed-the-country-again.md The man who infamously stated that "America deserved 9/11" has trashed the country again, this time on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. On Friday, Hasan Piker interrupted what he called the "forcible reverence" for 9/11 to reiterate his "godd**n God-given and constitutionally protected right" to smear America as an evil and heartless country. El-Sayed's attempts to shake his previous associations with Piker have not worked. "How can you not get angry and resentful about a government that does nothing to treat sickly, to feed its hungry, to feed its starving, to shelter its homeless when we have all the money, we have an abundance of wealth and prosperity, and we just refuse to spread it around? Of course that makes me angry," he said. Piker also claimed that those on the left have repeatedly stood by the heroes who participated in the recovery and rebuilding efforts after 9/11, while those on the right have simply exploited them for political gain. "There's a long, time-honored tradition of the left trying to do their very best to help 9/11 first responders, 9/11 victims, and the right simply weaponizing their memory in order to wage war, destroy American civil liberties, and then consistently foment hatred towards Muslims all around the world." Piker did blame the left for complicity in the Global War on Terror, alleged maltreatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and other instances of American "fascism." Piker acknowledged that he is "currently at the center" of controversy because of his past remarks about America and 9/11, especially claiming in 2019 that "America deserved" the horrific terrorist attacks. Since those comments resurfaced earlier this summer, Democrats like Abdul El-Sayed, running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, have scrambled to distance themselves from Piker even after cozying up to him. El-Sayed brought Piker to Michigan to campaign with him multiple times, including in early August, but now seems to avoid saying Piker's name, usually referring to him as just a "Twitch streamer in California." RELATED: Left-wing media appalled that Bari Weiss called out Abdul El-Sayed’s deleted 9/11 tweets However, El-Sayed's attempts to shake his previous associations with Piker have not worked. The media has continued to ask him about Piker, and El-Sayed has not concealed his exasperation with the Piker questions. For instance, El-Sayed told Weijia Jiang of CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday: "With all due respect, this is the third time you’ve asked about a Twitch streamer in California." Piker admitted on Friday that Republican ads tying El-Sayed to 9/11 and Islamic terrorism have been effective. "To say that this doesn't have an impact, it would also be silly. Of course it does," he said. "There are people who are primed, looking for any opportunity they can get to unload and to make responsible every Muslim American in the country for 9/11," Piker continued. "... The question is, do we get to win those people back with decency? Do we get to win those people back with good policies?" Piker indicated that Muslims running for office in America, such as El-Sayed, and those already in office, such as NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom Piker called "the real president of the United States," are "victims to the Islamophobic narratives that are running amok" and therefore must be "extra careful." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Elderly Texas woman gets scammed for $30K — then gets her revenge on massive international scam ring **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/elderly-texas-scam-revenge-woman.md An elderly woman in Texas helped federal authorities nab a scammer connected to a massive international ring that stole allegedly millions and caused one victim to commit suicide. The woman, who did not want to be publicly identified, said she was taken in by the phone call from a scammer claiming to alert her about fraud targeting her credit card. The arrest helped authorities in their investigation of the international ring targeting more than 200 senior citizens in Northern Texas and other states. "He comes on, and he says that he is the head of the fraud division of the Social Security Administration in Washington. And he's very official, very smart, intelligent," said the woman from Frisco to KDFW-TV. The scammer provided documents to her to show that he worked with the U.S. government and that he would keep her money safe. She gave him $30,000. Then the scammer told her to take $22,000 out of another account at the bank to hand over to him. When she tried to withdraw the money, a bank manager refused the transaction. "The manager came out, and thank goodness for her, she said, 'You're getting scammed,'" she said. The victim filed a report with the Frisco police, who then had her turn the tables on her scammer. Police gave her counterfeit money in a box to give to the courier, who tried to drive away after receiving the box but was arrested by police. The arrest helped authorities in their investigation of the international ring targeting more than 200 senior citizens in Northern Texas and other states. One of the alleged organizers of the scam was caught on Sept. 4 when he tried to flee the country through New York, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. 35-year-old Muzaamil Ahmed had allegedly built shell corporations in order to launder money scammed from senior citizens. He converted the stolen cash and gold into cryptocurrency that was then moved out of the country, according to prosecutors. "If you are participating in this scam, know this: We are dismantling your network," said District Attorney Phil Sorrells. "You will face justice in Tarrant County." RELATED: Feeding Our Future scammer CRIES before being sentenced for bribing juror with $120K Sorrells said he knew of one case where a victim lost life savings to the scam and committed suicide as a result. The criminal network was responsible for $250 million in theft from victims, prosecutors said. Others had been indicted in the scam, including store owners who melted down gold, people who transferred the stolen funds in cryptocurrency, and others who set up bank accounts to aid in the money laundering. Ahmed was booked into the Tarrant County Jail, and officials are working to extradite two other suspects in the scam. "Law enforcement will never call you and tell you to buy gold or withdraw cash or purchase things like cryptocurrency for safety. If someone tells you to do that, hang up," Sorrells warned. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Glenn Beck unpacks Socialism 2026’s top freak-show moments — and the strike plot no one is talking about **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** The Glenn Beck Program **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/glenn-beck-unpacks-socialism-2026s-top-freak-show-moments-and-the-strike-plot-no-one-is-talking-about.md Socialism 2026 — Haymarket Books’ annual gathering of Marxists, abolitionists, and far-left activists — ran September 4-7. As you might expect, content centered on abolition — not just of capitalism, but also of police, prisons, borders, the family, and “cisness.” Not to mention plenty of speeches on Marxist theory, Palestine solidarity, anti-ICE organizing, and labor strategy. Glenn Beck was horrified and amused at the freak-show antics of the four-day conference. On this episode of “The Glenn Beck program,” he revisits the most viral lowlights of the event and warns of the looming 2028 strike plan hiding behind them. While many of the session titles were predictable, some were truly unhinged. Glenn names a few: “Health Fascism,” “Body Politics,” “The Anti-State State,” “Feminism Against Cisness,” “Abolishing the Family Through Black Feminist Lens,” and “Tarot Cards for Socialists.” The one about tarot cards, he laughs, was his “favorite.” “Apparently the godless need some advice and a second opinion as well,” he quips. Another noteworthy moment, Glenn says, is when Hassan Piker — the celebrity salesman of abolition socialism — gladly received a hat from a Stand with Abortion Now member with the inscription “Satan’s School of Gay Communism.” He then plays a clip of self-described queer/trans Afropessimist and anarcho-communist Da’Shaun Harrison arguing that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic are “fascistic” because they exist in “a world fixated on genociding fat people.” While Harrison’s anti-GLP-1 argument makes Glenn roll his eyes, it’s the fact that he’s still wearing a mask that really ticks him off. “For the love of Pete, COVID is way in the past. The mask didn't work in the first place,” he scoffs, noting that “a lot of the people at this convention were still wearing masks.” As for Harrison’s fat-genocide grievance, Glenn sees a glaring flaw. “Why would Americans want to genocide fat people? We'd all be dead. We'd all be dead. Have you been to a mall lately? Have you seen the American public recently?” he asks, baffled. Sitting next to Harrison on the “Health Fascism” panel was Beatrice Alder Bolton — a disability-justice writer and podcaster. “The fantasy of being fitter than the fascists — it's not just that it's cringe or strategically bad, though it is. I think it's also politically revealing. Fitness is a measure of relative disposability under capitalism,” she argued. “Our task is not to become less disposable, to become more useful to the ruling order. What we all need to be doing is rejecting disposability in all of its forms,” she added. Again, Glenn sees the irony. Bolton, who is wearing a mask to protect herself against sickness, is arguing that being fit and healthy is a capitalist trap. “We don't have to worry about being healthy? Then take the mask off, sweetheart,” he snaps. The problem with this group of radical abolitionists, he says, is not that they have bad ideas. “We all have bad ideas. … Bad ideas happen all the time. What you're looking at here in Chicago is a room where a bad idea has no place to die,” he says, explaining how dissent is equivalent to treason in such movements. But the most alarming thing about Socialism 2026, Glenn argues, isn’t found in the viral videos about fat-genocide and fitness-as-fascism. It’s what’s coming in 2028. “Mayday 2028” is “not a slogan” but a planned and well-organized strike that, if successful, will shut down many workplaces simultaneously. “The UAW has called for aligning major union contract expirations on May 1, 2028. Other unions have moved their dates to match. DSA passed its resolution at its convention committing to build a mass action,” says Glenn. “One organizer called a structured test — a rehearsal to count how many people will actually walk out when asked. They are patient. They are funded. They are well scheduled, two and a half years out,” he continues. So while most people are busy buzzing about viral X clips, “the calendar is the part that matters,” he warns. To hear more, watch the video above. Want more from Glenn Beck? To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### Van Lathan accidentally makes the case for ‘Black Wives Matter’ **Published:** September 16, 2026 | **Author:** Delano Squires | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/van-lathan-accidentally-makes-the-case-for-black-wives-matter.md Van Lathan is a popular social and political commentator who recently came out in favor of what he called the “gay agenda.” His reasoning was straightforward: Gay people exist and have relationships, so media companies should intentionally promote same-sex storylines to young viewers. He is right that media is a powerful tool for shaping norms and values. But like many people who comment on modern family dynamics, Lathan focused on adults’ desires rather than children’s needs. Applied consistently, however, his case for using media to shape culture points toward promoting the relationships that bring more children into the world and bind mothers and fathers to them. These efforts would help restore a culture of strong families in neighborhoods where some black boys grow up believing that ‘marriage is for white people.’ Nearly 40% of U.S. births in 2024 were to unmarried women. In 2019, almost one-quarter of U.S. children under 18 lived with a single parent and no other adult. The share of married adults has fallen since 1970, while the typical age at first marriage has risen. Marriage is increasingly treated as optional to forming a family. Given the association between family structure and child outcomes, that should concern policymakers, pastors, pundits, and parents alike. Given his frequent commentary on racial inequality, Van Lathan and other progressives should be the loudest advocates of a “Black Wives Matter” campaign that promotes marriage and strong families. In 2023, 69.3% of births to non-Hispanic black women occurred outside marriage, a share significantly higher than the 40% national figure. The numbers in some cities were even starker. New York City reported that an estimated 65% of births to non-Hispanic black women were to mothers who were not married. The comparable figures were 77% in Washington, D.C., and 83% in Baltimore. State-level data was also stark: 71% in Georgia, 79% in Alabama, and about 82% in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Family structure is among the most consequential examples of racial disparity in American social life, yet civil rights organizations and racial justice advocates on the political left largely ignore it. Progressives apply an equity lens to every structure except family structure. Changing this reality will require black leaders and influencers like Van Lathan to promote and prioritize an agenda that restores marriage as the foundation of family life. My book, “The Vanishing Black Family,” gives them a blueprint for turning words into action and building a social movement to increase the number of black children growing up in a loving home with a married mother and father. That could mean churches in the Deep South offering marriage counseling to young co-habiting couples; historically black colleges and universities producing new research on attitudes about marriage and family life; and cities running ads about what researchers call the “success sequence”: finish high school, get a full-time job, and marry before having children. Adults who complete those steps have far lower poverty rates; an Institute for Family Studies analysis reports that 97% were not poor in their 30s. This movement will also need a media environment that normalizes loving relationships between men and women, a drastic change from the gender-war content that dominates online discourse today. RELATED: Family is a terrible investment — unless you want to be human Id-work/Getty Images These efforts would help restore a culture of strong families in neighborhoods where some black boys grow up believing that “marriage is for white people.” That belief is not simply the product of cartoons and movies. It reflects a steadily declining marriage rate and leaders who have been too busy advancing movements that once openly called for disrupting the nuclear family and prioritizing what adults want over what children need. The decline of stable, married-parent homes is concerning because family structure has a clear and consistent association with positive child outcomes. On average, children raised by their married biological parents have lower poverty and incarceration rates and higher college completion rates. Family structure is not the only cause of those differences, but it is not incidental either. Those outcomes in the schoolhouse and courthouse receive most of the attention, but the importance of married parents goes beyond measurable indicators. Family also bears on the deeper questions of identity everyone asks at some point: “Who am I?” and “Whose am I?” The answers reflect the reality that every child is the living embodiment of the relationship between his or her mother and father. The greatest gift parents can give their children is the safety and security of a loving home where Mom and Dad are committed to each other in marriage. That is the only agenda I am interested in promoting. --- ### Federal judge says Soros-backed district attorney may have committed obstruction of justice — and refers him to the feds **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/soros-da-justice-obstruction-philly.md Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner vehemently objected to a federal judge referring him for criminal investigation over his efforts to overturn a conviction. U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond Jr. said Krasner might have committed obstruction of justice and other crimes in his handling of a post-conviction. 'I refer the DAO, Mr. Krasner, and Stiegler to this District’s United States Attorney’s Office for investigation and other appropriate action.' Krasner has backed a man seeking to overturn his second-degree murder conviction through the DA's Conviction Integrity Unit. Prosecutors say the case was badly botched. Diamond said that Krasner may have forced prosecutors to accept a false narrative "I have thus reluctantly concluded that Philadelphia’s highest law enforcement official and one of his top assistants may have violated the law," said Judge Diamond in the memo. "In these circumstances, with the issuance of this Memorandum, I refer the DAO, Mr. Krasner, and Stiegler to this District’s United States Attorney’s Office for investigation and other appropriate action." Krasner fired back and said he would appeal the decision. "I respectfully and vigorously disagree with the court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law," read a statement from the DA. “I look forward to appealing to the higher court as soon as the law allows," he added. "This remains a pending matter, which limits for now my and my office’s ability to respond in the media.” Krasner was first elected through a massive campaign donation by left-wing millionaire George Soros. He has been heavily criticized for his lax law enforcement policies. RELATED: Soros-backed DA vows to 'blow up' White House ballroom, calls Trump a 'pain in the a**' Krasner and Stiegler were ordered off of the case. NBC reported that a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania did not return a request for comment. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Trump RIPS INTO Supreme Court over ruling on midterm elections **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-supreme-court-ruling-midterm.md The president once against lambasted the U.S. Supreme Court after a split ruling against his order on mail-in voting. President Donald Trump had ordered the U.S. Postal Service in April to help federal authorities prevent election fraud through voting by mail. 'The damage done to America is incalculable, and they know this, just as everyone else does - It is an irreparable and unrecoverable harm!' The order involved the creation of a comprehensive list of U.S. citizens who are legally allowed to vote. The USPS would only be allowed to mail ballots to voters on the list. Two conservative justice dissented in the ruling Monday that upheld a lower court blocking the USPS from implementing certain parts of the president's order for the midterm elections. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a concurrence explaining that although he believed the USPS had the authority to implement the order, the agency did not "have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule" before the elections. The president zeroed in on that decision in his polemic on Truth Social. "Republicans just got another bad decision from the United States Supreme Court, one that the Court System took forever to give," he wrote, "and then blamed it, in part, on no time left to implement a solution to our totally CORRUPT and out of control Mail-In voting 'disaster,' which is a laughing stock all over the World, and where we are the only country that has to endure such a Nation Destroying SCAM." He went on to accuse the court of giving Democrats an "open field" to cheat through mail-in voting. "Justices Alito and Thomas, legends both, strongly disagreed with this horrible, highly political, ruling," he added. "The Supreme Court has really let our Country down!" He also blasted the court for other decisions he disagreed with, including the birthright citizenship ruling and the court's rejection of some of his tariffs. Critics of the president's order accused him of trying to unconstitutionally federalize elections. "This is another desperate, illegal power grab that shows a total lack of respect for the American people and our Constitution," responded Oregon State Secretary Tobias Read in April. RELATED: 'Hardly believable': Trump RIPS INTO 2 Supreme Court justices he appointed "The Constitution is clear: states run elections," Read added. "We don’t need decrees from Washington, D.C. My message to the president: We’ll see you in court." The president asserted that the conservative justices had caved in to pressure and threats from left-wing activists. "The damage done to America is incalculable, and they know this, just as everyone else does - It is an irreparable and unrecoverable harm!" he added. "The Court’s inability and unwillingness to do the right thing for our Country will go down, in a very negative way, in the annals of History." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Nick Freitas: George W. Bush said ‘Islam is peace’ after 9/11 — but the Quran says differently **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Making the Argument with Nick Freitas **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/making-the-argument-with-nick-freitas/bush-said-islam-is-peace-but-the-quran-says-differently.md In the emotional aftermath of 9/11, President George W. Bush urged Americans not to blame Islam for the terrorist attacks, instead declaring that “Islam is peace.” Twenty-five years later, BlazeTV host Nick Freitas is revisiting that message and asking whether the country learned the wrong lessons from its darkest day. “I don’t know if you guys remember this, but shortly after 9/11, U.S. president visits an Islamic center, and he had this to say,” Freitas says. “These acts of violence against innocence violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace,” Bush told the crowd. “Let’s see if that’s true,” Freitas says, before reading several passages from the Quran. “Surah 9:5: ‘Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free,” reads one excerpt. “If you either convert to Islam or you agree to pay additional taxes because you’re not Islamic, then you can be free,” Freitas explains. “Surah 9:29: ‘Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and his Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of truth (even if they are of the People of the Book), until they pay the jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued,” reads another. “So again, you’re allowed to survive as a Christian, as a Jew, as somebody else that’s not a Muslim, right, but only if you’re subdued, only if you’re willing to pay additional taxes,” Freitas says. And in Surah 47:4, Muslims are instructed: “So when you meet those who disbelieve , strike necks until, when you have inflicted slaughter upon them, then secure their bonds, and either favor afterwards or ransom until the war lays down its burdens.” “It’s a religion of peace, man,” Freitas comments. “How do you know it's a religion of peace? Well, George Bush says so.” “To say otherwise is to be mean. And we’re not allowed to be mean,” he adds. “Making the Argument with Nick Freitas” is available on BlazeTV+, YouTube, and major podcast platforms. Start watching Nick Freitas NOW at blazetv.com and use the promo code NICK40 for $40 off your BlazeTV+ subscription. --- ### Armed thug tries to rob victim pumping gas. But perp chooses the wrong victim to violate. **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Dave Urbanski | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/concealed-carrier-thwarts-armed-robber-illinois.md Police in Orland Park, Illinois, responded to a report of shots fired in the area of 15100 Harlem Avenue around 9 a.m. Tuesday, WFLD-TV reported. Orland Park is a village about an hour southwest of Chicago. Police told the station a person was pumping gas at a Shell station when someone with a weapon tried to rob the victim. 'Well done.' You see, police told WFLD the victim in this case was a concealed carry holder who pulled a gun and shot the suspect during the attempted armed robbery. The suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment, police told the station, adding that the CCL holder is cooperating with police. Further details about the incident were not immediately clear, WFLD said, including what kind of weapon the suspect possessed. RELATED: Knife-wielding male enters BBQ restaurant 'frightening customers and staff' — and then concealed-carrying patron steps up Police added to the station that a heavy law enforcement presence will remain in the area as the investigation continues, and there is no threat to the public. More than 500 comments poured into WFLD's Facebook post about the incident, and users were most definitely behind the actions of the concealed carrier. "Definition of FAFO," one commenter wrote. "Charles Bronson is back in action!" another user quipped. "Yes, keep them guessing who may be packing," another commenter reasoned. "Well done," another user said. "Yet being in IL I'm sure there will be a rally for the suspect shot and some lawyer ready to defend them. 'They weren't really going to rob them.'" "Exactly WHY you carry," another commenter declared. "Personal protection." "It’s a story with a happy ending," another user noted. "And I get asked why do I need to carry all the time," another commenter observed. "Give him a medal," another user stated. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Amy Klobuchar caught (again) doing the same thing over and over **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/amy-klobuchar-vikings-photo-repeat.md Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) got a reputation years ago for repeating the same joke over and over. Now, she's using her trademark style for a new bit. 'Time to get out the shirt.' Though it may seem like a cruel joke at this point, it has come to the internet's attention — once more — that Klobuchar (or her team) is back to her old tricks. As reported by Town Hall columnist Dustin Grage, Klobuchar has used the exact same photo to commemorate a Minnesota Vikings game for four years in a row, offering incredibly minimal efforts to make them seem different. Starting in 2023, the senator said she was "getting ready" to watch the Vikings game in her shirt that says, "Optimistic since 1961." This is in reference to the team's inaugural season and the fact they have never won a Super Bowl. In 2024, the exact same photo was used for an October 20 game against the Detroit Lions. "Optimistic since 1961," the caption read. Then in 2025, after another game against the Lions: "Yes, Vikings!" a post read, with the same photo now partially cropped, followed by, "and we've been optimistic since 1961." For the 2026 season opener on Sunday, Klobuchar wrote on her personal X account, "Game Day against the Packers. Time to get out the shirt," with the same cropped image as last year. Additionally, Klobuchar has an X video wearing the same shirt in January 2023. RELATED: Dominion settles $1.3 BILLION lawsuit against Mike Lindell over 2020 election allegations While normally such a situation would be assumed to be a joke, it is hard to tell where the bit starts and the real person stops with Klobuchar. The senator, who is currently running for governor of Minnesota, was noted as using the same joke repeatedly in the 2020 Democratic primaries, where she continuously referred to a time when President Trump called her "snow woman" on X, then Twitter. Compilations popped up showing her use the anecdote at speeches and rallies across the country, where Klobuchar would say: "I'd like to see how your hair would fair in a blizzard," before calling Trump "Mr. Umbrella Man." At the same time, rumors of Klobuchar's off-air personality have followed her for years, including claims that she once ate a salad with a comb after her staff forgot to bring utensils on a short flight. A New York Times report called it "typical" for Klobuchar to berate her aide for such a slipup. After eating the salad with a comb — according to four people — she told the staff member to clean it. A campaign spokesperson called the allegations surrounding such stories "ridiculous" but did not directly deny them. RELATED: Tim Walz gets TORCHED over dolls with 'swappable genitals' meant for kids as young as 4: Report Another rumor about Klobuchar was eventually used as a punchline on the show "Veep." The rumor claims Klobuchar had a staffer shave her legs, with the joke manifesting into: "I once dry-shaved that woman’s legs under her desk during a Cabinet meeting." According to the Washington Examiner, a Klobuchar representative denied the story and characterized it as completely false and "ridiculous." Blaze News reached out to Klobuchar's office to ask if her posting the same image each year was meant as a joke but did not receive an immediate reply. The Vikings' record when the senator posts the photo stands at two wins and two losses. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Trump shooter Thomas Crooks was emotionless from birth, says his father in chilling new details about Butler attacker **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/thomas-crooks-quiet-details-father.md The father of Thomas Crooks has revealed chilling details about his life before he tried to assassinate President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. The revelations by Matthew Crooks were reported in FBI interview summaries and other documents exclusively reviewed by the New York Post. They were from the congressional investigation into the shooting. 'Thomas did not like the welfare state and was against the "woke" ideology but never really espoused the Republican ideology.' The father said that he never really had any strong father-son bond with Thomas, who was stoic and hard to read. "When Thomas was born he did not scream, and he was always quiet from that point on," said the father. Crooks said his son had a troubled childhood but that he was very intelligent. Thomas damaged school property in elementary school out of boredom, and his parents thought he had ADHD or had fallen in with a bad group of friends in middle school. His father said he even "pushed" Thomas in hopes of prompting some kind of emotional response, and Thomas did begin to cry. He became even quieter in high school and had trouble speaking with his teachers, according to Matthew Crooks. His son also started talking to himself, a habit that "became more noticeable over the years." Thomas was able to score a 1400 on the SAT without studying, according to the father, and then scored a near perfect 1500 on a second try. Thomas denied being gay many times over the years, as his parents noted that he didn't seem to have an interest in girls. Matthew Crooks said his son developed a great interest in guns and asked if he needed to pass a background check to purchase his father's Glock. He asked if he could have his grandfather's guns but did not appear to care about hunting as a sport. Although Thomas Crooks was a terrible marksman at first, his father says his son got far better after several years of practice. He showed off his range targets to his father, explaining that "he wanted to see how far he could shoot with rudimentary sights." In fact, Matthew Crooks admitted he handed Thomas a Panther A-15 rifle the morning of the shooting, believing that his son was going to the shooting range, according to the Post, citing federal records. RELATED: Journalist at Trump assassination attempt says he got PTSD — from Trump supporters Matthew Crooks said Thomas was registered as a Republican, but the father believed he did so only because of his father's Republican registration. His son had a general interest in politics but was not terribly passionate about the topic. "Thomas called himself a Republican. Thomas did not like the welfare state and was against the ‘woke’ ideology but never really espoused the Republican ideology," Matthew Crooks said. He said his son was shocked at the events of Jan. 6 and did not think the 2020 election had been rigged. Thomas donated $15 to a progressive Democratic group in 2021. Thomas Crooks liked rap and country music, said Matthew, who sometimes found his son dancing alone in his room. Thomas "never showed any signs indicating something was wrong," Matthew said to investigators. Thomas did begin buying things on Amazon, including "parts, tools, and items to increase the capacity of his rifle," eventually adopting the pseudonym "Bob Dole" for his delivery address to thwart potential hackers, his dad said. The family is "racking" their brains trying to understand why Thomas tried to kill the president. Trump was shot in the ear on July 13, 2024, and three rally attendees were shot behind him, one of whom died. Crooks was almost immediately shot and killed by a Secret Service sniper. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### They say ‘never forget’ as Muslims gain power in America — and laugh at the 9/11 memorial **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Sara Gonzales Unfiltered **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/they-say-never-forget-as-muslims-gain-power-in-america-and-laugh-at-the-911-memorial.md Young Americans may be posting “Never Forget” in light of the 25th anniversary of the most devastating terror attack to hit American soil, but that doesn’t mean they’re not really forgetting. “Sometimes I feel like people who did not live through it don’t fully appreciate what we’re up against. Like something changes in you when you live through something like that. And I think the younger generation, they just don’t get it,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales tells Xaviaer DuRousseau. “Unless you went through it, you’re just like, ‘Yeah, whatever. What? Let’s go along to get along. What could possibly go wrong with, you know, bringing in Islam here?’ They just don’t get it ‘cause they didn’t live through it,” she continues. DuRousseau points out that there was even a “TikTok trend” a couple of years ago where users were siding with Osama bin Laden. “The fact that they are glorifying this mindset that we are allowing so many people with the jihadi ideology to gain power and influence in our country and they’re very outspoken about it: That’s terrifying to me,” he says. “And not just in our country, but in New York freaking City. We have the Muslim commie mayor Zohran Mamdani, who they were protesting. They didn’t want him to show up to their 9/11 memorial, but he did,” Gonzales says. “And he went and shook hands with Rudy Giuliani, who of course was the mayor of New York City during 9/11,” she adds, pointing out that there was “an interesting moment” when Mamdani was caught on camera laughing with AOC. However, it wasn’t just a random moment — but they were laughing while the names of all those who died on 9/11 were read aloud. “That’s crazy,” DuRousseau says. “That just shows how unserious this is to them.” “If you are the mayor of New York City, I expect that you live and breathe and are just like, you know, truly understanding your city and what the people there have gone through and the trauma that they are enduring,” he continues. “You were supposed to be there amongst the people, and instead you were totally removed and disassociated and just going and having a laugh off with AOC,” he says. “Like, that’s wild.” Want more from Sara Gonzales? To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### It just got easier to pay at Walmart, if you follow these simple steps **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Zach Laidlaw | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/walmart-mobile-payments.md Mobile-based contactless payment services are 15 years old, starting with Google Wallet in 2011 (which later became Google Pay), followed by Apple Pay in 2014. Many stores slowly rolled out support over years of foot-dragging, while large chains like Walmart tried to push their own payment solution. However, after nearly two decades of hemming and hawing, the retail giant is finally caving in. Here’s what you need to know before the next time you try to buy something at Walmart with Apple Pay or Google Pay. While Google was the first to bring contactless payments to mobile, the industry took notice when Apple introduced its own solution to the market. Built around the wildly successful iPhone and Apple Watch, Apple Pay quickly picked up steam. Today, it accounts for 50% of in-store transactions in the United States, while Google Pay only covers 17%. Globally, that makes up a difference of $9.5 trillion spent through Apple’s ecosystem versus $5.2 trillion on Google’s platform. The rollout has already begun at select locations. It wasn’t always that way, though. In the earlier days of contactless payments, the market was more like the Wild West with various companies jockeying for control. Some stores even launched their own payment services to compete. Walmart Pay ruined the party Walmart released Walmart Pay in 2015 as a direct in-store alternative to Apple and Google. The key selling point, at least for Walmart, was that its payment service worked with a QR code system. That meant any customer could use any phone to scan the code at the register to connect to their Walmart account and submit a payment. RELATED: A YouTube stunt proved this Apple Pay exploit can drain your bank account in seconds. Here's the fix. NanoStockk/Getty Images Unfortunately, the process was clunkier than Apple Pay and Google Pay, which only required users to hover their devices over payment terminals and authenticate with a fingerprint or FaceID. Walmart Pay also gave the retail giant the power to monitor customers’ purchases and link them to their accounts — a stark difference to Apple Pay and Google Pay that hide identifying customer information and transaction data from merchants. In other words, Walmart Pay gave the company insight into customers’ shopping habits that it couldn’t get from other platforms ... until now. Contactless payments are coming to Walmart After all these years of waiting, Walmart announced that it is finally giving customers the choice to use other contactless payment options. As a result, customers will soon be allowed to complete purchases with Apple Pay and Google Pay at the register in Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs nationwide. The rollout has already begun at select locations, and all stores will have access to these services by the end of 2026. After that, Walmart and Sam’s Club fuel stations will gain contactless support by mid-2027. This change also means that customers should have the option to use contactless payment credit cards and debit cards with EMV chips, as well. How to make sure your phone is set up for contactless payments Now that you can buy things with your phone at Walmart, you’ll want to make sure your device is set up before you walk into the store. To add a card to Apple Pay, open the Wallet app on iPhone, select the plus symbol in the top right corner, and choose “Debit or Credit Card.” From there, you can place your iPhone against the card to add it automatically through the EMV chip, or type in the card details by hand. Once the card is added, you may have to verify the information with your bank or credit union through the bank’s official app or via a text or phone call. Do this, and you’re all set to use Apple Pay. Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw/Apple Pay On Android, open the Wallet app and tap the plus button at the bottom. On the next screen, select “Payment card,” then “new credit or debit,” and let the app take a photo of your card to add the details. You can also write them in manually, if you prefer. Verify the information with your bank or credit union, and you’re all set to use Google Pay. Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw/Google Pay In the end, contactless payments on iPhone and Android are more convenient and secure than tapping your credit card at the register or trusting an alternative payment solution, like Walmart Pay. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Your smart TV may be watching you back: NEW report reveals troubling details **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Pat Gray Unleashed **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/pat-gray-unleashed/your-smart-tv-may-be-watching-you-back-new-report-reveals-troubling-details.md If you own an LG smart TV, there’s something you need to know: It could be spying on you — even when it is turned off. According to a recent investigation by Gamers Nexus, LG smart TVs can allegedly continue communicating with external servers even when powered down. “If you have an Apple TV set-top box, that’s not enough to protect your privacy if you have an LG TV,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray says on “Pat Gray Unleashed.” “You must unplug the ethernet. And tell it to forget your Wi-Fi information completely,” he adds. “These also use a technology referred to as automatic content recognition or ACR. So they’re not satisfied with knowing the name of the show or the channel you’re watching,” Gray says. “Instead, they want snapshots of the screen or audio bytes, which are then analyzed by external servers.” “It also collects data from the users themselves. Get this,” he explains. “It uses microphones as a part of their setup. And it’s capable of recording and transcribing conversations. So then these are sent to LG ad solutions for marketing purposes.” “But it gets worse. While the collection of usage data is one thing, the researcher uncovered many different areas where the tested TVs captured data that probed a little too deep into your private life,” he continues. “That included plain-text transcripts of conversations that you’re conducting just in the room with the TV,” he adds, “whether it's on or off.” However, Gray points out that it's not just your smart TV. “We’ve got our TVs, our phones, our computers, our iPads, our cars, Flock camera, satellites, your refrigerator,” he says. “It’s all monitoring us, and the problem is, we’re so comfortable with these devices now and we depend on them so much that frankly it’s hard not to think it’s just too late to do anything about it.” Want more from Pat Gray? To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### Knife-wielding male stabs mother, daughter in random attack, cops say — but arriving deputy puts stop to threat with his gun **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Dave Urbanski | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/knife-wielding-male-stabs-mother-daughter-in-random-attack-cops-say-but-arriving-deputy-puts-stop-to-threat-with-his-gun.md A knife-wielding male stabbed a mother and daughter in a random attack in Northern California, police said — but an arriving sheriff's deputy put a stop to the threat with his gun. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office released a summary video Friday detailing what took place on the morning of July 15. 'Kudos to the deputy that the innocent victims’ lives by eliminating the threat.' The sheriff's office said its communications center received a call around 6:30 a.m. stating that a transient adult male was causing a disturbance at a Starbucks at Elkhorn Boulevard and Diablo Drive in Sacramento. Employees said the suspect was behind the store counter and armed with a “kitchen knife," officials noted, adding that store employees hid in a back room while waiting for law enforcement to arrive. But when deputies arrived on the scene, the suspect had already fled, officials said. Minutes later, a deputy saw an individual matching the suspect's description walking on Diablo Drive, officials said. The suspect ran into an open garage of a residence in the 5700 block of Diablo Drive, and the suspect stabbed and cut a 63-year-old mother numerous times as she was getting into her vehicle, officials said. Her 26-year-old daughter heard screams and saw the suspect on top of her mother, officials said, adding that the daughter pushed the suspect off her mother, saving her from further attack. But the suspect then focused his attack on the daughter, who also was cut and stabbed numerous times, officials said. RELATED: New bodycam video shows sheriff's deputies fatally shooting knife-wielding male who authorities say stabbed deputy Image source: Sacramento County (Calif.) Sheriff's Office The deputy who initially saw the suspect witnessed the suspect's attacks in the garage, officials said, adding that the deputy fired his handgun toward the suspect, striking the suspect. Additional deputies arrived and immediately began administering lifesaving measures to the suspect and both victims, officials said. Fire personnel responded to the scene and pronounced the suspect dead, officials said. Both victims were taken to a hospital, where they were listed in serious but stable condition, officials said. RELATED: 'Kill me!' Unhinged male furious about revving engine at night pulls sword on investigating deputy. Then things get bloody. The suspect has been identified as Faryeshyi Allahdin, officials said, adding that no deputies were injured during the incident. Officials said investigators believe the attack was random, and the victims had no known connection to the suspect. Commenters below the sheriff's office video posted to Facebook had high praise for law enforcement: "Kudos to the deputy that the innocent victims’ lives by eliminating the threat," one commenter wrote. "Nice shot by the deputy & thank you for not hesitating so that the perpetrator could not do any fatal damage," another user wrote. "This is a happy ending — no trial & further trauma to the victims needed & no revolving door on prison/jail for this guy who’d probably go on to terrorize more victims after being let out too soon." "Thank you for you courageous service, officer," another commenter said. "And dang that daughter — kudos for jumping in to her mom." "Police officers are heroes... no other way to say it," another user declared. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Gmail is about to fill your inbox with political spam. Here's how to skip it. **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Zach Laidlaw | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/gmail-spam-filters-election-season.md It’s impossible to miss election season. Signs show up in neighbors’ yards, the mountains of fliers pile up in the mail, and your email inbox fills up with political messages asking for donations or a vote. In the past, you could easily file these emails into the spam folder and rarely hear from the sender again, but not this year. Google’s new verified sender program for Gmail lets politicians skip your spam filter and go straight to your inbox, whether you like it or not. Luckily, there are still ways to get rid of them. The program ensures you can’t escape political advertisements. Google recently unveiled its Gmail Verified Sender Program set to launch on September 8. Once it rolls out, verified senders, including politicians, can bypass any previous filters that would’ve sent them to your spam or junk folder. Instead, they’ll go straight into your inbox where they’re most likely to reach you. Sounds like a nightmare, right? According to Google, this system “helps eligible, verified political committees in the United States reliably deliver policy-compliant and non-abusive messages to personal Gmail accounts on an ongoing basis.” In reality, the program ensures you can’t escape political advertisements, at least not with the usual methods. Politicians have to follow the rules If there’s any saving grace, it’s that Google has some ground rules for any politician who wishes to use the new program. Politicians have to: Refrain from sending anything that resembles spam, including unsolicited or repetitive emails. Theoretically, if you didn’t sign up for a political mailer, you shouldn’t be subjected to these messages in the first place. Meet all of Google’s mass email guidelines, which include proper domain authentication and message formatting. All emails must also include an “unsubscribe” button for CAN-SPAM compliance. Follow Gmail’s anti-abuse policy, which means they can’t attempt to commit fraud, promote illicit activities, engage in harassment, or other unsavory behaviors. Furthermore, if more than 0.3% of respondents label an incoming email as spam across any rolling 14-day period, Google may suspend the politician’s email operations for seven days or terminate his or her email program entirely. RELATED: Google is finally letting you change the most important thing about your Gmail account. Here's how. Orbon Alija/Getty Images How to keep political emails out of your inbox Just because political emails can bypass your spam folder doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to keep them out of your inbox. In fact, Google’s rules alone show that there are still several things you can do to clear out the political clutter. Here are your options: Hit the unsubscribe button: By law, all commercial emails and advertisements — including political messages — are required to include a simple-to-find unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email. Click on that, confirm your decision on the next page that pops up, and you should be opted out of future email chains. Get creative with Gmail labels: Google gave Gmail a neat little trick that lets you target emails with specific keywords, or that arrive from certain senders, and automatically throw them in the trash. To set up one of these filters, open Gmail in your web browser on a computer, click the Settings cog in the top right corner, then select “See all settings.” From here, go to “Filters and blocked addresses,” and create a new filter. Type in the information you want to target and select “Create filter.” On the checkboxes page, mark “Delete it.” Lastly, click the “Create filter” button, and you’re all set. No more political emails. Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw/Gmail Hit the spam button anyway: When a political email drops into your inbox, you reserve the right to relabel it as spam. While this may not keep the next email from that campaign from hitting your inbox again, your efforts can help suspend the account or even terminate it. Use a different email provider: When all else fails, you can always put your Gmail aside and use a different email provider that will let you block political messages from the start. Election season is all about reaching as many voters on as many issues as possible, but that doesn’t mean you have to listen to it. Follow these steps and reclaim a bit of your sanity, at least for your email inbox. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Finally! EPA poised to repeal some climate hysteria over carbon emissions **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Zach Laidlaw | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/epa-carbon-emissions-repeal.md For decades, the government led a crusade against carbon dioxide, treating the byproduct of human breath as a pollutant causing global warming and climate change. Luckily, cooler heads have finally prevailed as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency aims to pull back carbon emission restrictions for the sake of the American people, power plants, and the economy. The Clean Air Act has been around since the 1970s. The original version specifically targeted vehicle emissions, namely carbon monoxide, which is harmful to humans in concentrated quantities. ’Even if you got rid of all GHG emissions tomorrow, it would have no meaningful climate impact.’ However, in recent decades, the bill morphed to cover a broader range of “pollutants,” including human breath in the form of carbon dioxide, cow flatulence that produces methane, and other supposed “greenhouse gases.” Yet one of the more egregious restrictions came directly from the Biden administration, which used the Inflation Reduction Act to attack fossil fuels because of the carbon dioxide emitted during the burning process. This distinction helped the Biden administration further vilify the fossil fuels industry and secure $369 billion in funding to cut carbon emissions and bankroll clean energy initiatives. RELATED: New peer-reviewed study points out the obvious: Carbon emissions are feeding plants and greening the planet Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group/Getty Images That is all about to change. On Monday, the EPA officially removed some of the power-plant carbon emissions restrictions put in place by the Biden administration in 2024 and proposed repealing the others. EPA spokesman Mike Bastasch told Blaze News: Repealing the costly and ineffective Biden-Harris carbon pollution standards will save Americans up to $310 billion. The power sector will save billions of dollars in compliance costs, and Americans will save billions of dollars more by not having to fund tax credits for CO2 sequestration. The Trump EPA is committed to protecting human health and the environment while also driving economic growth, lowering energy costs, and improving standards of living. EPA is also proposing to rescind all remaining GHG emissions requirements for power plants, which have imposed unnecessary requirements and drained the power sector’s resources, while producing virtually no benefit. ... The reality is that even if you got rid of all GHG emissions tomorrow, it would have no meaningful climate impact. This fact is confirmed by the same models used by the Obama administration. EPA estimates that the supplemental proposal would save $370 million in costs. Ultimately, the benefits of the repeal are threefold: Energy companies no longer have to abide by costly climate edicts of past administrations. American citizens save money on taxes. Finally, the people gain much-needed relief from climate change hysteria, thanks to models that suggest continued greenhouse gas remediation would have an insignificant impact on climate trends around the globe. This move is just one of many that indicate climate change hysteria is coming to an end. Late last year, Bill Gates admitted that climate change wouldn’t end the world after all. The Antarctic has also gained ice while melting in the Arctic has slowed, despite doomer claims that the latter would be "ice-free" by 2020. Some "experts" have even claimed that reduced emissions are the problem. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### America's adversaries are using top American tech — without telling their customers **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/americas-adversaries-are-using-top-american-tech-without-telling-their-customers.md Millions of overseas customers are using American-made AI companies, and they don't even know it. A new report released by Anthropic will likely throw a wrench into what is known about the AI race, pointing to the idea that the United States' adversaries are not as technologically advanced as they purport to be. 'Over 12.1 million exchanges observed.' Anthropic explained in a lengthy report that Chinese companies and other international role players are seemingly reliant, to some degree, on the American company's AI programs. To that end, multiple Chinese AI companies were discovered to have been forwarding their own customers' inquiries to Claude and relaying them back to users as if they were their own. Moonshot AI, which uses the chatbot Kimi, was described as "silently" forwarding customer requests to Claude instead of processing them on its own. "Moonshot then displayed Claude's responses to users. These users thought they were using a Kimi model, but received responses from Claude instead," Anthropic wrote. Anthropic said that in just a 10-day period, Moonshot relayed almost 300,000 customer requests to the American company, mostly to the AI program Claude Opus. This was done through over 5,000 proxy accounts predominantly located in Singapore and Japan. DeepSeek, another Chinese AI company, was reportedly caught relaying its inquiries to Anthropic's Claude too, even when it was a company using its product. Anthropic said one Chinese company was "almost certainly not made aware" that its data was being relayed to Claude when it used DeepSeek to analyze internal documents that included sensitive information and organizational structure. RELATED: Hackers are trying to steal money from X users — don’t be one of them ‼️ BREAKING: Chinese labs DeepSeek and Moonshot were quietly relaying customer prompts to Claude through fraudulent accounts. Users thought they were using Chinese AI, but were actually getting answers from Claude. Their customers' sensitive data now is in Anthropic's hands. One… pic.twitter.com/haVaTSVRol — International Cyber Digest (@IntCyberDigest) September 10, 2026 Additionally, requests from an IT operator from a Russian government agency "associated with its Ministry of Defense" were relayed to Anthropic through DeepSeek, which allegedly exposed live credentials for a Russian government database. Furthermore, a municipal Public Security Bureau in China used DeepSeek, which turned out to be Claude, to build a case management system. An engineer reportedly built a tool that compares a person's movements against police records and used the national ID number of its citizens. "Scale of distillation attacks attributable to DeepSeek over 14 days in July 2026: over 12.1 million exchanges observed," Anthropic wrote. Another Chinese tech company called Xiaomi was accused of "illicit distillation" — making 400,000 exchanges with Anthropic over the course of 20 days to siphon data to train its own AI models. RELATED: OpenAI's newest model is all techies want — but how uncontrollable is it? CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images Anthropic also revealed that three Iranian government-aligned accounts were using Claude to "set up influence operations campaigns." The campaigns had stated goals to shape public opinion at home and abroad and were working on behalf of the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization under the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Islamic Propaganda Office of Khorasan Razavi. The work was a portion of a nine-part "international influence" portfolio and included a complete organizational plan for the funeral of Iran's supreme leader. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### 1-year-old euthanized in the Netherlands — and committee with ghoulish name says that's just fine **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Cortney Weil | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/1-year-old-euthanized-in-the-netherlands-and-committee-with-ghoulish-name-says-thats-just-fine.md A statutory review committee in the Netherlands has issued a lengthy statement defending the "termination of life" of a 1-year-old child. The incident of euthanasia occurred late last year and involved a child described as "nearly two years old." This second group also claimed that 'there was no continuous unbearable suffering' and that 'reasonable alternative solutions existed.' The New York Times reported on the incident in June, though specifics regarding the case were then scant. At the time, Minister of Health Sophie Hermans merely acknowledged that a case for euthanizing a child between 1 and 12 had been sent to a committee for review the previous year and that a "termination of life" had followed. The horrifying, heartbreaking details have since been released by a group called the Review Committee for Late Termination of Pregnancy and Termination of Life in Newborns and Children Aged 1 to 12 Years. According to the committee, the child was born prematurely and had severe epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and brain damage as well as other debilitating conditions. Citing the physician who treated and ultimately euthanized the child, the committee said the child endured regular seizures, a sleep disorder, side effects from medication, difficulty swallowing and breathing, and increased risk of infection. Based on the physician's assessment, the committee claimed that "the likelihood of death at a very young age due to complications was considered very high." RELATED: The unbearable burden may still be worth bearing CorbalanStudio/Getty Images The committee repeatedly argued that the euthanizing physician did everything by the book in accordance with the 2024 statute change permitting the euthanization of children between 1 and 12 in limited circumstances. According to the committee, the parents requested the termination of life for their child and their position on the matter remained "consistent." The committee also said doctors "outside the region" were consulted for a second opinion. This second group of doctors concurred that the child was suffering and that the child's situation was "irreversible" and that "there was no realistic chance of improvement." However, this second group also claimed that "there was no continuous unbearable suffering" and that "reasonable alternative solutions existed," such as other medications and palliative care. According to the committee, the doctor indicated that he attempted the interventions the second group recommended but that the child's condition only worsened. The doctor then consulted yet another "outside" doctor, who agreed that ending the child's life was the only way to alleviate the suffering. Citing the physician, the committee seemed confident in the predicted future of the child and implied that the child would be a burden to care for: "The child was severely multiply (intellectually and motorically) disabled, and the prognosis was that the child would remain dependent on care for life for all activities of daily living." "The child suffered from conditions with a limited life expectancy, without any prospect of improvement in quality of life." "The suffering was determined by the permanent, severe brain damage with no prospect of any reasonable degree of development and the eventual permanent lack of any possibility of self-reliance." In a section titled "execution," the committee recounted the death of the child. "At the parents' request, the doctor chose a method in which the child was gently put to sleep," the statement said. Then after falling into "a very deep state of sedation," the child died. The committee acknowledged that the child could not and therefore did not consent to the euthanasia. "In view of all the above facts, circumstances, and considerations, the committee is of the opinion that the physician acted with due care," the committee determined. Eduard Verhagen, a professor of pediatric palliative care at UMCG in Groningen, supports the committee's conclusion: "It is good that the committee reached such a well-considered judgment. Many physicians and parents will benefit from this in the future." The case will still be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service. H/T: LifeNews.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### SKIN IN THE GAME: Sydney Sweeney shrugs off female athletes triggered by naked ad **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/sydney-sweeney-nude-ad-reactions.md Sydney Sweeney's latest ad has some of the world's top female athletes crying foul. The actress stripped down for a new campaign promoting sports prediction market Novig, strategically covering herself with footballs, boxing gloves, and other sporting equipment beneath the tagline “Just Sports.” 'I can't describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this.' Poor sports The joke didn't land with everyone. The 58-second ad is an obvious appeal to male sports bettors. Sweeney appears nude but covered throughout, delivering betting-related lines as sporting equipment conveniently keeps the commercial suitable for YouTube. Female athletes have accused the campaign of sexualizing women's sports and undermining the women who have spent their lives competing in them. British athlete Lucy Davis was among those unimpressed. "I don't know wtf Sydney Sweeney was doing, but it's 2026," she posted, per Variety. "Stop sexualizing women in sport." Remarks on Davis' social media called her a "new age feminist" and noted she is no stranger to provocative images either. NCAA gymnast Gracie Kramer was also mocked by readers after she said "Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like," alongside her highlight reel. Both men and women took issue with Kramer's remarks given her sexualized photos, with one comment on Instagram joking, "How dare you pose with a basketball when you're not a professional basketball player." Sweeney appeared to call out the athletes for their hypocrisy soon thereafter. RELATED: 'DISGUSTING': Megyn Kelly rips into 'Euphoria' clip with Sydney Sweeney Body positive On her Instagram story, Sweeney shared photos of former UFC champion Ronda Rousey, as well as tennis players Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki — in addition to male athletes — who have all posed nude for ESPN's "Body" issue. This was followed by Sweeney posting her own ad. On the Novig website, Sweeney described the ad as "embracing a fun idea," while noting she is an equity holder in the company. "The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor, and a playful edge," Sweeney's statement added. RELATED: OnlyFans models are offended by Sydney Sweeney mocking their degeneracy on her TV show Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images Tut-tutting Titmus Additional Sweeney detractors included Aussie Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus, who said she was "infuriated" by Sweeney's ad. "I can't describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this," Titmus said, per the Guardian. "Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is — teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity. How do we live in a world where monetising a woman's body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?" Moreover, British sprinter Amy Hunt said, "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like," in a post-race interview with BBC Sport. She was immediately criticized for apparent hypocrisy on her social media photos, as well. Likewise, Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns wrote on a post: "I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney's new sports ad," Kearns said, before getting similar treatment as the other Sweeney critics on her own revealing post. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Who put the left in charge of America's working class? **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** John Mac Ghlionn | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/who-put-the-left-in-charge-of-america-s-working-class.md Abdul El-Sayed has made no secret of whom he believes Democrats should represent. Speaking to the United Auto Workers this summer, the newly minted Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan declared that it was “damn past time” for his party to be “firmly on the side of working people.” The credentialed left wants the working class' grievances but has little interest in its virtues. El-Sayed is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America; he calls himself a capitalist. But the Bernie Sanders ally has emerged as one of the most prominent figures on the insurgent economic left, campaigning against corporate power and billionaires while promising an economy that works for working people. His own path to the barricades was somewhat less proletarian. El-Sayed is a Rhodes Scholar with a medical degree from Columbia and a doctorate from Oxford. And these days he's hardly an outlier. Let's do lunch box Once upon a time, the phrase “working class” evoked a very specific image. A guy named Sal with calloused hands, a steel lunch box, and a bad back, punching a timecard at seven in the morning to make sure his children could buy decent shoes. According to a fresh report from the Pew Research Center, 60% of Americans now say “working class” describes them well. That includes half of college graduates and, remarkably, half of upper-income Americans. So who exactly counts as working class anymore? Historically, the answer was more complicated than Sal and his lunch box. In the old Marxian sense, the proletariat consisted broadly of people who survived by selling their labor rather than living from property or capital. By that definition, an adjunct professor with three degrees and an anemic bank account may have a better claim to proletarian status than the plumber who owns his own company and employs three other plumbers. But that isn't what most Americans came to picture when they heard the words “working class.” Over the course of the 20th century, the phrase acquired a cultural meaning as well as an economic one. It came to evoke factory workers, mechanics, tradesmen, construction crews, waitresses, truckers — people who worked with their hands, collected an hourly wage, or made a living without accumulating a wall full of credentials. The educated precariat Now the two meanings are colliding. The modern socialist left has revived something closer to the older economic definition. Its emerging constituency includes a peculiar new proletariat: highly educated Americans with plenty of credentials but not necessarily much money. Nate Silver recently dug into the numbers behind the Democratic Socialists of America and found exactly this pattern. According to the DSA's own 2021 membership survey, 80% of members age 25 and older had bachelor's degrees, while 45% reported household incomes below $60,000. Political analyst Ruy Teixeira calls them the “educated precariat.” They got the degrees, but the economic status supposedly waiting on the other side never quite materialized. What survived was their sense of entitlement to tell other people how things should be run. The credentialed precariat may have lost the salary and corner office, but not the conviction that the people who went to college should be telling the people who didn't what's good for them. And so they didn't merely join the working class. They appointed themselves its representatives. RELATED: America’s young are being recruited into socialism — one dance party at a time Bettman/Michael Tullberg/Getty Images Prole drift Teixeira notes that non-college working-class Americans are conspicuously absent from DSA activism. Socialist candidates, he argues, tend to find their greatest strength in white professional-class areas rather than working-class black and Hispanic ones. The credentialed left speaks constantly in the name of workers while increasingly inhabiting a different cultural universe from the blue-collar Americans it claims to represent. They took the old Marxian categories, ran them through a dry cleaner, and turned class struggle into a boutique political identity tailor-made for the credentialed precariat. The people who know the most about class struggle increasingly seem to know the fewest actual people who change tires, hang drywall, drive trucks, or repair furnaces. Meanwhile, the guy who actually owns the steel lunch box is increasingly voting Republican. Pew found that 67% of Republicans identify as working class, compared with 55% of Democrats. Even among upper-income Americans, 61% of Republicans call themselves working class, compared with just 38% of Democrats. Among college graduates, Republicans are also more likely than Democrats to claim the label. Stolen valor That helps explain why the left and right increasingly seem to be speaking different languages when they talk about class. The socialist left sees class primarily through economic insecurity and the relationship between labor and capital. The credentialed left wants the working class' grievances but has little interest in its virtues. Exploitation, insecurity, and victimhood confer moral status. Self-reliance, toughness, family obligation, and the stubborn conviction that a man ought to solve his own problems do not fit nearly as comfortably into the progressive worldview. On the right, those virtues have become inseparable from working-class identity. It means taking pride in earning your keep and putting family before corporate diversity initiatives. Above all, it means despising the condescension of credentialed bureaucrats. An independent contractor running a two-man framing crew might clear six figures in a good year, yet he has zero in common with a university administrator making the exact same salary. One builds real structures that stand against the wind; the other drafts policy documents designed to justify their own redundant existence. True working-class Americans — the blue-collar workers who actually do physical labor — deserve better than sharing an identity pool with credentialed cosplayers. A diesel mechanic working 12-hour shifts under a hoisted truck engine lives in a completely different galaxy from a brand strategist working remotely from a coffee shop while identifying as a member of the proletariat. A fundamental difference exists between working for a living and belonging to the working class. The modern left spent decades treating the four-year degree as the ticket to a better life, only to turn around and loot the cultural prestige of the blue-collar lifestyle when those credentials failed to deliver what so many graduates expected. Conservatives don't need to own factories to champion the working class. They simply honor the dignity of hard work and the common sense of people who fix things when they break. The credentialed class can speak in the name of the working class all it wants. That doesn't mean the working class asked it to. --- ### Florida mom blamed baby's death on co-sleeping — then detectives noticed her jewelry **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Paul Sacca | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/florida-mom-dead-baby-ring.md A Florida woman allegedly said her baby died when she fell asleep next to her son. However, police said the infant's autopsy — along with a piece of the mother's jewelry — tipped them off to something far more sinister. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement that deputies responded to a residence in Lakeland after receiving a report that a baby boy was unresponsive around 11:58 p.m. Sept. 6. 'I think I killed our son.' Police said the 3-month-old was rushed to Orlando Health Medical where he was pronounced deceased shortly after. According to the affidavit, the infant had an abrasion and bruising on his head. The sheriff's office said: An autopsy revealed that the baby had subdural hemorrhaging around the skull. Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Nelson identified three separate impact injuries to the baby’s head. The impact injuries were located on the top of the forehead. Dr. Nelson also identified a 1.7 cm by 1 cm L-shaped injury to the baby’s forehead, which he stated appeared to be consistent with being caused by a square-like object. Detectives interviewed the infant's mother, 42-year-old Jessica Vlasac. "Vlasac told deputies that she had accidentally fallen asleep with the baby in the bed and that she did not remember anything else, and that when she woke up, she found the baby lying face down on the bed, not moving and cold to the touch," the police statement read. According to the statement, "After the autopsy, detectives interviewed Vlasac again and observed her wearing a large, diamond-like stone ring on her ring finger that was consistent with the large, square-like shape mentioned in the autopsy." RELATED: Mother 'very invested' in Lindsay Clancy case accused of killing 2-year-old son, had chilling plans for husband: Prosecutors Detectives executed a search warrant and obtained Vlasac's devices and her ring. Police said, "During the search, Vlasac spontaneously asked if the ring was what killed the victim." The statement read, "In a follow-up examination, Dr. Nelson examined the ring that had been confiscated from Vlasac and advised that the victim’s injuries were consistent with being struck by the ring, as a part of the impact injuries." The sheriff's office stated that "there was no evidence of co-sleeping causing the death." The PCSO added that text messages retrieved from the night of the incident showed Vlasac bought alcoholic shots earlier that day, sent messages stating she killed the infant, and later asked the child's father to delete the text history, WTVT-TV reported. According to detectives, the baby's father told them that Vlasac is someone who becomes "violent" when she consumes alcohol. Police said the father told detectives that Vlasac sent him multiple messages saying that she had killed the infant, including one that read: "I think I killed our son." The statement said, "The father stated that Vlasac called him a few days later and seemed unusually normal when discussing the death." Police arrested Vlasac on Sept. 10 and booked her into the Polk County Jail, according to records from the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Vlasac, of Lakeland, was charged with aggravated child abuse resulting in the death. The first-degree felony charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years if convicted, according to WTSP-TV. Police said the investigation is ongoing. Vlasac remains at the Polk County Jail without bond. Law&Crime reported that Vlasac has a pretrial detention hearing Thursday and an arraignment hearing Oct. 13. Records from the Polk County Sheriff's Office show Vlasac also was arrested on Aug. 2 in a separate incident. She was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and resisting an officer without violence. Jail records show Vlasac was released Aug. 19 in connection with that arrest. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### 'Textbook demonic': Allie Beth Stuckey calls out the targeting of Erika Kirk by self-professed Christians **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Relatable **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/targeting-of-erika-kirk-reveals-ongoing-spiritual-warfare.md In the year after Charlie Kirk's assassination, the grief surrounding his death has been compounded by a wave of attacks directed at his widow, Erika Kirk. For BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey, the left’s widespread celebration of Kirk’s assassination isn't surprising, considering they are already “godless.” However, what does surprise Stuckey is that many of the attacks on Erika have come from those who “profess to be Christians.” “I think what has shocked the conscience for me is people, even people who profess to be Christians, the just relentless attacks against Erika,” Stuckey tells Christian apologist Frank Turek. “And whether or not you agree with her politics or whether or not you like her, whether or not you have personal feelings about her, just the callousness towards her,” she explains. While Stuckey notes that she doesn’t “call everything demonic,” the attacks on Erika have felt especially “dark and depraved.” “The way that people have targeted her in the wake of Charlie’s death ... it’s demoralized me in some ways,” she adds. Turek is in agreement, citing a biblical story. “Jesus and the apostles called Satan a murderer, a liar, accuser, and slanderer who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy,” Turek tells Stuckey. “We had a murder a year ago. What have we had since then? Lies, accusations, and slander seeking to steal, kill, and destroy.” “It’s textbook demonic,” he says. “And people say they don’t believe in the demonic.” “The demons don’t go after ineffective movements. They go after effective people and effective movements,” he continues, adding, “And Charlie was enormously effective.” Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey? To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### Trump team mocks Mamdani-led coalition suing to block rule change on welfare for immigrants **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-mamdani-welfare-immigrants-charge.md Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says a plan by the Trump administration to restrict welfare for immigrants is "cruel and unlawful." President Donald Trump is seeking to change the public charge rule to allow the administration to deny visa and green card applications to immigrants receiving welfare benefits. 'We’re shaking in our boots over this supposedly terrible outcome.' Mamdani and New York Attorney General Letitia James are suing to block the plan. "The new public charge rule seeks to push immigrant families away from the programs that have kept people fed and healthy for decades," read a statement from the mayor Monday. "New Yorkers will be afraid to see a doctor or ask for help they are legally entitled to," he added. "That fear will not stop at the families that the federal government is targeting. Families who remain fully eligible for benefits will feel a chilling effect, and all New Yorkers will pay for it." Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco are among the cities that are joining the lawsuit. Mamdani went on to accuse the administration of intentionally dividing New Yorkers with the new policy, which would loosen the definition of a "public charge" in order to restrict far more immigrants from getting welfare. "The new public charge rule not only sweeps aside more than a century of established law, it is intentionally vague as a means of creating uncertainty and fear to isolate immigrant New Yorkers," he said at a press conference. "Make no mistake, this is an undisguised effort to strip New Yorkers of the services they rely on, the public benefits they are entitled to," he added. Mamdani's lawsuit included a coalition of cities and counties while James' lawsuit included about 20 states. Both were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. RELATED: Illegal alien child abuser caught in US after being deported, Border Patrol tells Blaze News A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which is named as a defendant in both lawsuits, ridiculed the arguments made by the plaintiffs. "Let’s get this straight, sanctuary states are terrified they will lose federal funds because hundreds of thousands of illegals and noncitizens might remove themselves from American welfare programs," said the spokesperson to Courthouse News. "We’re shaking in our boots over this supposedly terrible outcome," the spokesperson added. Unless the legal challenge is successful, the new rule change will go into effect on Friday. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Florida teacher removed from elementary school after 'atrocious' allegations from 5 students, police say **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/teacher-elementary-child-porn-arrest.md A former Florida elementary school teacher was arrested after he allegedly showed pornography to students and touched them inappropriately. Cesar Oriol Cardoso taught at the Sunset Park Elementary School until the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department arrested him. 'Talk to your little ones, your children to help them to discern what is right and what is wrong in person ― and to talk and speak up.' Police said Cardoso would show girls "inappropriate images or videos" after pulling them from physical education or other classes. Some of the child sex-abuse material included photos of nude women and one image of a young boy with a woman. Other students reported seeing images that appeared to be of Cardoso himself. The 53-year-old also allegedly touched or slapped several girls on the thighs or buttocks while making inappropriate comments. In one instance he held his hand over his crotch and asked a girl if she wanted to "squish it," according to the arrest report. Cardoso also allegedly tried to express his wish to kiss two of the girls. Detectives on Friday interviewed Cardoso, but he invoked his right to remain silent. Cardoso was charged with three felonies, including offenses against students by authority figures, showing obscene material to a minor, and lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under the age of 16 years. "Behavior of this nature will not be tolerated under any circumstances," a statement from a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade County Public Schools read. Cardoso was removed from the school the next business day after school officials heard about the charges, the spokesperson added. RELATED: 'He ran into the wrong person': Video captured brawl between man and martial arts teacher Cardoso was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond as of Monday, according to WPLG-TV. "I think it’s atrocious. I think we need to do a better job and have people better vetted," said Adrian Marin, a parent of a child at the school. "Talk to your little ones, your children to help them to discern what is right and what is wrong in person ― and to talk and speak up." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### How groupthink replaces truth **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Jeannie DeAngelis | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/how-groupthink-replaces-truth.md When did facts or verifiable evidence get replaced by consensus within a specific community that continually repeats collectively held ideas or feelings? And is this trend why, everywhere we look, demonstrable truth is becoming subservient to imagination? Do we now live in a world where truth-seeking is taking a back seat to groupthink? As far back as the 1980s, when regular folks were confronted with mics and asked for their man-on-the-street opinions on everything from when life begins to tactical strategy for war, I remember thinking, “This practice is going to be a problem.” What happens to the fabric of society if what one personally believes attains precedence over what is proven to be true? Why? Because for the past 40 years or so, subjective constructs have been elevated to the status of fact and given far more credibility than verifiable truth. As if fallible human feelings determine what is true — they do not. Granted, opinions are relative; we all have them, and in America, we can still freely express our point of view. This is also true of individual preferences and judgments, which remain relative. But more and more, people treat fictional beliefs and unsubstantiated claims as factual simply because large, loud, and strongly opinionated groups adopt and agree upon them. Thus culture has become a delusional world where definitions can be altered to protect belief and political identity determines what is considered true or false. This penchant for self-determined reality makes healthy debate almost impossible because what’s considered correct becomes tainted by distinctions shaped by a consensus around feelings rather than by credible substantiation. The perversion of truth is increasingly evident in definitions of male and female, as well as in criteria defining human life. Contemporary progressives seem most culpable for elevating subjectivism, self-perceived identity, and personal opinion above facts. Partisans on the left are so committed to redefining everything that moral or political debate has devolved into a one-way assault of accusations, denial, and the exaltation of fantastical beliefs. One skill set missing from the relativists’ playbook is logic. Viewed logically, calling something “my truth” concedes that whatever you believe or promote is personal rather than universally established as a certainty. The fallacy of “my truth” becomes most heated around topics like the dignity of life in the womb, biological sex, and who should ultimately bear personal responsibility when an “oppressed” woman commits a criminal act. RELATED: Did Lindsay Clancy lose her mind — or her free will? David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe/Getty Images That is where we have witnessed the tendency to promote personal opinion over what is morally, biologically, historically, legally, and philosophically accepted. This is especially true when pro-life and pro-choice opinions clash. One side aligns with 95% of 5,502 biologists who agreed that human life begins at fertilization. Despite biological assurance, however, one side insists that a woman’s choice supersedes truth. The looming danger is that if moral relativism continues to gain credibility, right and wrong vanish and opinion rules. The bad news is that opinions change, which means that on a collective whim, every life at whatever stage could become justifiably disposable. What happens to the fabric of society if what one personally believes attains precedence over what is proven to be true? What we have seen lately is that morally relativistic people are so steeped in the certainty that their opinions are correct that they applaud themselves for exposing those they view as evil, which seems not only an estimable goal but also a justification for violence. Societal relativism has reached a boiling point and has put innocent individuals in the literal crosshairs of vigilantes responding to sentiments widely accepted as true. According to this moral barometer, a conservative influencer can be assassinated publicly, and some who feel morally convicted by his views on biblical matters, politics, and traditional male and female roles think it’s fitting to cheer his death. And these are the people who fancy themselves kindness warriors? RELATED: Campus free speech is alive — barely Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Among progressives, this pattern has evolved to the point that a devoted husband and father like Charlie Kirk is derided, while a woman who admitted to strangling her three children is defended and supported by female activists who have convinced themselves that children are disposable and women are an oppressed class. Because of political differences, these same women feel justified in demonizing Kirk’s grieving widow merely because she holds the same conservative convictions as her dead husband. These people have convinced themselves that, based on personal opinion alone, Patrick Clancy should be strung up, drawn, and quartered and that one black, male juror, who they have collectively concluded is also guilty by reason of maleness, deserves condemnation. As if feelings and thoughts were evidence, some online defenders have made extraordinary accusations against Patrick Clancy, not on demonstrable proof but solely on a fairy tale they have concocted in their own toxic minds. So the kind of psychosis that accompanies the delusional reality our culture is currently steeped in — especially in political debate — has now been deemed the authority to determine who is considered insane by the insane? If carried to its logical conclusion, a relativistic mind meld can lead to mob rule, which is now depicted as “democracy,” a political system in which the potential exists to have an innocent individual dragged to the guillotine merely because the crowd believed he or she deserved it. We see this now when evidentiary truth is automatically dismissed as coming from the wrong source. Yet the truth remains true even if no one believes it; reality cannot be reinvented to suit our fallible human proclivities. As Flannery O’Connor once wrote, “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it emotionally,” a more than 70-year-old observation that supports the contemporary idea that the clash between human self-deception and moral reality is nothing new. --- ### Despite welcome reform, the war on America's truckers rages on **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Gord Magill | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/despite-welcome-reform-the-war-on-americas-truckers-rages-on.md It’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, when the American Trucking Associations holds its annual hot dog and hamburger lunches for the same drivers it spends the rest of the year screwing through its lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. This year, however, drivers might enjoy the free food, cheap swag, and various other perks — if they happen to be in the yard for them — with just a little less cynicism. That’s because the industry’s annual PR stunt happens to coincide with something considerably more valuable: the kind of tangible political "appreciation" that actually produces real change. Most Americans would probably be astonished by how easy it has been to summon a trucking company into existence. On Monday, August 31, Vice President JD Vance gave a speech in Sterling Heights, Michigan, in support of Republican congressional candidate Mike Rogers ahead of the midterm elections. Though Vance started with praise for Rogers and other members of the party, he quickly pivoted to problems in the trucking industry and the administration's efforts to address them, while also highlighting the hard work and sacrifice of American truckers and the displacement they have faced in recent years. “For too long ... the Biden administration allowed American workers and American drivers to be endangered and have their jobs stolen by foreign fraudsters,” Vance said. “Today is about restoring the basic principle that if you want to drive a big truck on America's roads, you ought to be able to speak English, you ought to be a legal resident of the United States of America, and you ought to have basic qualifications because trucking is too important to let it go to foreign fraudsters.” Flooded with foreign labor Vance, like anyone else paying attention, can see that the trucking industry has been flooded with foreign labor, helping keep the freight costs of Fortune 500 America low while externalizing the real costs onto everyone else. The Trump administration's crackdown has illuminated the scope of the problem. A 2025 analysis prepared for J.B. Hunt by transportation economist Noël Perry estimated that the administration's English-language requirements, immigration enforcement, and restrictions on non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses could ultimately remove as many as 614,000 drivers from the industry — nearly 16% of the nation's heavy-truck driver population. Speaking more freely to Overdrive, Perry said the number could go as high as 800,000 — a figure more in line with estimates I've heard coming from administration insiders. The obvious losers in all of this have been legitimate American trucking companies. An already brutal freight market has been made even harder by competition from unscrupulous operators willing to cut corners by skirting the licensing, training, labor, and safety standards responsible carriers have to meet. And the problem is compounded by Mexican trucking companies engaging in illegal cabotage — hauling domestic loads between American destinations using Mexican trucks and drivers. More than 20 trucking-related companies sought bankruptcy protection during one 30-day period this spring alone, and another 21 transportation and supply-chain businesses filed for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 between late July and August 25. The administration's crackdown is finally beginning to tighten the freight market and push rates back up. But in a classic case of you win some, you lose some, diesel prices have now hit record highs. License to kill? Vance's speech also coincided with an announcement from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy of a “whole-of-government” attack on another part of the problem: deficient CDL schools churning out poorly trained and sometimes completely unqualified drivers onto American highways. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a division of DOT, issued immediate shutdown notices to 110 truck-driving schools and put another 160 on notice that they could be removed from operation. The stakes are much higher than faulty paperwork. According to DOT, non-domiciled drivers who would no longer qualify for licenses under the administration's new rules were involved in at least 17 fatal crashes that killed 30 people in 2025 alone. Yes, 30 innocent Americans died thanks to drivers who can't read road signs, don't know the rules of the road, and have no business getting behind the wheel of what is essentially an 80,000-pound missile. On the other hand, somebody saved a bundle on labor costs. Say their names This summer has been just as deadly. In July, 21-year-old University of Massachusetts Lowell soccer player Tobias “Toby” Forsythe was killed on Interstate 71 in Ohio when a tractor-trailer driven by 42-year-old Bekhzod Asrarov slammed into the back of his car. Asrarov, an Uzbek national who entered the United States through the diversity visa lottery in 2024, held an Ohio CDL but needed Google Translate to communicate with first responders at the scene. According to court records and law-enforcement sources, he also tried to destroy or conceal his dashcam and other electronic devices after the crash. Ah yes, another highly skilled, conscientious immigrant doing his part to help alleviate America's fake trucker "shortage." And the deaths continued during the very week of Duffy's announcement. In the early hours of September 4, in Mesquite, Texas, 33-year-old Lisa Maldonado was killed in a crash involving a truck driven by Khasan Begbaev, who was working for a subcontractor hauling for Knight-Swift, one of America's largest trucking companies. Begbaev has been charged with manslaughter. Police say he was reversing down a freeway entrance ramp before the crash. On September 3, 50-year-old Brenda Watson was killed in a head-on collision in Ohio after a semi driven by Manjit Singh pulled out to pass another vehicle and struck Watson's car. Transportation Secretary Duffy subsequently said Singh was being held on an active Homeland Security detainer and that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was investigating both his carrier and the training school where he received his CDL. Two days earlier, police in Moab, Utah, stopped 30-year-old Chamkaur Singh (no relation) after clocking him driving a semi-truck 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. When officers ran his name, they discovered a nationwide warrant for vehicular manslaughter stemming from a California semi crash that killed four people. California authorities had reportedly been searching for him for two months. Amazon's shame Also on September 1, a horrific crash took place in Tennessee involving a tractor-trailer pulling an Amazon trailer. The truck crossed the median on Interstate 40, crashed into several vehicles, and burst into flames. Its driver, 35-year-old Farahov Fhsvaisov, was killed and three other people were hospitalized. The cause remains under investigation, and little has been publicly reported about Fhsvaisov beyond his registered Brooklyn address — an essentially meaningless bureaucratic detail. As for Fhsvaisov's actual citizenship and licensing status, that is precisely the kind of information Kathy Hochul's New York is now suing to keep out of the Trump administration's hands. And it's not just New York. More than 20 states and the District of Columbia have joined the challenge to federal demands for access to commercial-driver information held in state databases. The states cite privacy concerns and argue that the federal government lacks the authority to obtain the information; the administration says access is necessary to uncover fraud and illegally obtained commercial licenses. Amazon's apparent involvement in the Fhsvaisov crash can't help but recall long-standing questions about the company's enormous network of outside trucking contractors. A 2022 Wall Street Journal investigation found that frequent Amazon contractors were more than twice as likely as comparable carriers to receive poor unsafe-driving scores; a later CBS News analysis found Amazon contractors had unsafe-driving violation rates at least 89% higher than other carriers in every month of the six-year period it examined. Highway to hell Yet while Secretary Duffy and other elements of the Trump administration are trying to restore sanity to the trucking industry, truckers are being attacked not only by the forces bringing insourced labor to compete with them, but by many on the left who want to preserve that system. Truckers are also being threatened by the clumsiness of some of Duffy's reforms as well as elements in the Republican Party that want to replace truckers not only with insourced labor but eventually with robots. Let's start with licensing. In March, the FMCSA issued a new rule limiting who can be issued what is called a “non-domiciled” CDL. Non-domiciled CDLs began as a narrow exception for drivers who could not obtain a recognized commercial license where they lived, including certain foreign drivers. Under the Obama administration, the old “nonresident CDL” was renamed the “non-domiciled CDL.” The category became far more consequential over time. In 2019, during Trump’s first term, the FMCSA issued guidance — later endorsed by the American Trucking Associations — allowing foreign nationals with federal work permits to obtain non-domiciled CDLs. Then came the Biden immigration surge. As the administration extended work authorization to huge numbers of migrants, it also vastly expanded the pool of foreign workers who could take advantage of the non-domiciled CDL system. Investigations into the system through 2025 found that roughly 200,000 drivers had been issued these licenses illegally and would see them revoked, or at least would not be renewed on expiry. The Trump administration has now effectively closed the broader EAD pathway, limiting non-domiciled CDLs to a much narrower group of foreign workers with specific employment-based visas. 'Public' menace The new rule is now being challenged in federal court. The lawsuit was filed by Public Citizen, the progressive advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader, on behalf of two immigrant truck drivers, AFSCME, and the American Federation of Teachers. It argues that the FMCSA does not have the legal authority to remove such a large class of legally authorized immigrants from CDL eligibility. For their part, the unions claim to be advocating on behalf of immigrant members who could lose their jobs under the rule. That puts two major American labor unions in the strange position of fighting a reform that could remove a huge pool of foreign labor from competition with American drivers. How organized labor wound up fighting to preserve cheap foreign competition is a question for another piece. Curious readers might begin by looking into the sprawling network of nonprofits and foundations funding Public Citizen; several of them are also major backers of more permissive immigration policies. RELATED: The deadly trucker crisis — and why mass migration is to blame Justin Hamel/Bloomberg/Getty Images Dalilah's Law There is, however, a straightforward way for supporters of the crackdown to fight back: Put the reforms into federal law. Dalilah's Law is named after a California girl who suffered catastrophic injuries after the car her mother was driving was rear-ended by a commercial truck. If passed, the law would tighten CDL standards, reinforce English-proficiency requirements, restrict eligibility for non-domiciled licenses, and crack down on deficient driver-training schools. It would also address the outsourcing of freight brokerages and dispatch services overseas, a little-discussed but important part of the problem. If a load broker in Serbia or Pakistan fails to perform necessary due diligence in vetting a carrier, holding that broker accountable from the United States can be extraordinarily difficult. Dalilah's Law would bring more of this activity within reach of American regulators. No good deed While all this is going on, the FMCSA has undertaken a revamp of the federal system through which trucking companies register. In an interview with “60 Minutes” earlier this year, FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs described the industry as having a “front door” problem: It has been too easy for bad actors — including so-called chameleon carriers, unsafe trucking companies that shut down and simply reappear under new names — to enter or re-enter the market. Most Americans would probably be astonished by how easy it has been to summon a trucking company into existence. Just pay the $300 federal operating-authority fee, provide insurance and paperwork, and list a U.S. business address. On paper, that address has to check out, and within 12 months you're supposed to undergo a safety audit, followed by monitoring for the rest of an 18-month probationary period. But that assumes an overwhelmed system actually gets to you. To address this, our bureaucrats have decided to bureaucrat some more with a new system called Motus, which has produced the results typical of government: penalizing operators who attempt to obey the rules, while essentially giving a free pass to anyone determined to break the law. In a detailed examination of the rollout, trucking-industry writer Danielle Chaffin documented legitimate carriers unable to operate because Motus incorrectly showed them as inactive or saddled them with erroneous insurance requirements. At the same time, she found carriers with out-of-service orders — including some with no insurance on file — still showing as active in the new system. As one carrier put it, Motus was “waving the bad actors through the gate and choking the honest ones out.” It seems like decent American companies continue to get stuck in the pincer between the open border policies of the previous administration, and the seeming unwillingness of government agencies to go full Genghis Khan against the bad actors allowed into the industry. Backing the bots As if displacement and replacement by foreign labor weren't bad enough, we are also looking down the barrel of driver replacement by automation — something the Trump administration is actively encouraging even while it takes steps to protect truckers from foreign labor. On September 3, DOT released its “National Strategy for Automated Vehicles,” laying out the administration's priorities for automated-vehicle technology through 2030. The document largely concerns the bureaucratic minutiae of regulating vehicles that may or may not accommodate a human driver at all. But it will also help guide how the government deals with autonomous trucks. Congress is considering the BUILD America 250 Act, a major surface-transportation bill that includes a federal framework for autonomous commercial vehicles. Republicans are also behind legislation such as the AMERICA DRIVES Act, introduced by California Republican Rep. Vince Fong, provisions of which have been incorporated into the larger bill. The legislation seeks to limit state-level regulatory authority over autonomous commercial vehicles, including state requirements that certain highly automated trucks have a human being aboard. Supporters argue that a national framework is necessary to prevent a patchwork of state regulations from strangling an emerging American technology. But Republicans should understand why their messaging looks confused to America's truckers and why Fong's bill seems at odds with their usual commitment to federalism. On one hand, the administration is finally addressing their replacement by foreign labor. On the other, Republicans are working to remove regulatory barriers for technology whose ultimate promise is to move freight without anyone sitting behind the wheel. Stuck in the middle Do we have any friends in government at all? The left appears happy to defend policies that allow American trucking companies to replace domestic labor with cheaper foreign drivers. Republicans are finally addressing that problem, but they also appear remarkably credulous when dealing with autonomous-vehicle developers whose technology could eventually supplant truckers' jobs altogether. Vice President Vance said in his speech that “we care about America's truckers because for generations they have represented something much greater ... the very best of this country's character, people who spend long hours away from their families.” “In some ways, truckers are the modern cowboys.” I would submit to Vice President Vance that the administration's actions thus far have been welcome and helpful for America's truckers, and they deserve to be commended. But the administration needs to do more. It should continue removing bad actors from the trucking industry, pass Dalilah's Law, make sure its own bureaucracy doesn't punish legitimate operators, and be more realistic about what emerging technologies mean for us and for our economy. The modern cowboys would like to keep on trucking for as long as we can. --- ### Tactical agents arrest 'active scout' in Arizona near Mexico border, says CBP **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/active-scout-arizona-mexico-border.md Federal immigration agents identified an "active scout" working near the U.S.-Mexico border and quickly apprehended him, U.S. Customs and Border Protection tells Blaze News. Photographs provided to Blaze News show the man in camouflage clothing surrounded by federal agents whose identities were obscured. 'This successful interdiction highlights the seamless integration of our air assets, surveillance technology, and specialized ground agents.' The scout was located on Sept. 4 near the town of Ajo by "pre-positioned Border Patrol reconnaissance personnel" and an "MQ-9 aircraft crew from the National Air Security Operations Center in Sierra Vista," according to CBP. H60 Black Hawk helicopter crews responded to the scout site and transported five tactical agents who used a fast-rope technique to take the man into custody without incident. Another photo shows what appears to be a large solar panel on top of boulders in the desert. "This successful interdiction highlights the seamless integration of our air assets, surveillance technology, and specialized ground agents," read a statement from acting Chief Patrol Agent Henry N. Laxdal. "By combining these capabilities, we can quickly locate and arrest individuals attempting to facilitate illegal activity in our most remote desert areas, keeping our communities safe," Laxdal added. UCB said the man was processed by the U.S. Border Patrol at the Tucson Sector. RELATED: Federal agents find fentanyl, meth, and heroin in minivan at US-Mexico border, CBP says U.S. Customs and Border Protection The U.S. military has begun using high-energy lasers to destroy drones sent into the U.S. by Mexican cartels, according to a previous report from CBP. Ajo is an unincorporated community of about 3,000 residents. It's located about 42 miles away from the U.S.-Mexico border. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### 'Clean energy' isn't telling the whole story **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Frank Lasee | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/clean-energy-isn-t-telling-the-whole-story.md Picture a family with three cars. Mom and Dad both drive to work. The kids need rides to school and practice. The cars cost money, gas, repairs, and insurance, but they start when you turn the key. That is the whole point. Then a salesman shows up with an amazing deal. He has a solar-powered car and a wind-powered car. No gas needed. The fuel is free. Who wouldn’t want that? They buy both, figuring they will save money and finally dump a couple of the old cars. Regular people do not need politicians picking their power plants for them. Then reality shows up. The solar car runs when the sun is out. The wind car runs when the wind is blowing. Dad still leaves at 7:30 on dark winter mornings. Mom still has to pick up a kid at five o'clock when the air is dead calm. Families go where they need to go, not when the weather cooperates. So they keep all three reliable cars. Now they own five. Five cars do not fit in the driveway. So they pour more concrete and build a bigger garage. Someone suggests big batteries to store power for the days when the sun and wind quit. That costs a fortune too. The salesman talked a lot about free fuel. He never mentioned the two extra cars, the bigger garage, the batteries, or the fact that you still need the old cars anyway. Welcome to America's electricity policy. Wind turbines and solar panels really do make electricity without buying fuel. That is the selling point. But electricity has to be there the instant you flip the switch. Factories cannot sit idle until the wind picks up. Hospitals cannot ask patients to wait for better weather. Families expect the furnace, the refrigerator, and the lights to work every single time. Because wind and solar depend on the weather, adding them does not allow us to retire the dependable plants. Natural gas, nuclear, coal, and hydro still have to be on standby when renewables produce little or nothing. We pay for two systems and get one grid's worth of reliable power. RELATED: Why are we teaching kids scarcity in an age of abundance? Al Drago/Getty Images Then come the wires. Wind and solar sit far from where people live, so they need new transmission lines, substations, and grid upgrades. The Energy Department's own draft transmission study points to one of the largest build-outs in our history. Batteries help, but only for a few hours. Most grid batteries can only run for about four hours. None of this means wind and solar are worthless, but it does mean we should count the whole bill honestly. The real question is not how cheap the electricity is when the generator is running. It is what it costs to keep reliable power available whenever people need it. That price includes generation, transmission, grid upgrades, storage, backup capacity, and enough always-on power for calm, cloudy days. It also includes where the hardware comes from. Most of the world's solar panels are made in China, which is building coal plants to run those factories. If wind and solar still look cheapest after every cost is counted, let them win on the merits. If nuclear, natural gas, coal, hydro, or something better delivers more value, that should win instead. Regular people do not need politicians picking their power plants for them. They need honest prices, real competition, and electricity that shows up when the switch is flipped. Free fuel sounds great. But before we buy the fourth and fifth cars, somebody ought to ask whether we are actually saving money or just paying for more cars, more concrete, and a bigger garage to get to the same places. --- ### Glenn Beck: There's a reason they don't want you thinking as an individual **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** The Glenn Beck Program **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/glenn-beck-theres-a-reason-they-dont-want-you-thinking-as-an-individual.md The left is determined to divide people into competing groups of oppressors and oppressed — and Christian apologist Frank Turek knows why. “Marxism is all about the group, whereas Christianity is all about the individual. … That's the focus of the war on reality right now,” Turek tells Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck. “They want people to identify everybody by an identity group,” he explains. “‘What identity group are you in?’ And if you are part of that collective, you’re oppressed. And if you’re not, you’re automatically an oppressor.” “We’re not judging people individually any more,” he says. “We’re judging people by what? Even non-behavioral identity groups that they’re in. ‘Oh, you’re white, Glenn. You’re a bad guy. Oh, you’re a man. You’re a heterosexual. You’re a citizen of the U.S. You’re a Christian, Glenn. You’re an oppressor.’” “But if you have the opposite qualities, you’re automatically oppressed,” he adds. “It’s the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” Glenn agrees. “You must destroy that God because that’s the personal God. That’s the first personal, and the only personal, God — the one true God.” “And so all of this — this is why people hate Jews and why they’re trying to get Christians to say, ‘We don’t need to remember that Jesus was a Jew.’ Because if you can get ... yourself away from the Old Testament, now you don’t have the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob any more,” he continues. “And all of that falls apart.” “You must have that. That’s why there’s this war. Everything boils down to that: the God of the individual,” he adds. Turek agrees, noting that “it’s also why Marxism dispenses with the individual.” “They think the state is eternal,” he says. “Whereas we Christians know the state isn’t eternal,” he continues. “It’s individuals that are eternal, and they’re going to be judged individually.” Want more from Glenn Beck? To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### Silicon Valley is building a god in its own image **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Owen Anderson | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/silicon-valley-is-building-a-god-in-its-own-image.md Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle, recently offered a reassuring vision of our technological future. Artificial intelligence, he predicted, will soon monitor police body cameras, security cameras, doorbell cameras, and vehicle dashboards. “Citizens will be on their best behavior,” he explained, “because we’re constantly recording and reporting everything that is going on.” One is tempted to ask whether “best behavior” includes declining to construct an electronic surveillance state. Presumably, the algorithm will decide. The surveillance state does not make good citizens. It makes practiced actors. Ellison envisions AI supervising police officers as well as ordinary citizens. If an officer does something wrong, the system will detect the problem and report it to the appropriate authorities. Drones may even replace police cars during high-speed pursuits. The drone will follow the suspect while artificial intelligence records the proceedings and analyzes everyone involved. Ellison, who is an atheist, wants an all-knowing being that is perfectly good and will judge our behavior. It is difficult not to admire the efficiency. We have finally devised a deity suitable for the modern secular mind: omnipresent, nearly omniscient, and conveniently owned by a corporation, with promises of suitable oversight. For generations, atheists and secularists have assured us that civilized people can dispense with belief in a God who sees our actions, judges our conduct, and holds us accountable. The notion of divine judgment was dismissed as primitive, oppressive, and psychologically unhealthy. Enlightened people, we were told, do not need the threat of an all-seeing eye to behave morally. Now, having removed God from heaven, our technological elites propose installing His replacement on every lamppost. The secular project promised liberation from divine surveillance. Its culmination may be a camera that never blinks, connected to a machine that never sleeps, operated by authorities who never admit error. Of course, artificial intelligence is not God. It is not even intelligent in the full human sense. It has no conscience, understands no moral law, and possesses no wisdom. It processes information according to purposes and standards supplied by human beings. RELATED: The 9/11 generation may be building AI’s 9/11 moment BlackJack3D/Getty Images This creates a slight difficulty: If AI is to report “bad behavior,” someone must first tell it what bad behavior is. Who will do that? The programmers? Oracle executives? Government agencies? More AI? The same institutions that cannot define a woman may soon be entrusted with defining acceptable behavior for every citizen. AI can recognize a face, track a vehicle, and perhaps identify a raised voice. It cannot tell us why assault is wrong, why citizens possess rights, or why the government should be restrained in its treatment of them. The atheist insists that the universe contains no transcendent moral order. Human beings are products of impersonal matter, motion, and chance. Yet he continues speaking of justice, dignity, equality, and human rights as if these were eternal truths rather than temporary preferences produced by an unusual arrangement of atoms. Having denied a Lawgiver above the state, he inevitably looks to the state to serve as lawgiver. The God of Scripture sees everything, but His omniscience is joined to perfect knowledge, righteousness, and justice. He knows not merely what we do but why we do it. He judges the heart as well as the outward act. Most importantly, God is not accountable to a government contractor, a political party, or Oracle’s quarterly earnings report because God is the standard for what is good, righteous, and holy. RELATED: When government breaks the law, can you even sue? DNY59/iStock/Getty Images AI surveillance offers omnipresence without wisdom, judgment without righteousness, and accountability without any objective account of the good. It cannot produce virtue. At most, it can produce outward conformity in people who know they are being watched. A man who refrains from stealing because theft is wrong possesses a measure of virtue. A man who refrains because six cameras and a drone are recording him possesses a measure of caution. The surveillance state does not make good citizens. It makes practiced actors. Nor does recording everything solve the oldest political problem: Who watches the watchers? AI will report citizens to “the appropriate person,” Ellison tells us. This formulation is meant to be comforting, though history offers few reasons to assume that the person receiving unlimited information about the population will remain permanently appropriate. The atheist rejected God because he did not want an authority above man. He is now constructing an artificial authority beneath man — but controlled by a small number of particularly powerful men. That is simply a transfer of divine attributes to institutions conspicuously lacking divine character. We were told that when God disappeared, mankind would come of age. Instead, mankind immediately began shopping for cameras. The choice is not between accountability and freedom from accountability. Every society will hold its members answerable to some standard. The real question is whether that standard rests upon a moral law higher than rulers or upon whatever rules the rulers program into their machines. A God who judges governments as well as citizens is a barrier to tyranny. An AI system operated by the government is an instrument of it. Our secular technologists have discovered that a society cannot survive unless people believe their actions are seen and judged. They have merely concluded that God’s principal defect was that He could not be purchased from Oracle. --- ### Former Democrat Joe Manchin endorses Republican — and calls her the 'soul of the Senate' **Published:** September 15, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/manchin-endorse-susan-collins-senate.md Democrats are raging at Joe Manchin, the former Democrat U.S. senator, after he endorsed Susan Collins, the incumbent Republican in the race for one of two Senate seats in Maine. Manchin had represented West Virginia but was heavily criticized by Democrats for his moderate voting patterns. He left the Democratic Party in 2024 and became an independent. 'Susan is always in there, always in the trenches.' Rather than endorse the progressive candidate of his former party, Manchin told voters 73-year-old Collins needed to stay in the Senate. "You lose the Susan Collinses of the Senate, you’re losing the soul of the Senate — basically, a person you can talk to, who wants to do the right thing all of the time," he said on CNBC Monday. "Now, everybody says, 'Oh, she doesn’t do this, doesn’t speak up.' Susan is always in there, always in the trenches," he added. Collins released a statement about his endorsement. "Joe is a dear friend and trusted colleague with whom I have always worked closely to solve problems and deliver results for the people of Maine and America," she said. "From helping end government shutdowns and negotiating the Electoral Count Act to delivering COVID relief and historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure, we have shown what is possible when Republicans and Democrats work together to find common ground and get things done. I am honored to have his support," she added. Keeping Collins in the Senate is pivotal for Republicans' hopes to maintain their control of at least one house of Congress. RELATED: Graham Platner officially WITHDRAWS from pivotal Senate race While Collins' progressive challenger, Troy Jackson, is not a democratic socialist, he has been endorsed by the organization. Manchin has previously said he could not support a socialist for office. "How could you support some of the crazy stuff they’re for? Have you seen their platform?” Manchin said to CBS’ Margaret Brennan in an interview last month. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### He's alive! Mitch McConnell spotted at the Capitol **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/mitch-mconnell-returns-congress.md Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky returned to the Senate on Monday after a long absence due to his health issues. The former leader of the Senate had been absent from Congress for three months before the newest session began Monday. The slim Republican majority in the Senate meant his vote was pivotal toward passing any legislation opposed by the Democrats in the minority. McConnell said in a statement that his recovery had been "a long and often frustrating process," according to Axios. "Today, I'll cast my first Senate vote since I took a bad fall back in June," he added. "I'm really looking forward to being back on the Senate floor and seeing my colleagues." He added that his recovery had been stymied by the "lingering effects" of his bout with polio in childhood. The slim Republican majority in the Senate meant his vote was pivotal toward passing any legislation opposed by the Democrats in the minority. "I'm still not quite back to 100%, but I've assured Leader Thune that, as I continue with physical therapy on the advice of my doctors," McConnell added, "I will do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me." Reporters posted at McConnell's residence recorded video as the 84-year-old senator left his residence in a wheelchair on his way to the Senate. In a brief statement at the Capitol, he said he was determined to vote on a farm bill and to punish Russia. RELATED: Mitch McConnell’s replacement might be chosen in court first McConnell is also expected to vote on the nomination of Matthew Byrne to be a district judge in Ohio. "Elaine and I are very grateful for all the continued well wishes from our fellow Kentuckians, and I’m glad to get back to more of business as usual on their behalf this month," he added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### How modern dating and 'the paradox of choice' are making men and women miserable **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Relatable **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/how-modern-dating-and-the-paradox-of-choice-are-making-men-and-women-miserable.md Gen Z was told casual sex was no big deal while being promised a future with a loving partner through dating apps. Dr. Debra Soh says young people, especially young women, are now dealing with the consequences. “I don’t think casual sex is good for either sex, but especially for women,” Soh tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey, explaining that it’s “slightly different” for men. “Women do tend to become more attached after sex. Whereas for men, hormonally it’s different,” she says. While women release bonding hormones during sexual activity, Soh tells Stuckey that men’s hormones “go back to baseline.” “So they actually disengage after sex and lose interest in their partner,” she says. This is why Soh believes it’s “very irresponsible” that so many “feminist influencers and podcasters tell their young fans that they should be promiscuous or that they should have sex on the first date.” “They’re telling their young fans to engage in behavior that is ultimately going to be self-destructive. And I do think this is an example of intrasexual competition in that women compete with other women and men compete with other men for sexual partners,” she explains. “So I find that really sad, because I see it, especially with Gen Z women. I say Millennials, probably, too, really bought into this idea that having sex on the first date is not a big deal. That casual sex, if men can do it, women should do it,” she adds. But it’s not just casual sex that’s killing modern love. “You can kind of see some of the obvious issues with being able to swipe left or right,” Stuckey says. “It’s superficial. It’s based on aesthetics. But one thing that you said that I hadn’t thought about is that having more options is ... a historical anomaly.” “So our ancestors before us did not have this roster of people within a 200-mile radius that they were judging based on a self-assessment and pictures,” she continues. “The paradox of choice speaks to this,” Soh explains. “So there have been studies showing that ... when people are given fewer options, they’re more likely to actually make a choice and to be satisfied with that choice.” “So when you’re on a dating app, it feels as though there is an unlimited number of potential partners. And so people are constantly seeking the next best thing,” she continues. “I think there are very many of us who are just not present in terms of the dating process. … That’s a side effect of being online and just how so much of romantic interest or courtship is based through online connections or lack thereof, I suppose, nowadays,” she adds. Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey? To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### Homan confirms 'ongoing criminal investigation' into Ilhan Omar **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Blaze News | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/homan-omar-criminal-investigation.md Over the past decade, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) has continuously dodged allegations that she married her brother to help him obtain legal immigration status in the United States. Last week the controversy exploded anew as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Benny Johnson an investigation into the claim is under way. On Sunday, another Trump administration official, border czar Tom Homan, confirmed the existence of an “ongoing criminal investigation” of Omar by the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations division. 'We're gonna take a look at it. If we think that there's a crime, we're gonna prosecute that crime.' Homan’s admission came during a segment on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing.” Homan told Fox News that “if someone committed immigration violation, if someone committed marriage fraud or anything like that, regardless if they're a congressman or not, no one's above the law.” When pressed he further, confirmed the existence of a current criminal investigation into Omar. Homan and Mullin are not the only Trump administration officials to claim that investigations into Omar and the validity of her citizenship are under way. In May, Vice President JD Vance told a reporter, “We're gonna take a look at it. If we think that there's a crime, we're gonna prosecute that crime. And that's something the Department of Justice is looking at right now.” For her part, Omar has consistently denied the allegations. In March, after an earlier claim of fraud by Vance, her chief of staff released a statement to Fox News: “This is a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party’s unpopular war of choice, increasing gas prices, and rapidly dropping polling numbers.” RELATED: DHS secretary: Ilhan Omar married her brother, and consequences are coming The allegations have dogged Omar since she won her primary for the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016. In August of that year, Scott Johnson reported at Power Line blog that a since-deleted post on Somalispot claimed that “Omar married her brother Ahmed Nur Said Elmi in 2009, implying that the latter marriage assisted his entry into the United States.” Power Line’s Johnson further looked into marriage records and reached out to those involved. He received a response from attorney Jean Brandl, which was the first in a long line of Omar denials regarding the allegations, “There are people who do not want an East African, Muslim woman elected to office and who will follow Donald Trump’s playbook to prevent it." Brandl continued, “Ilhan Omar’s campaign sees your superfluous contentions as one more in a series of attempts to discredit her candidacy.” RELATED: JD Vance reveals Ilhan Omar is under federal investigation — and it may be about her marriage Andrew Harnik/Getty Images In 2020 after the allegations again surfaced, Omar unequivocally denied the allegations via a statement. She wrote, “A number of baseless rumors have been made recently about my personal life and family. I will say it again here: they are absolutely false and ridiculous.” Omar went on to detail her side of the marriage timeline. The Department of Homeland Security and Rep. Omar have not responded to Blaze News’ requests for comment. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### 15-year-old girl accused of shoving man off moving Chicago train to his death after fight — but she's not the only suspect **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Dave Urbanski | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/15-year-old-girl-accused-of-shoving-man-off-moving-chicago-train-to-his-death-after-fight-but-shes-not-the-only-suspect.md A 15-year-old girl is accused of shoving a 29-year-old man off a moving Chicago train to his death after a fight — but she's not the only suspect. The girl returned to court Monday to face murder charges, WBBM-TV reported, adding that the victim's family demanded that the other attackers, or their parents, come forward. 'Fix the trains. Whatever's happening with the trains, it shouldn't have been that easy.' Chicago police told the station that they arrested the teenage girl Friday — four days after authorities said she pushed the victim off the Chicago Transit Authority Red Line train. The girl was charged with felony counts of first-degree murder, mob action, murder by other forcible felony, and aggravated battery to a transit employee, WBBM reported. The girl appeared in court Saturday, the station said, and a judge ordered her to stay in custody after finding probable cause on all counts. On Monday the girl again was ordered detained until her next hearing in October, WBBM said. Police said the girl was one of three people who used force to push Kyle Bickham from a moving CTA train along the Dan Ryan Expressway last Monday around 2:30 p.m., which caused his death near 69th Street, the station said. Police had not made any other arrests, WBBM said. "Y'all took a part of me that I can't get back. Like, just turn y'all selves in," said the victim's brother, Christopher Bickham Jr., according to the station. "Like, I forgive y'all already." RELATED: 11-year-old girl charged with aggravated battery after 8 to 10 youths brutally beat up 63-year-old man on Chicago train Bickham was on his way home from work at the time of the attack, WBBM said, adding that police said some sort of fight preceded the shove off the train. Police said three people pushed Bickham onto the third rail, and he was hit by another train, the station said. "I wish this pain on no one. No one else. I wish that no one else has to go through this," said the victim's father, Christopher Bickham Sr., according to WBBM. "Fix the trains. Whatever's happening with the trains, it shouldn't have been that easy." Violence aboard Chicago trains is not a new problem. In April, police said seven females and two males physically attacked a lone passenger aboard a Chicago train. In January, prosecutors said a male recorded cellphone video of himself fatally stabbing a sleeping man on a Chicago train in an unprovoked attack. In July 2024, an 11-year-old girl was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and felony robbery after eight to 10 youths brutally beat up a 63-year-old man on a Chicago train. In January 2023, an armed man tried to rob a passenger aboard a Chicago train — but it turns out the suspect picked the wrong victim: a concealed carrier who pulled out his own gun and shot the suspect. In July 2022, six robbers with weapons attacked and tried to rob a Chicago train passenger, but the victim pulled a knife and fought back. In the end, three of the suspects were wounded and hospitalized, all six were arrested — but the victim also was wounded and hospitalized. Just days after the July 2022 attack, another robbery victim stabbed to death a 15-year-old male who pulled a gun on him aboard a Chicago train. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Anti-white linguistics professor MOCKS threats to report posts to university — then has to face the consequences **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/university-professor-anti-white-threat.md Carnegie Mellon University has been forced to take action against a Nigerian-born professor after yet another anti-white post she made on social media went viral. Linguistics professor Dr. Uju Anya posted a message about dancing over the deaths of white males before online sleuths started reposting other previous anti-white missives. She also mocked critics who threatened to report her to the university. 'I meant every word I said in my tweets responding to white men. ... May they all eat s**t.' "Die first, white man, then ask yourself why I'm dancing," she allegedly wrote on the X platform on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The message was in response to a critic who had asked her why she only celebrated the deaths of white men. Screenshots of the post quickly went viral, and Anya ridiculed her detractors, who included tech billionaire Elon Musk. "Carnegie Mellon University knows exactly who they have. They poached me from my previous job, aggressively recruiting me with a massive salary and stellar benefits. So baby, run tell them they f**ked up, and see if they pick up your call," she reportedly wrote. "Keep crying, loser. My department chair just texted me saying they’re throwing all of your emails in the trash," she reportedly added with three laughing emojis. Then the university responded hours later. "Dr. Uju Anya is currently on voluntary professional leave from the university and is not teaching courses on our campus this academic year. We are deeply concerned by recent hostile and threatening social media posts by Dr. Anya and are reviewing this matter closely," read the statement from the university. "To be clear: These posts incorrectly imply our university's endorsement and are contrary to our community standards and values as well as our commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and welcoming campus community," they added in a second post. Anya's X account also does not exist any more. Anya first made headlines in 2022 after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, when the academic posted an insidious message wishing that the queen had suffered greatly. "I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying," she wrote. "May her pain be excruciating." She deleted that post, which was against Twitter policies at the time. Anya also later claimed that the British government had "massacred and displaced" half of her family. RELATED: Black elementary school teacher posted alleged anti-white threats on social media Anya had also reportedly responded, "May he rot in piss," to the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk's death. In a post on Instagram, she reportedly claimed to have been "doxxed" after "fascist white supremacist MAGA trolls" incited threats against her on social media. "I meant every word I said in my tweets responding to white men and all others insulting and maligning me. I do not retract or apologize. May they all eat s**t," she apparently added. In 2024 Anya said black men doubting an activist's claims of assault were using "white supremacist tactics" to "dehumanize" her. That story collapsed after a police investigation that included surveillance video that contradicted the activist's claims. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Influencer dies after 'penis enlargement' procedure goes awry **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Stu and Dave Do America **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/stu-and-dave-do-america/influencer-dies-after-penis-enlargement-procedure-goes-awry.md What was supposed to be a luxury getaway with his wife turned fatal for British-Nigerian influencer Igho “Tiny” Ubiribo. The businessman and social media personality died after undergoing a penis enlargement procedure at a clinic in Thailand, where a cosmetic injection allegedly led to a pulmonary embolism. The bizarre and tragic case has caught the attention of BlazeTV hosts Stu Burguiere and Dave Landau — who are stunned not only by the deadly outcome but by the growing popularity of procedures like “penis enlargement.” “He was a British-Nigerian businessman who documented his luxury lifestyle online, which is a really unique approach to social media,” Stu says. “I didn’t even know that was a real surgery. I thought that was more of a joke,” he continues, noting that the choice of location for the surgery was a little strange. “If you’re thinking through, like, where am I going to go to get a penis enlargement surgery? Would you go to Thailand for that?” he asks Dave. “No, I wouldn’t go to Thailand. … I would never ever go anywhere except a first-world country if I wanted to get a surgery done,” Dave answers. Stu points out that while the case is “ridiculous to talk about” because of the term “penis enlargement,” that what happened was “actually really bad.” “A sudden blockage of blood vessels in the lungs, a pulmonary embolism,” he says. “They say, by the way, it could result in loss of sensation, erectile dysfunction, infection, inflammation, and having a bend or kink in the new penis shape due to scarring,” he explains. “There’s nothing good that can come of this,” Dave adds. Want more from Stu and Dave? To enjoy more of Stu and Dave's lethal blend of wit, humor, and insightful commentary subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### Vandals leave 'diabolical' message on Charlie Kirk statue — only days after it was unveiled **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Carlos Garcia | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/charlie-kirk-statue-vandalism-diabolical.md Vandals spray-painted what appeared to be messages mocking Charlie Kirk's death only days after a new statue was unveiled in Phoenix, Arizona. The statue at the headquarters of Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded, was meant to memorialize the conservative activist a year after he was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. 'Demons don't sleep, so we will just have to sleep less. We won't be cowed.' On Sunday police were notified about the vandalism on the statue in red spray-paint that appeared to mimic the lethal wound he suffered. "It was horrifying," said Tyler Bowyer, chief operating officer of TPUSA. "It was clear that vandals came here, spray-painted what looked like blood, or what was intended to look like blood, both on the sign right there and on the statue," he added. The organization posted images of the vandalism that included a red "X" that was spray-painted over Kirk's face. Andrew Kolvet, TPUSA spokesman and the executive producer of "The Charlie Kirk Show," told Blaze News that TPUSA will not be deterred from its mission. "We will find the people responsible, and they will be held accountable. Americans of good faith, which is the vast, vast majority of Americans, by the way, are sick of this type of ugliness," he said. "Demons don't sleep, so we will just have to sleep less. We won't be cowed. We won't stop," Kolvet continued. "Every vile act only makes us more determined and only energizes more people to get off the sidelines and fight harder. Our Commit 100 volunteer ballot-chasing project has seen a surge in new volunteers, and donors are putting up reward money to find those responsible. What the enemy meant for evil will be used for good." TPUSA called the vandalism "diabolical" and pointed out that the name of Jesus Christ was painted over as well. RELATED: Liberal college students reportedly plan celebrations of Charlie Kirk's death on anniversary Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, also released a statement on social media about the incident. "Charlie once said we should be building two statues for every statue that they tear down," she wrote. "His instinct was always to build, not to destroy. They thought a bullet would silence my husband’s voice but it only made it louder. They think spray paint can obscure his legacy, but it will only spread it further. Every attempt to tear down what Charlie built makes us root deeper and work even harder." She added, "We will never give up and never surrender." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Armed thugs kick open apartment door, begin beating man — but victim fights back, turns the tables in lethal fashion **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Dave Urbanski | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/armed-thugs-kick-open-apartment-door-begin-beating-man-but-victim-fights-back-turns-the-tables-in-lethal-fashion.md Two males kicked open an apartment door in Memphis last week and began beating a man in a bedroom — but the victim fought back and turned the tables in lethal fashion. WREG-TV said the incident took place around 4:40 a.m. Tuesday. 'I bet he doesn't do that again.' Citing an arrest affidavit, WMC-TV reported that Devonta Johnson and Zarian Sanders went to an apartment on Madewell Street to see the mother of Johnson’s child. The pair allegedly kicked open the front door, which had been barricaded with a couch, WMC said. Investigators told WMC the two men entered a bedroom and began beating a male victim. During the attack, Johnson pulled out a handgun, WMC said, adding that a struggle over the weapon ensued, and the victim managed to shoot Johnson. RELATED: Florida thug, 19, allegedly puts gun to head of man delivering banana pudding. But victim is armed — and turns the tables. Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images Johnson died from his injuries, WMC reported, adding that police said Sanders after the shooting threatened and hit the victim with a rifle, took the handgun, and fled the scene. Sanders later was arrested and booked on charges of especially aggravated burglary, convicted felon in possession of a handgun, aggravated assault, and employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, WMC said. Police told WREG that Sanders, 23, later was identified as a felon who was convicted last September after pleading guilty to theft of a firearm less than $2,500. Commenters underneath WMC's Facebook post about the incident had little sympathy for Sanders and Johnson. To wit: "If you don't want the time, don't do the crime," one commenter wrote. "I bet he doesn't do that again," another user said. "I love a happy ending," another commenter quipped. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Sam Bankman-Fried's ex finally got a new job — suspiciously like the old one **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/caroline-ellison-new-job-nonprofit.md Everyone deserves a second chance, according to Caroline Ellison's new boss. Upon reading Ellison's Tumblr page and Substack, the CEO thinks readers will understand too. 'I believe in redemption.' Ellison infamously ran Alameda research, a crypto-investment firm, while dating disgraced crypto-exchange mogul and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. Alameda, which was also founded by Bankman-Fried, had a $65 billion line of credit with FTX and was used to lend Bankman-Fried money to allegedly make political donations. Ellison was sentenced to two years in prison after she pleaded guilty to fraud-related charges, but she was released after 11 months. Now, the CEO of a nonprofit says Ellison has been working for him since July and accepted a full-time role in August to "develop our funding platform and research how to effectively direct philanthropic dollars." Austin Chen runs Manifund, which describes itself as a nonprofit that "helps great charities get the funding they need." Chen admitted in a recent blog post that he felt indebted to the FTX Future Fund, the charitable arm of FTX that funded Manifold Markets, which was also founded by Chen, with Manifund operating as a side project. "I believe in redemption," Chen wrote. "Caroline has admitted her faults, worked to make creditors whole, and served her time in prison. I'd like to give her the opportunity to contribute back to the world; I hope that the world will concur." Chen boasted about Ellison's online accounts as the first thing that attracted him to her professionally, including her Tumblr titled "Fake Charity Nerd Girl." RELATED: Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman-Fried's partner in FTX crime, sprung early from prison Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg/Getty Images The CEO also cited Ellison's writings on an effective altruism website. While "EA" is described as a philosophical movement with the intention of providing the greatest amount of evidence-based good, it is effectively a nonprofit movement that justifies its decision-making by declaring its own moral leanings as impartial. "Poverty and disease remain unsolved; billions of animals suffer hell on earth," Chen wrote in relation to the hiring. "I, my team, and many EAs I know, are often burning the midnight candle to address these wrongs. I don't wish to sideline a pair of capable hands." In the same post, Ellison was revealed to have been writing under the pseudonym "Carol" for the company and provided statements about her new role. "I'm deeply sorry for what I did, and I completely understand why people may not want to work with me," Ellison said of her past. "But I'm very grateful to Austin for giving me a second chance, and judging me on my current work performance rather than my past. I feel very lucky not only to have a job, but to be working somewhere that I think is doing great work and has a mission I believe in." RELATED: Caroline Ellison sentenced to 2 years in prison over massive FTX crypto-scandal Spencer Platt/Getty Images With Ellison at the head, Alameda Research allegedly used $100 million of FTX customer deposits to bribe Chinese officials. She blamed Bankman-Fried: "He directed me to commit these crimes," Ellison reportedly said in court. During trial, Ellison reportedly told jurors that Alameda Research would lend money to Bankman-Fried and other FTX executives for political donations. Bankman-Fried donated a reported $70 million to Democrats ahead of the 2022 midterms; he was the second-highest donor behind George Soros. Ellison was making $20 million in salary and bonuses in 2021 as head of Alameda Research. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Glenn Beck unpacks 4 telling moments from Trump’s RNC keynote **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** The Glenn Beck Program **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/glenn-beck-unpacks-4-telling-moments-from-trump-rnc-keynote.md As you might expect, Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck wasn’t going to miss the GOP’s first-ever 2026 Republican Midterm Convention. It was President Trump’s September 9 keynote speech that drew him in the most. On this episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn walks through four moments from the speech that he says tell you who Trump is — and where the pitch still isn’t landing. 1. Long-term vision Since Trump returned to office in 2025, Glenn has been defending his agenda as long-term foundation work — not short-term quick fixes. One line in Trump’s speech, he says, confirmed this: “And I want you to remember me in four or five years when this country is rocketing. Remember, I’m the one that got it started.” “That's verification of everything I've been telling you. He's working long-term,” Glenn says. “He's fixing the plumbing and the electricity and everything. ... While everybody's like, ‘Yeah, you know, this wallpaper is bad, and you know, our kitchen table is broken,’ he's like, ‘No, we got to repoint the entire foundation of the house or nobody's going to care about the wallpaper.”’ He also notes Trump’s humility in using the word “started.” “Meaning, it's not just him alone,” says Glenn, “which I know that's little, but to me, I watch for moments of who he really is.” 2. Campaigning for a party that hasn’t delivered Trump’s humility was far from subtle in the segment of his speech about the southern border wall. “Ted Cruz worked very hard on the wall and so did John Cornyn,” he acknowledged. “We built this massive, beautiful, great wall. Beautiful because it works. ... Zero illegal aliens have entered our country from the southern border in the last 15 months,” Trump added. Glenn believes this moment is crucial. Trump, he explains, was “being gracious,” not only by praising the two senators but by showing up at the convention to help Republicans “who have really done nothing for him.” Add their poor midterm odds, and the near-certainty that the press will frame the loss as “Trump’s failure,” and his motive becomes obvious, says Glenn: he’s taking that on “for the country, not for him.” 3. An unpopular assist Another remarkable moment, he says, was Trump highlighting Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) despite knowing it would be “unpopular.” Over loud booing from the audience, Trump said, “John is working hard. ... He's got great opposition from the Democrat Schumer and these guys. They're terrible. ... He's going to have great success, you watch. We are going to have great, great success with our Republican senators.” “I have never seen Trump lose a room — never. Not once,” says Glenn. “What he's doing there is , ‘Guys, I need this guy.’ ... I don't know if that's a winning strategy with John Thune, but again, that's something that all the people in the press said he'd never ever do,” he adds. 4. A number that doesn’t land But the “biggest” moment of Trump’s speech, says Glenn, is when he addressed foreign investment numbers — but it wasn’t the “biggest” in a positive sense. “We have more money being spent from outside countries and companies — over $20 trillion. That's five, six, seven times higher than any country ever. Not just here, any country ever,” Trump said, noting that this figure could rise by the midpoint of his term. Glenn believes that the applause Trump received for this comment was a “Pavlov response." “He doesn't need to stop this point. He needs to stop saying it like this,” he criticizes. Glenn argues that what Trump needs to highlight instead is how these foreign countries are investing in the United States and why that’s good for Americans. “How are they investing? They're building factories. This is a nation that is going to build cars again, in our own factories again. ... That $20 trillion is the job for your son, or if you're just getting into college, that factory will be open, and we'll be taking applications. We are building America's strength again. We’re going to be builders again!” he exclaims. He pleads with Trump to focus on tangible outcomes instead of just numbers so that the “average person” can understand how what he’s doing benefits them directly. “He's not using the language the average person understands or relates to — and yet at the same time, I think everybody in that room walked away liking him.” To hear more of Glenn’s analysis, watch the video above. Want more from Glenn Beck? To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### Democrat used to model fetish gay sex attire **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Cortney Weil | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/democrat-used-to-model-fetish-gay-sex-attire.md The private life of a Democrat running for Congress has made national news after old photos reveal he used to model leather sexual attire and other "bondage gear," according to a report from the New York Post. The Post confirmed that Chris Gallant, a 37-year-old Democrat who is running to represent Long Island in Congress, modeled for Mr. S Leather, a sexual fetish company based in San Francisco. According to the Post, Gallant donned "collars, leather straps, neoprene, bondage gear, and more" in the product photos. 'As Chris began considering a future in public service, he asked that the photographs no longer be used.' While the photos have since been removed from the Mr. S Leather website, they were posted there between 2011 and 2020 and can still be accessed via internet archives, the Post reported. Attorney Sara Azari, who represents Gallant, confirmed the authenticity of the photos in a statement to the Post: "The photographs are authentic and were taken during a private, consensual photo session involving Chris and his then-partner, with whom he was in a committed four-year relationship." She added: "As Chris began considering a future in public service, he asked that the photographs no longer be used and that they be removed from the company’s website. Mr. S honored his request." RELATED: 'People need God': Marty O'Donnell vows to save your grandchildren from Democrats Douglas Rissing/Getty Images According to the Post, some of those photos apparently "depicted him in hardcore pornographic poses, including fully naked and having sex with another man" and even made their way to "hardcore" gay porn sites. Azari indicated that Gallant "never intended to authorize unrestricted publication" of the photos by third parties. Gallant has served in the Army National Guard for the past 20 years, his campaign website says, indicating the photos were taken and posted during his time with the Guard. LGBTQ+ outlet Pink News is celebrating the news of Gallant's apparently pornographic past. "Congressional candidate modelled BDSM gear before turning to politics — and honestly, good for him," read the Pink News headline. Gallant already has his work cut out for him running in the 1st Congressional District of New York against incumbent Republican Rep. Nick LaLota. LaLota has held the seat since 2022, and the Cook Political Report considers the district "solid R." The Gallant and LaLota campaigns did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Why are Christian women cheering on divorce? **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Diane Schrader | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/why-are-christian-women-cheering-on-divorce.md Bad advice has always been abundantly available throughout history. But our ancestors were somewhat limited in how many sources of advice they could tap. No such limitation exists today. When Jesus named lust as a real, heart-level violation, He wasn't handing people a new, more permissive category of 'biblical grounds for divorce.' Bad advice gushes from a firehose called the internet every minute of every day. On social media platforms, we’re drowning in it. I’ve been writing about Christian women’s groups online and the bad theology they’re facilitating. To be honest, these kinds of groups are highly problematic, because anyone who claims to be a Christian can join, and a lot of the participants seem to consider the group a reasonable substitute for a church. But no sound doctrine + endless opinions with zero scriptural basis + no personal relationships = a pretty awful “church.” Imagine that. An army of young women, some of them with virtually no knowledge of Scripture, posting anonymously. What could possibly go wrong? It’s almost like God knew what He was doing when He left us a book and instructions on how to learn it alongside fellow believers. But I digress. The problem with 'Christian' social media groups These groups are growing and becoming more dangerous because the sheer volume of bad teaching being bandied about is mushrooming. Recently, I wrote about people who say they don’t need church (they’re wrong; you can read why here). This, of course, is just one of many examples of bad teaching: Christians are commanded to love and care for one another, which is pretty much impossible to do from your sofa. But perhaps the most common bad advice given in virtual so-called Christian groups is something along these lines: You gotta run, girl. This is a common response to someone complaining about almost anything a husband has done. Of course, due to the nature of anonymous storytelling, we have no way of knowing if any given anecdote is a creative writing exercise designed for attention and clicks (yeah, that’s definitely a thing), or a genuine account of abuse (in which case, anonymously sharing it with a bunch of strangers is a profoundly unhelpful waste of time). So if a woman shares that her husband gave her an STD or a whack across the face, of course people are going to respond with “you gotta run, girl.” Although in a case like that, I wonder if a bunch of strangers has ever been successful in persuading someone to make a life-altering decision. Because a bunch of randos on the internet for sure shouldn’t be your counsel for that kind of decision. Common 'grounds' But what I see more often — very often — is a woman reporting a husband who is emotionally unavailable. Or spends too much time at the office. Or has some bad habits (ranging from very serious, like porn usage, to just irresponsible and immature, like extended video game sessions). Yet in almost every case, SOMEONE will spin it up into “you gotta run” because, she’ll argue, if he spends too much time working that means he’s abandoned you and the marriage — you have a biblical right to a divorce. He isn’t meeting all your emotional needs, he’s not fulfilling his marriage vows to care for you — you have a biblical right to divorce. You can twist almost anything into a "biblical right to divorce" if you’re looking at it that way, so that’s maybe not the right way to look at it. Yes, there are biblical grounds for divorce. They are pretty narrow. And there are situations (physical safety) where separation is the wisest course, whether a divorce is sought or not. The problem with twisting everything into “grounds for divorce” should be self-evident. For one thing, those being invited to opine are only getting one side of the story, in most cases anonymously at that. It gets lots of clicks in the Facebook group, but it’s absolutely awful for the souls of the people involved. Let’s be clear: God hates divorce. Because of people’s hard hearts (and to protect women), He allows divorce in certain very limited scenarios. But He still hates it, and note: Divorce is NEVER required. There are so many better options, especially when children are involved. A few that can be used individually or in combination: Fervent prayer (and asking other trusted folks to join in prayer); Counseling with a biblically minded pastor; Marriage strengthening ministries/books/programs; Some time apart; In cases involving danger/abuse, formal separation; and In cases involving adultery or abandonment, divorce is allowed — but not required, especially if there is true repentance/confession, along with willingness to work toward reconciliation and rebuild trust. What happens to the young woman who takes her complaint to a group like this, and gets countless admonitions that she needs to get out? That her feelings trump any other considerations? That his behavior is abusive (a definition I’ve seen stretched to include such "abuses" as leaving his socks on the floor, since it shows disrespect for her work caring for the home)? If dozens or even hundreds of people tell you you’re being abused, you will start to believe it. You’re going to lean hard in that direction. The direction that God hates. The cancer of pornography One of the most common complaints, sadly, is that the husband is using porn. This is 100% a cancer to the marriage, and it defiles the holy union. Many claim that porn itself is grounds for divorce because Jesus said if you even look at a woman with lust, you’re committing adultery. I asked a pastor friend to comment on this passage, and he was gracious enough to provide full context around this portion of Scripture, so that we can bring the whole counsel of God to the topic. Anyone contemplating divorce due to this issue would do well to consider his points: First, in Matthew 5, Jesus is declaring Himself the pivotal point of history; the One to whom all the law and the prophets point — and He then shows how the Old Testament is validated and finds perfect continuity in His teaching (5:17-18). But there's a problem: Jesus knows that much of what the crowd on the mountain has heard about the Old Testament is not actually Scripture, because the Pharisees treated certain oral traditions as carrying equal authority with Scripture itself. That's why Jesus begins each of His next five teachings with the same formula: "You have heard it said (whatever the Pharisees claimed) ... but I say to you (Jesus’ perfect teaching)." In each teaching, His concern is to correct people's distorted understanding of the Old Testament and point to the true direction the law was always aiming. In 5:27-28, Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Apparently, some believed that as long as they didn't actually sleep with someone, they were in the clear. But Jesus wasn't satisfied with mere formal obedience to the letter of the law. He wanted to expose the heart of purity the law was always meant to protect. He deepens the seventh commandment by connecting it to coveting another person's spouse; in fact, the Greek word translated "lust" in most Bibles (epithymeō) is the very same word used for "covet." It's worth noting this doesn't mean noticing someone's beauty or feeling attraction.This coveting another person is the deep-seated greed to take and possess someone who doesn't belong to you. RELATED: Dolly Parton never had to leave her husband to find herself Michael Putland/Getty Images 'Adultery in the heart' Some today do use this passage to argue that porn is grounds for divorce, which is understandable given the real sin of lust and the real pain of betrayal and the devastating consequences they carry. But the distinction Jesus makes is important: The offender has committed adultery "in his heart." Sinning in your heart is not the same as committing the act itself. In the teaching just before this one, Jesus addresses murder and anger the same way: "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court" (5:22). Obviously, being angry with someone in your heart is different from actually killing them, and the consequences are not identical. If we use the same logic that some use, claiming that lust is automatic grounds for divorce, then everyone who has been angry with someone should be in prison. None of this excuses porn usage or lust. But it is not the same thing as having sex with someone else. Consider this: If Jesus truly meant that “adultery in the heart” constituted biblical grounds for divorce, then just about every marriage would have legitimate grounds for divorce — unless a husband and wife made it through their entire life together without ever once lusting after someone else. Even more importantly, that reading would also make marriage trivial, which is the very opposite of what Jesus intended. He wanted to raise the bar for marriage, not lower it. He wanted to protect its sanctity, because mainstream Judaism at the time had taken an extremely lax position that allowed a man to divorce his wife for practically any reason, like burning food, or if the man just found another woman better looking. So when Jesus named lust as a real, heart-level violation, he wasn't handing people a new, more permissive category of "biblical grounds for divorce" that simply met the culture where it already was. He was doing the opposite: confronting the culture's careless view of marriage with the values and standards of the Kingdom of Heaven. That said, the waters get murkier in cases of unrepentant, habitual lust, which Jesus addresses in Matthew 19:9. But if we want to stay faithful to the text, here is the distinction: a repentant heart; one that is doing everything it can to slay the dragon of lust (see the call to gouge out an eye in Matthew 5:29-30) presents no biblical grounds for divorce. Jesus never asked married couples for perfection. He asked for a fight: a relentless, ongoing pursuit of purity that guards the marriage — not an excuse to escape it. So what’s a girl to do? What do we tell a woman whose husband is entangled with porn? It is critical to not go this issue alone. Your church must be involved. Counsel from your elders and pastors, for both husband and wife, will help everyone understand and apply biblical teaching. If you don’t go to church, this is a good time to seek out a strong Bible-teaching congregation. There are a number of resources, programs, and books to help (here’s one). Unrepentant, habitual lust — where the husband continues making excuses for porn use, or lying about it — is blatant sexual immorality, and that is grounds for divorce. It doesn’t mean the wife has to divorce, but she has biblical grounds. If, however, the husband is repentant, taking steps to fight, waging a relentless ongoing battle for his own purity and the purity of the marriage union — it’s not right to walk away from a man who is willing to fight that battle and honor his vows. That is a biblical response, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy, because trust has been betrayed, and rebuilding can be arduous and painful. That’s where those elders and pastors can meaningfully support a couple in crisis. But remember that God is a reconciling God, a healing God, a God who not only hates divorce, but wants every marriage to reflect His love for us, His church — which He will never divorce. Of course, no couple will meet that perfect standard. But it’s what we’re all to strive for. So no, girl, you don’t gotta run. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you have to, but know what the Bible demands from marriage, and hold your husband accountable to move toward that standard — even as you hold yourself accountable to the same. --- ### Coach Jon Gruden screams at fan in must-see pro-America rant over NFL's international schedule **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Andrew Chapados | **Section:** Fearless **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/jon-gruden-nfl-international-game.md Former NFL coach Jon Gruden is not happy about how many international games the NFL is playing, and he isn't afraid to let everyone know. Gruden was seemingly calm and collected recently, holding it together without bursting into one of his trademark tirades. That was until a fan started pushing him to accept the overseas games. 'I never saw Ray Nitschke play in London!' The Super Bowl winner went off during "The Gruden Family Football Show" on Thursday when a fan brought up the NFL's international schedule, which this season has teams traveling to London; Paris; Madrid; Mexico City; Melbourne, Australia; Munich, Germany; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "I want a piece of you, Gruden," the fan began, immediately piquing the coach's interest. "I listen to you bitch and moan about international games. Oh, how it 'disrupts routine.' Gruden, the game was built on sacrifice," the comments continued. The fan dragged Gruden, telling him how he has benefited from the sacrifices of former players and coaches who traveled across the United States to play grueling games on minimal rest. "You need to embrace growing the sport globally. You understand that?" the fan added. Gruden wasn't having any of the fan's globalist approach, though. "Get him off!" Gruden yelled, cutting the remarks short. "I understand that completely. I mean, we're not going overseas to play home games." Unable to restrain himself any longer, Gruden started screaming that while some of the NFL's most historic players traveled a lot, they didn't play in different countries. "I didn't see Red Grange playing in Australia. And I never saw Ray Nitschke play in London! OK?! So take that and stick that in your pipe," Gruden exclaimed. "If you want to grow the game, grow it in the United States. We got a lot of kids that aren't playing football. So let's play games where we need to grow the game in our country. And let's start and end with that," he screamed comically. RELATED: The truth about child concussions, straight from an NFL trainer: 'It's not worth it' Further endorsing an America-only schedule, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach said it wasn't fair to have players traveling for 12+ hours before a game. "I don't want to be on a 16-hour flight, seven different time zones to play one of my home games. Sorry," he told his co-hosts. 2026 will feature the most international regular-season games the NFL has ever seen, with nine total. 2025 had already seen an increase to seven after the league had previously maxed out at five, the number played the previous three years, as well as in 2017 and 2019. While Australia, Brazil, and France will see their first official NFL games this season, countries like the U.K., Mexico, and Canada have all hosted multiple games dating back more than a decade. RELATED: 'Let the truth come out': UFC legend Georges St-Pierre backs vaccine-injury inquiry Robert Cianflone/Getty Images The NFL used to promote itself internationally through the league NFL Europe, which consisted of American football teams based in European countries like the U.K. and Germany. The league existed in different forms from 1991 until 2007. However, the first international regular-season game for NFL teams was in Mexico City in 2005, when the Arizona Cardinals hosted the San Francisco 49ers. The league's pursuit of global growth has seemingly been lucrative, though, as the NFL boasted $450 million in international revenue in 2023. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### GOP civil war over race ignites after Republican posts University of Texas crowd photo **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Cortney Weil | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/gop-civil-war-over-race-ignites-after-republican-posts-university-of-texas-crowd-photo.md A Republican running for a statewide race in Texas has lit a firestorm on the right after noting the racial demographics of the student section at the University of Texas football game over the weekend. On Saturday night, the Texas Longhorns hosted the Ohio State Buckeyes for an early-season marquee showdown between two top-five teams. While the Buckeyes led most of the game, the Longhorns stormed back in the fourth quarter and won, 24-23. 'Texans didn’t ask for their state to become a playground for the third world.' As might be expected, the hometown Texas crowd was ecstatic, and one photo in particular seemed to capture the exuberance of the UT student section. Only not everyone is celebrating it. On Sunday morning, Bo French, a Republican running for Texas railroad commissioner, shared the photo of non-white UT students on X and remarked, "Like body-cams exposed criminals, social media is exposing how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners. It’s everywhere and far worse than any of us could imagine." French was swiftly inundated with condemnation by many other X users, including prominent voices on the right. Outgoing Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) replied, "This is the Republican nominee for statewide office. Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized. This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad." Texas state Rep. Lacey Hull said, "Please delete this. This post breaks my heart. I see college kids cheering on their football team. I see Texans." Former Trump Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin commented, "This is gross. Touch grass." Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico joined in, calling French's post "blatant racism" and adding, "Racism has no place in Texas." RELATED: Wake-up call for Redskins ownership: Family of canceled native hero wants team name, icon to return Alex Slitz/Getty Images While accusations of racism abounded, French also has plenty of supporters who argue that native-born Americans have been unfairly edged out of public universities like UT-Austin by foreign-born students. BlazeTV host Auron MacIntyre quipped, "The Texas GOP is furious that Bo noticed these cowards are selling the state to foreign interests and replacing the population with Indians." BlazeTV host John Doyle called French a "patriot," slammed Republicans for echoing Democrat talking points about "racism," and suggested that the GOP cannot survive without directly appealing to white voters: As a matter of simple arithmetic, the Party will be destroyed when it ceases to win elections because it cannot get the votes to win. 85% of all votes cast for the Republican Party come from white Americans. Since the historic American electorate has been overwhelmingly white, it squares that the people most interested in the conservation of America would be white. "Texans didn’t ask for their state to become a playground for the third world," he added. According to Kalshi, on Sunday, Democrat candidate Jon Rosenthal briefly overtook French in the betting odds for the Texas railroad commissioner race, but within a couple of hours, French had retaken the lead. French does not appear to be backing down from his comments. By Sunday afternoon, he tweeted: "Generations of Texans have invested billions of dollars into UT. Today it is filled with foreign nationals and Leftists who boo Ted Cruz. John Cornyn says we should accept decline. The voters I talk to want to return our institutions to serving the interests of citizens." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Better to be new than true? Welcome to the era of 'take-ism' **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** O.W. Root | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/better-to-be-new-than-true-welcome-to-the-era-of-take-ism.md I’ve recently come up with the term “take-ism” to describe what I consider to be one of the most pernicious and destructive social phenomena of our era. We all know the term “hot take.” Basically, it’s an idea that’s provocative, strident, and also — and this is key — a bit new. It’s the opposite of a cold take, which is essentially common knowledge. Is it the overexposure to infinite faces and places that our phones enable that creates this desperate need for novelty, even at the expense of our sanity? A hot take is often offensive to someone out there, but that's just a byproduct. What it really needs to offer is novelty. Race to novelty Take-ism is essentially a race to novelty above all and at all costs. While there are hot takes that are true and novel takes that do illuminate an unexplored and previously unobserved fact of reality, the pursuit of truth plays little role in the real thrust of take-ism. The logic of take-ism is essentially the logic of the internet: novelty = interest = attention = likes = follows = good. Truth doesn’t matter, earnest belief doesn’t matter, all that matters is novelty and attention. Take-ism takes many forms, ranging from the very benign to the extremely corrosive and actually evil. A couple of benign examples of take-ism would be things like: “Actually, summer is the worst season of the year.” “Actually, Italian food is terrible.” Maybe someone really believes those things. Who knows? The point is that everyone knows summer is supposed to be great and Italian food is supposed to be delicious, so saying the opposite gets attention. The take wins. Take it till you fake it More corrosive and evil examples of take-ism would be things like: “Actually, the good guys lost World War II.” “Actually, the United States of America is a force for evil in the world, and China is force for good.” You’ll notice the word “actually” appears at the beginning of all four of those examples. Even when it doesn't, it's always implied. Take-ism loves to correct. “Actually, everything you know is wrong.” Take-ism also plays a role in conspiracy-theory culture. A big part of what propels the conspiracy-theory influencer world is a logic of take-ism and insatiable need for new secrets and new "truths." You can see this logic in transgenderism. “Actually, I am not who I am, I am someone else. I am not a girl despite having XX chromosomes, I am a man. Actually, biology doesn’t matter. Actually, your eyes cannot tell you reality. Actually, everything you know is wrong.” The fact that transgenderism has spread primarily by way of the internet is a further confirmation of the fact that it is ultimately just a form of take-ism. Obviously, social contagion plays a huge role in this case, but the subterranean logic underneath it is take-ism. RELATED: Are antidepressants zombifying American culture? Oscar del Pozo/Getty Images Belief optional Of course, we can never know for certain why people believe what they believe — or if they really believe it. But we can make some inferences based on our own observations of the world and what we know about human nature. We can also see the financial incentives at play in the era of posts, memes, and short-form video. And lastly, we can easily see how simple it is to manipulate people who posses shallow morals and a mind permanently addled by nihilistic brain rot. How much do influencers, writers, posters, and speakers believe when they claim to believe an idea based on take-ism? How much do the doom-scrollers believe when they hear it? What difference does it make if one believes based on earnest thought or one believes based on a secret desire for something novel? Slop culture The question underneath all of this is why do people seek out the novel above the true? Why exactly is take-ism the latent logic of the internet? Is it inherent to the medium? Does the internet — and its democratic communication — lend itself to unifying with take-ism? Is it the overexposure to infinite faces and places that our phones enable that creates this desperate need for novelty, even at the expense of our sanity? Are we being entertained to death by endless scrolling and thusly all we want is more entertainment and nothing else? Does the internet click-economy clandestinely aim to make us all into cynical nihilists who no longer care about earnest belief, goodness, or truth? Whatever it is — and it’s a lot of things — take-ism is responsible for the boiling of people’s brains in vats of conspiracy sludge, transgenderism, and countless other forms of intellectual damage and dysfunction, which are currently coursing through the culture. --- ### Ex-mayor convicted of child sex crimes walks free after 90 days — judge admits key mistake he made in sentencing **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Paul Sacca | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/mayor-misty-roberts-sentence.md Misty Roberts, the former Louisiana mayor convicted of child sex crimes, has completed her jail sentence that some have described as a "slap on the wrist." The judge admitted to making a miscalculation at the bench when sentencing the former disgraced mayor. Prosecutors said Roberts hosted a boozy pool party at her home that included juveniles in July 2024 while serving her second term as the mayor of DeRidder. 'A slap on the wrist for a child predator, because at the end of the day, that is exactly what it is.' Prosecutors said Roberts provided alcohol and sexually abused her teen son's 16-year-old friend during the pool party. Roberts — who was the first female mayor of DeRidder and was serving her second term — resigned on July 27, 2024. As Blaze News previously reported, Roberts was arrested in August 2024 and charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. In March 2026, Roberts was found guilty of carnal knowledge of a juvenile and indecent behavior with a juvenile — both felonies. Roberts faced a maximum prison sentence of 17 years. The victim's mother described Roberts before sentencing as: "This danger came from a predator with hair extensions, high heels, Botox, and other modifications." Blaze News reported in June that Roberts was sentenced to 90 days in jail. Roberts, 44, also received two concurrent five-year suspended sentences, which she will avoid serving provided she complies with the terms of her probation. The terms of her probation require her to undergo regular drug screenings and psychological therapy. Judge Kent Savoie ordered Roberts to register as a sex offender for 15 years and pay a $5,000 fine. Neighbors were disappointed in Roberts' sentence. "A slap on the wrist for a child predator, because at the end of the day, that is exactly what it is," DeRidder native Kari McGee told KALB-TV in June. McGee continued, "When it comes to children, we should use the fullest extent of the law. There are no excuses when it comes to our children." Neighbor Ryan Clark added, "That's an insult to the actual victim and the family." Another DeRidder resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "She was an authority figure in a high position, and she got slapped on the hand. What if I did that? I’d be getting maxed out, no matter what, without a shadow of a doubt." On Sept. 7, Roberts was released from jail after serving her 90-day sentence. RELATED: Former first-grade teacher pleads guilty to sex crimes against teen student after she allegedly admitted affair to husband Last month, prosecutors with the Beauregard Parish District Attorney’s Office filed a motion to request that the judge reconsider his 90-day jail sentence for a harsher punishment, but he refused. When asked how he arrived at a 90-day sentence, Savoie informed KPLC-TV that he examined 34 past sex abuse cases in Beauregard Parish. However, all of those cases ended in plea deals whereas Roberts had gone to trial and been convicted by a jury. KPLC noted, "Every single case was resolved before trial, unlike Roberts’. Not one case on the list Savoie reviewed involved a defendant who was convicted by a jury." Judge Savoie admitted that he had made an error when sentencing Roberts by comparing her case to the 34 plea-deal cases. KPLC reported on Aug. 31 that Savoie "previously told the court in open session that the case list was a mix of plea deals and trial convictions. It was not." Savoie stated, "I asked someone to get me a list of cases similar. I made an assumption, and that assumption was wrong.” "I made an assumption, and when you do that, you make an ass out of you and me," Savoie said. "I was wrong in that respect," the judge admitted. Assistant District Attorney Charles Robinson said comparing Roberts' case to the plea deals felt like "comparing apples to oranges." "I feel that this list reflects what the district attorney and judges believe is for people who take accountability,” Robinson continued. "If you go to trial, you are going to face a much harsher punishment. Miss Roberts did roll the dice, which she is entitled to." Robinson pointed out, "We have a person in their 40s. That’s something I don’t see on this list." Savoie said that he was disappointed with the state's request for a maximum sentence of 17 years. "I was considerably turned off by your request for the maximum sentence,” Savoie explained. "I was disappointed. I thought it was overboard considering she was a first-time offender." Judge Savoie added, "I've always tried to be fair and honest. I use the list as guidance for me as for what has happened in Beauregard Parish." Beauregard District Attorney Jimmy Lestage told KPLC: I appreciate Judge Savoie acknowledging that the list he put together was not an accurate representation of sentences for convictions of this nature. I also appreciate that he took the time to reconsider our position. I am disappointed that the sentence was not changed. I, like I have told you before, do not believe that the sentence reflects the values of Beauregard Parish. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Trump offers Americans $5,000 if Republicans win both chambers: 'Socialism is cool when our side does it' **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Pat Gray Unleashed **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/pat-gray-unleashed/trump-offers-5k-if-republicans-win-both-chambers.md President Trump made a promise of a $5,000 payment to every adult American if Republicans win both chambers of Congress, framing it as a dividend made possible by what he described as unparalleled financial success. “What we’re doing is because we’ve done so well and because our country is making so much money, that only I can make this promise to you,” Trump said. “And here is my promise. If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our tremendous economic success, like in history, we’ve never had anything like what’s happening,” he continued. “But because of our tremendous strength and success economically, I will issue a dividend to every adult citizen in the United States of America for $5,000,” he added. The men of “Pat Gray Unleashed” are not impressed. “$1.3 trillion dollars in new spending,” executive producer Keith Malinak comments. “Yay, inflation.” “I mean, socialism is cool when our side does it. When our guy wants it, then it's cool,” he adds. “It’s a weird promise, too, because it’s like a bribe, you know?” Gray says. “So if we lose the House or the Senate, then we don’t get the $5,000. How about you keep the $5,000 per person and apply it to the debt to save America?” he asks. Though he notes sarcastically, it’s “silly of to mention the $40 trillion.” “Soon to be 41.3 trillion apparently if you vote Republican,” Malinak adds. Want more from Pat Gray? To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### Uh-oh: Apple’s 'private' VPN-style service could leak your IP address **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Zach Laidlaw | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/icloud-private-relay-leaks-ip-address.md Apple built its company around protecting users’ privacy and security. Outgoing CEO Tim Cook even called privacy a “fundamental human right.” Unfortunately, Apple’s secure walled garden has crumbled in recent months, all thanks to a rise in software bugs and security features that don’t work as advertised. Now, a new threat rears its ugly head as reports claim that Apple’s VPN-like service, iCloud Private Relay, doesn’t actually mask users’ IP addresses at all. Apple was proud to show off a string of privacy-focused features for iCloud+ subscribers during WWDC in 2021. One of them was Hide My Email, a perk meant to hide your email from websites, marketers, and other groups online. Unfortunately, as one man found out when he threatened the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, Hide My Email isn’t foolproof. Apple actually has the keys to the original sender and can hand these over to a government agency upon request. Even worse, a bug uncovered several months later proved that Hide My Email doesn’t actually hide users’ email addresses from anybody, despite claims otherwise. So much for privacy. Apple’s missteps keep piling up, and it’s clear that the company is in desperate need of a reboot. Now another feature shown off that same day — iCloud Private Relay — doesn’t work as advertised either. The service was meant to function as a VPN lite for Safari. While it didn’t stop apps from seeing the IP address on your device, it blocked websites from viewing this information while browsing the web in Apple’s Safari web browser — or at least that’s how it was supposed to work. Just as Hide My Email didn’t actually hide email addresses, a new report claims that iCloud Private Relay doesn’t hide IP addresses either in some cases. The problem stems from a bug in Apple’s web browser engine called WebKit that bypasses iCloud Private Relay and exposes the user’s real IP address when a website requests to verify a passkey saved on the device when logging in. Even worse, other browsers that use Apple’s WebKit on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS are susceptible to the same flaw, turning this into a widespread problem in Apple’s ecosystem. RELATED: Don't be fooled: This Apple privacy feature won't protect your identity itsarasak thithuekthak/Getty Images How to protect your IP address from an iCloud Private Relay leak The good news is that there are two things you can do to protect yourself. Since the problem is connected directly to passkeys, accounts that rely on a username and password to gain access should not trigger an IP address leak. That means if you have an account protected by a passkey and you wish to keep your IP address private, delete the passkey from your phone and use conventional login methods until the problem is fixed. Third-party VPN services are not affected by the bug. That means if you use Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, or a comparable alternative that is properly configured and enabled, you don’t have to worry about iCloud Private Relay giving away your IP address. Is there any hope that Apple will pull itself together? Apple is currently looking into the issue, but that hasn’t stopped a lawsuit from taking hold. A class action was recently filed, accusing Apple of false advertising and fraud, among other charges. The case is very similar to the recent feud over delayed Apple Intelligence features, where the company ultimately paid a $250 million settlement to make it go away. At this point, Apple’s missteps keep piling up, and it’s clear that the company is in desperate need of a reboot. Luckily, new blood is on the way. This fall, CEO Tim Cook will step down from his role and turn the reins of leadership over to John Ternus, the current senior vice president of hardware engineering and an Apple veteran who started his career in 2001 under Steve Jobs. While there’s no way to know how Ternus will handle his new responsibilities, tech aficionados are excited to have a “product guy” back in control, whereas Tim Cook’s background was primarily in operations as the chief operating officer before his promotion by Jobs. This is also a big year for Apple’s software teams. All major releases of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and WatchOS later this fall are quality-of-life updates meant to squash bugs, improve performance, and refine the user experience for years to come. So far, beta testers agree that the new updates are a big improvement from current iterations, but time will tell if this experience carries over to the masses. Hopefully, there are also some privacy and security improvements under the hood to reverse course on Apple’s current downward spiral. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### The CDC is hiding the data on armed citizens **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** John R. Lott Jr. | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-cdc-is-hiding-the-data-on-armed-citizens.md Whoever controls crime data can shape the political debate. The Trump administration has already reversed some of the changes the Biden administration made to federal crime and gun data, including information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But politicization of data at the FBI and Justice Department still deserves attention. Gun-control activists have long tried to “debunk” what they call the “good guy with a gun myth” as they push for stricter gun control laws. The federal government and much of the media have reinforced that argument by downplaying evidence that armed, law-abiding citizens stop public attacks. Armed civilians stopped 52.9% of active-shooter attacks over the past 12 years. Even the most dramatic defensive gun uses rarely get national news coverage. One rare example of news coverage was in August of this year, when Jordan Salinas shot at a gunman who was shooting at vehicles outside a Twin Falls, Idaho, In-N-Out fast-food burger restaurant. As one news story noted, Twin Falls County Sheriff Jack Johnson said that “the death toll would have undoubtedly been higher without the quick-thinking actions of Salinas and the off-duty cop.” Just since the beginning of 2025, there have been 15 such defensive gun uses where police have made similar statements about armed civilians acting to save many lives. The CDC recently restored information on defensive gun use that it removed from its website in 2022 after gun-control advocates privately pressured agency officials to take it down. Until May 2022, the CDC cited a 2013 National Academies of Sciences report that the agency had co-sponsored. The report reviewed studies that produced widely varying estimates of defensive gun use. It cited an estimate of 108,000 defensive gun uses annually, but warns that “108,000 is difficult to interpret because respondents were not asked specifically about defensive gun use.” The report noted that estimates from national surveys ranged from about 500,000 to more than 3 million defensive gun uses per year. Mark Bryant, the founder of the Gun Violence Archive, was among gun control advocates who complained that gun-rights advocates had cited the estimates so often to “stop legislation.” The CDC has now restored its link to the National Academies report, but it misleadingly says the report puts defensive gun use at only 60,000 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses annually, not what the report itself says, as the national survey estimates that specifically ask about defensive gun use range from about 500,000 to more than 3 million per year, though even that fails to note that the lower estimate involves just handguns. The FBI has also demonstrated how badly federal data can understate defensive gun uses. The FBI defines an active shooter as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.” The category can include an attack in which a gunman fires at a single person and misses, but it generally excludes shootings connected to other criminal activity, such as robberies or fights over drug turf. I have seen these problems with federal data firsthand. Until January 2021, I served in the U.S. Department of Justice as senior adviser for research and statistics in the Office of Justice Programs. Part of my job involved evaluating the FBI’s active-shooter reports. During my time at DOJ, I discovered that the FBI had missed or misidentified numerous cases in which armed civilians stopped active shooters. RELATED: The FBI’s new active-shooter report has a surprise Kyle Mazza/Anadolu/Getty Images Unfortunately, the problem has continued with the newest report that was released on July 30. The FBI reports that armed citizens stopped only 16 of the 408 active-shooter incidents it identified from 2014 through 2025 and only two of the 34 active shooting cases in 2025. The Crime Prevention Research Center, which I run, has identified many additional cases that the FBI either missed or misclassified, and we maintain an updated list of these incidents. Our numbers tell a dramatically different story. From 2014 through 2025, the CPRC identified 615 active-shooter incidents and found that armed citizens stopped 225 of them. We excluded another 35 cases in which a law-abiding armed citizen stopped the attacker before he could fire a shot. That means armed citizens stopped 36.6% of the active-shooter incidents we identified over those 12 years. During the most recent five years, the figure rose to 42.5%. That rate is about 10 times the roughly 4% rate indicated by the FBI’s data. The difference becomes even larger when we examine only places where law-abiding citizens can legally carry firearms. We shouldn’t expect armed civilians to stop many attacks in places where the law prohibits them from carrying guns. In locations where citizens could legally carry firearms, our data shows that armed civilians stopped 52.9% of active-shooter attacks over the past 12 years. And it is increasing, with 58.3% in 2025. The FBI has missed so many defensive gun uses that I find it hard to believe these omissions are simply accidental — particularly because the agency has failed to correct mistakes I previously brought to its attention. Fortunately, no one needs to take my word for it. The CPRC lists the individual cases and links to the underlying sources, so anyone can examine the cases and compare our list with the FBI’s data. This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire. --- ### Sara Gonzales’ Indian haters aren’t going to like these photos from the RNC ... **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Sara Gonzales Unfiltered **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/sara-gonzales-unfiltered/sara-gonzales-indian-haters-arent-going-to-like-these-photos-from-the-rnc.md In less than a year, BlazeTV’s Sara Gonzales has become the queen of H-1B fraud-busting in the state of Texas. The Lone Star native’s on-the-ground investigations into ghost offices and suspected visa mills have prompted Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to freeze H-1B hiring at state agencies, led Attorney General Ken Paxton to hit nearly 30 North Texas companies with investigative demands, and put Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito on the ground in Dallas. The trail has led Sara mainly to Indian-run IT firms and staffing shops — the same kind of companies that dominate Texas H-1B filings. As a result, she has become the target of fierce backlash by several Indian media outlets and Indian-American circles that accuse her reporting of being racist, defamatory, and harassment. Sara has infiltrated many a WhatsApp chat where opponents circulate her videos and organize campaigns to downvote and report them. Her haters, however, will likely be enraged to discover that at the GOP’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, it was conservative Indians who wanted to talk to her the most. “They kept coming up to me and saying hi and how they love that I'm exposing fraud. They're like, ‘Sara, you're the best woman in the world,”’ she recounts gleefully. Sara then displays several photographs from the RNC with her Indian fans beaming alongside her. “They encouraged me to go even harder on all of these fraudsters,” she adds. But the support came with something even better: advice. “They gave me more tips, which was very helpful, which of course we'll be following up on,” Sara says. “It's just so funny how I always get accused of being racist, but turns out Indians love your girl.” Her reporting has never been about race but about ensuring the law is followed, Sara explains. “ realize I have no ill will towards them because if they love me, it's clear that they're doing things the right way,” she says. “This is not about race, at least for me,” Sara continues. “Now it does seem to be about race for some of the Indians who attacked me in the comments of these photos.” “Who's the real racist?” she asks. To hear more, watch the episode above. Want more from Sara Gonzales? To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### The Pentagon’s welfare racket needs to end **Published:** September 14, 2026 | **Author:** Will Thibeau | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-pentagons-welfare-racket-needs-to-end.md With tensions in Iran still boiling and our national debt hitting $40 trillion, it’s time to take a hard look at the military’s budget. We should preserve what the military needs to be capable and prepared — and cut the waste. One little-known program has not only failed its mission but also driven excess government spending. The good news is that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has already announced a review. The bad news? This program is so fundamentally defective that it should be abolished outright. Every actor in the system profits from the abuse. In the summer of 2024, a “socially disadvantaged” small business won two Defense Logistics Agency contracts worth more than $34 million. The firm then handed 95% of one contract’s value to Lockheed Martin and 94% of the other to a subsidiary of Leonardo DRS, two of the world’s largest defense contractors. The disadvantaged firm did little more than sign the paperwork and collect a fee. The arrangement broke no law. It followed the standard business model of the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program, the federal government’s oldest identity-based contracting scheme — and one of Washington’s most durable corporate welfare rackets. In January, Secretary Hegseth announced that the Pentagon would take a “sledgehammer” to the program and ordered a line-by-line review of every small business sole-source and set-aside award above $20 million. As he put it: “In many, many instances, these ‘socially disadvantaged’ businesses, they don’t even do work. They take a 10%, 20%, sometimes 50% fee off the top and then pass the contract off to a giant consulting firm.” Hegseth has diagnosed the disease, but a contract review will not cure it. Several administrations and Congresses have tried to fix the 8(a) program. But all of them have failed because its own incentives reward the abuse. Congress cannot regulate those incentives away; it wrote them into the program’s design. The only reform that will work is to abolish the 8(a) program entirely. Congress created the modern program in 1978, when it amended Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act to steer noncompetitive and set-aside contracts to firms owned by “socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.” The SBA promptly defined that term to cover nearly every racial and ethnic minority group while excluding white Americans. Lawmakers promised that nine years of preferential treatment would turn these firms into independent competitors. Nearly half a century later, the program has produced the opposite: a permanent class of pass-through firms selling access to the defense giants. A Claremont Institute investigation found the same pattern under administrations of both parties. In 2011, under President Obama, EYAK Technology LLC subcontracted $2.6 million of a $2.9 million Army manufacturing contract — 91% of its value — to L3Harris Technologies. Between 2009 and 2025, L3Harris received 47 subcontracts from 8(a) firms through the Department of Defense under prime contracts worth nearly $1 billion, and eight of those subcontracts exceeded 90% of the prime contract’s value. General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and other giants worked the same racket. Reforms to the program keep failing because enforcement would require a small army of compliance officers. Even worse, every actor in the system profits from the abuse. RELATED: Want to squeeze Iran? Trump has one clear move EDUARDO SOTERAS/AFP/Getty Images The 8(a) firms earn millions and face no pressure to build real capability. The defense giants pad their bottom line by accessing set-aside contracts they could never win directly. The contracting agency fills its procurement needs and hits the SBA’s small-business goals on paper. Nobody at the table has a reason to flip it over. The structure rewards dependency, not the development the program promises. The program’s defenders blame a few bad actors, but the abuse flows from the design itself. Any program that confers preferential treatment on a favored class will produce the same result. When government channels public money to a group in the name of solving its problems, the intended beneficiaries grow more dependent while middlemen and incumbents prosper at the taxpayer’s expense. The Trump administration has made some encouraging early moves. The SBA demanded three years of financial records from participants and suspended roughly 1,000 firms that failed to produce them. Secretary Hegseth’s contract review shows the same willingness to act. But audits and reviews leave the machine intact, and the next administration can switch it back on. As long as the program exists, the incentives will win. Congress and the administration should stop trying to perfect the unreformable. After 48 years, the 8(a) program has failed its stated purpose and wasted taxpayer dollars while enriching prime contractors, pass-through firms, and the bureaucracy that certifies them. Secretary Hegseth should swing his sledgehammer through the program’s foundation and shut it down for good. Editor’s note: This article was originally published at the American Mind. --- ### 17-year-old Florida male is person of interest in murder of his 16-year-old girlfriend who was 7-months pregnant **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** Dave Urbanski | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/17-year-old-florida-male-is-person-of-interest-in-murder-of-his-16-year-old-girlfriend-who-was-7-months-pregnant.md A 17-year-old Florida male is a person of interest in the murder of his 16-year-old girlfriend, who reportedly was seven-months pregnant. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that police arrested the 17-year-old male and that his girlfriend was found dead in a friend’s apartment a day earlier, WJAX-TV reported. 'The pain of losing them is something I don't think words can ever truly explain.' Dominique Santonio Hill of Lake City is charged with tampering with evidence related to an investigation of what police are calling the murder of Ashia La Shai Moore at the Palm Villa Apartments in Lake City, the station said. Police said they responded to a well-being check and discovered Moore dead on the floor from an apparent gunshot wound, WJAX reported. She was seven months pregnant, the station said, citing a news release. As the investigation progressed, police said they identified Hill — who was Moore’s boyfriend — as a person of interest, WJAX said, adding that authorities arrested Hill on charges of tampering with evidence. Officials said Hill is being held at the Columbia County Detention Facility without bond. RELATED: Teen accused of shooting 16-year-old girlfriend 22 times as she lay on her back bleeding is released on bond Police are asking that anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office at 386-719-2005, WJAX said, adding that those who want to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers of Columbia County at 386-754-7099 or go to www.columbiacrimestoppers.net. "Ashia, who we lovingly called Shia, was only 7-months pregnant with her precious baby boy when that monster took both of their lives from us," close family friend Gigi Reighns told First Coast News. "We lost not only Shia, but an innocent baby who never even got the chance to see the world. The pain of losing them is something I don't think words can ever truly explain. Shia was such a beautiful soul." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### Christian men: God wants us to be meek, not weak **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** Vik Khanna, Rich Gurdak | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/christian-men-god-wants-us-to-be-meek-not-weak.md On August 15, two Americans on a UFC fight card said the quiet part out loud. Prelim winner Tresean Gore had just secured a decision that cost him two front teeth. With a mouth full of blood, he told Joe Rogan that he no longer smoked weed, drank, or watched porn and that Jesus Christ had saved his life and soul. King Solomon foresaw the day of physical failure: 'If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.' On the main card, winner Jalin Turner’s first statement to Rogan was also a profession of faith. Professing athletes are not new. Tim Tebow, Harrison Butker, and the Oklahoma women’s softball team have all said the same thing in public: Prowess and its rewards are not solely their own doing. Toga-clad therapist Gore and Turner moved us for a narrower reason. During our Bible study, we had been talking about the decline of masculinity among Christian men. When those men surrender responsible, loyal, trustworthy headship — as Scripture defines it under God the Father and His Son — instead of becoming humble, they disappear, leaving a hole that the spirit of the age fills. American Christian men have forgotten, or were never taught, that their King was the strongest man who ever walked the earth, physically and spiritually. Jesus is the pattern for both. Following Him should produce men who pursue strength of body as well as strength of soul. Too many church leaders have taught the opposite. They have offered a Jesus who is only mild, never mighty: a toga-clad therapist who affirms all and judges none. That is not the Christ of the Gospels, and it is not the men who preceded and followed Him. Other than Christ, no man in the Bible is without sin. God shows us these men so we will learn that Christianity requires faith, repentance, and obedience — not a clean record. Adam shifted blame. Samson and David yielded to lust. David’s sin was worse than just appetite: he deceived, murdered, and committed adultery. Scripture hides none of it. Restored to strength It also does not hide what these men were and what they did. Blind Samson pulled down a Philistine temple with his hands. David defended his flock against wild animals, then dropped Goliath with a stone. His elite guard, the Gibborim — Josheb, Eleazar, Shammah, Abishai, Benaiah — were remembered in 2 Samuel because they could fight. Four times God tells Joshua to be “strong and courageous.” Joshua then defeats 31 kings on the way to the promised land. God preserved Moses’ vigor at 120 (Deuteronomy 34:7); fed Elijah strength for the desert road (1 Kings 19:7-8); and promised through Isaiah that those who wait on the Lord will not faint (Isaiah 40:29-31). The God of mercy and love is the same God who trained David’s hands for war and his fingers for battle and helped him bend a bow of bronze (Psalms 18:32-34 and 144:1). In 1 Peter 4:11, the apostle directs all who serve God to do so with the strength that God provides. All these men knew sin, fear, and confusion. Faith restored them to strength and courage for God's glory. It did not restore them to softness. RELATED: Do you follow a diluted Jesus — or the full-strength one? Don Bartletti/Getty Images The weight of the cross Then there is Jesus. He walked the land for three years knowing His own people would reject Him and kill Him, and He finished the work. The distances of that ministry are measured in thousands of miles, on foot. On His last day, He was beaten and scourged, and He marched the Via Dolorosa under a patibulum that likely weighed 65 to 110 pounds. He fell because of pain and blood loss that would put most modern men on the ground before the first step. The contrast is not cute. A church that cannot tell the difference between meekness and weakness will baptize the second and call it discipleship. We would rather live in the world Jesus describes: among people who worship without shame, who speak of Him as plainly as Tresean Gore and Jalin Turner did, and who pursue the holiness He demands. He is not playing. In the wedding parable of Matthew 22, the man without the garment of faith and repentance is bound and cast into the outer darkness. That is the same Lord who walked those miles. 'Act like men' So the question is not whether Christian men should be kind. It is whether they will be men. No more porn. No more anesthesia by weed and liquor. No more sexual chaos. Less devotion to entertainment that mocks the faith and more time in churches where men teach what Paul taught: Put your house in order (1 Tim. 3:1-5; Titus 1:5-9 and 2:1-2 and 6-8), and “be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13). Drawing on the Old Testament, Jesus does tell His followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them (Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27, from Proverbs 24:17 and 25:21 and Exodus 23:4-5). That command is real. It covers the neighbor who hates you, the official who slanders you, even the man who would harm you. It is not a mediation tip. It is imitation of the Father. It is also not a ban on strength. Prayer for a human enemy does not mean pretending he is harmless, refusing to restrain him, or talking to Satan as if he were your neighbor. Scripture never asks anyone to treat the devil as a prayer partner. It does ask men to resist him, to protect the innocent, and still not let hatred become their creed. King Solomon foresaw the day of physical failure: “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small” (Proverbs 24:10). The next two verses are the gut punch. If you stand by while people are led away to death, God sees, and He will weigh your cowardice. This is a day of adversity. American Christian men will come up big or small. They will find their strength in God, or they will keep drawing upon a smaller Jesus who demands nothing of their bodies and their nerve. They should pick up where Tresean Gore and Jalin Turner left off: Believe and profess the truth with blood still in your mouth, and then live as if the truth has hands. --- ### Campus free speech is alive — barely **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** Owen Anderson | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/campus-free-speech-is-alive-barely.md America’s universities have forgotten what education is for. And they are increasingly willing to treat the God-given right of free speech as something administrators may grant or withdraw. American higher education received its annual free-speech report card this week. The good news is that the patient has a pulse. The bad news is that we have apparently lowered our expectations to the point where this counts as good news. Maybe students are beginning to rediscover something their institutions forgot: Hearing an argument does not constitute an injury. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression released its 2027 College Free Speech Rankings, based on the experiences of nearly 63,000 students at 261 American colleges and universities. The average university continues to perform badly at one of the activities universities were ostensibly invented to encourage: thinking out loud. This is an unusual institutional achievement. A hospital that made patients afraid to discuss their symptoms would attract attention. A law school where students feared making arguments would be considered defective. But a university where students learn to keep controversial thoughts to themselves can still issue press releases celebrating its commitment to dialogue. It is all the art of illusion. Universities tell the public, “We are inclusive,” while students know they may have to self-censor or risk angering professors who control their grades. I know something about this from the inside. I have taught at Arizona State University for more than two decades. Our motto is “inclusive excellence.” Yet I run a Substack where I document how ASU professors stifle free speech and push DEI and LGBTQ ideology onto their students. ASU is slipping in the FIRE rankings. This year it ranks 29th out of 261 schools, down from 23rd last year. Its numerical score increased from about 70 to 72, but its grade remains a C-. Apparently, even grade inflation has limits. A C- is awful, and ASU administrators should make correcting course a top priority. Instead, they host events like “Queer Animacies.” The more interesting numbers are buried beneath the overall ranking. RELATED: When government breaks the law, can you even sue? DNY59/Getty Images FIRE reports that ASU remains in the bottom 50 nationally for “openness,” its measure of whether students believe they can discuss controversial subjects freely. Even more striking, ASU’s ranking for “administrative support” fell 107 places in a single year. Think about that combination. Students attend a university to learn how to think, yet many perceive controversial subjects as effectively off-limits, while their confidence that administrators will defend free speech has substantially deteriorated. This points to a deeper problem than free speech. We have forgotten what a university is for. Socrates did not walk around Athens distributing approved answers. He asked questions. Irritating questions, as the Athenians eventually discovered. He questioned politicians, poets, and craftsmen who believed themselves wise and discovered that possessing expertise in one subject has a curious tendency to persuade people that they possess expertise in everything. Twenty-five centuries later, we have perfected the type. The university is supposed to cultivate intellectual maturity by forcing students to distinguish what they know from what they merely assume. That requires disagreement. It requires professors willing to have their own beliefs questioned. And it requires students who can make an argument without first consulting the ideological weather report. When I was recently interviewed by KJZZ in Phoenix about my Arizona Supreme Court case, leftists — including ASU professors — took to the Facebook comments to dish out personal attacks because I dared to question the university’s DEI curriculum. My case concerns a training program I argue violated Arizona law; ASU has disputed my claims, and the Arizona Supreme Court is now being asked to decide whether I may proceed with the suit. Such professors teach students the one skill required for university success: identifying the professor’s approved conclusion. This is not education. Not even close. It’s training students to lie for approval and to accept censorship. The problem becomes particularly obvious when universities congratulate themselves on “critical thinking.” Critical thinking is one of those phrases that appears in university mission statements with approximately the frequency of “excellence,” “inclusion,” and “innovation.” Everyone favors it because nobody bothers to define it. But critical thinking cannot mean criticizing only the ideas your professors have already designated as problematic. If students are encouraged to “interrogate” Christianity but not transgender ideology, colonialism but not Marxism, capitalism but not DEI, they have not been taught critical thinking. They have been given a list of suspects. Real critical thinking is considerably more dangerous because it applies the same standards to everyone. Can you define your terms? What is your evidence? Does your conclusion follow from your premises? Are your premises true? What would prove you wrong? Those questions are wonderfully indifferent to race, sex, political party, academic rank, ideology, or preferred pronouns. RELATED: Equal treatment makes a comeback Kevin Carter/Getty Images Logic has always suffered from an embarrassing lack of sensitivity. This is why free speech is not merely one university value among many. It is inseparable from the purpose of the institution. And it is a God-given right, not a gift to be handed out and taken back by radical professors or university administrators. A university exists because human beings are not born knowing the truth. We must learn. Learning requires discovering that some things we believe are false. Discovering that requires allowing someone to tell us we are wrong. Remove that possibility and the university ceases to be a university in anything but name. There is at least one encouraging finding in the new national data. Student tolerance for shouting down speakers, blocking access to events, and using violence against speakers declined slightly from last year’s record highs. Maybe students are beginning to rediscover something their institutions forgot: Hearing an argument does not constitute an injury. That’s progress. But universities should not congratulate themselves because students have become slightly less enthusiastic about silencing one another. The standard is considerably higher. The university should be the place in American life where the unpopular question is most welcome. Where the student can challenge the professor. Where the professor can challenge the administration. Where Christians, atheists, conservatives, progressives, Marxists, and their increasingly rare opponents can all be asked the same unforgiving question: How do you know? Until universities recover that purpose, Americans will need to be honest about their value. And we will cultivate our God-given freedom to think elsewhere. --- ### It's not sci-fi — Trump's new program is straight out of 'Starship Troopers' **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** John Mac Ghlionn | **Section:** Tech **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/tech/it-s-not-sci-fi-trump-s-new-program-is-straight-out-of-starship-troopers.md Sixty-four years ago, John F. Kennedy stood on a football field at Rice University and declared space the new, permanent frontier of human ambition. Fast-forward to today, and President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing a tuition-free U.S. Space Academy. This lays the groundwork for a dedicated institution to train the next generation of American space talent. The enemy plays by total-war rules. Critics immediately started whining about overreach, arguing that civilian science and military operations must remain strictly separated. Those pessimists are living in a long-dead era. Their thinking sounds less like 2026 and more like the 1960s, when the biggest concern was whether America would beat the Soviets to the Moon. Those days are gone. Space is now a strategic battleground. And pretending otherwise is national-security malpractice and a guaranteed recipe for disaster. America’s chief global adversaries view space as one big battlefield. Chinese military planners at the People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force don’t care about Western academic debates over civilian-military separation. They view lunar orbits, communication satellites, and near-Earth reconnaissance networks as a unified target grid. Russian state operators routinely maneuver anti-satellite weapons alongside commercial broadband satellites. The enemy plays by total-war rules, understanding that crippling an opponent’s space systems could decide a war before the first shot is fired on the ground. America falls behind the moment it assumes its own satellites enjoy permanent immunity. One giant leap Winning this high-stakes struggle requires an interconnected defense strategy. Today’s commercial logistics networks, NASA scientific payloads, and Space Force tactical communications share the exact same orbital pathways. A modern GPS constellation guides precision artillery, syncs local bank transactions, and routes commercial cargo ships at the same time. Protecting that shared highway demands an integrated command structure. Trump’s proposal for a dedicated Space Academy aims to create a specialized officer corps in which military tacticians, space engineers, and commercial operators train together, day in and day out. You don’t have to love everything the president does to recognize a good idea when you see one. The immediate necessity of this institution becomes obvious when you look at how China and Russia prepare for future conflict. Beijing- and Kremlin-backed cybercriminals already hack American digital infrastructure for fun, routinely stealing industrial trade secrets, military blueprints, and sensitive corporate data. Moving those exact same malicious operations into orbit gives hostile states total control over the ultimate high ground. A state with the upper hand in low-Earth orbit gains an enormous advantage in global navigation. It enjoys greater control over maritime trade and real-time military intelligence. Surrendering that control turns every terrestrial aircraft carrier, fighter jet, and armored division into a blind target in open waters. RELATED: California dismissed them as backward. Now they're building America's future. Sean Anthony Eddy/Getty Images A Chinese or Russian monopoly on critical space infrastructure would rewrite daily life across the Western world. Hostile operators could sever global financial links with a single orbital jammer. They could plunge domestic air traffic control systems into immediate chaos and disable military command networks in seconds. Foreign state operators would effectively hold a permanent off-switch over the modern digital economy. America simply can’t afford to let autocratic regimes dictate who gets to broadcast data, launch commercial rockets, or operate lunar infrastructure. Dominance in space is nonnegotiable; it is the absolute foundation of national survival. If an adversary manages to take over a network of satellites, it doesn’t need to launch a missile to cause serious damage. It could turn solar panels away from the sun, push satellites out of their proper orbits, or interfere with emergency communications across huge areas. A dedicated Space Academy could train the specialists needed to protect these systems and keep America’s satellites secure from relentless foreign attacks. America needs elite specialists who can defend against new and evolving threats. But where should these specialists learn their trade? Two cultures, one decision Washington bureaucrats may instinctively want to put the campus near Silicon Valley or inside the government beltway around Maryland. That would be a mistake. The Gulf South is the obvious choice. Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida already have much of the infrastructure America needs to build, test, and launch rockets. The academy should be close to the people and facilities already advancing America’s space industry. Placing cadet training near active launchpads ensures that future space commanders grow up surrounded by real rocket fire, rather than philosophizing from the comfort of a Bay Area beanbag chair. The choice is clear. Train the next generation of elite patriotic space warriors, or watch the enemy turn the skies into a deadly weapon aimed directly at us. Kennedy gave America the ambition to reach the stars. Modern dangers demand that America develop the strength to dominate space and defend that achievement. --- ### How to love a prodigal who left the faith for an LGBTQ+ identity **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Relatable **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/how-to-love-a-prodigal-who-left-the-faith-for-lgbtq-identity.md As the LGBTQ+ movement that seeks to deconstruct gender and normalize all sexualities continues to collide with orthodox Christian teaching, many believers find themselves in a painful tension: how to love others while still honoring God’s commands about sexuality and gender. Nobody is better at navigating these challenging situations, says Allie Beth Stuckey, than former lesbian turned Christian apologist Rosaria Butterfield. On this episode of “Relatable,” Allie and Butterfield address voicemails from listeners asking for advice on personal predicaments that many Christians will find all too familiar. In the first voicemail, a “Relatable” listener shared a predicament now common in many Christian families: a loved one leaves the faith after embracing an LGBTQ+ identity. She explained that her nephew, who was raised in a Christian home, distanced himself from the family and the faith after coming out as gay and “marrying” his partner. “How would you handle ... loving him but also bringing him back to the Lord?” she asked. “The first thing you always do, always do, is affirm your love for your prodigal, and you do that in every way you can,” says Butterfield. The second order of business, she says, is to commit to “consistently praying for your prodigal.” “One of the things you're praying for, and especially if your nephew doesn't live close ... that the Lord's going to put many Christians in his life,” says Butterfield. “There is no such thing as a gay marriage, and so what you're going to do is pray that the Lord would destroy that — in fact, that the Lord would remove all unholy, ungodly influences from your nephew's life,” she adds. In these scenarios, a believer, says Butterfield, can also petition God for “insight” into the prodigal’s life. “You might want to also be praying that the Lord would give you insight and wisdom to know more about how your nephew is living and see if he'd be willing to let you do some reconnaissance work with him,” she says. “You know, find out does he have a craving to fit in, to belong? ... Does he need to feel important? Are there other comorbidities and medications that might be making it really hard for him to get unstuck from harmful patterns? Or to what degree is activism involved?” she continues. “All of these things will help you know how to speak a word in season.” But the most important thing one can do in these heartbreaking situations, says Butterfield, is to “not lose heart.” “Because there really is no such thing as someone who has ‘left the faith’ who is in the faith,” she says. “The concept of a faith deconstructor is a misnomer. You can't construct your faith, so you can't deconstruct it. Now he's a wanderer; he's a prodigal — and we want him back.” To hear more, watch the episode above. Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey? To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. --- ### There is a place sin cannot molest **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** Peter Rosenberger | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/there-is-a-place-sin-cannot-molest.md After a week like this one, many Americans arrive at Sunday carrying more than they can easily name. This past week marked one year since Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking to students at Utah Valley University. The following day, our nation observed the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, when 2,977 people were murdered in New York, at the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. May we draw as near as circumstances allow, sit with them in their sorrow, speak the names of those they love, and remind them that grief does not have to be carried alone. Though different in scale and circumstance, both remind us that evil never remains theoretical. Eventually, it enters a crowd, a cockpit, an office, a home, leaving behind blood, unanswered questions, and an empty chair. Public trauma always becomes private sorrow, one household at a time. We understandably respond with investigations, arguments, and demands for accountability. We should seek truth and justice. Evil should be named without apology. But grief should not have to pass an ideological examination before we treat it as grief. In 1903, a Presbyterian minister named Cleland McAfee faced a brutal week of grief when his brother lost two young daughters to diphtheria within 24 hours. Because the disease was highly contagious, the family’s home was quarantined. McAfee was a preacher, theologian, musician, and choir director. He stayed up late, considering what he could possibly say or sing the following Sunday. From his own sorrow, he wrote the words and music to a hymn: There is a place of quiet rest, Near to the heart of God, A place where sin cannot molest, Near to the heart of God. The modern ear catches on the word “molest.” Today, it almost always refers to sexual abuse. McAfee used the word in its older and broader sense: to harass, disturb, persecute, or injure with hostile intent. RELATED: Why I played ‘Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah’ at a funeral Pressmaster/Getty Images It is a jarring word, but it is the right one. Sin does indeed molest. It does not knock politely before entering. It intrudes, violates, and corrupts. It turns passenger planes into weapons and political disagreement into bloodshed. Then it continues its work by tempting us to mock the dead, exploit the bereaved, turn suffering into content, and answer hatred with still more hatred. McAfee did not write his hymn because sorrow had passed his family by. He wrote it because sorrow had come through the door. His nieces were dead, his brother’s home was darkened, and the family remained isolated by disease. He did not attempt to explain why the children died. Instead, he pointed his brother toward the only refuge death could not breach: O Jesus, blest Redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us who wait before Thee, Near to the heart of God. The choir learned the hymn at its Saturday evening rehearsal. Because the home remained quarantined, they could not go inside to embrace the family or sit beside them. So they came as close as they could. Standing on the lawn beneath the night sky, the choir sang through the walls. They did not repair the loss or answer the family’s questions. They simply placed themselves as near to the grieving family as the quarantine allowed, and they sang. That image has stayed with me for years: a grieving family inside, the church outside, darkness surrounding them, and a hymn passing through the walls. Twenty-five years after September 11, families still gather to read the names of those who died. One year after Charlie Kirk’s murder, his wife, children, friends, and colleagues continue living with the chair he no longer fills. Their persistent grief is not weakness. It is the continuing cost of love. McAfee’s hymn does not promise that sin cannot reach our bodies, families, or country. The circumstances that produced it would disprove such a claim. The place near to the heart of God is not where Christians become immune to suffering. It is where we find refuge when suffering comes and assurance that evil does not possess ultimate authority. RELATED: The oldest cure for doomscrolling in one lyric CorbalanStudio/Getty Images Christ stepped into this broken world and took its worst. The cross shows us what sin does; the empty tomb shows us that sin does not get the last word. Most of us will never address a grieving country, but nearly all of us know someone living inside a darkened house. The lawn may be literal, or it may be a kitchen table, a church pew, a telephone call, or a quiet visit where very little is said. After such a solemn week, and as battles rage within and beyond our borders, may we enter the coming days looking for the brokenhearted. May we draw as near as circumstances allow, sit with them in their sorrow, speak the names of those they love, and remind them that grief does not have to be carried alone. And when words fail, perhaps we too can stand on the lawn and sing. --- ### Wake-up call for Redskins ownership: Family of canceled native hero wants team name, icon to return **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** Kerry J. Byrne | **Section:** News **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/news/wake-up-call-for-redskins-ownership-family-of-canceled-native-hero-wants-team-name-icon-to-return.md Blackfeet Chief John Two Guns White Calf was the warrior face of the NFL’s Washington Redskins for 48 years. Then his heroic life story, his proud portrait, and the team’s native identity were erased from American history in 2020, following a relentless and politically orchestrated seven-year cancel-culture assault by mainstream media. Two Guns White Calf now is collateral damage in the woke cancel-culture war on America’s multicultural heritage. He was wiped from the US history books by the very same group that purports to defend native dignity. White Calf’s family now has a message for the owner of the Washington, D.C., pro football franchise. “We want to meet face to face with Josh Harris and tell him our side of the story,” family spokesman Thomas White Calf said in an exclusive interview with Blaze News. “We want the Redskins back in the NFL, and we want the image of Two Guns back with the Redskins. We want to share with Harris the true history of the Redskins and the heroic life of Two Guns White Calf.” The NFL franchise did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News. RELATED: NFL player apologizes over backlash for doing Trump dance: 'I did not mean to offend anyone' Thomas, Delphine, and Shawn White CalfKerry J. Byrne The Redskins were renamed the Commanders in 2022, a year before Harris’ investment group bought the franchise. He inherited a public relations nightmare. Many fans, perhaps a majority, still call the team the Redskins. Its current image is unpopular. The Commanders ranked 29th out of 32 NFL teams in merchandise sales in 2024, according to a FinanceBuzz annual study. And the White Calf family has been making rounds in D.C. for the first time this year, meeting with lawmakers such as Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and sharing their story with Redskins fans. “I wanted to have the blessing of the family, to see if they’re OK with the name and logo, and now I have it,” said Redskins fan Jonathan Lynch after meeting the White Calfs in the shadows of the U.S. Capitol in May. 'We’ve been silenced long enough.' Two Guns White Calf was one of the most famous Americans of his era. He fought to preserve native heritage and defend tribal treaties from the Blackfeet Nation of Montana to the halls of power in Washington, D.C. His death in 1934 was front-page news coast to coast. The New York Times obituary lauded Two Guns White Calf as an American “dignitary” who made President Coolidge a member of the Blackfeet Nation and who gained fame as the model for the U.S. Mint’s iconic 1913 Indian Head nickel. Two Guns White Calf became the face of the Redskins franchise in 1972, at the behest of leaders of the Blackfeet Nation and with support from Native Americans around the country. Two Guns White Calf now is collateral damage in the woke cancel-culture war on America’s multicultural heritage. He was wiped from the U.S. history books by the very same group that purports to defend native dignity: the far-left, Soros-funded National Congress of American Indians, a powerful D.C.-insider organization with deep ties to the Democratic Party. RELATED: Trump is 'serious': NFL star refers to his team as the 'Redskins' as pressure mounts to change name Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Media outrage against the Redskins erupted with sudden ferocity in October 2013. Significant evidence indicates that it was orchestrated by the NCAI. The elite unit of cancel-culture assassins claims responsibility for erasing more than 2,000 native names and images from public display across the United States. The Redskins are the group's trophy kill. The NCAI put Two Guns White Calf in its crosshairs in October 2013. President Obama became the first chief executive to publicly criticize the Redskins on October 5. Just days later, the NCAI issued an inflammatory, racially charged 29-page manifesto titled “Ending the Legacy of Racism in Sports & the Era of Harmful ‘Indian’ Mascots.” The report was heavy on incendiary accusations but light on actual evidence. It claimed the face of Two Guns White Calf was responsible for social decay, even suicide, in native communities, and that “the term ‘Redsk*ns’ is associated with the barbaric practice of scalping.” Mainstream media appeared to take the NCAI missive as marching orders. The Associated Press, NBC Sports, New York Times, and Sports Illustrated, among others, released scathing attacks on the Redskins in the days that followed, each dutifully parroting the dubious NCAI narrative. NYT columnist William Rhoden wrote a shocking hit piece on October 12 that branded then-Redskins owner Dan Snyder a racist, comparing him to notorious segregationist Democrat and four-time presidential candidate George Wallace (who vied for the party presidential nod as recently as the 1976 Democratic National Convention against Jimmy Carter). NBC Sports blowhard Bob Costas added fuel to the inferno the following night. “'Redskins' can’t possibly honor a heritage or a noble character trait,” Costas seethed in a "Sunday Night Football" halftime rant on October 13. “It is an insult, a slur, no matter how benign the present-day intent.” The Redskins and team owner Snyder were suddenly tainted as racists in the public sphere, days after Obama’s opening blast, by journalists peddling an NCAI fictional account of “redskins” etymology debunked by ample scholarship. It’s as if the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame wrote a report on the legacy of Rolling Stones lead singers and forgot to mention Mick Jagger. “The word ‘redskin’ reflects a genuine Native American idiom,” Smithsonian Institution senior linguist the late Ives Goddard wrote in 2005. He called the media narrative “fictional” in a letter sent four years later to the Washington Post. Editors deleted the world “fictional” before publishing the letter, Goddard claimed in a 2013 interview with Slate. The Associated Press rigged the narrative, too. “No consensus among Indians on ‘Redskins’ team name,” screamed an AP headline in a far-reaching wire story on October 8, three days after Obama’s critique. The headline told a lie. The truth was buried in the very same story. “In the only recent poll to ask native people about the subject, 90% of respondents did not consider the term offensive,” reporter Jesse Washington revealed far below the impactful headline in paragraph six, citing a 2004 Annenberg poll. The AP headline suggested a Native American community torn apart over the Redskins issue. The only data the AP reported revealed a community united by overwhelming consensus. The Washington Post conducted a similar poll of native opinion in 2016. Same result: 90% of Native Americans had no problem with the Redskins name or image. Big-city white media elitist Bob Costas called “redskins” an “insult” and “a slur.” Nine out of 10 Native Americans disagreed. The NCAI never offered polling data in its October 2013 media directive or in any public statements before or since. It’s obvious why. The mainstream media treats the NCAI as the sole voice of the American Indian. But its woke agenda contradicts the overwhelming opinion of American Indians. Proof of the NCAI’s deceit is found in the October 2013 media missive. The 29-page report is devoted entirely to two topics: Native American sports logos and the history of the Washington Redskins. RELATED: 'MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN': Trump threatens Washington Commanders' stadium deal over woke name change Photo of John Two Guns White Calf courtesy of White Calf family Two Guns White Calf served as the face of the Redskins for 48 years, one of the most familiar sports logos in the U.S., for more than half the organization’s 95-year history. Yet the NCAI report somehow forgot to mention the name of the Blackfeet hero at the very center of the entire controversy. The most celebrated American Indian since Sitting Bull was erased from history by the National Congress of American Indians. It’s as if the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame wrote a report on the legacy of Rolling Stones lead singers and forgot to mention Mick Jagger. The media followed the NCAI lead. The name John Two Guns White Calf never appeared in any of the thousands of media stories bashing the Redskins that followed from 2013 to 2020. Costas and NBC Sports never mentioned him. Rhoden and the NYT never mentioned him. The AP never mentioned him. ESPN never mentioned him. The hometown WaPo never mentioned him. “In the rush to erase a supposed stereotype, American media erased a real native man — Two Guns White Calf,” Native American scholar Andre Billeaudeaux, author of “How the Redskins Got Their Name,” told Blaze News. The NCAI did dirtier than erase Two Guns White Calf from American history. It dehumanized him. The NCAI labeled the proud portrait of the most famous Indian of his era a “savage and clownish caricature.” It did so with brazen audacity. The entire time the NCAI was at war with the image of Two Guns White Calf, Chief Illiniwek of the University of Illinois, the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota, and so many others, it represented itself with a cartoonish caricature far more “savage and clownish” than any of those it attacked. To this day, visitors at NCAI headquarters in Washington, D.C., wipe their dirty shoes on a floor mat featuring the cartoon-clown native image of its organizational logo. The White Calf family has suffered in the same anonymity, ignored by the NFL, the NCAI, mainstream media, and the Washington, D.C., pro football franchise. “We’ve been silenced long enough,” Thomas White Calf told Blaze News. “We’re proud of Two Guns. The Blackfeet Nation is proud of Two Guns. We want to meet with Mr. Harris to tell him why.” Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! --- ### The 9/11 generation may be building AI’s 9/11 moment **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** James Poulos | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-9-11-generation-may-be-building-ais-9-11-moment.md Born in 1979, the year Julian Assange called “Year Zero,” I am an Xennial, a member of that most exclusive of microgenerations. These days, it's fashionable to see yourself — or your troubles — as too unique or complex for anyone else to really understand, perhaps in reaction to how digital life seems to reduce everyone to the same kind of matter: interchangeable and insignificant. ‘Some people confess guilt to claim credit for the sin.’ But for an Xennial, it is surely a fair reaction to actual circumstances. Pure Gen Xers are trapped in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Pure Millennials are stuck in the ’00s and early ’10s. Xennials came of age in the late ’90s, a dark, captivating, dangerous, mysterious, seductive, shimmering, incalculable, and irreducible moment that quietly began sometime in 1996 and ended, with a bang, on September 11, 2001. Xennials slammed into this moment as teens who had already gotten a front-row seat to the cosmic unfolding of a shadow world with no clear name, a world that transformed rubes, naifs, thrift-store hippies, emo suburbanites, grunge enthusiasts, and bumbling nerds into dark elves, goth gfs, enfants terribles, rock stars, cyberpunks, supermodels, posthumans, celebrities, millionaires, assassins, spies, sex objects, and, yes, even terrorists. In the blink of an eye, the world of Rusted Root, Pearl Jam, Barenaked Ladies, “Dazed and Confused,” corduroy pants, “Legends of the Fall,” hacky sacks, kegs, and road trips became the world of Aphex Twin, Massive Attack, “The X-Files,” Smashing Pumpkins’ “Adore,” “Fight Club,” “The Matrix,” black leather everything, “Glamorama,” martinis, “The Anarchist’s Cookbook,” “Faces of Death,” chilled vodka shots, VIP booths, and jet-setting. For many, all too many years, I have written here and there about all this. Regular readers will know I actually wrote a whole book about it — “I Know This Sounds Crazy.” I bring it up again only to establish, for the uninitiated, some proof that the Xennial perspective on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 is uniquely important in what and how it perceives. So it gives me a real out-of-body, quintessentially Xennial feeling to observe — and, it seems, to be the first to observe — that this week, the 9/11 generation is the one that might just 9/11 the world. Hyperbole? Not according to the AI insiders now warning that the systems they are building could become uncontrollable. RELATED: Now they’re saying the AIs built ‘secret civilizations’ — the truth is far worse Ole_CNX/Getty Images Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon resigned this week after working at both OpenAI and Anthropic, accusing the companies of “gambling with our lives” in a race toward self-improving superintelligence. Coxon said people building these systems sincerely believe they could kill everyone by the end of the decade. Another Anthropic researcher, Evan Hubinger, publicly said his team “earnestly believe AI could kill all humans” and put the probability above 10% within the next decade. The people atop the two most prominent closed frontier labs are overwhelmingly members of the 9/11 generation: Dario Amodei, born in 1983; Daniela Amodei, 1987; Sam Altman, 1985; and Greg Brockman, 1987. And Millennials are unusually enthusiastic about the technology. McKinsey found that workers ages 35-44 reported the highest levels of AI expertise and comfort of any age group it surveyed: 62% described themselves as highly familiar with generative AI, compared with 50% of workers ages 18-24. Millennials are also the largest generation since the Boomers, a record that seems increasingly difficult to beat as birth rates around the world crater. But something more than quantity is at work in the eerie double bind consciously imposed on the world by Millennials: incredibly overclocked anxiety and incredibly overclocked idealism. It is a shame that so few saw it coming, but as a whole it can now be said without a shadow of doubt that Millennials are ... Millenarians. As Wikipedia — the Millennial Encyclopedia — explains, millenarianism is the belief in a coming fundamental transformation of society after which “all things will be changed.” Millenarian movements expect radical transformation, often through or after catastrophe. I haven’t asked around, but I'm pretty sure not many Xennials, in either absolute or relative numbers, are millenarians — certainly not of the Millennial variety. As far as I can tell, and as far as I would describe myself, Xennials simply don’t move, think, feel, dream, or overwhelm themselves like that. The stunning tendency of millenarian Millennials to crash out through excessively recursive self-reflection is particular. And for Xennials — ahem — with an interest in the intersection of technology and theology, that tendency is strikingly analogous to the breakdown of the cybernetic control systems Millennials are driving and fearing as they lead on AI. RELATED: Mark Zuckerberg wants AI to save America from itself Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty Images It is sobering indeed to stare into this abyss of their own creation — one utterly bereft of the glamour, seductiveness, mystique, and dark authority of the abyss the Xennials bore secret witness to as it conspicuously consumed their cultural, artistic, and spiritual worlds. The difference may be that this abyss actually works. Anthropic itself has warned that AI may soon be capable of accelerating its own development with declining human involvement. Coxon’s resignation came amid growing concern about recursive self-improvement — systems helping to create more capable systems, which then accelerate the next generation in turn. And so these curious, unfortunate creatures go on cursing and praising themselves in equal measure, with their over-the-top comparisons of themselves to Robert Oppenheimer. That brings to the Xennial mind nothing so much as the clapback Oppenheimer supposedly received from his brilliant Manhattan Project colleague John von Neumann: “Some people confess guilt to claim credit for the sin.” For a generation relentlessly taught to celebrate itself and be part of something bigger, the prize for sharing in the blame for blowing up the world may be irresistible: The ultimate — and final — participation trophy. --- ### Dave Ramsey ignites firestorm after telling mom to cut her socialist kids out of the will — but is he right? **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** BlazeTV Staff | **Section:** Live Free with Josh Howerton **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/shows/live-free-with-josh-howerton/dave-ramsey-ignites-firestorm-after-telling-mom-to-cut-her-socialist-kids-out-of-the-will-but-is-he-right.md Finance guru Dave Ramsey made waves recently when he advised a caller on his show to withhold her daughters’ inheritances because they’ve become socialists. “I've gotten to the point where I don't want to give either of them any money. I feel like I've worked so hard my whole life. I paid for college for them. I've paid over half a million dollars for college for them, and they’ve turned into socialists,” the caller said, noting that she felt “terrible” for wanting to withhold her daughters’ inheritances. “You shouldn’t,” said Ramsey. “My children have been instructed since they were small that in order to get the opportunity to manage the money that God gave me to manage … they will have to be people of character. Socialists are not people of character. They’re parasites,” he continued. “If aren’t walking with God, they don’t get to manage God’s money,” Ramsey concluded. The clip of the call went immediately viral, with many people, including some Christians, angry at Ramsey’s advice. But is he right? Should parents write their children out of their wills if they go astray? On this episode of “Live Free with Josh Howerton,” the Lakepointe pastor reacts to the viral Ramsey clip and asks whether Christian parents should ever disinherit a rebellious child. After unpacking all the ways socialism is incompatible with Christianity, Howerton dives into the scenario of disinheriting rebellious children — whether that rebellion is rooted in socialism or other sins. “In the Bible, you've got three institutions: family, church, and state,” Howerton says, explaining that there are specific penalties for “high rebellion” within each of those institutions. “The ultimate penalty for the church is outlined in 1 Corinthians 5, and it's excommunication. If you are a member of a church that's living in open rebellion against God … the Bible commands the leaders of a church to remove that person from the church,” he explains. “In the state, the ultimate penalty for rebellion is the death penalty,” he continues, noting that “the death penalty is biblical” according to Romans 13’s instructions for the government not to bear the sword in vain. But what about families? What’s the biblical penalty for children who engage in “high rebellion and open unrepentant sin”? Many theologians, says Howerton, have arrived at the conclusion that "disinheritance” is a “biblically permissible response from parents.” Based on evidence in both the Old and New Testaments, Howerton agrees. “I have decided I am not going to fund rebellion against my Lord,” he says frankly. However, there are other parts of Scripture, Howerton argues, that must be factored in — most notably the father’s decision to give the prodigal son “part of his inheritance” (a reflection of Christ dying for us “while we were yet sinners”); Romans 2:4 that says “it is God's kindness that leads us to repentance”; and Deuteronomy's instructions not to “revenge-disinherit kids.” To find out how Howerton and his wife are threading this difficult needle when it comes to their children and their will, watch the episode above. Join BlazeTV+ and start watching Josh today at blazetv.com/JOSH. Use promo code JOSH40 to get $40 off your subscription. --- ### Want to get closer to God? Log off and look around **Published:** September 13, 2026 | **Author:** Jennifer Galardi | **Section:** Lifestyle **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/lifestyle/want-to-get-closer-to-god-log-off-and-look-around.md Dear America, in case you haven’t noticed, we’re not OK. Our boys are very, VERY angry. To the point they want to kill each other, hit women, and hurt their teachers. Like a fat person at an all-you-can-eat buffet, we keep stuffing ourselves but are never nourished. Our young women are depressed, lonely, and barren. Those who aren’t — well, many of them are still unhappy and mentally fragile, to the point they will take the lives of their own children. And other women will applaud it. Women can also kill an unborn child up through birth. Compulsive displays Violence and murder seem to be acceptable under almost any circumstance. Again, to the accolades of other Americans. We shamelessly display bouts of irrational and hyperemotional behavior and videotape it for the world to see. Once again, the masses applaud. Nothing is managed or dealt with in private. The world must know of all our pain and innermost thoughts, because supposedly, sharing helps others with their pain and suffering. It does not. It merely spreads pathologies until the pathologies become the norm. Everybody thinks they have something important to say so everyone is talking — all the time. It is noisy, and it is distracting. I think about how much better the world would be if we all just agreed to share a little less. To “tweet” or “chime in” a little less. Simulation sickness Lindsay Clancy and Karmelo Anthony may have broken from reality, with devastating consequences, but in some ways, we all have. We are living in a simulated world of thoughts and ideas with no contact with the created order. We need to, once again, commune with the physical world. In Orthodoxy, we say that God “is everywhere present and fills all things.” Not all thoughts, for He certainly is not. Not in all tweets or photos. In all things. The less we interact and engage with those things, the less we are tethered to Him and His order, for it is “good” (Genesis 1:31). We need to build beautiful things like furniture and clothing, grow abundant gardens, or tame wild animals. Or we need to simply touch grass, a tree, or dirt. Anything that has God at its source. We need to make and kiss and care for babies. They are also “good.” RELATED: Gratitude is not perspective. It is remembering mercy. everything bagel/iStock/Getty Images Empty calories Manufacturing useful goods is superior to yelling into the echo chamber. Cameron Schiller, founder of hard tech start-up Rangeview, had this to say about physical things: If all you do is shuffle papers and change numbers in an excel sheet, what connection do you feel to your neighbor? What responsibility do you feel to your country? People that can feel the product of their labor have a different sense of pride. Not only do we need to commune with the physical world, but we also need to exhibit restraint and discipline in its use. We have not been good stewards of our bodies, our land, or the many resources God has bestowed upon us. We have squandered the most important things — family, friendships, community, health, and yes, God — for the fleeting pleasures of temporal desires. Desires that are insatiable by food, money, convenience, sex, or any other thing humans chase that leave us feeling empty. Like a fat person at an all-you-can-eat buffet, we keep stuffing ourselves but are never nourished. Hospital for the soul Don’t get me wrong — I love the conveniences of this modern world. But they require judicious use and above all, gratitude, both of which seem to be in short supply these days. We are so free and so liberated we are lost. Lost in a never-ending maze of sickness – physical, mental, and spiritual. We need to admit we are weak. That we require help from God to recover our compass and find our true north once again. Truth is not subjective, and it is found in God and His creation. The church is the hospital for the soul. Our souls need true healing. Healing that can only be found in the sacramental life that God calls us to every day. Not just in thoughts and prayers, but in communion with the real. Until then, nothing gets well. --- ### Family is a terrible investment — unless you want to be human **Published:** September 12, 2026 | **Author:** Noelle Mering | **Section:** Opinion **URL:** https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/family-is-a-terrible-investment-unless-you-want-to-be-human.md Mark exited his family group chat after Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election and, shortly after, stopped speaking to his family entirely. He knew his mom and siblings were conservative and pro-life, and though they didn’t really talk politics, his suspicions about their votes were confirmed when he pressed them. They had made a choice, and now he would too. Mark had taken to social media the day after the election to rant about half the country, but there was little he could do with anger at that scale. His family offered something more manageable: a localized target for a generalized grievance. He couldn’t control how millions of Americans voted, but he could control whether the few he knew who voted for Trump remained in his life. For anyone seeking a controlled, frictionless existence, cutting people off offers a deceptively clean solution: eliminate the point of contact. His mother, recently widowed, is heartbroken by her son’s decision to go no contact. She tries to focus her attention on the rich relationships she still has. Mark’s siblings vacillate between annoyance and deep hurt, bewildered that something so distant from the ordinary life of their family — national politics — could enter their intimacy and overwhelm it. The no-contact phenomenon is one manifestation of a deeper spiritual jaundice. We’re estranged from ourselves in a way that makes the risk and friction of other people difficult to bear. Politics gives that interior unease somewhere to go. It can be particularly potent as a repository for discontent because it supplies both a diagnosis and a culprit. Diffuse dissatisfaction is difficult to metabolize. Ideology offers a simplistic answer for why you feel bad and who did it to you. And once the culprit is someone you know, you can do something about it. Obvious forces are contributing to the rise of this phenomenon, a topic I explore in my new book, “No Contact.” Social media is an accelerant driving estrangement in a couple of ways. We habituate ourselves to a curated “community” and proceed to block, unfollow, and mute voices that introduce friction into the seamless zombie scroll. Social media also spawns what I call TikTok psychologists, whose endless short-form videos invite you to examine your workplace, family, or childhood for the hidden toxicity, narcissism, or trauma. For a fee, you can sign up for courses that will help you “break the cycle.” The promise is seductive: Excavate your past, locate the wound, identify its author, and your present unhappiness begins to make sense. Pundits and politics offer the same explanatory relief in the present tense, supplying villains and catastrophes with enough regularity to keep us perpetually activated. Past or present, the gaze remains trained outward. We will go surprisingly far down rabbit holes to discover what someone else did to us or is doing to us while avoiding the much more frightening journey down the rabbit hole of our souls. The accelerants, however, presuppose something already combustible. Social media can supply the siloes, pundits the villains, and therapists the permission, but none fully explains the strange zeal with which we have embraced the promise that amputating even our most primordial relationships can make us well. And we’ve been amputating them at a rapid pace. According to recent polling, 38% of Americans are estranged from a family member, with political and ideological disagreement accounting for a significant share of these ruptures. While it can be entirely healthy and prudent to distance oneself, even permanently, from an abusive or dangerous friend or relative, the hundreds of estranged parents I’ve encountered across the country — and those I interviewed for the book — testify to a different phenomenon: a diminishing willingness — particularly among young people — to endure the risks and friction that durable relationships require. And nowhere are the risks higher, the friction more unavoidable, or the returns less certain than in family life. RELATED: The myth of the ‘good person’ Sylverarts/iStock/Getty Images Weighing the costs By our current calculus, family is a fool’s bet. It’s a long-term investment in other human beings, with few variables or outcomes under our control. We choose a spouse without knowing who they will become in 30 years. We have children knowing they will suffer and make us suffer, without knowing what kind of people they will become, what they will believe, what they will make of their lives, or ultimately what they will make of us. Besides the risk, there is relentless friction along the way: competing needs, irritating habits, misunderstandings, disappointments, heated political disagreements, and obligations that arrive at the most inconvenient times. Family continually frustrates our preferences and interferes with our plans. The people closest to us are those with the greatest opportunity to disturb our peace. The friction is certain, but the return on investment is not, as the no-contact phenomenon makes painfully clear. For anyone seeking a controlled, frictionless existence, cutting people off offers a deceptively clean solution: eliminate the point of contact. And there is good reason to think its justifying logic metastasizes easily. Colleges that implemented no-contact orders to protect students from predation now report demands for such orders because a roommate ate their bagel or someone looked askance at them in the cafeteria. Avoidance pays an immediate dividend. But the costs of avoidance compound. First, avoidance makes us more brittle. The more accustomed we become to eliminating friction rather than navigating it, the less friction we become capable of bearing. Avoidance trains us in avoidance. What begins as relief from a difficult encounter can become an increasing dependence on controlling the conditions of encounter. Second, avoidance keeps us stuck. Friction is a form of contact with reality. Once contact ends, we lose one of the most powerful correctives to our grievances: the encounter with the actual person. In memory, the mother who wounded us can remain frozen in our minds at the moment of injury. In person, she is harder to reduce so neatly. She is irritating and funny, selfish and generous, capable of the same old failure and suddenly vulnerable in some way we hadn’t expected. The living person keeps interfering with the story we tell about her. There is a third cost: Avoidance can become a means of avoiding ourselves. Rehearsing the reasons for a cutoff can be a vital reminder to stay away when estrangement is necessary. Persons escaping abuse may need to remember clearly what happened, particularly when guilt or loneliness threatens to draw them back imprudently. But when the relationship was merely difficult but not dangerous, that same rehearsal can work against us. Avoidance invites us to recount our grievances continually, quieting the dissonance that might otherwise invite us to question our narrative. It’s far easier to rehearse our righteousness than it is to wrestle and reckon honestly with a more complicated account that might in part implicate ourselves. RELATED: The real reason 1 in 3 Americans are cutting off their family kemalbas/iStock/Getty Images Strangers to all? A culture organized around minimizing risk and friction will eventually find family difficult to justify, because family is a long-term wager on goods that cannot be secured in advance and a daily encounter with people we can’t control. Before deciding to go no contact, consider that you may be losing far more than you gain by cutting ties. Risk and friction are prerequisites of life and love. Family is indeed a bad bet if we prize control and an untroubled life, but it might be our best bet if we want a more human one. Mark can eliminate the friction his family creates. He cannot make them cease to be his family. Nor can he know what might have happened had he stayed in contact long enough for all of them to become again something more than the worst thing he believed about them. There is a terrible risk of remaining. But there is a risk in leaving too: that in protecting ourselves from the people who disturb our peace, we slowly become people incapable of loving and knowing anyone — and will secure one terrible result: remaining a stranger to all and to ourselves. Editor's note: This article is adapted from Noelle Mering’s new book, "No Contact: How a Seductive Ideology Broke Families and Friendships and How We Can Repair Them" (Forum Books), and appeared originally at the American Mind. ## Contributors & Authors - [Richard A. Viguerie](https://www.theblaze.com/u/richarda-viguerie): Richard A Viguerie is the chairman of American Target Advertising and is widely known for pioneering... - [Frank Lasee](https://www.theblaze.com/u/frank-lasee): Frank Lasee is the president of Truth in Energy and Climate. - [KDC Campbell](https://www.theblaze.com/u/kdc-campbell): KDC Campbell is a full-time finance professional and freelance writer who dabbles in political comme... - [Kerry J. Byrne](https://www.theblaze.com/u/kerryj-byrne): Kerry J. Byrne is the founder of influential sports analytics site Cold, Hard Football Facts, is a f... - [Rich Gurdak](https://www.theblaze.com/u/rich-gurdak): Rich Gurdak played offensive line for the Naval Academy. Vik Khanna and Rich Gurdak are co-hosts of ... - [Christy Edwards](https://www.theblaze.com/u/christy-edwards): Christy Edwards is a devoted Christian, lifelong conservative, and proud American whose faith has al... - [Bernice Harvey](https://www.theblaze.com/u/bernice-harvey): Bernice Harvey is a retired tech entrepreneur with 30 years of experience in the development of onli... - [J.W. Verret](https://www.theblaze.com/u/j-w-verret): J.W. Verret is a professor of banking and securities law at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia... - [Jeannie DeAngelis](https://www.theblaze.com/u/jeannie-deangelis): Jeannie DeAngelis is a longtime conservative writer whose work has appeared in the Federalist, Ameri... - [Arina Grossu Agnew](https://www.theblaze.com/u/arina-grossuagnew): Arina Grossu Agnew, MA, MS, is the host of the “Bioethics Babe” podcast, a fellow with Discovery Ins... ## API Access & Integration - [Search](https://www.theblaze.com/search): Site-wide content search - [Main RSS Feed](https://www.theblaze.com/feeds/feed.rss): Latest content in RSS format ## Optional - [Navigation index (llms.txt)](https://www.theblaze.com/llms.txt): Compact section index with markdown links for every section - [Main RSS Feed](https://www.theblaze.com/feeds/feed.rss): Latest content in RSS format ## Content Discovery - **Search Interface:** https://www.theblaze.com/search - **All Sections:** Each section available at `https://www.theblaze.com/[section-path]/index.md` - **Individual Posts:** Each post available at its URL with `.md` extension - **RSS Feeds:** Main feed at `https://www.theblaze.com/feeds/feed.rss`, section feeds at `https://www.theblaze.com/feeds/[section-path].rss` ## How to Use This Content 1. **For Site Overview:** Review the "Site Structure" section to understand content organization 2. **For Specific Topics:** Use section-specific RSS feeds or browse section markdown pages 3. **For Recent Updates:** Check the "Recent Content" section for latest articles 4. **For API Access:** Use the documented endpoints for programmatic access 5. **For Individual Articles:** Access any post by appending `.md` to its URL --- *This complete content index contains 100 recent posts and represents the current state of Blaze Media as of September 17, 2026 16:57:46. For the most up-to-date navigation structure, see the main llms.txt file at https://www.theblaze.com/llms.txt*