British comedian Jimmy Carr was asked to comment on the outrage over Shane Gillis' gym joke, and his response was absolutely hilarious.

Gillis has been excoriated by feminists and others on the left for saying that some women dress like "whores" at the gym during his monologue on "Saturday Night Live" on October 10, 2026.

'Shane is very clearly a lovely man. And he's trying to make people laugh. That's a joyful thing. Look at the intent, not the content.'

Carr often posts video of his interactions with his audience on social media from his stand-up appearances and decided to post his opinion on the Gillis outrage.

"What are your thoughts on the Shane Gillis controversy?" an audience member asked.

"Shane Gillis? If that's what passes as controversy, great!" Carr responded, which elicited laughter from the crowd.

"The weird thing about that is, I say worse things than that every day. And also, I think intent is much more important than content," he added.

"Shane is very clearly a lovely man. And he's trying to make people laugh. That's a joyful thing. Look at the intent, not the content. Don't take it out of context. He's a great f**king guy. Great guy, great comic," Carr said.

Carr got a lot of applause for his statement. He went on to make a fat joke at Gillis' expense.

"I think, though, the controversy probably means that he won't be able to go to the gym for a while," he said, laughing. "I don't think that's going to be a massive problem for him lifestyle-wise."

Carr's video garnered more than 2.6 million views after he posted it on Monday.

RELATED: Joe Rogan pounces on uproar over Gillis joke about women dressing like 'whores' at gyms

Others have pointed out that Gillis' joke was ultimately meant to ridicule Gillis at the gym.

"Look, I’m sorry, there's no other way to describe [it]. Have you seen it? I've seen it. The shorts. Have you seen the shorts? Those neon, they're like artificial bait-colored. And the wrinkles go around the cheeks and all combine at the butthole. And don't look! You're not allowed to look," Gillis said to the "SNL" audience.

"For real, don't look because they are filming. I'm in the background of like 10 TikToks right now," 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!

Transgender-identifying people are protesting a law in Kansas by following it — with "bearded, burly" women who identify as men.

In one incident on Aug. 8, the protest caused the manager of the Long Branch Lagoon Water Park in Dodge City to scream and help children leave the bathroom and changing area.

The reporter referred to the action as 'malicious compliance.'

The new SB 244 law restricts people from using a bathroom designated for a gender that doesn't match their gender assigned at birth.

Following the law led to the self-described "bearded, burly men" having an "uncomfortable" conversation with police where they had to describe their bodies and genitals, according to a report from a transgender-identifying reporter.

The report showed a picture of the three women wearing yellow shirts that read "SB244 Compliance Crew," which refers to the transgender law.

The reporter referred to the action as "malicious compliance."

Others were a part of the protest and made similar bathroom visits at a zoo, a library, a museum, and other parks. The group's press release claimed that neither the police involved in the water park incident nor the manager knew about the law.

"Segregating people by suspected genitalia does nothing to improve public safety; it does quite the opposite by opening Kansans up to sexual harassment and discrimination," said one of the women at the Dodge City protest. "At no point should anyone be asking anyone else what genitals they have in public."

The transgender activist group also claimed that the law had unequal outcomes for different transgender-identifying folks.

"Trans feminine people face the brunt of the KS Legislature's demonization while trans masculine folks are infantilized and characterized as non-threatening," the group states on its website, according to LGBTQ Nation. "We believe it's important to use that relative advantage to work for change."

RELATED: DOJ files 'first-of-its-kind' lawsuit against red-state school district for allegedly pushing gender transition behind parents' backs

The transgender-identifying activists are plotting more protests against the Kansas law.

"I've got some ideas rattling around in my head," said Charles Osman, who created the SB244 Compliance Crew.

Osman says there's a reason the activists are targeting areas away from the metropolitan areas of Kansas.

"They almost exclusively vote Republican," Osman told the Lawrence Times. "And almost nobody knows about this law out in rural areas."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales is demanding answers after receiving a mailer addressed to the “students” in her household that she says offers transgender and questioning minors resources for navigating unsupportive parents, accessing hormones and surgeries, and even leaving their home state.

“It was addressed to the 'students' of our family from the ... Texas Transgender Student Union. And what it does is it essentially coaches minors on what to do if their parents aren’t supportive of their trans identity,” she explains on “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.”

“It’s like, here’s how you can get emancipated if your mom and dad are so mean they’re not going to call you a she when you’re obviously a he,” she adds.

Inside the envelope was the “Texas Trans and LGBTQ Student Resource Guide,” which “gives a bunch of resources to trans or nonbinary or questioning children.”

“And if your community isn’t supportive, according to this pamphlet, there are resources for you. They give them tips on how to flee the state. They give them tips on how to get hormones, how to get mutilation surgeries, and it lists a bunch of websites and organizations on it, but the main one that keeps getting referenced is the Transgender Education Network of Texas, or TENT for short,” Gonzales explains.

However, TENT has now denied its organization sent out the mailer.

“It’s so evil that leftists don’t even want to claim it. They don’t want to claim that one of them did it,” Gonzales says.

“And so, you had people in my comments were like, ‘Fake. This is fake, and you’re a liar.’ It’s not fake. There were a bunch of people actually responding that they got the same mailer too. It was sent to many of us. I don’t know how. I don’t know where they got our names. I don’t know what mailing list they bought, but it’s obviously not fake,” she continues.

On TENT’s website, it says: “We're aware of text messages and now physical mailers that have been circulated concerning TENT that appear to have been issued by or on behalf of the organization.”

“These text messages and mailers were not authored, authorized, approved, or distributed by TENT and are not affiliated with our organization. The texts do not represent the official position or communications of the organization,” the statement continues.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and remain committed to our organizational values of unequivocal support for trans Texans, their families, their loved ones,” the group says, concluding its statement with, “Trans Texans belong here. This is our home and we’re not going anywhere.”

At the bottom of the text is a GIF of Mariah Carey with the text: “Why are you so obsessed with me?”

“I would just say like, why are you so obsessed with chopping children’s healthy body parts off? I would start there,” Gonzales responds.

While she admits that there’s an argument to be had that “some sent this mailer to paint the group in a negative light,” she points out that on the group’s social media accounts, it promotes the same thing.

The group deleted everything on its website except for the new message that the mailers and text messages have nothing to do with the group, which also gives Gonzales pause.

“They didn’t say whether or not they agree with the message. I find that to be particularly interesting, but I’m wondering, if you didn’t send it, why are you nuking your website?” Gonzales asks.

“Because remember, you recall they mentioned the text message. Well, that went out,” she continues, before reading the text message: “New school year. Here’s your complete guide on bathrooms and beyond for trans kids at school.”

“This is y’all’s side. This is what you guys want to do. I just think you should own it is all that I’m saying,” Gonzales adds.

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.

Tens of millions of Social Security records with previously missing or inaccurate information have finally been updated, according to a press release from the Social Security Administration.

It is the largest correction of vital Social Security records in the 91-year history of the department, according to the SSA.

'This is the first time SSA has undertaken an effort of this scale, and I am proud of the work we have done to strengthen the foundation of identity data relied upon throughout government and the economy.'

The massive effort corrected data of 15% of all active Social Security numbers, or about 50 million files out of 330 million.

About 25 million records with missing citizenship information were updated, and the agency is in the process of correcting the inaccurate citizenship status of 8.5 million records.

About 17 million death dates were also added to records.

The SSA also "implemented stronger internal controls to prevent inaccuracies due to manual data entry" that could otherwise have happened in the future.

"The Social Security Number database is our country’s books and records. The database’s accuracy is essential to maintaining integrity of government services for citizens," read a statement from Commissioner Frank Bisignano.

"Accurate SSN records prevent fraud across federal programs and support the proper administration of benefits," he added. "This is the first time SSA has undertaken an effort of this scale, and I am proud of the work we have done to strengthen the foundation of identity data relied upon throughout government and the economy."

The SSA said the corrections will prevent payments from being made to the wrong recipients.

"These improvements demonstrate a government‑wide commitment to safeguarding identity data, preventing fraud, and preserving proper program administration," said the SSA in its press release.

RELATED: Elderly Texas woman gets scammed for $30K — then gets revenge on international scam ring

Experts estimate that the Social Security program may no longer have enough funds to make benefit payments by 2034.

President Donald Trump previously promised he would not cut the program's benefits and said it could be fixed by purging its rolls of illegal aliens and others fraudulently receiving payments.

Democrats have floated plans to significantly raise taxes on the wealthy in order to ensure the program's viability.

"We will have to make a choice," said Glenn Hubbard, a top Bush administration economist, to the AP. "If you want Social Security benefits to look like they are today, we're going to have to raise everyone's taxes a lot. And if that's what people want, that's a menu, and you pay the high price and you move on."

He said the other choice is to restrict benefits to decrease the cost of the program.

"It's really a political choice," he said. "Neither one of those is pain-free."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The French are no strangers to protests that go sideways. After all, the nation is on its fifth republic since 1792.

Nevertheless, the rally on Saturday planned by the General Confederation of Labor and various other leftist outfits — a rally that quickly devolved into an orgy of destruction — proved to be too much for the French authorities to handle.

'There’s a lot of tinder for the flame.'

Luke Foster, assistant professor of government at Hillsdale College, provided Blaze News with insights into what has changed and what France is up against.

Throughout the West but perhaps most acutely in France, the old left that was historically focused on issues affecting the working class has increasingly been displaced by the “new left, which is much more about sexual and racial politics," said Foster.

This shift appears to have taken place midway through the 20th century.

In “Explaining Postmodernism,” Stephen Hicks, formerly of Rockford University, observed that in response to the “crisis of socialism,” “much of the Left changed its official ethical standard from need to equality” and began “concentrating their efforts on the special issues of women and of racial and ethnic minorities.”

RELATED: Macron watched France burn — then blamed the 'French people.' Trump: 'The migrants have taken over.'

LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon. JEFF PACHOUD/AFP/Getty Images

This is certainly the case in France, where instead of relying on and weaponizing the resentment of French workers, the new left is increasingly leaning on easily mobilizable immigrants and the children of immigrants to help “channel revolutionary pressure,” said Foster.

This comports with what French conservative activist Thaïs d'Escufon has observed in her homeland.

D'Escufon previously told Blaze News:

What started as student protests, mainly led by the far left, has turned into ethnic riots that are spiraling out of control. Immigrants have become the street-level enforcers of the far left, spreading chaos, looting, vandalizing, stealing, and setting things on fire. It is an unholy alliance.

French leftists of all sorts were out in force over the weekend. For example, the suspect arrested in connection with the torching of the historic town hall in Limoges has been identified as a member of the ultra-left.

Foster noted, however, that the riots were undeniably “immigrant-dependent,” using at least the language and the symbols of Islamist politics and flying in some cases the Palestinian flag as well as the colors of North African countries, including Algeria and Morocco.

This foreign presence was no coincidence. Leftist organizers clearly intended to weaponize migrant resentment from the outset.

Saturday was the 65th anniversary of the 1961 Paris massacre, where French police lethally cracked down on Algerian demonstrators. A website promoting French protests on Saturday explicitly referenced the incident, claiming that the “racism” that supposedly animated the violence against “peaceful Algerians” in 1961 is “still used to divide” today.

The choice to hold the protests Saturday plays “to Algerian grievance politics, which are very powerful in France,” said Foster.

“Something like particular local grievances about the way the schools are being run can very quickly turn into an ethnically and religiously motivated attack on the state and the country as a whole,” added Foster.

The professor noted that “ground zero” for the so-called student protests that culminated in the riots on Saturday was unsurprisingly Saint-Denis, a poor and violent area that has a large “North and West African immigrant presence.”

Saint-Denis — where an estimated one in three residents was an immigrant as of 2024 — also happens to be the political proving ground for the France Unbowed movement, or LFI, and the immigration-centered “new France” envisioned by LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Mélenchon and other leftists "are pouring oxygen on the fire and giving it a kind of rhetorical ideological framework,” said Foster.

Foster noted that Mélenchon and the LFI are explicitly committed to an electoral strategy of uniting students and other young people to Islamist politics in order to “unravel the current regime and political system and build something new.”

Mélenchon, a presidential candidate for the 2027 election, is a poster boy for the new left. He has long downplayed Islam as a national security threat, advocated for the “creolization” of France, rejected the integration of migrants, and called for the decriminalization of illegal immigration as well as for a capitalism-destroying revolution.

Mélenchon urged his followers earlier this month to join the so-called protests and subsequently joined labor groups in condemning police for doing their jobs when things went south.

While critical of the looting, Mélenchon stated after the riots Saturday left thousands of businesses gutted and hundreds of police injured, “I support the youth and student movement and their demands.”

Mélenchon did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

Between Mélenchon’s apparent strategy and the character of the rioters, it appears that both President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron were right.

While Trump, who claimed that “what's happening in France is nothing less than out-of-control mass migration," has advocated for France to close its borders and take control "before it is too late," Macron blamed the riots on "seditionists from far-left fringe groups,” and his administration imposed nightly curfews.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu credited the curfews with achieving a semblance of calm in recent days.

"Tonight, new curfews will be decided where the situation requires it," said Lecornu early on Tuesday.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Trump administration has closed a discrimination case against a well-known company — and the people who have had their eyes on this case for over a year are taking a victory lap.

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced a settlement of $5 million with Instacart for allegedly discriminating against U.S. and American workers.

'We will not stop fighting for US workers until there is a fair playing field.'

In its investigation of the case, the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that Instacart gave preference to holders of temporary employment visas over American workers.

Specifically, the DOJ explained, Instacart "created additional burdens on U.S. workers to apply for job opportunities by requiring that applications be physically mailed for positions advertised as part of PERM recruitment."

PERM is the Permanent Labor Certification program used by companies to sponsor temporary visa holders for permanent resident status "after performing good-faith recruitment for U.S. workers."

As a result of the additional burdens, U.S. workers who applied were "not timely considered," the DOJ claimed.

RELATED: DHS may slam immigration 'back door' shut with new $70,000 fee

Andrea LucasTom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images

Maplebear Inc., doing business as Instacart, will be required to create and to pay $4 million into a settlement fund and will pay another $1 million in civil penalties to the United States.

According to a summary of the terms of the settlement, Instacart will also be required to revise its PERM policies, including allowing for electronic application submissions and to train personnel to give American workers proper consideration during the hiring process.

“This significant resolution marks the fifteenth settlement agreement the Civil Rights Division has reached under my leadership to protect U.S. workers,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the DOJ's press release. “Our record demonstrates that the Justice Department is holding companies who prefer workers with temporary employment visas accountable. We will not stop fighting for U.S. workers until there is a fair playing field.”

Andrea Lucas, chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, reaffirmed the Trump administration's commitment to holding companies accountable for discriminatory practices.

"The EEOC is committed to holding companies accountable when they deny equal work opportunities to U.S. workers by preferring temporary visa holders for jobs," Lucas said. "Discrimination against workers based on their American national origin has no place in our economy.”

The news of this settlement was gladly welcomed by Jobs.Now, which first sounded the alarm on Instacart's questionable hiring practices in April 2025.

Jobs.Now claims it documented several "hidden jobs" from Instacart before being "forced to take their ads down" after being threatened with a lawsuit. It then alerted The Hill to continue the investigation, culminating in a September 2025 report on the situation.

"So happy to finally see justice for Americans job seekers Instacart unfairly discouraged from applying!" Jobs.Now wrote. "Another win for Harmeet!"

In a statement to Blaze News, Jobs.Now explained the legal threat it received:

"We were shocked when Instacart threatened legal action against us simply for publicizing their job ads to the world, under the pretense that we were violating their copyright for the name 'Instacart,' and maintain that it is our First Amendment right to republish job ads so Americans can finally have the chance to apply."

The company said it was "extremely happy" to see the settlement announcement from the DOJ but added that more work needs to be done regarding the PERM process:

"We call for all PERM advertising to require:

1. Job postings listed on companies' main career website[s]
2. Allowing electronic applications directly through the career website
3. Mandatory advertising on online job boards like Linkedin or Indeed
4. Increased DOL enforcement to ensure PERM recruitment processes do not discriminate against American workers."

Jobs.Now added, "As part of this settlement, Instacart has agreed to stop hiding jobs, but many other companies continue to use similar tactics to avoid American applicants in favor of immigrant workers. DOL needs to act quickly to stop PERM discrimination and make sure that every job in America is offered to an American first."

An Instacart spokesperson told Blaze News, "We encourage qualified U.S. job seekers to apply to join our team. Hiring and investing in American workers across our U.S. business is our priority, and we actively promote every role across many channels to ensure qualified U.S. candidates are always first in line for opportunities."

"While we maintain that our practices complied with all applicable laws and regulations, we’re pleased to have resolved this matter so we can keep our full focus on delivering on our mission for customers, shoppers, retailers, and brands."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

President Donald Trump is usually making fun of his opponents, but during a midterm campaign rally on Wednesday, he took aim at Montana Republicans.

"Leave me alone," Trump said to the crowd at Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell, Montana.

'The 21st-century battlefield is being redefined by new weapons.'

Trump poked fun at Montana politicians to stop bothering him over plans for a new weapons testing facility in the state, which was dubbed a "super range" to test high-tech weaponry for the United States military.

"I'm pleased to inform you and announce that right here in Montana, the Department of War is going to establish a new super range for testing advanced weapons and technologies," Trump told supporters.

The president said the range would test autonomous weapons, space weapons, and other forms of "electronic warfare technology," including "supersonics and ⁠hypersonics."

The announcement comes after the government finally confirmed in September that it had weapons in space, with Air Force Secretary Troy Meink saying that America has "on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action."

RELATED: Insider trading. Addiction horror stories. Why the feds are probing America's insane new pastime.

Trump made remarks in Montana about his fellow GOP members bothering him about wanting the range in their state.

"You're getting it, everybody, will you please leave me alone?" Trump joked. "Leave me alone, Tim. Tim Sheehy would drive me crazy."

At the same time, the president said that maybe the rest of the country "won't be thrilled" because of how many other people wanted to house the range in their jurisdiction.

According to TWZ 10, Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-Mt.) said on Thursday that he has been a strong advocate for getting the range built in Montana and "securing $10 million for a feasibility study" through the National Defense Authorization Act that passed earlier this year.

"The 21st-century battlefield is being redefined by new weapons and evolving technical frontiers that require a novel approach to how America will resource its warfighting capabilities," Sheehy said in a statement.

Sheehy went on to say that the advanced weaponry now available to the United States — electronic, hypersonic, and space — has a "new class of testing" and evaluation requirements that necessitate the development of such infrastructure.

RELATED: Robot guard dogs with 'Indian accents' are real — and this neighborhood loves them

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Although the senator said that the United States risks falling behind its adversaries, it is unclear exactly what capabilities the U.S. military currently possesses.

Until recently, much of the advancements in military technology promoted by the armed forces have been for on-the-ground use, like Palmer Luckey's x-ray vision helmets and offline AI chatbots to assist soldiers in their missions.

"By combining our state's vast landscapes, innovative spirit, and proud tradition of military service, we are the Last Best Place to ensure America's fighting men and women have the technological edge they need to dominate the battlefield and win the wars of tomorrow," Sheehy added.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Duke’s loss to North Carolina took a back seat to a sideline confrontation that went viral. When Duke quarterback Kimari Robinson stood over injured teammate DaShawn Stone, a female staffer pushed him out of the way.

Robinson appeared to angrily swat her arm away, before apologizing later.

“Kimari Robinson, he stood over DaShawn Stone. Stone is motionless on the turf. Kimari says that Stone is like a family member to him. Two trainers are kneeled over Stone. And then a third staffer, the red-headed woman, she runs in, steps into that scene and circle, and she pushes Robinson out of the way,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock says.

“He swatted her arm away. The clip then goes viral. Everybody’s got an opinion, and oh, it’s a bad look for Kimari Robinson. Robinson apologized to her that night and then again Sunday on X,” he continues.

“I want to publicly apologize to a member of our training staff for how I acted toward her during Saturday’s game. I was completely wrong, and she did not deserve that. Immediately after the game, I apologized to her personally and checked to make sure she was okay,” Robinson said in a post on X.

“The injured player on the ground, DaShawn Stone, is like family to me, and I was scared he might be seriously hurt. But being worried about him does not excuse how I treated her. I should have controlled my emotions, and I didn’t,” he continued.

“I’m truly sorry for my actions and for letting her, myself, and our program down. I have to be better than that,” he added.

“So hats off to Kimari Robinson. He owned his reaction. A man controls his hands even in panic. He failed that test. No excuse. But the narrative sense is a lie by omission,” Whitlock says.

Whitlock notes that the trainer put her hands on Robinson first in an attempt to shove him out of the way.

“You do not walk into a pile around a hurt player and shove a 200-pound quarterback in full pads. That’s not a trainer offering care. That is a trainer doing way too much in escalating a situation,” he explains.

“And my question is, where is her apology?” Whitlock says, asking, “Why is correction only traveling one direction toward the man?”

He also points out that in the clip of the interaction, “she doesn’t do anything” to help Stone.

“There’s no brace. There’s no evaluation. There’s no comfort. Her sole contribution to the entire sequence is pushing Robinson. Yet the mob demands Robinson carry 100% of the blame. She carries zero. She is cast as the innocent victim. Fragile, helpless, beyond reproach,” he says.

“She’s not the picture of innocence. She’s a girlboss showing up to put men in their place,” he adds.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

The WNBA just got one step closer to admitting what a woman is.

However, the league isn't quite there yet, and its latest response to a congressional inquiry still leaves the water more muddy than clear.

'This is their clear acknowledgment ...'

Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) sent the WNBA a letter in September asking the league to answer some key questions about how the league is being governed.

Stutzman didn't exactly present the WNBA with any difficult questions, but the league still had trouble providing a clear answer.

In addition to queries about player safety, the letter asked how the league defines a "woman" and, if it doesn't have a definition, why it was preventing former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White from entering the WNBA draft.

More than a month later, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has finally responded to the congressman and the House Republican Study Committee.

Stutzman posted the response on his X page, showing that while Engelbert provided the most clear answer from the league to date, she still won't provide a definition of what a woman is.

"With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play the WNBA," Engelbert wrote.

She added, "The individuals you cite in your letter are both men."

RELATED: Philly women's sports bar named after transgender activist closes following claims it wasn't inclusive enough

🚨🚨In a reply to my letter to the WNBA about @Enesfreedom and @Highway_30’s eligibility, the @WNBA declared they are “both men”.

This is their clear acknowledgment that simply identifying as a woman does not change basic human biology! https://t.co/aZ6oPabcyR pic.twitter.com/NLALHBDodO
— Rep. Marlin Stutzman (@RepStutzman) October 20, 2026

Rep. Stutzman declared victory over the response, writing, "This is their clear acknowledgment that simply identifying as a woman does not change basic human biology!"

However, the commissioner's statement that "only women are eligible" is in line with pre-existing WNBA rules set out by the league's latest collective bargaining agreement.

Article XIII, Section 1 of the WNBA's 2026 agreement says that "only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA," but does not provide a definition of the term. The league has not responded to multiple inquiries from Blaze News about what it considers a woman to be.

League officials even met in August to discuss the topic, but made no determination by the end of their meeting:

"There are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA, and we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others," the WNBA declared.

RELATED: WNBA players seen racing off the court before national anthem — and return right after it ends

The two former NBA players declared themselves eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft on the simple basis that the league has not defined what a woman is.

While Freedom, a 6'10" former NBA center, did not declare himself to be transgender, White, a former NBA guard, outright declared himself to be a woman.

"I'm a woman. I identify as sometimes identifying as a woman for the purpose of basketball, professional basketball, so I'll be declaring for the WNBA Draft in 2027 as well," he said in August.

Thrown into the mix was Julie Tétart, a man who seemingly believes he is a woman and plays professional women's basketball in France. The athlete dominated France's Ligue 2 for the 2025-2026 season, blowing competitors out of the water with over 20 points and 20 rebounds per game.

Tétart said if the WNBA contacted him, he wouldn't turn the league down.

"If they contact me, I won't say no."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Tax-paying voters who don't want to pay for transgender surgeries for illegal aliens are not likely to support Abdul El-Sayed after a new revelation.

The Democratic candidate for one of Michigan's seats in the U.S. Senate made the comments on podcasts back in 2021 and 2022, according to a Washington Free Beacon report.

'That’s going to be the example that they’re going to push forward because it captures a group of multiple marginalized people whom they want to cast as being undeserving.'

In one of the clips, El-Sayed complains that "conservatives" are using the issue of transgender surgeries for illegal aliens to oppose "Medicare for All."

"A lot of the most difficult conversations break on the question of who deserves what care, right?" he said on his "America Dissected" podcast from Feb. 2022, according to the Free Beacon.

"The prime example that conservatives will impose on a conversation about Medicare for All will be ‘well, what do we do with the undocumented person who comes to this country and wants to get gender reassignment surgery on Medicare for All?'" he adds.

He goes on to accuse those opposing transgender treatments for illegal aliens of being guilty of "the original sin of racism," a common anti-American trope among far-left extremists.

"That’s going to be the example that they’re going to push forward because it captures a group of multiple marginalized people whom they want to cast as being undeserving," he adds.

In the second clip from a Boston University health policy podcast in 2021, he makes it clear he wants the taxpayer to pay for the trans surgeries for illegal aliens.

"When you talk about care for transgender people, when you talk about care for immigrants, like, all of these things are going to be deeply politicized," said El-Sayed.

"My hope, right, is that we would pass a Medicare for All that is truly inclusive and offers the full gamut of health care that any and everyone would need," he added.

RELATED: Woke mob raising funds for trans-surgery to PROTEST Tacoma brewery's political donation

El-Sayed Called for Universal Health Care for Trans ‘Undocumented Persons’

Cole Wozniak, a campaign spokesman for El-Sayed, released a brief statement that implied El-Sayed still supports transgender surgeries for illegal aliens.

"Abdul wants to guarantee health care for every single American taxpayer and believes that medical decisions should be between a patient, their family, and their doctor," said Wozniak.

Ironically, support for transgender surgeries for illegal aliens was one of the many issues that doomed the presidential campaign of Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024. In a brutally effective campaign ad, Harris is seen promoting trans-related surgery for prison inmates. The ad closes with the memorable line "Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you."

An April 2025 poll by the American Principles Project found that 66% of American adults oppose the federal government paying for any transgender surgeries or gender reassignment treatments.

Here's the latest polling in the contest between El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers, according to the Blaze News Poll Watch:

Michigan Senate polls 2026: El-Sayed vs. Rogers

Michigan Senate polls 2026: El-Sayed vs. Rogers pollwatch.theblaze.com

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A 24-year-old Kansas man is in federal custody after allegedly threatening on Facebook to kill President Donald Trump.

Jaden J. Read was arrested after the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas charged him with making threats against the president, according to a Monday Justice Department press release.

'Let's shoot Trump honestly, where's our shooter?'

Read allegedly claimed to know exactly where President Donald Trump would speak during his visit to the Wichita area on Monday.

"IK where your speech will be. Already mapped out roofs around. Finna get kirked since yall couldn't help him," Read allegedly wrote.

"Kirked" is a reference to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and has become popular among left-wingers wishing death on conservatives.

A Crime Stoppers tip made on Thursday pointed authorities to Read's comments under a KAKE News Facebook post about the president's upcoming trip, according to the DOJ.

"Let's shoot Trump honestly, where's our shooter? I'm tired of living this money life," the one comment allegedly read.

"I just got a 308 and 305 round and I'm killing this pedo," Read also allegedly posted.

RELATED: Justice Department seeks to BLOCK ballots of 20,000 alleged noncitizen voters in California

Photo courtesy of Charlie Kirk

Under a separate post from KWCH 12 News, Read allegedly wrote, "Can we shoot him in Kansas please I will myself."

The rooftop comment came about a minute later, according to prosecutors.

It follows the July 2024 attempt on Trump's life. Thomas Crooks shot and wounded the then-candidate from a rooftop in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Charlie Kirk was shot from a rooftop at Utah Valley University in September 2025.

The complaint was filed Saturday, and Read was arrested in Clearwater the same day. He will remain in custody until a detention hearing, according to the DOJ. No hearing date has been made public.

If found guilty, Read faces up to five years in prison under the federal law barring threats against the president.

The Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Highway Patrol, and Wichita Police Department were all involved in the investigation, according to the release.

Trump went ahead with his Monday event at Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, just north of Wichita.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Kriegshauser issued a stern statement for would-be assassins and those threatening the president online or offline.

"Political violence and threats of political violence will not be tolerated," he said in the release.

"The First Amendment allows for robust disagreement, but there are constraints," Kriegshauser said, cautioning people "to stay within the bounds of constitutionally protected speech."

The Secret Service, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Highway Patrol, U.S. Attorney's Office, and Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The attorney listed for Read did not immediately 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!

Would you play a video game made entirely with AI? The CEO of Epic Games thinks you will, as he just forbade his employees to write code by hand on the company’s next big game, instead pivoting to AI-driven development. Naturally, this caused plenty of backlash online, and both players and the employees reportedly aren’t happy with the decision.

Artificial intelligence has proliferated in virtually every industry, claiming to boost productivity and output for better results. Some employees aren’t so sure, though, as fears mount over job loss and individual autonomy.

‘Much of the room wants it to be 2016 again, but it's not.’

Not to be deterred, AI proponent and CEO of Epic Games Tim Sweeney is going all in on AI to develop the company’s next big project, an unnamed Star Wars-themed shooter. Disney officially backs the game as part of the company’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games in 2024. Epic Games, of course, is known as the maker of one of the biggest titles on the planet, Fortnite, and the developer of the wildly popular game creation platform Unreal Engine.

Sweeney boldly made the announcement on his X page, writing:

We have a huge pivot underway here at Epic, moving developers around to retool for maximum AI acceleration.

The aim isn't to do the same stuff with fewer people, but to enable everyone here to build MORE and BETTER stuff, and to bring the benefits to all teams using Unreal.

Under the new guidance, Epic Games employees will reportedly use Claude to write the underlying code and to create the visual assets found in the unreleased game, in place of handwritten code.

The backlash was almost immediate, with players throwing rocks in Sweeney’s comment section. “Your inability to read the room is really really astounding, Tim,” wrote one user.

“Your employees are wondering how they're going to survive in this nightmare and you can't empathize because you're too far removed from where you began,” said another.

Ever adamant to defend his position, Sweeney hit back with his own retort:

Much of the room wants it to be 2016 again, but it's not. Our job, as the provider of tools and technology to much of the industry, is to design for the present that is and the future that will soon be. Personally I'm optimistic about it and see it as empowering for creators.

Sweeney’s stance is simple. AI is a new technology that, in his eyes, will enable the next generation of game development. He even said as much several days after his announcement:

The games we've long wanted, which didn't exist because they'd cost several times more to make than they'd earn back, will soon become possible. As will the games developers wanted to build, but couldn't with the resources available. It'll be a new golden age of gaming.

That remains to be seen. Gamers notoriously oppose AI, labeling it as “slop” for ripping off other artists’ character designs, art styles, and assets, before reassembling them into original projects that, in the end, aren’t all that original at all. From their perspective, AI is a thief that steals existing IP and regurgitates it into a cheap imitation of real art. They hate it.

To drive this point home, another critic wrote in response to Sweeney’s announcement: “[Billionaires are] used to managing & directing, not making things themselves. Of course they can't see the difference. They don't understand your love for the craft. Keep making personal, beautiful games.”

RELATED: The first good James Bond game in a generation has 007 detoxing from DEI

INA FASSBENDER/AFP/Getty Images

Sweeney may be optimistic about the future of AI in the gaming industry, but players — the same ones who adamantly oppose this technology today — are the ones he has to win over. Without gamer support, Epic Games doesn’t have a player base or a business.

So far, Sweeney’s combative takedown of AI critics isn’t winning their support, calling the opposition “bulls**t” and throwing insults like “Up yours!” To that, the critic replied, “Your employees are liking my post, they reach out to me all the time. We're just sick of seeing 'adapt or die', we want to choose our own paths just like you did yourself.”

Gamers aren’t the only ones unhappy. Epic Games employees are also reportedly “stunned” by the decision while also confirming that the reports are true.

We reached out to Epic Games for comment on whether other games in its portfolio, like Fortnite, will be given the same AI mandate, or if these new rules are just for the upcoming Star Wars title. We did not receive a response by the deadline.

That said, it’s clear that the company is using AI on other projects. Just last week. Epic Games released a new vibe-coded version of its PC game launcher, boasting faster startup times than Steam. Unfortunately for Epic Games, Valve released a new version of the Steam launcher that beat the startup time of the new Epic Games Launcher just days later.

The new Star Wars title from Epic Games was supposed to be ready by March 2027, though it is now indefinitely delayed, presumably until Epic Games can use AI to fix whatever Sweeney believes was broken. After that, we’ll finally know if AI has any place in the gaming industry, or if this experiment goes up in smoke along with Disney’s $1.5 billion investment.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Chris D'Elia hates making his material political, and activists hate that.

That's why when the comedian gave his latest take on the war between Israel and Palestine, he knew it was going to ruffle some feathers.

'Guys, how can we report him?'

Choose or lose

For years, the New Jersey native has told fans he doesn't want to use his act to take sides, a policy he reiterated during a recent appearance at the Improv.

"People will be like, 'You have a following, are you going to say something about Gaza?'" the comedian began.

D'Elia's reply was short and to the point: "Where's that?"

When he gets asked, "Well, are you for Palestine or Israel?" D'Elia has a response for that too:

"I don't watch soccer, I don't know! I hope they have a good game."

While the joke killed with the live audience, D'Elia knew what he was getting into when he posted it online:

"I'm sure the comment section below will make us all feel really good and happy," he wrote.

The social media activists did not disappoint.

RELATED: Iron MAGA? Comedian Chris D'Elia rants that in 'real life,' Marvel heroes would all vote GOP

Peanut gallery

"It's ok to be spineless and stand for nothing," a Lebanese man said.

"You can be funny and stand for justice at the same time, you do not have to compromise one for the other," another man, with "FreePalestine" in his profile replied.

"Damn chris been bought out by [Israel]," said another.

"Guys, how can we report him?" asked an Indian man.

Many other comments took D'Elia's non-stance as a stance in itself, saying they now understood him to be a supporter of Israel.

RELATED: 'Supergirl' star proclaims character is 'probably' bisexual and definitely doesn't need a man

Gun nuts

The joke police always come out in full force whenever the comic even broaches the subject of politics, which he does more often than he may be willing to admit.

In January, D'Elia went out on a limb and joked that he thinks all superheroes are secretly Republicans.

"Who's Republican, dude? Wolverine! Cyclops! Professor X, hello?! You think he's out there — in his mind, he's like, 'But secretly, f**k these woke, white, liberal women.' Killing them left and right, dude, with his brain."

Not that D'Elia spares the GOP. Last year, D'Elia caricatured conservatives as trigger-happy gun nuts while recounting being accosted by a liberal petitioner who wanted him to give a signature to support abortion rights.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Americans always imagined the future would be filled with flying cars, and now Elon Musk is making that dream a reality.

Alongside designer leader Lars Moravy, Elon unveiled the new Tesla Roadster that can cling to a track upside down using powerful suction fans and pull off stunts with technology borrowed from SpaceX.

“Elon Musk, like a year ago, was talking about this new thing, and he wouldn’t say what it was, but he kind of did. He basically said, ‘Yeah, there’s a flying car coming.’ And so … we got a demonstration,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray says, before playing the clip of the unveiling.

On what resembled a gravity-defying Hot Wheels track, the roadster drove up the track before flipping off and safely landing on the ground.

“We have ... a fan suction system on the bottom of the car that can pull up to two G’s in order to make the car go upside down. And then we borrowed some technology from SpaceX to do the rest,” Moravy explained.

“Yeah, I mean, this car really sucks,” Elon joked.

“This car could suck the chrome off a trailer hitch,” he said. “It could suck a tennis ball through a hose pipe. And it could stick upside down. Now, you might say, like, how often do you want to stick upside down in a car, right?”

“Maybe not that often, but it actually has an actual benefit on the track or just driving, where the downforce of the car means you can corner incredibly well. Like you can corner it like it looks like you’re breaking physics because the car sticks to the ground so hard,” he continued.

“It’s going to crush every track record that has ever existed,” he added.

“What damage is that going to do to the roads?” Jeff Fisher asks.

Gray agrees, adding, “That’s what I was wondering, because that’s an issue.”

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.

A Florida female with a blood alcohol content over three times the legal limit tried to pick up a child at an elementary school last week, police said.

A staff member at Wadsworth Elementary School in Palm Coast on Thursday notified a school resource deputy that a woman in the front lobby was trying to pick up a child and appeared impaired, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.

'Am I in trouble?'

School staff reported that the woman struggled getting in the door, had slurred speech and glassy eyes, and could not legibly write the name of the student she was trying to sign out, authorities said.

Deputies confronted the woman and identified her as Rebecca Beard, 28, of Palm Coast, officials said.

While speaking with Beard, deputies smelled alcohol on her breath and noticed she had slurred speech, was visibly unsteady, and appeared very tired, officials said, adding that Beard told deputies she had taken prescription medication the night before and was drowsy.

Deputies reviewed surveillance video showing her driving in an erratic manner while entering the school’s parking lot, officials said.

Despite her signs of impairment, Beard insisted she was able to drive, so deputies conducted a series of field sobriety exercises, officials said.

"Am I in trouble?" Beard is heard asking deputies on bodycam video prior to the exercise.

During the exercises, deputies observed that Beard repeatedly failed to follow instructions and struggled to maintain her balance — and as a result, deputies determined she couldn't safely operate a vehicle, officials said.

RELATED: Florida female, 24, allegedly plows into parked car, smacks car's owner — and her DUI arrest video is a hoot

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman for DUI after she was attempting to pick up a child from school while impaired.Deputies determined the woman had driven with a blood alcohol content over three times the legal limit.READ: https://t.co/J4iETC5ts5 https://t.co/0qqD8At8dR
— Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (@FlaglerSheriff) October 16, 2026

Deputies arrested Beard for DUI, officials said.

Beard was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she provided breath tests, officials said, adding that the first test showed a blood alcohol content of 0.298, and the second showed a blood alcohol content of 0.294.

Deputies determined Beard had driven to the school with a blood alcohol content over three times the legal limit, officials said.

Deputies later searched Beard’s vehicle and found a large empty bottle of vodka under the back passenger seat, officials said.

“This woman endangered all the drivers on the roadway, children and cars on the campus, and had planned to pick up a student and try to drive home drunk, once again endangering everyone,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I am thankful that school staff was vigilant and alerted the SRD and deputies so they could intervene. This is a great example of ‘See Something, Say Something’ in action and our school staff and deputies working together to keep our children safe.”

Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore added that "we are proud to see our employees putting ‘See Something, Say Something’ to work to help keep our students and our campuses safe. It takes everyone working together to safeguard our amazing students.”

Beard was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she was later released on a $1,000 bond, officials said.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Nearly half a year after the wild success of Fitbit Air, Google’s wearable division just released a second fitness tracker with even more features. Fitbit Edge slots directly between the sleek Air and Pixel Watch as a goldilocks option for many users, but its price could be a deterrent for some.

Fitbit has coasted along since Google acquired it in 2021, releasing iterative updates to its existing trackers but falling short of launching anything groundbreakingly new. That changed this year, when Google introduced the ultra-slim Fitbit Air. During my extensive trial period, I loved Air for its sleek, lightweight, and simple design, though the AI-powered Coach hallucinated too much to be reliable for anything other than a neat toy to play with.

At first glance, Fitbit Edge is poised as an upscaled version of Charge with a bit of design language borrowed from Pixel Watch.

One thing noticeably absent from Fitbit Air was a display. This was by design, of course. Fitbit Air was meant to be a no-muss-no-fuss tracker with as few distractions as possible. No bright lights. No notifications. Instead, it just sits on the wrist, silently collecting data and ushering it into the new Google Health app.

Some users aren’t happy with such a simple device. They want to be able to see their data without grabbing their phone, opening an app, and syncing their tracker. For those users, Fitbit Edge may be a better option.

Fitbit Edge is an entirely brand-new device from Fitbit. It slides directly between the simplified Fitbit Air and the more robust Pixel Watch in both price and features. It also replaces a long-time fan favorite device, the Fitbit Charge, that originally launched in 2014. Rest in peace.

At first glance, Fitbit Edge is poised as an upscaled version of Charge with a bit of design language borrowed from Pixel Watch. Unlike the plastic and fabric that makes up Air, Edge has an oblong aluminum frame that comes in four distinct colors — matte black, satin silver, satin pyrite, and champagne gold — paired with a silicone Active Band in obsidian (black), fog (light blue), olive, and canyon (coral pink). Continuing its partnership with Stephen Curry, Fitbit also offers a Stephen Curry special edition fabric band.

The user interface is extremely simple. There’s only one button on the side that can be used to wake the device, or start and stop workouts. As for the 1.3” AMOLED color display, it’s fully touch compatible, so you can use it to swipe through data as you would on a typical smartwatch.

Google claims Fitbit Edge gets a full seven days of battery life. This will need to be tested after the device launches, but if it’s true, that would put it on par with the Fitbit Air that also achieves approximately seven days per charge. This number is even more impressive with Edge, though, since it also needs more power to light the always-on AMOLED display.

RELATED: Google Health just dropped. Should you trust it with your data?

Zach Laidlaw

When it comes to data duty, Fitbit Edge collects the important metrics you’d expect from a Google fitness tracker — continuous heart rate, oxygen levels, and sleep quality, and it includes an entire array of heart health features, like AFib detection, irregular heart rate notifications, and high/low heart rate alerts.

Google unveiled several new features in August, collectively dubbed Health Guardian, that are built into Fitbit Edge. Insulin resistance trends use heart rate data to look for signs of early blood glucose complications, all without penetrating the skin or requiring a blood sample. Meanwhile, blood pressure trends also use heart rate data to search for potential signs of high blood pressure without requiring a dedicated blood pressure cuff. Health Guardian is coming to Fitbit Air soon, but it will launch on day one with Edge. To get the most out of Health Guardian, however, the entire feature set, with sleep breathing quality thrown in, is reserved for Pixel Watch.

Two things that Fitbit Edge has that Air doesn’t — a built-in GPS sensor and an altimeter. Both can be used during outdoor workouts to map runs and track elevation changes. To get this data with Fitbit Air, you’d need to bring your phone during a workout session, but Edge can gather these on its own.

All of this is meant to prop up Google’s AI-powered Coach that’s built into the Google Health app. After nearly half a year since it launched, Coach is still fundamentally flawed, in that it can occasionally misinterpret data or even hallucinate results, especially if there are gaps in the data. Presumably, Google will improve Coach over time, and while it remains an interesting tool to tinker with, I wouldn’t stake your health on it just yet. Take whatever it says with a grain of salt, at least for now.

If you love Fitbit hardware or software, and you like fitness trackers with built-in displays, Fitbit Edge might just be for you. If you walk or run outside often and you want to map your runs without bringing your phone, Fitbit Edge also might be for you. However, for the vast majority of people who just want a simple fitness tracker that gets the basics right, it’s hard to overlook Fitbit Air, especially at just $99.99.

If the latter sounds more like your speed, check out the latest entry in our long-term Fitbit Air review that covers the device as it ages, as well as any new features and bug fixes that roll out along the way.

As for Fitbit Edge, it’s currently available for preorder at $179.99 — almost double the price of Fitbit Air, just for the privilege of an added display and a couple extra sensors, and $20 more than the defunct Charge 6. Only you can decide if the price is worth it, but to me, it makes Fitbit Air all that much more appealing. Fitbit Edge is expected to ship later this month when devices hit store shelves on Tuesday, October 27.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The WNBA is not enforcing its own rules when it comes to "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Fans noticed on Monday that for the second straight game, both teams in the WNBA finals fled the court before the national anthem was played.

'The anthem does not represent freedom, justice, and liberty for all Americans.'

The WNBA finals between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream has the league getting widespread attention for all the wrong reasons — again.

Fans and media noticed that the teams headed to their locker rooms before the anthem on Saturday night and were anticipating the same for Game 2 on Monday.

It seemed not even beloved singer Alanis Morissette could keep the teams' attention, as the Dream were seen walking off the court before her performance, followed by the Valkyries jogging to the locker room as the anthem was starting.

A video from Fox News stated that "both teams" returned to the floor "moments after" the national anthem ended.

Despite zero comment or reprimand from the WNBA, both teams appear to be in direct violation of league rules, which state in the 2026 rule book that the national anthem is to be a "dignified" event:

"Players, coaches, and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on the foul line during the playing of the National Anthem," the rule book reads.

Unfortunately, however, WNBA teams have a storied history of skipping the anthem on a regular basis, with league officials previously signaling that they have no problem with it.

RELATED: Philly women's sports bar named after transgender activist closes following claims it wasn't inclusive enough

As reported by the Associated Press, the league suspended its anthem protocol through a memo in 2017, originally in response to seemingly racist events in Charlottesville, Virginia.

It should be noted that in 2026, the Department of Justice charged the Southern Poverty Law Center for allegedly sending more than $270,000 to a person to help plan, and attend, the alleged white nationalist rally.

The Dream have been skipping the anthem frequently in the years since. A set of pregame notes from 2020 highlighted the players' association's stance that "the anthem does not represent freedom, justice, and liberty for all Americans" and that players would continue to protest it "in various forms."

This continued through the 2026 season, even when other teams remained on the court.

The Valkyries, on the other hand, have never taken part in the national anthem since their inaugural 2025 season, the AP reported.

RELATED: Be like Mike: Michael Jordan NBA Finals jersey sells for world-record price at auction

Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

The WNBA has stayed silent in the media over the matter, seemingly not responding to any media requests from other outlets.

Blaze News also reached out to the Atlanta Dream and the WNBA for comment and did not receive a response.

Game 3 of the WNBA Finals tips off at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The series is currently tied 1-1.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

I went to see Peter Thiel deliver one of his "Antichrist" lectures in Nashville, Tennessee, recently.

It was held in the Grand Lodge of the Masonic Temple of Freemasons, a beautiful old building just up the street from Nashville’s famous Broadway strip.

To my right were two enthusiastic Indian men in their mid-20s. I didn’t talk to them, but they seemed like girls at a Taylor Swift concert.

Doors opened at five, the lecture started at six. I wanted to be there early for maximum people-watching. I was curious who exactly was going to these lectures.

Peter Thiel was a member of the original “PayPal mafia," so he’s of obvious interest to techies. Since PayPal, he’s continued to build and invest in other tech projects, most recently Palantir, which has been controversial. (Some people worry about its surveillance possibilities.)

Thiel is also a notable conservative and has generously contributed to like-minded political and cultural causes. Rumors often swirl among right-leaning creatives and artists, who among them might be getting precious “Thiel bucks.”

Apocalypse-maxxing

But now, with his fortune made and his iconic status locked in, Thiel had branched out into a new area: religious and philosophical discourse.

In his "Antichrist" lectures, Thiel was discussing the philosophical ramifications of a world dictator — as described in the New Testament — who would inevitably rise up in a climate of constant fearmongering and societal decline.

So would the attendees of Thiel’s lectures be students of philosophy and biblical history? Well, probably not.

I suspected most Thiel fans were still mostly fascinated by his vast wealth and technological genius, his relationship with Elon Musk, his thoughts on late-Trumpism. Things like that.

But if he wanted to talk about Aristotle and biblical prophecy, well OK, they were willing to hear about that.

Young and conservative in America

I pulled up in my Uber in front of the Grand Lodge. Attendees were mingling on the steps outside, along with an impressive amount of security personnel.

As with most conservative events, there were a lot of young men dressed in coats and ties. They too were gathered on the front stairs, as cars and ride-shares pulled up, delivering more guests for the event. It looked a little like a movie premiere at times.

I passed through security and entered the building. Inside, there was more security and an airport-style screening machine. More young men in coats and ties were gathered there as well.

I noticed how happy everyone looked. For these guys, living under the constant weight of wokeism (even in Tennessee), tonight was a moment of unity and camaraderie.

You could see it in their faces. What a relief it was to come together like this. Especially around a figure like Peter Thiel, a shining example of conservative competence, excellence, and success.

VIP seating

I eventually made it to my seat in the VIP section. I introduced myself to the man on my left. He was a pastor and had recently run for governor in his state but lost in the Republican primary.

To my right were two enthusiastic Indian men in their mid-20s. I didn’t talk to them, but they seemed like girls at a Taylor Swift concert, anxious and impatient to see their hero in the flesh.

I have to admit, I was excited too. It was fun being in that room. I kept scanning the audience. Smart, good-looking people everywhere. Everyone buzzing with anticipation ...

White vs. black

Without fanfare, Thiel came to the podium and began his talk. People settled in. He mostly read his lecture, which wasn’t ideal, but he was engaging. And there were some funny bits.

I found his attire interesting. He was dressed all in white: white T-shirt, white skinny jeans, futuristic white sneakers. What does that mean? I wondered.

For that matter, why is the Antichrist such an important concept for Thiel? How does it relate to him?

Leftist critics say these lectures are a way for Thiel to strike back at those who would try to restrict Palantir. Others wonder if Thiel will become an “Antichrist” himself, if Palantir becomes an invasive surveillance apparatus.

Either way, if he’s dressing all in white, Thiel must think of himself as the “good guy.”

Remembrance of things past

Another thought I had: Peter Thiel was a philosophy major at Stanford as an undergrad, after which he went to Stanford Law School, where he began his pursuit of money, power, and influence.

What if now that he has achieved so much, he feels isolated and alone and nostalgic for his pre-celebrity youth?

What if the best memories of his life were those years at Stanford, where, while still a teenager, he spent late nights with his fellow philosophy students talking about “stoicism” and “ethics” and “the ultimate purpose of life”?

What if those undergrad days were the last moments of innocence and genuine intellectual curiosity he had before feeding himself into the capitalist technology machine?

Maybe this lecture series was his attempt to return to those carefree days, when he didn’t have to travel with a security detail, before he was forced into the technocratic hero/villain roles he will never escape.

Maybe Peter Thiel wants to be 19 again. A student. A lover of knowledge. Without all the baggage his fame and fortune have forced on him.

Democrat Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton is leading Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the polls by 3.6 percentage points with Election Day just two weeks away. It appears, however, that Acton's mother may have thrown Ramaswamy a lifeline.

D.J. Byrnes, an Ohio political blogger who was found guilty of sexual harassment earlier this month for sending a pornographic image of Shrek to Republican state Sen. Jerry Cirino, reported last week on "rumblings" that Ramaswamy had "co-opted Dr. Amy Acton's estranged mother for an endorsement video."

'If you think she'll make your life better, you're fooling yourself.'

Ohio Gubernatorial polls 2026: Acton vs. Ramaswamy.pollwatch.theblaze.com

On Monday night, an X account affiliated with Byrnes shared a minute-long ad featuring a woman who identifies herself as Donna Arthur, "Amy Acton's mother." Acton's campaign confirmed that the woman in the video is the Democrat's mother.

Acton's mother states in the video:

I love my daughter, but when I saw her lying about her opponent, and it's not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem. She is a liar. She lies about her past. She says she grew up living in a tent. None of that is true.

Acton, the former director of the Ohio Department of Health who earned the moniker "Dr. Lockdown" by curtailing basic liberties during the pandemic in the Buckeye State, has long shared a bootstrap sob story about growing up in a dysfunctional family from Youngstown, living in a tent, alleged molestation, and moving around the country.

"Homelessness is an issue that is very near and dear to my heart," the Democrat told the Toledo Blade in 2020. "It is something I experienced as a kid."

Acton said in a 2020 interview with WKBN-TV that she lived in 18 different places by the time she was 12; was stigmatized as a child because she was "dirty and smelly"; and was fed by strangers who knew that she and her brother "were hungry."

RELATED: Senior Michigan Democrats make announcement sure to give El-Sayed an ulcer: 'Party loyalty is not blind obedience'

Jon Cherry/Getty Images

The pro-abortion Democrat's campaign site presently claims that "Amy Acton faced a difficult childhood. She overcame periods of abuse, hunger, and neglect, and even wound up living in a tent in the middle of winter. That challenging upbringing molded the values and determination that have shaped a career dedicated to lifting others."

"She's lied her entire life," Arthur says in the video.

"My daughter needs help, and she can't help you if she needs help herself. People can change, but first they have to tell the truth, and my daughter still isn't doing that," Arthur continues. "Don't vote for people who lie. Don't let her become your governor. If you think she'll make your life better, you're fooling yourself. It will only get worse."

Ramaswamy's campaign and Arthur did not respond by deadline to Blaze News' requests for comment.

The Acton campaign has released a statement from Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, noting, "It's not surprising that Vivek Ramaswamy has stooped to such a despicable low as to attempt to turn the sexual abuse Amy endured at 12 years old from our birth mother’s husband into a political talking point."

"After he was arrested and Amy and I were removed from their custody, our birth mother stayed married to Amy’s rapist until he died," continued Stearns. "This desperate, disgusting attack reveals exactly who Vivek Ramaswamy is at his core — a pathetic excuse for a man who is willing to hurt anyone as long as it gets him what he wants."

Acton's estranged mother has previously cast doubt on the Democrat's origin story.

Donna Arthur told the pro-life organization Operation Rescue in 2020 that after leaving Acton's biological father because he was allegedly abusive, she was a single mom for several years.

During this time, Arthur claimed that her family was never homeless and always fed. She claimed further that instead of living in 18 locations, they lived in only four homes until her remarriage, after which time there were only two additional moves.

A cleaner version of the video was shared by Walter Curt, Ohio state director of the Conservative Caucus, and has since gone viral online.

Conservative author Rod Dreher wrote, "Well, I guess that's one lady who's not going to get a Mother's Day card next year! Holy cow!"

Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell noted, "Nobody enjoys hearing a mother say these things about her child. Arthur says she loves her daughter, and there is no reason to doubt her. Speaking out against your own child in a statewide race carries a heavy personal cost, and Arthur chose to bear it anyway."

"Ohio cannot afford a governor who rewrites her own history when it suits her," continued Blackwell. "The woman who has known Amy Acton longer than anyone is warning that she does."

Arthur's claims about her daughter needing help come a month after a Washington Examiner report highlighted concerns about Acton's mental stability in her previous role as Ohio's top health official.

According to interviews with current and former state government workers, Acton allegedly: missed so many crucial meetings about COVID while director of the Ohio Department of Health that Republican Gov. Mike DeWine asked about her whereabouts; was once found "curled up" in the fetal position on the floor prior to an emergency response meeting; was observed "constantly crying on the job"; and "acted passive-aggressively toward subordinates who said something she disagreed with."

The Acton campaign denied the claims in the Examiner report, calling them "disgusting lies and desperate mischaracterizations."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) is crying political persecution after federal agents reportedly searched her Washington, D.C., home — accusing the Trump administration of weaponizing federal law enforcement against its political opponents.

“I’m ok. Make no mistake: this is an attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement. For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation. I will not be silenced,” Omar said in a post on X.

“She will not be silenced,” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere mocks.

“No, she will not be when it matters,” co-host Dave Landau says, joking, “We all leared something new.”

“The most likely scenario multiple people claimed is that immigration cops are looking into a long-floated rumor that Omar is actually one year older than she has long claimed to be. A tiny detail that may put her citizenship in jeopardy,” Stu explains, reading from a New York Post article.

“The issue here is that if she came as a child, she would be automatically a citizen because she came at least as far as this particular part of the law goes. If she’s 18, she would have a different set of restrictions and actually could be deported, which of course is definitely what Donald Trump wants to do,” Stu explains.

“Now he’s not necessarily saying that he had anything to do with this. In fact, he’s saying he didn’t,” he adds, playing a clip of Trump commenting on the situation.

“Well, I understand they’re looking at her very carefully, I’ve always found her to be totally crooked personally, but that has nothing to do with me. I think she’s a terrible person, just a complainer. She comes from a country that is a non-country. And then she comes over here and she complains about our Constitution,” Trump said.

“I think she’s a terrible person but that’s really up to the DOJ,” he added.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani does not share Trump’s sentiment.

“This morning, the federal government turned the full force of the Department of Homeland Security against a sitting member of Congress for the offense of disagreeing with the White House. The path to citizenship should not be weaponized against anyone, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, a naturalized American who swore an oath to this country — the same one that I took,” Mamdani wrote in a post on X.

“The promise of citizenship should not be contingent on someone agreeing with the federal government,” he added.

“Another thing that shouldn’t happen is the New York City mayor commenting on an issue, a local Minnesota issue about a congresswoman who’s from Minnesota,” Su says.

“It’s got nothing, literally, nothing to do with Mayor Mamdani other than the fact that they share socialism as their religion and a false god,” he 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.