The Blaze

'We was bored!' Hundreds of teens rampage Bronx mall, tangle with cops in planned Presidents' Day 'takeover'

2 weeks 2 days ago


Hundreds of teens rampaged a Bronx shopping mall and tangled with police Monday on their day off from school — Presidents' Day.

News 12 reported that the planned "takeover" at the Mall at Bay Plaza commenced around 2 p.m.

'This is embarrassing. Bored? Read a book, invent something.'

Officers responded to reports of up to 200 teenagers being disorderly, WABC-TV reported.

"This is insane. I mean, I haven't seen it this bad ever," one neighbor, Keshana, told News 12.

The takeover spread throughout several businesses, including a McDonald's just outside the mall, News 12 said, adding that a window at the fast-food restaurant was shattered.

"A bunch of kids just came in here they were breaking everything," employee William Norman told News 12. "I was scared for my life, man. I got kids at home."

WABC reported that the teens appeared to challenge officers; the New York Post said some of them were "appearing to resist and fight the cops."

RELATED: Massive mall brawl: 300 teens descend upon shopping mall, run amok, fight — even with cops. TikTok influencer set 'meetup.'

Indeed, one clip posted to X shows officers trying to bring a fleeing male under control, but he escapes after his comrades appear to join his tangle with police. One officer appears to take a swing at one of the mob members.

A News 12 reporter asked a group of teens on camera for the reason behind their behavior, and several replied with laughter, "We was bored!"

RELATED: 73 arrests, 3 stabbings, brawls, and a boardwalk shutdown in a Jersey Shore town over Memorial Day weekend: 'It wasn't great'

Authorities told News 12 that officers issued multiple warnings and ordered the large, disorderly group to disperse.

News 12 added that the takeover plan was shared on social media and that it was supposed to end after the teens were "kicked out."

A mall spokesperson told News 12 that the mall didn't close despite the chaotic event, which was "resolved quickly."

Eighteen were taken into custody, News 12 said. WABC reported that the exact charges are pending.

Commenters responding to News 12's video report didn't take kindly to the teens' actions — particularly their stated reason:

  • "They were bored???" one commenter reacted. "God forbid they stay home and pick up a book to read or maybe study or do some chores."
  • "This is embarrassing. Bored? Read a book, invent something," another commenter suggested.
  • Bored? They have free wifi all over the place where you can be online for hours and yet still bored," another commenter argued.
  • "They're not bored, they're bums because their parents are bums too," another commenter declared.
  • "Bored? If they are bored, do something positive like [clean] up the neighborhood," another commenter offered.

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

Dave Urbanski

Suspected gunman arrested outside Congress

2 weeks 2 days ago


Capitol Police announced that they arrested an individual who "appears" to have been carrying a gun outside Congress.

Law enforcement issued a statement Tuesday that officers had arrested a person with "what appears to be a gun" near the United States Capitol, cautioning employees and bystanders to avoid the area.

'One person is in custody.'

"Our officers just arrested a person with what appears to be a gun near the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building," the statement reads. "Please avoid the area. We will provide more information when new information is confirmed."

Capitol Police also announced that they temporarily closed Maryland Avenue between First and Third Streets Southwest while they continue their investigation.

RELATED: FBI forced to release damning docs revealing chilling new details on Trump's would-be assassin

Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Moments after releasing their initial statement, law enforcement said that there does not appear to be any ongoing threat, but advised people to continue avoiding the area.

"At this time, there does not appear to be any other suspects or ongoing threat," the statement reads. "Out of an abundance of caution, please continue to stay away from the area while we investigate and collect evidence. Again, at this time, one person is in custody."

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

Rebeka Zeljko

Hakeem Jeffries pressures Maryland Democrat over one Republican-held congressional seat

2 weeks 2 days ago


House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has pledged to intervene in Maryland's redistricting stalemate after the state's Senate president, also a Democrat, broke ranks with his party to block the effort.

State Democrats' redistricting bill, House Bill 488, breezed through the House in early February by a vote of 99-37, mostly along party lines. If passed, the bill would redraw Maryland's congressional districts to make the state's sole Republican-held seat significantly more competitive for Democrats. However, the legislation remains stalled in the Senate.

'At some point, I am going to have to have a conversation with him if he continues to stand in the way of an up or down vote.'

Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson penned a letter to his colleagues detailing his refusal to bring a mid-cycle redistricting bill to the Senate floor for a vote.

"Despite deeply shared frustrations about the state of our country, mid-cycle redistricting for Maryland presents a reality where the legal risks are too high, the timeline for action is dangerous, the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic, and the certainty of our existing map would be undermined," Ferguson wrote.

He acknowledged that he and the Democratic Party are feeling pressure to "fight back" against Republicans' redistricting efforts in Texas and North Carolina. However, he claimed that the risk to potentially "gain a seat not worth pursuing" was "too high."

Ferguson explained that any attempt to redistrict would almost certainly prompt Republicans to challenge the map, potentially sending the case to the Maryland Supreme Court, which has never reviewed Maryland's current congressional map.

"That means that any redrawing of the current map could reopen the ability for someone to challenge the current map and give the court the opportunity to strike it down, or even worse, redraw the map itself," he wrote.

RELATED: 3 debunked Democrat claims about the SAVE America Act

Bill Ferguson. Katharine Wilson/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Ferguson also speculated that if Maryland redraws its congressional map, other Republican states would likely follow suit.

"That means that Maryland's potential gain of one seat is immediately eliminated, and, in fact, worsens the national outlook," he concluded.

Ferguson argued that mid-cycle redistricting "twists rules for potential short-term advantage." However, he claimed that was "not the reason we should not pursue it."

"Simply put, it is too risky and jeopardizes Maryland's ability to fight against the radical Trump Administration," he told his fellow Democrats.

RELATED: Black Democrat governor vetoed slavery reparations bill — but other Dems in his state have now kept it alive

Bill Ferguson and Wes Moore. Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) has urged Ferguson to allow the Senate to vote on the bill.

"My ask is simple: Do not let the democratic process die in the Free State. Debate it, discuss it, make adjustments if necessary, and put it to a vote," Moore stated during a Wednesday press conference.

Ferguson's resistance to bringing the bill to the floor has prompted Rep. Jeffries to intervene in the dispute.

"All we are asking Senate President Ferguson to do is allow democracy to prevail. What that means is an up or down vote," Jeffries told CNN over the weekend. "At some point, I am going to have to have a conversation with him if he continues to stand in the way of an up or down vote. But, hopefully, over the next few days, he will change his mind."

A spokesperson for Ferguson told WBAL-TV in response to Jeffries' comments, "There is nothing more for us to say or do."

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

Candace Hathaway

Allie Beth Stuckey: 'Wuthering Heights' film is ‘hyper-sexualized’ and ‘totally immoral’

2 weeks 2 days ago


The Margot Robbie-led film adaptation of Emily Bronte’s "Wuthering Heights" has been on the tip of every woman's tongue as of late — because the marketing has been aimed at every woman — including BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey.

“I’ve seen all kinds of marketing for this that has been really effective because I thought, OK, I might want to go see this. It’s based on a classic novel,” Stuckey says on “Relatable,” adding that she also is a fan of Margot Robbie.

“So there is, like, this deep obsession in this storyline, and that is true of the book. It is just hyper-sexualized, it seems like in the movie,” she adds.

The story begins with young Catherine Earnshaw and the orphaned Heathcliff — who has no last name — forming an intense bond under her abusive father’s roof.


“Then as adults, their unspoken passion clashes with class barriers. Catherine marries the wealthy, refined Edgar Linton for social security and stability, driving the devastated Heathcliff away. And then years later, Heathcliff returns mysteriously rich and more attractive and transformed,” Stuckey explains.

“And that reignites their fiery, now completely forbidden connection. Not only forbidden because of the class disparity that once existed, but also because she is married. And then she also gets pregnant, and this leads to explicit torrid affairs, and Heathcliff enacts revenge,” she continues.

The story continues on with Heathcliff gaining ultimate control over his enemies' freedom, estates, social standing, and their daily lives.

However, the film is being promoted as “inspired by the greatest love story of all time.”

“It also carries this tagline, which I think is important to the theme that we’re talking about, ‘Drive me mad.’ This idea that the greatest love story of all time has to do with insanity and jealousy and bitterness and cruelty and torture and revenge and also these very, very hypersexual, and it seems even edging on violent, sexual affairs, that these two lovers are having even during pregnancy,” Stuckey says.

The marketing for the film itself has involved actress Margot Robbie and actor Jacob Elordi acting infatuated with each other in their personal lives — despite Robbie being a married mother.

“I think it’s strange how you can kind of push the boundaries of what is acceptable in a relationship between a man and a woman. Not just on screen. I still think there’s something morally wrong with that obviously,” Stuckey says.

“They probably feel this way about each other, which you could argue is troubling in itself. It is also part of marketing. But it is what draws women in ... it builds this idea in women’s minds that this is the greatest love story ever told,” she adds.

Stuckey likens the storyline of "Wuthering Heights" to "The Notebook," which she calls “totally immoral, totally unethical, not at all a healthy idea of what love and romance and marriage and pursuit should look like.”

“But it really does affect the mind of people, married or unmarried, and setting our standards for what romance and love should actually look like,” she adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

BlazeTV Staff

Nancy Guthrie disappearance: Investigators eliminate several potential suspects — including one looming figure

2 weeks 2 days ago


In an important development in the investigation into Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, investigators have cleared several people from the suspect list — including one person who had been heavily scrutinized since Guthrie was first reported missing on February 1.

The New York Post reported on Monday that investigators have ruled out Nancy Guthrie's family from any suspicion in connection with her disappearance.

'The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case.'

“The Guthrie family — to include all siblings and spouses — has been cleared as possible suspects in this case,” Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said Monday, according to Post.

“The family has been nothing but cooperative and gracious and are victims in this case,” he added. “To suggest otherwise is not only wrong, it is cruel. The Guthrie family are victims, plain and simple.”

RELATED: 'It's never too late': Savannah Guthrie posts gut-wrenching video update two weeks after mother's disappearance

Photo by Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images

Investigators have thus ruled out Nancy's children, Savannah, Annie, and Camron, as anything other than victims.

Also included on this list is Annie's husband, Tommaso Cioni, who was reportedly the last person to see Nancy Guthrie alive on January 31.

Prior to this development, Nanos said that he "understands" that Cioni would be subject to suspicion but warned people not to jump to rash judgments without evidence.

“I understand the pundits are out there. They’re gonna say, 'Well, he’s the last one to see her alive.' We understand that stuff. But, my goodness, you’re putting a mark on somebody who could be completely innocent. And more important than that, he’s family," Nanos said, according to the New York Post.

Cioni last saw Nancy around 9:45 p.m. on January 31 after he and Annie had dinner with her, according to reports.

Though a few people were detained by a SWAT team near Nancy's house in Tucson, Arizona, in connection with the investigation late last week, no one has yet been a named as a suspect.

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

Cooper Williamson

Gov. Pritzker's cousin steps down at Hyatt over Epstein relationship

2 weeks 2 days ago


The Department of Justice belatedly released a massive trove of documents related to child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein last month. The documents provide damning insights into the dead pedophile as well as his network of former business associates and friends.

One of the affluent individuals whose name comes up repeatedly in the Epstein files is Thomas Pritzker — cousin of Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker — who has served as executive chairman of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation since August 2004.

'Good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt.'

The 75-year-old billionaire revealed to the board of the hotel chain on Monday that he was retiring, effective immediately, to protect Hyatt from the fallout of his relationship with the dead pedophile.

In his letter to the board, which was reviewed by the New York Times, Pritzker said that "good stewardship also means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, which I deeply regret."

Pritzker noted further that he "exercised terrible judgment in maintaining contact with them, and there is no excuse for failing to distance myself sooner."

The retiring Hyatt executive chairman appears to have maintained a friendship and remained in frequent contact with Epstein long after the sex offender pleaded guilty to procuring a child for prostitution.

In the newly released Epstein files, the email address accompanying Pritzker's name is frequently redacted. However in some cases, it is crossed out but still visible.

RELATED: 'Smoking Gun': Yale prof nearly blown up by Unabomber defends his Epstein emails

Photo by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

Richard Tuttle, chair of the Hyatt board's nominating and corporate governance committee, said in a statement, "Tom’s leadership has been instrumental in shaping Hyatt’s strategy and long-term growth, and we thank him for his service and dedication to Hyatt."

Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt's president and CEO, has stepped into the role left open by the Epstein associate.

Pritzker is among a growing list of individuals whose relationships with Epstein have earned them heightened scrutiny and professional consequences.

After new details about their relationships and/or communications with Epstein came to light:

  • Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigned as chairman and chief executive of the global ports operator DP World;
  • David Gelernter, a Yale University computer science professor who lost a few fingers opening a package sent by the Unabomber, defended a controversial correspondence he had with Epstein and was barred from teaching classes at the university;
  • Peter Mandelson, a prominent Labour Party figure who was appointed Britain's ambassador to the U.S. in 2024 by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, resigned in disgrace from the House of Lords while his protege stepped down as Starmer's right-hand man;
  • Kathy Ruemmler said she was resigning as Goldman Sach's chief legal officer;
  • Brad Karp resigned as chairman of the top U.S. law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP;
  • U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was grilled in a Senate hearing about his 2012 meeting with Epstein at the pedophile's island;
  • New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, who NFL commissioner Roger Goodell indicated might ultimately face an internal investigation, admitted to a "brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments";
  • Letty Moss-Salentijn was stripped of her administrative duties at Columbia University's College of Dental Medicine;
  • Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and former wife of ex-prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, saw her charity, Sarah's Trust, shuttered; and
  • Thorbjørn Jagland, Norway's former prime minister, was charged with aggravated corruption.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Joseph MacKinnon

Armed robber orders female worker at jewelry store to open display case — even zaps her with stun gun — but she fights back

2 weeks 2 days ago


A female worker at a Southern California jewelry store gave an armed robber all he could handle last week amid a scary altercation caught on surveillance video.

Police in Montclair — which is in San Bernardino County and about 35 miles east of Los Angeles — said the suspect entered Fast-Fix Jewelry and Watch Repairs around 7:45 p.m. Thursday holding a small bag, which he he put down before walking back out of the door, KCBS-TV reported.

'I don't want to have that kind of feeling where every customer comes in wearing a hoodie and ... sunglasses, and I have to now tell them, ''Get your sunglasses off, get your hoodie off, get your cap off.'''

The suspect then "looked around outside the business" before going back inside the store and walking to the rear of a glass jewelry display case, where the female employee was standing, the station said.

KCBS said the suspect then allegedly pulled a handgun from his jacket and began demanding that the woman open the jewelry case.

"The suspect raised the gun toward the employee multiple times and used a flashlight in his other hand to push the employee," police said, according to the station.

The employee — who wished to be identified only as Alin — told KCBS she was scared but also enraged, so she fought back.

"He said, 'Don't scream ... just open the case,'" Alin recalled to the station, adding that she pushed him and told him to leave.

"The suspect shattered the glass case with the gun and attempted to grab items from the case, but was pushed out of the business by the employee," police said, according to KCBS.

Alin added to the station that the crook shocked her lower body with a stun gun amid the fight, and he was able to grab some store items before running off.

RELATED: Video: Masked smash-and-grab robbers don't look so scary when jewelry store owner pulls his gun and opens fire

While Alin told KCBS that the encounter shook her up, she wasn't injured.

What's more, she told the station her work at the jewelry store is more than just a job: "It's my brother's store, you know."

The store owner added to KCBS that the robber stole gold pieces, watches, diamond rings, gold chains, and bracelets — adding up to a loss in the thousands of dollars.

"When you have a jewelry store, you feel like you are targeted in these kind of places, to be honest," the store owner, who wished to remain anonymous, noted to the station. "Especially with gold prices soaring so high ..."

The store owner added to KCBS that the incident marks the second time his place of business has been hit by theft, but he's hopeful that state laws can be changed to protect store employees and customers.

"I don't want to have that kind of feeling where every customer comes in wearing a hoodie and ... sunglasses, and I have to now tell them, 'Get your sunglasses off, get your hoodie off, get your cap off.' Is that the way that we should be working?" he told the station.

More from KCBS:

Police say that as the suspect ran from the store, another person hit him with a chair to try and slow him down, but the suspect was able to continue running and was last seen heading west through the mall.

A gun recovered at the scene was found to be an unloaded and inoperable BB gun, according to police.

Police are asking those with more information about the incident to contact them at 909-621-4771, the station said.

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

Dave Urbanski

'Force of nature': President Trump responds to the death of Jesse Jackson

2 weeks 2 days ago


Jesse Jackson, a giant in the civil rights movement and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, died Tuesday morning at age 84.

President Trump took a moment to recall Jackson's achievements and their surprisingly close working relationship.

'He had much to do with the Election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand.'

On Tuesday morning, Trump posted a message on Truth Social remembering the civil rights leader as a "good man" with "street smarts."

"The Reverend Jesse Jackson is Dead at 84. I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and 'street smarts.' He was very gregarious — Someone who truly loved people! Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way," Trump said.

RELATED: Judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibits to presidential home site

Photo by Antonio Dickey/Getty Images

Trump detailed the ways that he helped Jackson throughout the years, especially as president.

"I provided office space for him and his Rainbow Coalition, for years, in the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street; Responded to his request for help in getting CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM passed and signed, when no other President would even try; Single handedly pushed and passed long term funding for Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), which Jesse loved, but also, which other Presidents would not do; Responded to Jesse’s support for Opportunity Zones, the single most successful economic development package yet approved for Black business men/women, and much more," he continued.

"Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him. He had much to do with the Election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand. He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!"

Jackson is widely regarded as Martin Luther King Jr.'s successor in the civil rights movement. He was also a presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988.

The announcement of his "peaceful" death was published Tuesday morning on the Rainbow Coalition's website.

"Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” said the Jackson family. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”

Reverend Jackson is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, their children — Santita, Jesse Jr., Jonathan, Yusef, and Jacqueline — daughter Ashley Jackson, and grandchildren, according to the announcement. Ashley Jackson was born out of wedlock in 1999 to Jackson and Karin Stanford as a result of a four-year affair, according to Primetimer.

Public observances will be held in Chicago; final arrangements for his celebration of life will be announced on the Rainbow PUSH Coalition website.

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

Cooper Williamson

Judge drops hammer on former teacher who sexually assaulted 2 students and was impregnated by one of them

2 weeks 2 days ago


A former teacher found guilty of grooming and sexually abusing two students — including a teen who impregnated her — has learned her fate.

Julie Rizzitello — who had taught at Wall High School in New Jersey — was sentenced last week for her child sex crimes against two students.

'This is the psychological impact. This is the devastation.'

Rizzitello, 37, was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for "separately engaging in numerous sexual acts with two of her students over the course of several years," the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said in a Thursday statement.

In addition, Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley said Rizzitello must be on parole supervision for life, must register as a sex offender under Megan's Law, must permanently forfeit her teaching position, and is barred from contact with her victims.

"These crimes were not isolated incidents constituting moments of poor judgment; they were textbook cases of grooming, involving a defendant who repeatedly leveraged tactics of isolation, manipulation, and control for the sake of her own selfish purposes," Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said of Rizzitello.

Santiago continued, "The egregious nature of the conduct was further compounded by the plain fact that the emotional and psychological harm she inflicted came at the expense of two of the very same young minds she had been entrusted to develop and nurture."

Wall Township Police Chief Sean O’Halloran added, "I want to commend the courage of those who came forward to report these crimes. It is never easy to speak up, especially when the offender is someone in a position of trust."

As Blaze News reported in September, Rizzitello pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree sexual assault. She was was arrested at her Brick Township home on July 3, 2024.

Authorities noted that Rizzitello met one victim when he was a freshman, and the other victim was a junior. Prosecutors said Rizzitello initially spent time with the students alone and developed a "friendly relationship" before it escalated into "sexual activity" that lasted for several months.

The prosecutor's office stated, "The sexual acts with both victims took place largely in three locations: in Rizzitello’s Brick home, in a vehicle at a Wall Township parking lot, and at the Belmar bagel shop owned by Rizzitello’s family, where each victim was employed, at her suggestion."

Investigators revealed that Rizzitello urged both victims to "delete evidence of the crimes from their personal electronic devices."

The Asbury Park Press reported that Rizzitello told one victim she was "unable to get pregnant when she had unprotected sex with him in his family's home on his birthday in January 2018, when Rizzitello was 29," according to a court report the judge read during the sentencing hearing.

Judge O'Malley told the courtroom, "Weeks passed, and she wanted him to come over her house, and she wanted to get a pregnancy test. Turns out she was pregnant. And she believed it was his baby."

O'Malley stated, "She got an abortion. And he knew this because she told him the doctor told her she was eight weeks pregnant, which aligned with them having sex on his birthday."

The judge said the victim had been Rizzitello's student.

O'Malley told Rizzitello, "So now not only does he have to deal with the fact that he was groomed throughout his entire high school years, that he was preyed upon by his teacher, someone he believed he loved and trusted, that he was sexually abused by this teacher, and now he's struggling to come to terms with the fact that this individual had an abortion he wasn't comfortable with."

"This is the psychological impact," the judge declared. "This is the devastation."

RELATED: Teacher of the year arrested for alleged child sex crimes — then she's arrested on similar charges just days later

Citing criminal complaints, the Asbury Park Press reported that Rizzitello sexually assaulted a 17-year-old student multiple times between Nov. 23, 2017, and Jan. 21, 2018.

The second victim was over the age of 18 when sexually abused by Rizzitello. However, New Jersey law prohibits teachers from having sex with students who are younger than 22 years old and who haven't received high school diplomas.

According to the Coast Star and the Ocean Star, one of the victims submitted a statement that was read during the hearing.

"I still think about how this woman was the one person I trusted with every detail in my life. … She is actually a sexual predator. At one point, I thought I was a special part of her life," the victim wrote.

The victim said Rizzitello knew she "could control" him.

"I wish it had not happened this way. I wish it had not happened at all," the victim said.

According to the Coast Star and the Ocean Star, Rizzitello told the judge, "What I’ve done is inexcusable; I know that."

"I hurt my children, my family, and my friends, people who trusted me. I would do absolutely anything in the world to change my choices," Rizzitello said in court.

According to the Asbury Park Press, Rizzitello is married with two children — ages 4 and 6.

Rizzitello's attorney, Mitch Ansell, had asked the judge for a five-year sentence because she has no prior criminal record and because of how her prison stint would affect her children.

"We are left now with two children who are going to be without their mom, and it’s her own doing," Ansell said, according to the Coast Star and the Ocean Star.

Ansell added, "These children didn’t ask for this, and they have to bear this incredible responsibility at a very, very young age."

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

Paul Sacca

'Amateur hour': The Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case through the eyes of a security expert

2 weeks 2 days ago


Though the search is entering its 17th day for “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie’s kidnapped mother, Nancy Guthrie, Spencer Coursen, founder and CEO of the Coursen Security Group and author of “The Safety Trap,” believes that officials are dealing with amateurs.

“What we do know is that she’s missing. What we do know is that there has been no proof of life. And after that, we really cannot verify much more because of the information flow,” Coursen tells Stu.

“But until there is proof of life, a lot of what we are seeing should be treated more as noise and less as signal,” he adds.

And in the recent door-camera video footage released of the alleged kidnappers, Coursen tells Stu that it looks like “amateur hour.”


“Professional kidnappers control communication. They control their environment. Amateurs engage in chaos. And what I am seeing looks more and more like that of chaos than that of control,” Coursen explains.

Stu points out that at one point in the recently released footage, it appears the kidnappers are “trying to block the ring cam with plants.”

“Exactly. If you’re a professional, you have done research and planning up until that point, and then you either know that there’s a Ring camera or a Nest camera or Google camera or some kind of security deterrent, and you either go in the back door where there isn’t one, or you walk up with a spray can,” he says.

“What you don’t do is walk up and go, ‘Oh, camera. Oh, what do I do?’” he continues.

“Professionals conduct an orchestra. Amateurs bang drums.”

Want more from Stu?

To enjoy more of Stu's lethal wit, wisdom, and mockery, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

BlazeTV Staff

Bloody 'trans' rampage at boys' hockey game brought to an end by 'Good Samaritan'

2 weeks 2 days ago


A week after a trans-identifying man went on a rampage in Western Canada, killing six children and two adults, another man who masqueraded as a woman allegedly took aim at innocents — this time at a local skating rink in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Families, students, and supporters flocked to the Dennis M. Lynch Arena on Monday afternoon to watch a boys' high school hockey game between the Blackstone Valley School and Coventry-Johnson co-op teams.

'Do not wonder why we Go BERSERK.'

Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien noted that "what should have been a joyful occasion" was "instead marked by violence and fear."

A man dressed as a woman and believed to have been in the possession of multiple weapons fatally shot two people and left another three victims in critical condition. At least two of the victims are reportedly children.

Coventry Public Schools revealed on Monday evening that all of its students present at the incident "have been accounted for and are safe." Providence Country Day School and St. Raphael Academy also indicated their students were safe.

Arena footage shows players rushing off the ice and fans taking cover as roughly 13 gunshots ring out. The Providence Journal noted that 11 seconds after the first series of shots, a final shot can be heard.

RELATED: Alleged shooter 'in a dress' behind Canadian school massacre was trans-identifying man

Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images

Police responding to a report of an active shooter around 2:30 p.m. were on the scene within a minute and a half; however, the blood-letting had apparently already come to an end. Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves indicated that "a Good Samaritan stepped in and interjected in this scene, and that's probably what led to a swift end of this tragic event."

The "Good Samaritan" apparently tried to "subdue" the shooter, who police said died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) expressed gratitude for the first responders "who rushed to assist, as well as the good Samaritan who confronted and tried to disarm the shooter."

Goncalves identified the shooter as Robert Dorgan, 56, and indicated that "he does go by the name of Roberta, also uses the last name of Esposito." The chief noted further that while his motive is presently unclear, "this was a targeted event" and "looked like it was a family dispute."

A distraught woman who did not provide her name told WCVB-TV while exiting the PPD station that her father was the shooter.

"He shot my family, and he's dead now," said the unidentified woman, adding that the shooter "has mental health issues."

Court records reviewed by WPRI-TV reportedly show that Dorgan complained in 2020 to the North Providence Police Department that in the wake of his sex-rejection surgery, his father-in-law was trying to kick him out of the family house where Dorgan had lived for seven years.

While the father-in-law was initially charged with intimidation of witnesses and victims of crimes and obstruction of the judicial system, the charges were later dismissed.

The same year, Dorgan accused his mother of assaulting him and acting in a "violent, threatening, or tumultuous manner." Although his mother was charged with simple assault and battery and disorderly conduct, the case was similarly dismissed.

RELATED: Transhumanism is coming to destroy the human soul

Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Image

Around the time of Dorgan's dispute with his father-in-law and mother, Dorgan's then-wife, Rhonda Dorgan, filed for divorce.

While she initially cited "gender reassignment surgery, narcissistic + personality disorder traits" as the grounds for the divorce, WPRI indicates his ex-wife replaced those reasons with "irreconcilable differences, which have caused the immediate breakdown of the marriage."

An apparently Rhode Island-based user on X who went by "Roberta Dorgano" posted on May 9, 2019, "Transwoman, 6 kids: wife — not thrilled."

In a recent post, the user who the New York Post suggested was Robert Dorgan, noted, "I have a beloved RHONDA."

In response to a Feb. 14 assertion by actor Kevin Sorbo that trans-identifying Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) "is a man," the X user wrote, "Keep bashing us. but do not wonder why we Go BERSERK."

Dorgan appears to be the latest addition to a growing list of recent trans-identifying mass shooters and would-be mass shooters.

  • A trans-identifying man murdered six kids and two adults in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, on Feb. 10.
  • A trans-identifying man shot up a Catholic church full of children in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, 2025, killing two children and injuring 30.
  • A male-identifying woman planned to shoot up an elementary school and a high school in Maryland in April 2024 but was stopped in time by police — then later convicted.
  • A trans-identifying teen stalked the halls of a school in Perry, Iowa, on Jan. 4, 2024, ultimately murdering a child and an adult and wounding several others.
  • A trans-identifying woman stormed into a Presbyterian school in Nashville on March 27, 2023, murdering three children and three adults.

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

Joseph MacKinnon

Taxpayers paid $8 million for electric buses that can’t run in the cold — in Vermont

2 weeks 2 days ago


Here we go again.

Another expensive lesson in what happens when political ambition outruns engineering reality — this time playing out in the dead of winter in Burlington, Vermont.

Electric buses may perform adequately in mild environments, but expecting them to replace diesel buses in northern states with long, cold winters ignores basic physics.

Electric buses unveiled with great fanfare as symbols of progress and climate virtue are now sitting idle in the snow, while the supposedly outdated diesel fleet does the actual work of moving people. Taxpayers paid millions for these vehicles, and right now, they can’t do the job they were purchased to do.

Green Mountain Transit added five new electric buses to its fleet last year, announcing the move in the warmth of summer. Officials praised the decision as a major step toward Burlington’s net-zero energy goals and reduced carbon emissions. The buses were billed as modern, clean, and capable, each equipped with a 520-kilowatt-hour battery and a theoretical range of up to 258 miles on a single charge.

So much for theory. This year's harsh winter has delivered a lesson in reality.

Out cold

Less than a year after entering service, all five electric buses were pulled from operation following a battery recall by manufacturer New Flyer Industries. The recall cited a potential fire hazard and prompted a software update that significantly restricted how the buses could be charged. Under the revised settings, the buses are no longer allowed to charge when battery temperatures fall below 41 degrees Fahrenheit, and charging capacity is capped at 75%.

Those restrictions created an immediate operational problem. Green Mountain Transit’s garage does not have the fire-mitigation equipment required to store or charge electric buses indoors under the recall conditions. As a result, the buses have been forced to remain outdoors, exposed to Vermont’s winter temperatures. With ambient temperatures frequently below the charging threshold, the buses cannot be charged safely and therefore cannot be used.

Perverse incentives

While Green Mountain Transit general manager Clayton Clark noted that the charging restriction is software-based and could theoretically be resolved sooner, no such remedy has yet been implemented; replacement batteries will not be installed for 18 to 24 months. Clark said GMT is seeking a financial remedy from the manufacturer and has not ruled out litigation.

The problem is compounded by how the buses were acquired in the first place, explained Clark. Federal transit grants from 2020 through 2024 prioritized low- or zero-emission vehicles, with requests for diesel buses often denied. To remain competitive for funding, Green Mountain Transit pursued electric buses, which are approximately 90% funded through federal grants and Volkswagen settlement money. Canceling the electric-bus grant would mean forfeiting those funds entirely, without the option to redirect them toward diesel replacements.

The price tag for this experiment? A cool $8 million.

Stretched thin

The five recalled buses represent about 10% of Green Mountain Transit’s fleet. With all of them sidelined, Clark said the system is now “literally down to our last bus,” forcing occasional service cancellations. Replacement buses cannot be ordered quickly; new transit vehicles require multi-year lead times and federal approvals. In the meantime, the diesel buses that were slated for retirement are being run harder than ever to keep service operating.

This is not a story about careless drivers or mismanagement by local transit employees. It is about a policy framework that rewards electrification on paper while leaving transit agencies exposed when technology, climate, and infrastructure fail to align.

Electric buses may perform adequately in mild environments, but expecting them to replace diesel buses in northern states with long, cold winters ignores basic physics. Batteries lose efficiency in cold weather. Charging becomes slower and more fragile. Range drops. Reliability suffers.

RELATED: This city bought 300 Chinese electric buses — then found out China can turn them off at will

Photo by Guo Haipeng/VCG via Getty Images

Win diesel

By comparison, a conventional diesel bus typically has nearly three times the range and can be refueled in minutes rather than hours. Once fueled, it can return immediately to service and run hundreds of additional miles without interruption. That is not ideology. It is an operational fact. Public transit systems exist to provide reliable service — especially in harsh conditions — not to serve as test beds for political signaling.

Supporters of these programs frame them as necessary sacrifices in the fight against climate change, but the cost-benefit analysis rarely receives serious scrutiny. The emissions reductions claimed at the local level are negligible in a global context, while the financial burden on taxpayers is real and long-lasting. Millions of dollars have been spent on buses that are currently unusable, and residents are left paying for both the electric fleet and the diesel backup required to keep the system functioning.

What makes this situation particularly troubling is how familiar it has become. Cold-weather failures of electric buses have been reported repeatedly across northern regions, yet each new purchase is announced as if the technology has suddenly overcome its limitations. The lessons of previous winters are ignored, only to be relearned at significant public expense.

In the middle of winter, Burlington’s transit system depends on the very diesel buses officials were eager to replace, while millions of dollars’ worth of electric buses sit frozen and unused. When temperatures drop, physics doesn’t negotiate. And this winter in Burlington, the only buses that work are the ones officials tried to phase out.

Editor's note: The headline of this article has been edited after publication to say "taxpayers," not "Vermont taxpayers."

Lauren Fix

Newly revealed documents back Tucker Carlson, Roger Stone's take that Nixon was undone by a 'coup'

2 weeks 2 days ago


Seven recently uncovered pages from Richard Nixon's 1975 grand jury testimony indicate that the former president was undone by a coup d'état contrived by the deep state, a theory previously argued by Tucker Carlson and Roger Stone.

In June 1975, Nixon testified before the Watergate Special Prosecution Force and a couple of members of a federal grand jury. A portion of Nixon's 297-page transcribed testimony was previously sealed, considered too incendiary to share with the rest of the grand jury. While most of the transcript was released by the National Archives in 2011, a seven-page segment remained withheld.

'The answer fills an important gap in the record of the Nixon era — and carries significance for our own.'

Last week, the New York Times published a guest op-ed from reporter James Rosen detailing the contents of those seven pages for the first time.

The newly uncovered portions of Nixon's testimony revealed that he became aware in December 1971 that Navy Yeoman Charles Radford had secretly copied roughly 5,000 classified National Security Council documents, including documents nabbed from the briefcase of Henry Kissinger, who was then national security adviser. Radford then shared those documents with the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon.

Kissinger went on to become Nixon's secretary of state in 1973.

"Yoeman Radford was Kissinger's top notetaker. He had been with Kissinger on his secret trip to Paris when we were trying to end the war. He had been on all of those trips and had been the notetaker and knew what Kissinger had said and what the other side had said," Nixon testified.

He stated that Radford "broke down" when he was given a polygraph.

"He cried ... and virtually admitted his guilt," Nixon said.

"The reason that we couldn't prosecute and wouldn't was that if we did, he then would expose and could expose these highly confidential exchanges we were having to bring the war in Vietnam to a conclusion," Nixon explained.

RELATED: Biden FBI's Arctic Frost surveillance of lawmakers could cost the government, thanks to 'real teeth' measure in funding bill

Photo by the White House Photo Office/PhotoQuest/Getty Images

Nixon believed that the Joint Chiefs of Staff opposed his foreign policy, including his goal of ending the Vietnam War, and Radford's spying might undermine and sabotage these policies.

Nixon's testimony revealed that he had initially wanted to pursue charges against those involved in the spying efforts, but ultimately chose not to publicize the incident to protect sensitive operations and the military's reputation.

He called it a "can of worms" that was not worth opening, urging prosecutors not to probe the affair deeply. Prosecutors agreed.

"The Joint Chiefs' spying formed only one prong of the campaign against Nixon, the most spied-on president in modern times," Rosen wrote. "The answer fills an important gap in the record of the Nixon era — and carries significance for our own. The classified portion of the grand jury transcript, obtained by Times Opinion, bears directly on allegations by President Trump and his supporters about the existence of what was once called the permanent bureaucracy, better known today as the 'deep state.'"

The pages unearthed by Rosen support previous claims from Carlson and Stone that Nixon was the target of a successful coup attempt from deep-state actors.

RELATED: Watergate was amateur hour compared to Arctic Frost

Photo by Bettmann / Contributor /Getty Images

"He was the most popular president, by votes, which is the only way we can measure, in his re-election campaign. And two years later, he's gone, undone by a naval intel officer, the number two guy at the FBI, and a bunch of CIA employees," Carlson stated during an April 2024 appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast.

During an August 2024 episode of "The Tucker Carlson Show," he said, "In retrospect, it looks very much like a kind of coup against a sitting and enormously popular president."

Stone previously wrote two books discussing the coup against Nixon, "Nixon's Secrets" in 2014 and "Tricky Dick" in 2017.

"Basically, [what] you have here is the deep state, which Nixon's testimony now proves exists, spying on Richard Nixon for the same reasons that they spied on Donald Trump. For the same reasons they invented the Russian collusion hoax as their rationale for the FISA warrants to spy on Trump and his aides," Stone stated during a Sunday episode of his podcast, "The Roger Stone Show."

Stone referred to the takedown of Nixon as a "government-engineered coup d’état."

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

Candace Hathaway

Republicans and Democrats are in revolt — for very different reasons

2 weeks 2 days ago


America’s 250th anniversary is defined by one undeniable fact: Both sides of the aisle are in open revolt against elites. Nothing would make the founders more proud. They created this country through their own act of rebellion against an out-of-touch ruling class. But it’s far from clear whether today’s elites will be fully defeated — or if the country is doomed to suffer under another self-serving class.

Only one of these revolts will ultimately be good for the American people — and the wrong one has the momentum.

On the right, at least, the revolt has been under way for a decade. Before 2016, Republican voters had repeatedly backed go-along-to-get-along politicians — the Romneys, McCains, and Bushes of the world. In return, they got mountains of debt and deficit spending, multiple unwinnable wars, and massive expansions in the size and power of government. Rather than clean up the country’s messes, the GOP elite made them worse.

Out of sheer frustration, Republicans turned against their ruling class, throwing their support behind Donald Trump. He has since demolished the GOP establishment. While the Trump revolution is still under way in policy, on the political front, it’s over. The old Republican elite is never coming back.

Then there’s the open revolt on the left. Like the frustrated Republicans of a decade ago, today’s Democrats are furious at their elected officials for the lack of change. But whereas the right is fighting to return quintessential American values to the fore, these leftists want to ditch those values altogether. Their vision can be summed up in one word: socialism.

Hence the stunning victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York City, the rising star of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Congress, and socialist candidates in congressional primaries. And hence the deluge of socialist activists coming out of college campuses. They’re sick and tired of Democrat elites who don’t do anything with their power. They’re determined to seize that power for themselves.

Say this for the current anti-elite moment: It’s beautifully American. Both the right and left are breathing new life into our national ideal of sovereignty, which holds that the people are ultimately in control. It’s good to remind ourselves — and our would-be rulers — that we the people are still in charge.

But not all revolts are created equal. Despite their superficial similarity, the Republican and Democrat visions are diametrically opposed and fundamentally incompatible. At the end of the day, the right is trying to permanently give power back to the people. The left, on the other hand, is setting the stage to create a permanent — and much worse — ruling class.

The difference between these two revolts is clear in the kinds of policies they back. On the right, Republicans from Donald Trump down are fighting to gut unelected bureaucracies, give families the funding to choose their children’s education, and slash red tape to unleash small businesses and job creation. Their immigration crackdown is also rooted in sovereignty, rolling back the blatant attempts to prop up ruling class power by bringing in foreign voters. On issue after issue, Republicans are taking power from elites and giving it to the people.

RELATED: We escaped King George. Why do we bow to King Judge?

Photo by Pierce Archive LLC/Buyenlarge via Getty Images

The socialist wave is rushing in the opposite direction. Today’s leftists want government control over every facet of the economy, vast expansions of the welfare state, and unprecedented power in the hands of unelected bureaucrats. As history attests, socialism creates a ruling class that runs roughshod over everyone else, since absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Only one of these revolts will ultimately be good for the American people — and the wrong one has the momentum. Democratic socialists are surging in local, state, and national elections, while Republicans are doubting themselves instead of doubling down on their agenda.

Republicans are also wondering if their revolt can survive once Trump leaves office. But they should be working to ensure that it does, rallying around leaders who will keep taking the fight to our would-be overlords. In this time of revolt, there’s no guarantee of who will win. But the same was true 250 years ago, at America’s birth. The battle then was very much between the revolutionaries who stood for the people and those who stood for the elites. The founders led their fellow Americans to cast off the shackles of that ruling class. Now Republicans must rally the people once again to ensure another 250 years of sovereignty and national success.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

John Tillman

VIDEO: 'Dumb crook' breaks into van to steal property and gets locked inside, Florida police say

2 weeks 2 days ago


A man described as a "dumb crook" by police allegedly claimed that a dog chased him into a van, but surveillance video showed that he was trying to steal items inside.

Dean Young, 26, can be heard screaming from inside the van on the surveillance video from the Hialeah neighborhood on Wednesday.

'I think it's funny. It's a dumb crook. I guess now he's watching the news and inside the jail.'

Young began screaming and kicking at the doors after the owner of the van locked the doors.

"Help me! I'm inside!" the man yells. "I can't breathe!"

The owner of the van decided to wait until police arrived out of safety concerns, according to homeowner Nercy Toledo.

"There were machetes inside the truck, and he could've just come out and hurt anybody, so they left him in there," she explained.

Young tried to tell police that he was handing out business cards and was chased into the van by a dog, but surveillance video obtained by WTVJ-TV showed him sneaking up to the van after exiting his car.

"I think it's funny. It's a dumb crook. I guess now he's watching the news and inside the jail," Toledo added.

RELATED: 19-year-old drove for 22 hours straight to kidnap 2 underage girls he met on Roblox game, police say

Young faces burglary and criminal mischief charges.

He was given a bond of $1,500 but will remain in jail.

"The Hialeah Police Department was really happy 'cause this is incredible. This is the best arrest they've ever made, they told me," Toledo told WSVN-TV.

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

Carlos Garcia

Media calls it ‘mental health,’ Rick Burgess calls it demonic: Unpacking the Tumbler Ridge shooting and the transgender agenda

2 weeks 2 days ago


Not that long ago, people who struggled to accept their biological gender were diagnosed with a mental health disorder called gender dysphoria. But radical tolerance pushed by the left has ushered us into an age where transgenderism is so embraced, and even popularized, that advocacy for it continues even as transgender-perpetrated violence increases.

On February 10, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a biological male who identified as a woman, allegedly carried out a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, killing eight people — including his mother, stepbrother, five students, and a teacher — before dying by suicide. The mass shooting is one of the deadliest in Canadian history.

The mainstream media, however, has consistently portrayed Van Rootselaar as a woman with mental health issues, seemingly aligning with the transgender movement’s emphasis on gender-affirming language and self-identification.

But BlazeTV host Rick Burgess argues that mental illness isn’t the full picture.

“A[n alleged] mass killer that then takes their own life — that is a calling card of demonic activity,” he says.

On this episode of “Strange Encounters,” Rick delves into the spiritual dimensions of the atrocity, arguing that what society calls “mental illness” in such cases may actually stem from demonic oppression fueled by cultural confusion over God’s design for gender.

“On this podcast, we do not believe that all mental health is demonic. There’s no doubt that the human brain is a piece of our fallen bodies, like everything else, and it can be sick,” Rick says.

“However, there’s also a clear indication that many times we label demonic activity as mental illness when it’s not,” he adds.

Much of the violence we’re seeing from trans-identifying individuals, he says, falls into that category: demonic oppression repackaged as mental illness.

The LGBTQ+ movement that insists gender is a broad spectrum instead of the male/female dichotomy created by God is creating an environment that is both “chaotic and confusing.”

“And what lives in those two worlds?” Rick asks. “Demonic activity. No question.”

“We’re just pretending something, and it’s costing people their lives — and I’m including the people who are struggling with this,” he adds. “They become dangerous to other people and dangerous to themselves.”

To hear more of Rick’s spiritual analysis, watch the episode above.

Want more from Rick Burgess?

To enjoy more bold talk and big laughs, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

BlazeTV Staff

If you are a K-12 student, it has never been easier to skip class consequence-free

2 weeks 2 days ago


Anyone who has been a teenager for more than five minutes can probably reach the same conclusion after watching the flood of videos recently posted to social media. Many of the kids streaming out of school to take part in anti-ICE protests look less like committed activists and more like students thrilled to be out of class. You can see it written all over their faces.

Perhaps the plan is to destroy the current system before deciding what the new one should be.

But students who simply want to ditch class are not the ones coordinating nationwide demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most young people are not deeply invested in politics, if they are interested at all. Large-scale, coordinated walkouts don’t materialize organically.

Unfortunately, perception often becomes reality. Videos of tens of thousands of students leaving school buildings across the country are invaluable propaganda for left-wing activists seeking to foment cultural and political upheaval. This is not hyperbole. It comes directly from the far-left nonprofit organizations helping to organize, train, and mobilize K-12 students.

One such group is the Sunrise Movement, a far-left climate organization that has increasingly expanded beyond environmental activism. Originally focused on promoting a Green New Deal, the group recently announced it was pivoting toward “fighting Trump.” To accomplish this shift, Sunrise appears intent on eliminating opposition to its ideology by any means necessary. The organization has openly bragged about harassing hotel staff and guests for allegedly hosting ICE agents.

Central to Sunrise’s strategy is recruiting young people and embedding itself in K-12 schools. The organization sponsors clubs nationwide, which are then described as “student-led.” Unsurprisingly, these same clubs often organize walkouts centered on climate activism and anti-Trump messaging.

These protests are not meant to be one-off events. According to training materials obtained by Defending Education, Sunrise calls for monthly “direct actions” designed to “disrupt business as usual” and advance a so-called political revolution. The group’s 25-page guidebook — riddled with tired Marxist clichés — explicitly urges minors to engage in Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions-style actions against businesses deemed to be “propping up ICE.”

The issue, in other words, is never the issue. The issue is the revolution.

Sunrise’s materials offer little clarity about what this revolution will actually achieve; perhaps the plan is to destroy the current system before deciding what the new one should be.

RELATED: When parents pay twice to escape public schools, the verdict is in

id-work / Getty Images

But these acts of “civil disobedience” have become less about expressions of student voices and more about spectacles of class-skipping that benefit activists who openly call for dismantling the very system that allows these protests to occur.

In 2018, Robert Pondiscio warned schools that refusing to enforce discipline for the Parkland gun-control walkouts would make them “regret it down the road.” If students are permitted to disrupt learning for one political cause, he argued, schools would have to refrain from punishing disruptions for any cause that follows.

Eight years later, that warning looks prescient. Parents, activists, and even school officials now routinely encourage or excuse walkouts tied to the cause of the month. Meanwhile, the activist groups behind these demonstrations are targeting businesses and institutions that fail to conform to prescribed political views. History suggests that once a movement normalizes coercion, its circle of targets inevitably expands.

It is time for parents, administrators, and school board members to put an end to mass student walkouts before they become a permanent feature of a school system that is already failing far too many children. Roughly 70% of American students are not proficient in core academic subjects. Schools cannot afford to treat instructional time as expendable.

Students absolutely retain their First Amendment rights. But they also have a civic responsibility to become educated citizens. Real, lasting change comes from knowledge, discipline, and understanding — not from performative outrage and adults who confuse activism with education.

Rhyen Staley

VIDEO: Man puts McDonald's worker in a headlock after falsely claiming to be ICE officer, police say

2 weeks 2 days ago


A man who allegedly claimed to be an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was arrested after he assaulted workers at a McDonald's restaurant in Southern California.

Joshua Cobb, 44, walked into the La Jolla McDonald's on Nobel Drive on Thursday at about noon and put the manager in a headlock, according to a press release from the San Diego Police Department.

'Why do you think I'm willing to take two punches in the motherf**king face with some illegal immigrants while I make an arrest for Immigration and Customs Enforcement?'

The manager was described as a Hispanic male by Lt. Cesar Jimenez, who said that Cobb accused him of being an illegal alien.

Cobb led the man outside the restaurant while claiming he was being arrested, but the other workers came to his aid and forced Cobb to release him.

Police were able to identify and arrest Cobb, according to Jimenez, who was charged with impersonating an officer as well as battery.

The manager, Daniel Martinez, spoke to KGTV-TV and described what happened.

"He grabbed me from the back, grabbed my neck, like, really hard," Martinez said. "So when that happened, all my co-workers jumped on him, and he let go, but after that, he just punched me on the side."

The employees at the McDonald's said they didn't believe the man was an ICE officer because he frequented the fast food place, would only order sodas, and would leave a mess.

"Why do you think your 911 phone calls aren't f**king working?" said the man police identified as Cobb. "Why do you think I'm willing to take two punches in the motherf**king face with some illegal immigrants while I make an arrest for Immigration and Customs Enforcement?"

RELATED: Church worker pretended to be ICE agent to extort $500 from massage therapist, police say

Jimenez also addressed the videos circulating online about the incident.

"There are several videos of this incident circulating online," he said. "We understand how concerning this can be for members of our community. We want to assure residents that impersonating a law enforcement officer is a crime and the San Diego Police Department takes any reports of this nature very seriously."

Martinez said he was not hurt during the attack.

"At that moment, my first reaction was just to protect my crew because I'm in charge of all of them," the manager said.

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

Carlos Garcia

Judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibits to presidential home site

2 weeks 2 days ago


A judge sided with the city of Philadelphia in its lawsuit to restore slavery exhibits that were removed in January to a presidential home site.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March 2025 titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" which led to some exhibits at national monuments being taken down.

'We encourage the City of Philadelphia to focus on getting their jobless rates down and ending their reckless cashless bail policy instead of filing frivolous lawsuits in the hopes of demeaning our brave Founding Fathers.'

The city of Philadelphia objected to the removal of slavery information from exhibits at the President's House exhibit, where Presidents George Washington and John Adams once lived. The site is operated by the National Park Service.

The lawsuit cited a previous agreement with the NPS that said "communication and consultation" standards must be met between the parties for changes to the site.

On Monday, Senior Judge Cynthia M. Rufe ruled that the exhibits must be restored to their original state before the day of removal. She began the ruling with a quote from George Orwell's "1984."

The lawsuit listed the National Park Service as a defendant, as well as Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the Department of the Interior, and National Park Service Acting Director Jessica Bowron.

"I strongly opposed the Trump administration's decision to remove these exhibits, and I welcome the federal court's ruling that they must be restored. ... I will continue fighting to ensure these exhibits are fully restored and accessible to the public," Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Penn.) said about the ruling.

A spokesperson for the NPS lambasted the city after the lawsuit was filed.

"All federal agencies are to review interpretive materials to ensure accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values. Following completion of the required review, the National Park Service is now taking appropriate action in accordance with the Order," reads the statement from the spokesperson.

"We encourage the City of Philadelphia to focus on getting their jobless rates down and ending their reckless cashless bail policy instead of filing frivolous lawsuits in the hopes of demeaning our brave Founding Fathers who set the brilliant road map for the greatest country in the world — the United States of America," the statement continues.

RELATED: Actress Pam Grier gets demolished online for spewing nonsense claim about racial lynchings in Ohio on 'The View'

Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia executive director Paul Steinke told CBS News that the removal was a "terrible day for American history."

"The decision to do this appears to be made because the President's House Site memorialized the nine enslaved individuals that were held there against their will by President Washington and his wife, Martha," he said, "and this is the only federal historic site that commemorates the history of slavery in America."

Rufe was appointed to the court by former President George W. Bush in 2002.

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

Carlos Garcia

Large mural in memory of Iryna Zarutska painted in downtown Las Vegas — and paid for by Elon Musk

2 weeks 3 days ago


Elon Musk pledged in September to help fund murals in remembrance of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman who was randomly murdered on a public train in Charlotte, North Carolina.

One such mural has appeared in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of the Remember Iryna memorial project, led by Elizabeth Trykin. The mural measures 147 feet wide and 20 feet tall and is located near the intersection at Charleston and Las Vegas Boulevards.

'Evil doesn't see policy. Evil doesn't see left or right. Evil doesn't see any of that. Evil is just evil.'

"The project has completed over 20 large-scale murals across multiple U.S. cities, now in Las Vegas, with many more installations under way. More than 900 artists have reached out to us to participate," Trykin said in a statement to KLAS-TV.

Musk joined in the effort after it was proposed by Intercom CEO Eoghan McCabe, who also gave $500,000 of his own money. Many on the right have decried the lack of coverage for the brutal murder and aired suspicions that a political bias was to blame.

"I will contribute $1M," Musk said at the time.

A spokesperson for McCabe later confirmed to the New York Post that McCabe and Musk both made good on their financial pledges.

Graffiti artist Gear Duran, who painted the Vegas mural, says it's not meant to be a partisan political statement.

"I think it’s, like, unfortunate that everybody has to make things politicized and divisive and all that stuff," Duran said.

"What we really need is just to be able to come together and stop politicizing everything so much as far as, like, the demise of someone losing their life like that," he added. "It's like, why does that got to be political? It's like, that's just evil."

RELATED: New butterfly species named in honor of Ukrainian woman brutally murdered on Charlotte light rail

Decarlos Brown, 34, was charged with Zarutska's murder and could face the death penalty if he's found guilty. The horrific attack was captured on surveillance video from the public transit system.

"Evil doesn't see policy. Evil doesn't see left or right. Evil doesn't see any of that. Evil is just evil," Duran continued. "I'm here trying to combat that, to bring awareness with this mural, just to bring some positivity and light to what happened."

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

Carlos Garcia
Checked
2 hours 39 minutes ago
The Blaze
Blaze Media
Subscribe to The Blaze feed