The Tennessee Highway Patrol said Tuesday that social media posts have alleged that one of its troopers hit an individual on a Memphis street with a cruiser. But the THP said the claims are "false."

"Have a look for yourself," the agency said amid its release of a dashcam video of the incident.

'My God, this just keeps getting even more ridiculous.'

The clip — time-stamped Sunday just after 5 p.m. — shows a male dressed in an orange vest and carrying what appears to be a walkie-talkie exiting an SUV parked sideways on a street and approaching the oncoming state trooper's vehicle as anti-ICE protesters mingle in the background.

The male raises his arms and blocks the trooper from advancing on the road — as if he were permitted to do so.

RELATED: Blocking ICE with 'micro-intifada': Good's group taught de-arrest, cop-car chaos before her death

Image source: Tennessee Highway Patrol video screenshot, redacted

What's more, he wags his finger "no" as if he's giving the trooper an order — all while the trooper's cruiser appears to be flashing its lights.

The trooper, as you would expect, is livid and hollers at the male from inside the cruiser: "Move! Get outta my way! Get outta my way! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move! Get out! Come here!"

But the male not only fails to obey the trooper's commands, he actually holds on to the front of the cruiser and drops the rest of his body down.

RELATED: VIDEO: Unhinged anti-ICE extremists hurl profanities at agents in Minneapolis: 'Get the f**k out!'

Image source: Tennessee Highway Patrol video screenshot

Then he pops back up, wags his finger again, and walks back to the SUV.

RELATED: Shocking cellphone video of Minneapolis lethal shooting from ICE agent's perspective released — and JD Vance reacts

Image source: Tennessee Highway Patrol video screenshot

Check out the dashcam video below.

RELATED: 'She was not just ... there to observe': Expert reveals to Glenn Beck Renee Good's radical ties

The THP in response wrote, "We respect and protect the right of people to protest peacefully. That right, however, does not include entering active roadways or placing themselves in danger."

The agency added, "In this case, video clearly shows the individual holding onto the front of the trooper’s vehicle, lying down, then standing right back up afterward and leaving the scene under his own power. At no point does the video show the individual being run over or injured, despite the narratives circulating on social media."

The incident occurred during an “ICE Out for Good” protest by Indivisible Memphis, WSMV-TV reported, following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis last week.

Blaze News reached out to the THP and inquired if the male who blocked the road has been identified. The license plate on the SUV appears to be from Tennessee, and the plate number is clearly visible in the video. However, the THP on Tuesday didn't immediately respond to Blaze News' inquiry.

But commenters under the THP's Facebook post have been letting their views be known loud and clear; as of Tuesday afternoon, about 1,300 — and counting — comments have rolled in. The following are a few of them.

• "Why is beetle juice in the middle of the road?" one commenter asked. "What a clown!"
• "Imagine thinking you have the authority to tell a cop to stop driving," another user noted.
• "Make batons great again," another commenter quipped.
• "Why wasn't he arrested?" another user inquired. "Nobody should have the right to try and get in front of a police officer to cause disruption or stop their vehicle or put their hands on their car. The more these fools find out [there] are real consequences, they may slow down the instigating and getting in officer[s'] faces. That's not peaceful protest at that point."
• "Protest all you want, but once you start blocking traffic, that’s when the problem starts with the police," another commenter said, adding that "some are looking for their 10 minutes of fame ... is it worth it???"
• "My God, this just keeps getting even more ridiculous," another user observed. "Get out of the road; you can still protest, [but] stop getting in the way of traffic! There could be a medical emergency that somebody is trying to tend to, and you are delaying care which could cost somebody’s life! Stop acting like children! STAY ON THE SIDEWALK!!!"

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Following the heartbreaking news of Scott Adams' death on Tuesday, the leftist media wasted no time before slinging mud at the ardent conservative cartoonist and author. However many conservative political figures and commentators came to the "Dilbert" creator's defense just as quickly.

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, for instance, came to Adams' defense, praised his work, and thanked him for standing up for conservative values, even when it wasn't easy.

'Instead he chose courage and died surrounded by the love of tens of millions.'

Trump posted a photo of Adams and himself in the Oval Office. He wrote, "Sadly, the Great Influencer, Scott Adams, has passed away. He was a fantastic guy, who liked and respected me when it wasn’t fashionable to do so. He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease. My condolences go out to his family, and all of his many friends and listeners. He will be truly missed. God bless you Scott!"

Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire delivered a poignant message to Adams' detractors.

"To have monsters celebrate your death is not a bad thing. In fact it is a tribute. But to die and have no one either mourn or celebrate, to die and be forgotten, to have left no impact of any kind on the world, to have your existence add up to nothing in the end — that is the greatest horror. And it’s the fate of basically every leftist who gloated over Charlie, and gloats now over Scott. Gloat all you want, you pathetic nothings. We will not return the favor when you die, because we won’t know or care."

RELATED: 'Subhuman ghouls': People, WaPo trash Scott Adams hours after his death

Photographer: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Vance paid his respects to Adams on social media: "Scott Adams was a true American original, and a great ally to the President of the United States and the entire administration. My prayers go to Scott and all of you who loved him."

"We lost one of the good ones but we'll never forget him," Vance added.

"Rest in glorious peace, @ScottAdamsSays — you changed more lives and made the world infinitely better. God bless you and thank you for everything you did for me. We will always love you," Fox News comedian and host Greg Gutfeld said.

Mike Cernovich chimed in, "Scott Adams could have kept his mouth shut in 2015, kept those lavish corporate speaking gigs where he'd earn 50-100K per talk, and have died with an extra zero or two in his bank account. Instead he chose courage and died surrounded by the love of tens of millions."

Quote-tweeting Adams' final message, Elon Musk commented, "Even though I knew his death was coming, as he told us it would, I still can’t believe he has died. Rest in peace, good and great man, rest in peace."

Adams' X account posted a two-page "Final Message" mid-morning Tuesday. The statement offers a reflection on his life and work and, significantly, shined a light on his apparent last-minute conversion to Christianity.

"I'm not a believer, but I have to admit the risk-reward calculation for doing so looks attractive. So, here I go," the statement reads in part. "I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, and I look forward to spending an eternity with him. The part about me not being a believer should be quickly resolved if I wake up in heaven. I won't need any more convincing than that. And I hope I am still qualified for entry."

Adams died after a prolonged battle with metastatic prostate cancer. He announced his diagnosis last May and suggested in early January that his days were numbered following serious complications, including lower-body paralysis.

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The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday terminated Temporary Protected Status for Somalis amid ongoing investigations into pervasive welfare fraud within their community in Minnesota.

Somalis currently in the country on TPS and without other legal status could be subject to deportation efforts after March 17. The DHS encouraged those individuals to use Customs and Border Protection’s CBP Home mobile app to report their departure from the U.S., adding that it includes a free plane ticket and a $1,000 exit bonus.

'We are putting Americans first.'

Somalia was initially designated for TPS in 1991, and the status was later extended and redesignated numerous times over the decades, for reasons of “extraordinary and temporary conditions,” such as ongoing armed conflict.

An unpublished notice in the Federal Register explained that TPS was initially provided to Somali nationals after an authoritarian regime that controlled the country from the 1960s through the early 1990s collapsed. Years passed without a new central government emerging to take its place.

However, in 2013, the U.S. began formally recognizing Somalia’s new government, and in 2016, the U.S. sent an ambassador to Somalia to re-establish a diplomatic presence.

The DHS stated that Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, told the United Nations General Assembly in September that the country had made significant progress, noting that it was confronting “the last remaining pockets of international terrorism while building a strong and sustainable national security architecture.”

RELATED: Bessent tells Rufo — 'When the bear trap snaps,' Minnesota fraudsters and complicit officials will face justice

Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/Washington Post/Getty Images

The department argued that Mohamud’s characterization underscored “that the country is no longer experiencing an ongoing armed conflict.”

“Thus, while conditions at the time of previous designations reflected an ongoing armed conflict, Somalia today shows improved national governance and security structures and now experiences localized pockets of violence rather than nationwide, generalized conflict,” the notice read.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem concluded that the country’s current conditions do not prevent Somalian nationals from safely returning home. She also argued that allowing Somalis on TPS to remain in the U.S. would be contrary to America’s national interests and present significant security risks.

RELATED: Trump’s DHS rolls back more of Biden’s immigration handouts for foreign nationals

Kristi Noem.Photo by Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images

“Due to this lengthy gap in U.S. diplomatic engagement, the United States cannot adequately vet Somali nationals, particularly aliens who were approved for TPS during this period of 1991-2013, for identity, criminal history, or potential terrorist affiliations, posing an ongoing threat to public safety and national security of the United States,” the federal register notice read.

There are roughly 1,082 approved Somalian TPS beneficiaries, the DHS reported. The department estimated that, as of early December, there were another 1,383 pending applications.

“Temporary means temporary. Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status,” Noem said. “Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. We are putting Americans first.”

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President Donald Trump appointed 47-year-old career federal prosecutor Joseph Thompson in June to serve as the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota.

Thompson, who expressed an interest at the outset in combating "the shocking and unacceptable levels of fraud in our state government programs," prosecuted numerous cases of social services fraud even after he was relegated to the status of assistant attorney following the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Daniel Rosen as the Gopher State's top federal prosecutor.

Evidently Thompson wasn't long for the role of second fiddle.

'His prosecutorial record gives him the opportunity to take a political leap if he wants.'

Sources familiar with Thompson's decision told the New York Times that Thompson was one of several federal prosecutors who quit on Tuesday.

People supposedly familiar with Thompson's decision told the Times that he objected both to the alleged push by senior Justice Department officials for a criminal probe into anti-ICE activist Renee Good's actions as well as to the DOJ's refusal to loop state officials into its investigation into whether Good's fatal shooting was lawful.

RELATED: Blocking ICE with 'micro-intifada': Good's group taught de-arrest, cop-car chaos before her death

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Thompson allegedly wanted the shooting investigated as a civil rights matter and was poised to investigate it in concert with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. His decision to work with the state agency was, however, reportedly overruled by DOJ officials.

The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

While Thompson's office has told multiple outlets that he would not be commenting on his resignation Tuesday, he told the Minnesota Star Tribune, "It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the United States and this office."

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), who is now facing the threat of impeachment, said in response to the news that "Joe is a principled public servant who spent more than a decade achieving justice for Minnesotans. This is a huge loss for our state."

"It’s also the latest sign Trump is pushing nonpartisan career professionals out of the justice department, replacing them with his sycophants," added Walz.

This is certainly a different tune than Walz sang last week when the failed vice presidential candidate not only accused Thompson of defamation but suggested he "would have been let go by another administration."

While Walz rushed to presume Thompson resigned on principle, there have long been rumors he has political ambitions outside the DOJ.

After being moved to the role of assistant attorney, Thompson told the Tribune in November, "I knew it was a temporary position, and at some point they would confirm my replacement, and when that happens, I’m gonna wake up the next day and figure out what to do with the rest of my life whether it’s in the office, outside the office, we’ll see."

"Whether he chooses to pursue public office is entirely up to him," David Schultz, professor of political science and legal studies at Hamline University, said at the time. "However, his prosecutorial record gives him the opportunity to take a political leap if he wants."

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A Los Angeles Times columnist is getting ridiculed online for trying to guilt Californians into maintaining their residence despite a new tax proposal by Democrats.

The main proponent of the new tax on high-earners is the SEIU, which says the tax is needed to help fund more social programs. But some wealthy Californians have indicated that they would simply move out of the state and take their tax revenue with them.

'The nerve of the goon who wrote this slop.'

According to news and culture critic Lorraine Ali, those wealthy Californians owe their success to the state.

"California helped make them among the richest people in the world. Now they're fleeing because California wants a little something back," she wrote for the Times.

Ali argues that the new tax is necessary to offset the losses to the state treasury from the tax relief signed into law by President Donald Trump.

Arguments aside, it's disturbing to think that some of the richest people in the nation would rather pick up and move than put a small fraction of their vast California-made — or in the case of the burger chain, inherited — fortunes toward helping others who need a financial boost.

The article was excoriated by many who found the argument disturbingly statist in nature.

"California didn't make them rich — their ideas and hard work made them rich. California limited them — they could have done more," U.S. special envoy Richard Grenell responded. "[Lorraine Ali] is a TV critic and wacky left wing activist. She doesn't know finance or math."

"I want to thank the @latimes," Duke economist Michael Munger replied. "People often ask for examples, believing that the MSM cannot be as asinine as I claim. This is very helpful. Unbelievably dumb, but helpful."

"The nerve of the goon who wrote this slop," comedian Kirk Wilcox responded. "California already has a progressive income tax system, meaning that the rich pay higher rates. And the writer talks as if they don't pay anything!"

"This is one of the most predictable disasters in recent memory," Billy Binion of Reason replied. "Wealth taxes never work. People just ... move their money elsewhere. These people made the state rich — not the other way around. Economically-illiterate nonsense."

RELATED: Newsom's former chief of staff arrested on corruption charges — and he blames Trump

"If California can just magically make an arbitrary person rich, why doesn't it just make some other people rich and fleece them instead?" another critic suggested.

Although the tax proposal is backed by the service industry union, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vehemently opposes the policy on the basis that it would be damaging to the state to have high-earners leave.

"The evidence is in. The impacts are very real — not just substantive economic impacts in terms of the revenue, but start-ups, the indirect impacts," he said about the tax. "I think it will be defeated, because I think people understand what it does versus what it promotes to do."

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Liberals have gathered online to describe how they are preparing their young children for alleged raids on their homes by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In many cases, those making the statements reveal that because they are white, they are likely not in danger of being approached by law enforcement, but they feel the need to discuss the disaster plans with their kids anyway.

'I'm currently rehearsing with my 3 1/2 year old what to do, and where to hide.'

The bizarre stories have been posted on Reddit's "Twin Cities" page, which refers to Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

First reported by independent journalist Andy Ngo, one thread in particular drew some rather questionable responses from other readers.

"I'm currently rehearsing with my 3 1/2 year old what to do, and where to hide, if someone we don't know comes to our door," the thread read, while clarifying, "I am a white, blonde, blue-eyed, U.S. citizen."

This encouraged others to share similar stories, like one reader who qualified that while he is a "U.S. Air Force veteran and white male," he still believes that this fact "doesn't matter" because of the area he lives in.

"[ICE agents are] in every store and on nearly all corners, going door to door and breaking every constitutional right. I'll stand my ground. But I also realize the freedom/privilege I still have that others around me do not," he explained.

RELATED: Blocking ICE with 'micro-intifada': Good's group taught de-arrest, cop-car chaos before her death

Photo by Bryan Cox/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images

A self-described "white woman" who is married to a Hispanic U.S. citizen said she is still taking precautions to "keep us all safe."

She added that it was "so f**king sad" that she has to have "this conversation" — about potential ICE raids — with her 3-year-old child.

Similarly a reader named Steve described his family as "pale Midwest white."

Still Steve claimed he had to speak with his 6-year-old son to explain "why people in our neighborhood and city are feeling scared."

In response, the child allegedly replied, "But there are a lot of friends in my class with different colored skin. Will they be OK? Can I help them?"

Steve's sentiment that his family is in danger was checked by a fellow "white" however. User "AStrawberryGhost" wrote that if Steve does not live with any noncitizens then, "This isn't about you."

"I'm also in very little danger and [I'm] also distressed anyway, so I do get it and I'm not trying to make you feel ashamed," the user began. "I'm saying that you actually have more power than you imagine right now and you might feel better if you used it!" the Reddit user decried.

RELATED: ICE agent POV video in Renee Good shooting — who does it absolve?

Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images

These strange posts exist alongside other astonishing ideas pushed on the same page.

For example, one user cited a post about a man who claimed he was detained by ICE and asked if he would give up any names of protest organizers in exchange for legal protections. This prompted the writer to plainly state that those who are arrested should not reveal any information that could damage their cause, under any circumstances.

"Do not share the names of organizers," "Do not share the names of ANY family, friends, or neighbors," and "Do not share any information. You can plead the 5th," the user wrote.

"ICE are lying to find more people to arrest and deport," they added.

At least one Reddit user contributed a post about Anne Frank, directly comparing the enforcement of immigration law to the Holocaust during World War II.

"83 years ago today in Germany ... and today in the twin cities," the post read, alongside a photo of Frank.

The post evoked many replies about how conservatives are unlikely to know the history of Nazi Germany.

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The Atlanta Falcons have hired franchise legend Matt Ryan, 40, to be the team president of football after the ex-NFL quarterback worked as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports.

While BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock is happy for Ryan, he notes that the growing trend of former NFL players who happen to be white ending up working for the franchise later on will likely not be received well by other former NFL players.

“We’ve seen this with Tom Brady having a role with the Raiders, part of the ownership group there, and being Fox Sports’ lead broadcaster. We’ve seen Troy Aikman now. He’s some sort of consultant for the Miami Dolphins and Stephen Ross in their rebuild of their organization while he maintains his job on ESPN’s Monday Night Football — and now Matt Ryan,” Whitlock says.

“Shannon Sharpe, Cam Newton are in the lab right now preparing their racial takes. They may have uncorked them already,” he continues.

“But I know Cam Newton is going to have one of those funky Fridays where he’s sitting there going, ‘Well, hold on. I was the MVP of the league. I played in a Super Bowl and lost. How come I’m not the Carolina Panthers team president and a broadcaster on one of the major networks around the NFL? The only explanation can be racism,’” he speculates.

And one of the major reasons Whitlock believes ex-athletes like Matt Ryan find more success in sports broadcasting than someone like Cam Newton has nothing to do with race.

“Present yourself in a professional manner,” Whitlock says. “All of this wanting to look like some kind of rapper at a gay pride parade, it’s a mistake. If you want the same opportunities, if you want to be seen in a certain light, in a position where someone says, ‘Hey, that could be the leader of our organization.’”

“Don’t let your presentation of yourself overshadow what you’re actually presenting. Because these white guys that get their opportunities, they show up to work dressed in a way they’re like, ‘Hey man, what I’m about to say is really important,’” he continues.

“How are you presenting yourself?” he asks.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

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On Tuesday, Scott Adams, the creator of the beloved comic strip "Dilbert," died after a prolonged battle with metastatic prostate cancer. However, some of his opponents in media wasted no time before criticizing Adams and his accomplishments.

Hours after it was announced that Adams had died, People magazine published an article titled "Scott Adams, Disgraced Dilbert Creator, Dies at 68."

'You are the scum of the earth.'

The author then claimed in the very first paragraph that Adams "degraded Black people in a 2023 rant."

People updated the article at 12:33 p.m. ET, including changing the author of the piece. The updated version says it was written by "People Staff."

RELATED: Beloved 'Dilbert' creator Scott Adams dies at age 68

Photo by Bob Riha Jr./Getty Images

However, an earlier, archived version of the article timestamped at 10:47 a.m. ET shows that it was written by Victoria Edel, as many X users, including Eric Daugherty, made sure to emphasize.

Several prominent X users did not try to hide their disgust over the tasteless headline.

"Subhuman ghouls," BlazeTV host Auron MacIntyre said in a reply to People's post.

"You are the scum of the earth," Raw Egg Nationalist wrote.

People's original X post promoting the article also appears to have been deleted.

Other news outlets couldn't resist the opportunity to drag Adams through the mud either.

An archived article originally published from the Washington Post and apparently shared later by the Boston Globe bore the headline, "Scott Adams, ‘Dilbert’ creator who veered into racist, far-right commentary, dies."

Just like the People article, this article wasted no time attacking Adams' right-wing views. The first paragraph reads: "Scott Adams, who became a hero to millions of cubicle-dwelling office workers as the creator of the satirical comic strip 'Dilbert,' only to rebrand himself as a digital provocateur — at home in the Trump era’s right-wing mediasphere — with inflammatory comments about race, politics and identity, died Jan. 13."

For evidence, critics point to a February 22, 2023, stream of Adams' show, "Real Coffee with Scott Adams." The "rant" that they are referring to involves Adams' discussion of a Rasmussen poll of black Americans responding to the statement "it's okay to be white." Fifty-three percent agreed, 26% disagreed, and 21% were not sure about the statement.

Adams took issue with the fact that nearly half of black Americans did not agree with that statement. He said in part, "If nearly half of all blacks are not okay with white people … that's a hate group. I don't want to have anything to do with them. And I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to white people is to get the hell away from black people ... because there is no fixing this."

Adams' critics failed to mention that he went on to encourage his viewers to be "friendly" to everyone and that he was not trying to "start a war" with anyone.

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Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky threatened to push contempt of Congress charges against Bill and Hillary Clinton over their refusal to testify in the congressional Epstein probe.

The Clintons were subpoenaed by the Oversight Committee, which is chaired by Comer, but they refused to appear on the basis that the orders were "invalid and legally unenforceable," according to a letter obtained by the New York Times.

'No one's accusing Bill Clinton of anything, any wrongdoing. We just have questions.'

"Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences," reads the eight-page letter from the Clintons to the committee. "For us, now is that time."

Comer has repeatedly threatened to hold them in contempt if they don't appear for the closed-door hearing.

"Jeffrey Epstein visited the White House 17 times while Bill Clinton was president," Comer said to reporters Tuesday. "No one's accusing Bill Clinton of anything, any wrongdoing. We just have questions."

He also responded on social media with a post that included photos of the former president from the Epstein files.

"You're right, President Clinton. This is about right and wrong," Comer replied. "Epstein's survivors deserve justice and answers. Refusing to comply with a bipartisan, duly authorized congressional subpoena in our Epstein investigation is unacceptable. No one is above the law."

The Clintons accused Comer of trying to embarrass them and said they would argue their case to members of Congress.

"We are confident that any reasonable person in or out of Congress will see, based on everything we release, that what you are doing is trying to punish those who you see as your enemies and to protect those you think are your friends," they wrote in their letter.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) also called for contempt charges against the Clintons.

RELATED: 'We need no such protection': Clinton accuses Trump of selectively releasing Epstein files — and calls for complete release

They also argued that the subpoenas were "unwarranted because they do not seek pertinent information" and amount to "an unprecedented infringement on the separation of powers."

If Comer follows through on his threat to seek a contempt charge in the committee next week, the committee would vote on the motion, and then it would have to pass a majority of the House. It would then be up to the Justice Department to prosecute, which could result in up to a year in prison and a possible fine of $100,000.

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Secretary Pete Hegseth made a few stops in Texas on Monday as part of the War Department's "Arsenal of Freedom Tour," a month-long multistate campaign to promote the department's priority of rebuilding and strengthening the U.S. military.

'We are done running a peacetime science fair while our potential adversaries are running a wartime arms race.'

Hegseth delivered the oath of enlistment to Navy recruits in Irving and spoke to defense industry leaders at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth. He told the defense contractor's employees that the U.S. military would no longer promote far-left ideology like diversity, equity, and inclusion.

"No more DEI. No more dudes in dresses," Hegseth stated, receiving applause from the crowd.

"No more climate change worship and social justice and political correctness — we're done with that," he continued. "We're unleashing the warfighter to be ready, trained, disciplined, accountable, and lethal."

Hegseth also delivered remarks at SpaceX, alongside the company's founder, Elon Musk.

RELATED: Sen. Mark Kelly responds to censure from Pete Hegseth with a lawsuit

Amanda McCoy/Forth Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Before inviting Hegseth to the stage, Musk kicked off the event by outlining SpaceX's purpose.

"We want to make 'Star Trek' real ... so that it's not always science fiction, but one day, the 'science fiction' turns to 'science fact,'" Musk said.

During his speech at Starbase, Hegseth shared how the Trump administration's Department of War is dismantling bureaucracy and prioritizing military innovation.

"What you have built and what you will build here is a testament to the strength of American ingenuity and American invention," Hegseth told SpaceX staff.

RELATED: US military attacks dozens of ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for killing of 2 US troops, Hegseth says

Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images

He blamed the consolidation of the Defense Industrial Base following the end of the Cold War for making it nearly impossible for new creators to secure business with the War Department.

"The result is a risk-averse culture that prevents us from providing our warfighters with the best resources that America has to offer. That ends today," Hegseth declared. "We are done running a peacetime science fair while our potential adversaries are running a wartime arms race."

The secretary also announced that xAI's Grok would join the department’s GenAI.mil, a platform that integrates frontier artificial intelligence capabilities. The War Department announced the integration of Google Cloud’s Gemini in early December.

"For too long, Pentagon bureaucracy has hindered the speed and might of our manufacturing base, obstructing innovation and warfare solutions from companies like SpaceX and Lockheed Martin. Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, we are unleashing the full power of our Defense Industrial Base to advance our Peace Through Strength agenda," read a War Department press release announcing Hegseth's Texas trip.

"These engagements underscore the urgent priority of this administration: ensuring our warfighters have the cutting-edge, American-made equipment they need to dominate any battlefield. American manufacturing is back," it added.

— (@)

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A former member of the Donald Trump administration is set to take over Meta as president and vice chairman.

The appointment means an official from the president's first administration will now be in charge of the massive social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

'She is a fantastic, and very talented, person, who served the Trump Administration with strength and distinction!'

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta announced on Monday that it has called on 52-year-old Dina Powell McCormick to take the lead at the company. Powell McCormick served as Trump's deputy national security adviser for strategy from March 2017 to January 2018.

Powell McCormick was married to Richard Powell, a public relations and communications executive, but is now married to Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Penn.). Powell McCormick's maiden name is Habib; she was born in Egypt and speaks Arabic.

RELATED: Microsoft CEO: AI 'slop' is good for you — or at least for your 'human potential'

Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images

Powell McCormick was once referred to as Trump's "Ms. Fix It," and according to The Hill, informally advised Ivanka Trump during the transition period for Trump's first term. She had previously worked as a senior White House adviser in the George W. Bush administration, was director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office from 2003 to 2005, and served as assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs in mid-2007.

Powell McCormick worked for Goldman Sachs for 16 years as a partner in senior leadership roles, according to Variety, after which she became vice chair, president, and head of global client services at BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank.

In addition, Powell McCormick is a fellow at Harvard, where she served as a teacher at the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

RELATED: Meta accused of deleting scam ads to dodge government regulation

Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

President Trump praised the executive's appointment in a post to Truth Social, calling Powell McCormick a "great choice" by Zuckerberg.

"She is a fantastic, and very talented, person, who served the Trump Administration with strength and distinction!" Trump wrote.

At the same time, Zuckerberg said the new president brings experience in finance, economic development, and government.

"She'll be involved in all of Meta's work, with a particular focus on partnering with governments and sovereigns to build, deploy, invest in, and finance Meta's AI and infrastructure," Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post.

The Facebook founder also said that he and Powell McCormick will "deliver personal superintelligence" that will benefit billions of people.

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Just six months after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law banning sex-rejecting genital mutilations and puberty blockers for minors, the high court's questions and remarks during oral arguments on Tuesday regarding two cases concerning men competing on girls' and women's sports teams in Idaho and West Virginia signal that gender ideologues are set to lose more ground.

Background

Twenty-seven states have passed laws and/or regulations prohibiting males from participating in girls' or women's sports.

West Virginia, for example, enacted the Save Women's Sports Act in 2021, requiring public school and collegiate sports teams to require athletes to participate on teams corresponding with their sex.

Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 15-year-old male transvestite in West Virginia who has pretended to be a girl since the third grade and taken puberty blockers, sued the state's board of education as well as other officials, claiming that his exclusion from girls' sports violated both Title IX and the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause.

This case, West Virginia v. B.P.J., has been kicked through the courts and is now before the Supreme Court.

The other case taken up by the high court on Tuesday, Little v. Hecox, is highly similar.

RELATED: 'Incredible victory': Federal judge prohibits trans-related grooming efforts in California schools

Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Lindsay Hecox, a 24-year-old male student at Boise State University who took cross-sex hormones for only one year, wanted to join the women's cross-country team, where his male physiology would serve as a tremendous advantage over his female competitors. He was unable to join the women's team on account of Idaho's Fairness in Women's Sports Act, which banned male transvestites from competing on female athletic teams.

Like the transvestite student in West Virginia, Hecox sued, claiming the Idaho law violated his constitutional rights.

Both cases were brought to the Supreme Court by the two states' Republican attorneys general with attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom.

'If we adopted that, that would have to apply across the board.'

"Men cannot become women; their biological differences are scientifically clear. And no ideological arguments attempting to justify allowing males to enter female sports can stand against this truth," stated ADF president and chief counsel Kristen Waggoner.

The possibility that the SCOTUS will rule again against gender ideology has LGBT radicals panicking.

For instance, Erin Reed, the boyfriend of cross-dressing Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D), wrote that "depending on how the Court rules, these cases could reshape the legal framework governing transgender rights for an entire generation."

The Human Rights Campaign wailed: "As transgender youth continue to face numerous targeted attacks from health care to education, these cases mark another key moment in the fight against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination that could have implications beyond the sports world."

GLAAD previously stated: "Similar to misleading narratives about bathrooms and other single-sex spaces, propagating inflammatory scenarios about transgender women and girls participating in sports has become a common tactic in broader attacks on trans rights and equality."

Conservative majority signal victory for sanity

In Hecox, liberal justices raised questions about whether the case might be moot because of the transvestic student's claim that he won't attempt to compete in collegiate women's sports again; whether transvestic men with low testosterone levels might qualify as a sub-class deserving of a legal carve-out; and whether the Supreme Court could decide that while most men have an unfair advantage in women's sports, the transvestite in this particular case does not.

Idaho Solicitor General Alan Hurst argued in turn that the case wasn't moot, as Hecox has time left to change his mind about future participation; that it "will always be possible to carve the class down further"; and that an exception would not be administrable as it'd be invasive, requiring ongoing testosterone monitoring of the athlete.

Hurst — who on multiple occasions attempted to help remedy Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's confusion — later emphasized in his rebuttal that male athletes pose a threat to women's sports, citing a 2024 U.N. special rapporteur report that indicated that "over 600 female athletes in more than 400 competitions have lost more than 890 medals in 29 different sports" as the result of male interlopers.

"Idaho's law classifies on the basis of sex because sex is what matters in sports," Hurst said. "It correlates strongly with countless athletic advantages like size, muscle mass, bone mass, and heart and lung capacity."

RELATED: 'Not medicine — it's malpractice': Trump HHS buries child sex-change regime with damning report

Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images

The conservative justices appeared to take Hurst's point to heart and signaled skepticism about the arguments alternatively advanced by Hecox's lawyer Kathleen Harnett against the Idaho law.

In addition to noting that the Idaho legislation is not discriminatory against all trans-identifying people as it does not bar women from men's sports but only men — who enjoy physical advantages over women — from women's sports, Justice Amy Coney Barrett alluded to scientific evidence indicating that testosterone is not the only advantage enjoyed by male athletes.

On theme, Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked, "Why would we, at this point, jump in and try to constitutionalize a rule for the whole country" while there remains scientific uncertainty and "strong assertions of equality on both sides?"

Kavanaugh, who has coached his daughters' sports teams, also raised concerns about whether allowing "transgender girls to participate will reverse" the "inspiring" success of girls' separate sports over the past five decades.

While Justice Neil Gorsuch asked whether trans-identifying individuals should be considered a "quasi-suspect" class entitled to a higher standard of scrutiny on account of their alleged history of discrimination, he appeared unconvinced by the argument that excluding boys from girls' sports is a form of unconstitutional sex discrimination.

Chief Justice John Roberts pressed Harnett on whether she was challenging the distinction between boys and girls or seeking an exception to the biological definition of girls, and expressed skepticism about the possibility of such an exception.

Roberts appeared concerned about the broader ramifications of permitting exceptions to the definition of girl for a sliver minority of challengers, noting that "if we adopted that, that would have to apply across the board and not simply to the area of athletics."

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While the left continues to melt down over the ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, new video from the agent’s POV has emerged — and BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales believes it’s the proof needed to absolve the agent of any wrongdoing.

“You’ll notice as soon as she starts, she realizes, ‘I’m gonna hit this guy.’ Her wife, who has just bailed from the car ... she’s out there with her phone, and she’s harassing the agents, and you’ll hear her wife say, ‘Drive, baby, drive,’” Gonzales explains on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”

When one agent asks Good to get out of the car, the new video instead reveals that she hits the ICE agent with her car.

“You’re there to harass them. You’re there to cause problems. You’re there to do exactly what you just did. F**k around and find out. That’s where I’m at,” Gonzales says.

“The worst part about it is that her son or daughter, her 6-year-old, is now orphaned. That sucks. I hate that for that child,” she continues, pointing out that the child’s father has already passed away as well.

However, despite the child’s tragic situation, Good appeared to have arrived on the scene with the intention of filming herself harassing the ICE officers.

“The Daily Mail released video showing she got there four minutes earlier, as I mentioned, stops, lets her wife out of the car so they could get their Instagram likes, so she could start recording everything and harassing the ICE agents and recording herself harassing the ICE agents,” Gonzales says.

“And then it shows when she drove off, she backed up and sped towards the officer. ... In fact, she waited until she got to the middle of the road, as you can see, and just forgot how to drive,” she adds.

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On average, people spend five hours a day on their smartphones. That adds up to 35 hours per week (that’s almost a full-time job!), 150 hours per month, and 1,800 hours, or 2.5 months of time; 2.5 out of 12 months equals a bit over 20% of the year.

Although many of us are attached to our phones, most devices come with options to help you kick the habit or, at the very least, curb the impact it has on your life. Here’s how to retake your freedom by limiting your screen time on iPhone and Android.

Why are phones so addictive?

By now, we know our phones are addictive, but why? What makes that little rectangle in your pocket so appealing to pick up and even harder to put down?

At first, it was convenience. Smartphones made it easier to call family, text friends, and access the internet from the device in our pockets instead of logging onto the home desktop, dial-up signal buzzing along as we connected to the world wide web. Oh, what a time to be alive.

You can still use your phone while adding guardrails to take back your time and your sanity.

Somewhere along the way, though, smartphones morphed from fun, innovative, generally useful gadgets into little dopamine boxes that gave us a shot of those feel-good chemicals on demand, like a junkie jonesing for their next hit and getting what they want every time.

That’s not to say phones aren’t still useful. From contact lists, to calendar events, to traffic and weather at the push of a button, I can’t imagine not living without mine, and I’m sure many of you are exactly the same. But there’s a darker side to smartphones today. It’s the instant gratification now that keeps us coming back for more. Notifications, short-form videos, the latest trends online — all of it locks us in, even when we know better or want to step back.

Smartphones by themselves aren’t inherently bad, but when they’re abused, they can completely wreck your attention span, mental health, and quality of life overall. The good news is that you can still use your phone while adding guardrails to take back your time and your sanity.

How to limit screen time on iPhone

Apple’s iPhone comes with a “Screen Time” section baked directly into the Settings app. Open it up, dive in, and you’ll find several helpful options under the “Limit Usage” header.

“Downtime” restricts your phone to only the essential built-in apps (Phone, Messages, Safari, Maps, etc.), plus any other third-party apps that you set as “Always Allowed.” In this mode, you can either turn it on and off manually, or you can set a schedule for it to come on at a certain time of the day or week, like after you get home from work or on the weekend to disconnect. Once activated, you’ll only receive notifications, calls, and messages from the allowed apps and nothing else.

“App Limits” is a little less restrictive than Downtime, letting you set daily limits on specific apps instead of the entire system.

RELATED: New phone? Set it up like this — or you might kiss your data goodbye

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

You can add complete categories of apps — like your whole social media collection — or target specific apps that especially steal away your free time. Simply select the apps you want to restrict, choose how much time you’re allowed to use them per day (from 0 minutes to 23 hours), and you’re done. From there, your phone will lock down your chosen apps and notifications once you’ve used up your allotted time for the day, ensuring you put the phone down and do something else with your time. Note that even after the timer runs out for each app, Apple gives you the option to “ignore” the time limit by one more minute, 15 more minutes, or for the rest of the day, offering you more time with the app if you absolutely need it (which defeats the purpose of app limits entirely, but that’s how iPhone is set up).

If you want to get even more granular with your settings, “Communication Limits” will allow phone calls, Facetime chats, and messages from specific people during Downtime. For instance, you may only want to receive communications from your closest family and/or friends. Otherwise, you’re completely unreachable.

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

How to limit screen time on Android

Android phones come with an app called Digital Wellbeing. While the app may look a little different, depending on your make and model, every version basically does the same thing. It lets you track your screen time and add restrictions to help you take back autonomy from your device.

“App timers” lets you reduce the use of certain addictive apps by setting individual daily time limits. Once activated, you can use the app until the timer runs out. After that, the app will turn gray on your screen, and notifications will be silenced as it shifts into a paused mode until the next day. Unlike Apple’s App Limits feature, app timers on Android won’t let you borrow extra time for the day unless you go into your settings and disable the restriction entirely, helping you more effectively reduce app time.

“Focus” lets you set up a schedule to pause distracting apps at certain times of the day. Simply select which apps you’d like to restrict, set your schedule, and these apps will only be accessible during the days and times you allow for yourself. If you want even more control, the Modes feature in the main Settings app lets you set up different restrictions for different situations. For instance, the Bedtime mode can ensure you only get phone calls and messages from your favorite contacts at night. The Driving mode can ensure only your navigation and contacts apps are available when you get behind the wheel. You can even set up your own custom modes for work, the gym, and more.

If you’d rather be a little more lax in curbing your app usage, “screen time reminders” will nudge you with a notification if it detects that you’re spending too much time on any particular app on your phone. This can then either encourage you to reduce usage on your own, or if the app is addictive enough, you can add it manually to app timers.

When all else fails, take the nuclear option

Although our phones come with app reduction features built in, the sad truth is that device OEMs and app developers want us to use our phones. The more time we spend on these devices, the more likely we are to come back for another hit of dopamine, and the vicious cycle continues.

There’s only one tried and true way off the ride, and that’s to cut the cord entirely. That could mean deleting that addictive app from your phone so you can’t open it, even if you wanted to. It could also mean turning your device off and putting it in a drawer altogether, either for a day, a week, or however long is necessary.

Early studies show that “digital detox” has a remarkable impact on the brain, bolstering cognitive function, reducing stress, and improving sleep quality, just to name a few. Even just three days of little-to-no phone use can help, while prolonged usage prolongs negative effects and makes them worse.

Of course, everyone should choose what works best for them, but if you’re having trouble with cutting back on using your phone, the options outlined above are a great place to start.

BlazeTV host Christopher Rufo participated in a roundtable meeting on Friday led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss the ongoing, rampant welfare fraud by Somalis living in Minnesota.

'Everyone should be outraged.'

The event was attended by journalists, lawmakers, and local business and nonprofit owners.

“The thing that I found astonishing about this fraud scheme is that it was an open secret for many of the people here in Minnesota,” Rufo stated.

“What I’d like to highlight is that this is a fraud story, but ... this is also an immigration story. It’s an assimilation story. It’s a cultural compatibility story,” Rufo continued. “The reality is that the latest numbers, it seems to be that the Somali community, which represents about 1% of Minnesota’s population, is perpetrating approximately 90% of the systemic fraud in this state.”

“I think America works when America demands assimilation. And Minnesota will work when it demands assimilation to the culture of good government,” Rufo added.

RELATED: Exclusive: Bessent tells Rufo — 'When the bear trap snaps,' Minnesota fraudsters and complicit officials will face justice

BlazeTV host Chris Rufo. Image source: Blaze Media

He called it a “tragedy” that Minnesota, which had previously been known as the United States’ good-government capital, has had its reputation "tarnished as the fraud capital."

“Everyone should be outraged," Rufo remarked.

Bessent announced during a Friday press conference that the Treasury Department was launching multiple initiatives to put an end to the fraud rings and hold perpetrators accountable. The new initiatives included investigations into money-service businesses, lowering the reporting threshold for overseas transfers to $3,000 in Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, and a new IRS task force assigned to probe COVID-era fraud, among several other steps.

RELATED: ‘Financial calamity’: Bessent blasts Minnesota Democrats’ massive fraud fiasco, launching sweeping interventions

Image source: Blaze Media

During the roundtable, Bessent revealed that there are also plans to provide incentives for whistleblowers to come forward with information.

"If these fraudsters want to turn on each other, we welcome that,” he said. “We will be offering cash rewards to whistleblowers to turn in their fellow conmen and women.”

Bessent stated that the fraud “cover-up” nearly enabled Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) to become vice president.

“What a tragedy it would have been for the American people for someone with no integrity, who was complicit and perhaps corrupt, to assume the office of the vice president,” he added.

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Scott Adams, creator of the iconic "Dilbert" comic strip and ardent Trump supporter, has passed away at the age of 68.

Adams passed away Tuesday morning after a battle with prostate cancer.

'You should prepare yourself that January will be probably a month of transition one way or the other.'

Scott Adams announced his cancer diagnosis on his "Coffee with Scott Adams" show last May.

On the January 1 episode of his show, Adams suggested that his health was declining rapidly. His death was preceded by a visit to the hospital with issues like lower-body paralysis.

RELATED: 'Argument accepted': Dying 'Dilbert' creator and Trump ally Scott Adams says he's becoming a Christian

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

“I talked to my radiologist yesterday … and it’s all bad news. So the odds of me recovering are essentially zero. I’ll give you any updates if that changes, but it won’t,” Adams said on Jan. 1. “So there’s no chance I’ll get my feeling back in my legs. And I’ve got some ongoing heart failure, which is making it difficult to breathe sometimes during the day.”

“But at the moment I can breathe, and I’m not in any pain,” he continued. “However, you should prepare yourself that January will be probably a month of transition one way or the other.”

On Monday, Adams was in hospice at his home in Northern California. His first ex-wife, Shelly Miles, told TMZ that Adams began receiving "end-of-life care" last week because his health was declining "rapidly."

Adams is best known for the cartoon "Dilbert," which first debuted in 1989.

His death was announced on the Tuesday episode of "Coffee with Scott Adams," which can be viewed below:

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In a highly anticipated city council meeting in a city in Oklahoma, residents debated whether to allow a massive mosque complex in a high-traffic area.

And on Monday night, the city council came to a decision.

The project included plans for a 42,000-square-foot community center, a mosque, a medical clinic, and a strip mall.

The Broken Arrow City Council has denied a rezoning request and conditional use permit for the proposed building project, leaving many residents relieved and others frustrated, KTUL reported.

The city council held a special meeting on Monday at Northeastern State University in anticipation of larger crowds.

RELATED: Comedian infiltrates Dearborn, Michigan — and the stories he returns with are WILD

Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

In the meeting that lasted more than three hours, residents debated the feasibility and desirability of having the building project completed.

While some raised objections about the growth of Islam in their city, many at the meeting turned to other practical concerns, such as traffic congestion, financial implications, and stormwater and floodplain issues, to name a few.

The Tulsa Flyer reported that roughly 45 people spoke during the meeting. More than half were opposed to the project.

The project included plans for a 42,000-square-foot community center, a mosque, a medical clinic, and a strip mall, the Tulsa Flyer reported.

According to the Tulsa Flyer, the Islamic Society of Tulsa bought the land in question and has owned it since 2014. The IST has historically congregated in that area for nearly 50 years.

The meeting ended in a 4-1 vote against the project.

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Police said a Pennsylvania homeowner shot at a pair of would-be car thieves early Tuesday morning, wounding one of them, WPVI-TV reported.

The incident in the 200 block of 2nd Street in Catasauqua took place at 1 a.m., the station said. Catasauqua is a borough in Lehigh County that's about 15 minutes north of Allentown and just under an hour and a half north of Philadelphia.

'Good old-fashioned FAFO.'

Investigators told WPVI the homeowner fired the shots at the two males as they were trying to steal a vehicle. The males reportedly were wearing black masks, the station said, adding that police said one suspect had a knife, and the other was carrying a bar.

Both suspects — including the wounded male — ran away, the station said.

Police are searching local hospitals for patients with gunshot wounds, WPVI said.

The homeowner was not injured, the station said.

No charges have been filed, WPVI reported, adding that the incident remains under investigation.

RELATED: Armed male allegedly breaks into home after midnight, but resident also has a gun — and a deadly shootout ensues

Commenters under WPVI's Facebook post about the incident gave shoutouts to the homeowner who pulled the trigger:

• "Hey, maybe the thieves will change their minds before they attempt to steal again!??" one commenter observed. "Kudos to the homeowner!!"
• "Good job homeowner, do not charge this man for protecting his property," another user insisted.
• "I love a story with a happy ending," another commenter quipped.
• "Good," another user wrote before adding "get a cap in both their asses."
• "Not everyone is an easy target, are they[?]" another commenter stated. "Good old-fashioned FAFO."

Others encouraged the homeowner to get more time at the gun range:

• "Learn from it and just go to the range a few times," one user suggested. "Practice, practice, practice."
• "Sounds like the homeowner needs more target practice," another commenter wrote. "The perp won’t have a chance to repeat the stupidity."
• "A shame he only wounded one," another user said. "A couple of head shots would [have] been better."
• "Excellent!" another commenter exclaimed. "Now, get to the range to make sure next time it's not just a wound."

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Canada has exactly the kind of oil the United States needs. But when it comes to investing in the infrastructure to move it, America’s ally to the north is beginning to look as risky — and as politically hostile — as Venezuela.

That, Dan McTeague of Canadians for Affordable Energy tells Align, reflects a perverse governing philosophy towards the country's energy abundance: "keep it in the ground."

Carney can talk about buying China's 'windmills and solar panels,' or he can ask whether China wants to buy oil — 'because we got a pipeline.'

Canada’s self-inflicted pipeline paralysis is eroding its position in the U.S. market just as alternatives like Venezuelan oil come back online.

Oil, oil everywhere

Nowhere is that risk clearer than in Alberta, home to the vast majority of Canada’s oil production, where years of stalled pipeline projects have left the country’s most valuable energy asset effectively landlocked.

Canadian oil is the same kind Venezuela produces: heavy crude, high in sulfur, and ideal for making diesel fuel. Most U.S. refineries are designed specifically to process this type of petroleum, which is essential not just for transportation, but for agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and national defense.

Alberta has long sought to build a pipeline to the West Coast, primarily to secure reliable, long-term access to the U.S. market — while also giving Canada leverage to reach other buyers if American demand weakens or politics intervenes.

That project remains stalled, despite Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney — who has spent much of his career championing green energy and opposing pipelines — recently signing a memorandum of understanding with Alberta that is supposed to clear the way for construction. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is now demanding that pipeline construction begin by fall 2026.

Carbon crunch

In practice, the MOU changes little. It grants no approvals, streamlines no federal reviews, resolves no indigenous or legal challenges, and commits no public capital. By tying any future pipeline to rising carbon tax and decarbonization requirements, it arguably worsens the investment case — leaving no private sponsor willing to move first.

While the United States remains Canada’s natural customer, a West Coast outlet still matters. It gives producers pricing power, optionality, and insurance against sudden policy shifts in Washington — precisely the kind now emerging as Venezuela re-enters the picture.

The question is who would build such a pipeline — and whether it could be completed before the United States turns to cheaper Venezuelan oil to fill the gap.

Venezuela of the north?

President Donald Trump has floated asking oil companies for $100 billion to build infrastructure in Venezuela capable of moving oil north. Exxon’s CEO rejected the idea, calling Venezuela “uninvestable” because of its history of asset seizures and nationalization. Trump, however, could choose to push the project forward with public funds.

McTeague — himself a former Liberal member of Parliament — says Canada has made itself similarly unattractive to investors. He argues that policy choices — not geology — are the problem.

Canada, he says, is “blessed with abundance of resources,” but has embraced a governing narrative that tells producers to “keep it in the ground.” He adds that few countries would treat their most important economic output that way.

That mindset, McTeague argues, has frightened off private capital and left Ottawa with little choice but to build a pipeline itself. It also raises the stakes of Carney’s upcoming trip to China — not as a pivot away from the U.S., but as leverage.

Tilting at windmills

When Carney arrives in Beijing, McTeague says, he faces a choice. He can talk about decarbonization and buying China's “windmills and solar panels,” or he can ask whether China wants to buy oil — “because we got a pipeline.”

The point, McTeague stresses, is not that China should replace the United States as Canada’s primary customer, but that Canada needs credible alternatives if it wants to be taken seriously by either.

McTeague also criticizes the MOU’s requirement that the industrial carbon tax rise sharply in coming years, arguing that it “defies economics and the realities of the marketplace.” In his view, decarbonization mandates are irrelevant to investors deciding whether a pipeline is worth building.

Time, he warns, is running out. Federal debt continues to grow, and Canada’s fiscal credibility is beginning to erode. Without pipelines, he says, the country risks running out of economic runway.

RELATED: The truth behind Trump's Venezuela plan: It's not about Maduro at all

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Over a barrel

McTeague also disputes the claim that the United States is energy-independent. While America produces roughly 12 to 13 million barrels of oil per day, it consumes about 21 million — leaving it dependent on imports.

Canada’s value, he argues, lies not just in volume, but in the type of oil it produces. U.S. shale oil is well suited for gasoline, but not for diesel, which he calls the global workhorse of modern economies — critical to transportation, agriculture, industry, and defense.

That is precisely the fuel Venezuela is now offering, potentially at a lower cost than Canadian oil burdened by carbon taxes and regulatory constraints.

Canada now finds itself between a rock and a hard place: Venezuelan oil threatening to undercut U.S. demand for Alberta crude, plus the political and logistical reality of building a major pipeline through British Columbia — on a timetable that is rapidly running out.

In energy terms, Canada is doing the unthinkable: choosing to be bypassed.

A county clerk in Michigan has sounded the alarm after a cross-check of state and local databases revealed that more than 200 noncitizens had been included in a jury pool — and one of them may even have voted.

On Monday, Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini issued a press release that quickly went viral on social media. Forlini claimed that because Michigan automatically registers driver's license applicants to vote unless the applicant intentionally opts to decline, 239 noncitizens with Michigan driver's licenses had been included in the pool of potential jurors for the 16th Judicial Circuit Court over a four-month period, even as noncitizens are ineligible to serve on juries.

'Even if you give [Benson] the benefit of the doubt, you'd have to admit that she doesn't know what she's doing. But the problem is, I think she does.'

What's more, after cross-referencing the noncitizens in the jury pool against the Michigan Qualified Voter File — maintained and monitored by Democrat Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson — Forlini's office discovered that at least 14 of these noncitizens had been registered to vote at some point.

"Our QVF shows instances where some of these noncitizens potentially having a voting history. One in particular appears to have voted several times, all of which could result in felony charges," Forlini said in a statement.

"We must find a way for the Driver’s License database to confirm citizenship," he continued. "Many times there may be a language barrier, and applicants do not understand what they are signing. If this is not addressed, we risk compromising our jury trials and our elections."

Forlini, a former state representative, is running for secretary of state as a Republican.

However, he's hardly the only Republican outraged about the discovery.

Rep. John James, who is running for governor and whose congressional district includes much of Macomb County, posted a scathing video response on X, accusing Secretary Benson, who is running for governor as a Democrat, of either "corruption or incompetence."

"Even if you give her the benefit of the doubt, you'd have to admit that she doesn't know what she's doing. But the problem is, I think she does," James stated.

"The bigger problem for Michigan is: What do you think she's going to do when she's overseeing an election where she's at the top of the ticket this time?"

RELATED: Rep. John James hammers Michigan GOP over political failures: 'What are we even talking about?'

— (@)

Captain Michael Bouchard, who is running as a Republican to replace James as the representative in Michigan's 10th district, indicated that the blame falls at the feet of Michigan Democrats like Benson but insisted that the issue affects all U.S. citizens, regardless of party.

"I’ve served our country in uniform, and I don’t take lightly the freedoms we enjoy as Americans," Bouchard said in a statement to Blaze News. "Protecting those freedoms starts with protecting the integrity of our elections. After years of poor leadership by Michigan Democrats, we need to fix this now. This shouldn’t even be a political issue. Our elections must be fair, secure, and decided only by American citizens."

Benson's office did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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