The Blaze

'Nonviolent' leftist allegedly calls for murdering Trump days after third assassination attempt

4 days 15 hours ago


A Pennsylvania man has been arrested after allegedly leaving a series of voicemails calling for the murder of President Donald Trump and other officials.

Raymond Chandler of the Pittsburgh-area city of Wilkinsburg appeared in federal court on Friday on charges of influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threatening a family member and by threatening a federal official and influencing, impeding, or retaliating against a federal official by threat, according to WTAE.

'He’s a liar among all liars. He’s a great deceiver. He’s the antichrist.'

An FBI affidavit claimed that Chandler left several threatening voicemail messages with a member of Congress between April 2025 and April 2026.

Last Wednesday, just days after a third assassination attempt against Trump, Chandler allegedly told the congressperson regarding President Trump:

What I want you to do is I want you to take a firearm. I want you to put it in your hand. I want you to walk into the Oval Office. I want you to put that firearm to the president’s head, and I want you to pull the trigger and I want you to kill him. I am petitioning you, Senator, for redress of grievances. My redress of grievances is that this president is awful. ... He’s a liar among all liars. He’s a great deceiver. He’s the antichrist. I want you to walk into the Oval Office with a gun in your hand. I want you to put it to his temple, and I want you to pull the trigger. That is what I want you to do as my agent. That’s what I want you to do as my elected official. That’s what I am petitioning you to do with my free speech. I want you to kill the president. I want you to assassinate the president. That’s what I want you to do. Now, Senator, are you gonna come after me? Are you going to try me because of my voice and what I said?

On April 18, Chandler also allegedly said of the congressperson and the congressperson's daughter:

Imagine your house, your daughter’s house, everyone you know and love who is also rich. Imagine every single one of those homes being surrounded by a thousand people. Then imagine them all getting a text and then, then suddenly taking out their pocketknives, walking slowly towards your house with 10, you got your 10 guards or whatever against a thousand people, and then they come and they pull you out of your house and they slit your throat and they slit your daughter’s throat and they slit everyone’s throat. That you know, sir, that is the future.

The speaker allegedly added:

It's not a future I want; it's not a future I'm advocating for, but wealth concentration has gotten so bad in this country. The greed has gotten so bad. People are suffering so much, sir, that that is what is in our future. You will not escape their wrath. We must redistribute the wealth away from people like you.

In another alleged message, the suspect pledged to build gallows and hang the congressperson, who is not named in the FBI affidavit. Other alleged voicemails made threats against ICE and expressed a willingness to "personally kill."

RELATED: Suspected WHCD shooter snapped damning photo moments before the attack, court docs reveal

The affidavit claimed the caller identified himself as Chandler and gave his address. The phone number associated with the calls was directly linked to Chandler via "publicly available information," the affidavit further claimed.

Chandler is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Friday.

On Friday, WTAE reported the following FBI statement:

This morning, FBI Pittsburgh and the U.S. Secret Service arrested Raymond Chandler for threatening to kill federal officials, including President Trump and a member of Congress. The FBI will not tolerate threats of violence and will work tirelessly to protect public officials and all members of our communities. This arrest is a great example of our work with our law enforcement partners at the USSS, the U.S Capitol Police, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Chandler is running against incumbent U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) in 2028. On his campaign website, Chandler promises to tax billionaires, provide universal basic income, "abolish ICE," and protect abortion.

In an open letter to Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) featured on his website, Chandler describes himself as "a Quaker" with "a commitment to non-violence." He also chastises McCormick because his "voicemail is wayyy to [sic] short."

Chandler's campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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Cortney Weil

Conservative SCOTUS justice restores access to abortion drug — for now

4 days 15 hours ago


Pro-life advocates were handed a minor blow by the Supreme Court after access to an abortion drug was restored by a conservative justice.

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals originally ordered a halt to the sale of mifepristone, but on Monday Justice Samuel Alito blocked the order and restored access.

'This is NOT a reversal of Friday's decision. Rather, it's the run-of-the-mill pause that the Justices typically use to consider the issues.'

Pro-life activists have sought the restriction of the drug based on safety concerns and claim the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rushed its approval in 2000 and then proceeded to relax restrictions on it.

Alito halted the ban through May 11 so the court can consider the issue fully. Alito's intervention restores access to the drug by mail after a telehealth appointment.

The Fifth Circuit panel had found that the drug "injures Louisiana by undermining its laws protecting unborn human life and also by causing it to spend Medicaid funds on emergency care for women harmed by mifepristone."

"Mifepristone sends 1 in 10 women who use it to the emergency room with life threatening conditions. Now it’s time for Congress to ban it completely for use in abortion," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said in a post on social media on Monday.

Critics say the 1 in 10 figure comes from a conservative think tank and misrepresents the full data available on mifepristone.

"To be clear: This is NOT a reversal of Friday's decision. Rather, it's the run-of-the-mill pause that the Justices typically use to consider the issues raised in an emergency application," reads a statement from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious freedom legal nonprofit.

"We respect the Court's desire to have time to consider the issues and will continue our fight to uphold this victory that protects women and babies across the country from FDA's unlawful and destructive mail-order abortion-drug scheme," the nonprofit added.

RELATED: Pro-life activists celebrate victory after Costco announces policy on abortion drug

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 2024 against a lawsuit intending to block mifepristone access on the basis that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue the FDA.

Alito had also previously dissented against the majority ruling in 2023 to allow access to mifepristone while the case continued.

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Carlos Garcia

Exclusive: Trump administration claims another scalp in war on fraud — this time, a Texas pill-pusher

4 days 15 hours ago


Scores of individuals were indicted during the first Trump administration for their involvement in a network of "pill mill" clinics — operations that diverted millions of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol pills with the help of health care professionals evidently eager to endanger public health to make a quick buck.

The current administration, which has significantly ramped up its fraud crackdown, has delivered one of the participants in this scheme to justice.

The Justice Department revealed in an exclusive to Blaze News on Monday that three days earlier, a federal jury in the Southern District of Texas convicted Barbara Marino — a 65-year-old resident of Tomball who served as the sole prescribing physician at Angels Clinica in Houston — of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and four counts of distributing a controlled substance.

Marino faces more than 20 years in prison for each of the five counts.

"Medical physicians who exploit their prescribing authority for profit over patient care break an inherent trust with their patients, and we will hold them accountable," said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the DOJ's National Fraud Enforcement Division in a statement. "The Department of Justice remains committed to protecting the public from dangerous and unlawful distribution of controlled substances, especially when the drug dealer is a doctor."

Marino, who was first licensed to practice medicine in the Lone Star State in 1990, was found to have unlawfully distributed over 1 million pills of opioids and other controlled substances through the strip-mall clinic in Houston where her practice was based.

Angels Clinica in Houston has since permanently closed. Angels Medical, which is linked to the now-defunct Houston clinic, did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

RELATED: James Comey indictment goes beyond infamous '86 47' seashell post, covers full 'body of evidence,' Blanche says

John Moore/Getty Images

The original indictment against Marino said that of the roughly 1.06 million controlled-substance pills for which she issued prescriptions between September 2018 and August 2019, 518,000 were hydrocodone pills, 65,000 were oxycodone pills, and approximately 416,000 were carisoprodol pills.

Many of the purported patients who obtained prescriptions from Marino's cash-only clinic were effectively drug mules sent her way by traffickers who subsequently peddled the drugs on the street, according to court documents and evidence presented at trial.

This grift proved lucrative.

The Justice Department claimed that Marino — who is supposedly an addiction specialist — received over $400,000 from Angels Clinica's owners both for writing prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose and for doing so outside the usual course of professional practice.

Evidence shown at trial suggested that Marino rarely if ever encountered a patient for whom she wouldn't prescribe dangerous and addictive drugs.

In one instance, she reportedly prescribed what the DOJ characterized as a "dangerous cocktail of hydrocodone and carisoprodol" — apparently one ingredient short of the so-called "Houston Cocktail" — to a pregnant woman in her third trimester. The woman's OB-GYN testified that the drugs had threatened the well-being of both the mother and her unborn child.

The DOJ highlighted another case exemplifying Marino's willingness to give practically anyone hard drugs, specifically a mentally compromised patient — a diagnosed bipolar schizophrenic who suffered from the chronic delusion that he was President Richard Nixon — to whom she allegedly prescribed her dangerous cocktail on at least three occasions.

Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz, whose agency investigated this case, stated, "Patients put their trust and their lives into the hands of our medical and health care professionals.

"The highly addictive, dangerous misused drugs in this case — oxycodone and hydrocodone — are meant to treat pain, not cause it," continued Oz. "DEA remains relentless in our pursuit of those who poison our communities and exploit our health care system, all to line their own pockets with the profit from others' pain."

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Joseph MacKinnon

Middle school teacher accused of creating 100+ child sex abuse images with AI and masturbating to them at work: Court docs

4 days 16 hours ago


A Nebraska middle school teacher is accused of utilizing artificial intelligence to create more than a hundred child sexual abuse images — and the teacher allegedly masturbated to the disturbing child pornography while at a school, according to multiple reports.

The Nebraska State Patrol said in a statement that 47-year-old Matthew Lund was arrested at his Omaha home at approximately 6:15 a.m. April 22.

'He made a lot of kids uncomfortable, including my son, but he couldn't quite say why.'

Lund was booked into Douglas County Corrections and charged with possession of child sexual abuse material and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

A judge set Lund's bond at $1 million during an April 23 court appearance, KETV-TV reported. Lund was ordered not to have contact with anyone under 19 years old and to wear a GPS monitor.

Lund had been a Millard Public Schools teacher.

Lund is currently not listed on the staff directory on the Andersen Middle School website. However, an archived version of the staff directory shows Matthew Lund as a "science and STEM teacher."

Police stated that "at this point, there is no indication that any students are victims in this case."

WOWT-TV obtained court documents showing that authorities launched an investigation on Feb. 23 after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided a tip.

"On February 23, 2026, Nebraska State Patrol received a cyber tip regarding sexual abuse of children material being uploaded to a Google account associated with the defendant from the Millard Public Schools," a prosecutor said, according to WOWT.

According to court documents, investigators discovered 423 images that were generated through artificial intelligence on the Google account.

Court documents say the images depicted children younger than 12 years old, including an infant.

One of the files apparently depicts a nude child around the age of 3 to 5 facing an adult.

Court records state another image shows a child of a similar age performing oral sex on a man.

There was also an image of two nude children, around the ages of 8 to 10.

"A search warrant was done on the defendant’s Google account," the prosecutor said in court. "104 files consistent with child sexual assault material were located, ranging from infant to approximately 12 years old."

Lund allegedly masturbated to the images while at the school.

"The defendant then admitted to generating the child sexual assault material of prepubescent children and masturbating to them while at work at which he is a middle school science teacher," the prosecutor said.

RELATED: Ex-teacher and boyfriend indicted on 39 child sex charges; she confessed to abusing 5-year-old at his direction, cops say

Brenda Beadle, deputy Douglas County attorney, stated that this case may be the first her office has charged under a law addressing AI-generated child pornography.

Beadle noted, "It is illegal even though it’s AI-generated."

The bill to prohibit conduct involving computer-generated child pornography was signed into law in May 2025.

KETV reported that Millard Public Schools said Lund has been "removed, and we are proceeding with termination and cancellation of his contract.”

Millard Public Schools told KETV:

All staff go through a thorough background check during the hiring process. Millard maintains open communication with law enforcement and regulatory agencies that alert us to any ongoing concern. Additionally, Millard is diligent about investigating all concerns brought to us.

A parent told KETV, "He was hiding in plain sight."

The parent said her son "can't believe that someone he trusted to keep him safe would do something like this."

"He made a lot of kids uncomfortable, including my son, but he couldn't quite say why," the parent added. "It, just, something was off."

The parent also said, "You think you're dropping your kids off, and those teachers are going to protect your kids."

Millard Public Schools did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

Those with information about this case are urged to contact the Nebraska State Patrol at 402-479-4049.

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Paul Sacca

Trump's FCC is finally clearing the path for landline upgrades

4 days 16 hours ago


Most Americans today use modern, IP-based communications networks. However, 2% of Americans (about seven million people) still depend on legacy copper telephone systems. These networks are increasingly expensive to maintain, inefficient to operate, and vulnerable to both physical degradation and criminal exploitation.

Retiring these outdated systems and replacing them with fiber, wireless and satellite alternatives would be an easy win for consumers and providers alike, and it is something carriers have been trying to do for more than a decade. However, as is so often the case, progress was blocked by bureaucracy.

The copper-based 911 emergency system was built for an era of voice-only communication and fixed locations.

However, that era appears to be at an end thanks to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, who advanced a framework that gives carriers a clear path to retire copper networks responsibly while protecting consumers during the transition.

One of the most visible and frustrating failures of today’s legacy communications system is the explosion of robocalls. Scam and spam calls are the No. 1 consumer complaint to the FCC, with hundreds of thousands of reports filed annually and billions of illegal automated calls disrupting daily life.

These calls are not just minor annoyances, they are one of the major vectors for fraud, identity theft, and psychological manipulation — and they disproportionately target seniors and vulnerable populations.

Unlike legacy copper systems, modern IP-based networks can deploy authentication protocols such as AI-driven filters and network-level call verification. These defenses can stop robocalls and scammers before they reach consumers.

Public safety is another driving force behind modernization. The copper-based 911 emergency system was built for an era of voice-only communication and fixed locations. It is increasingly insufficient for how Americans communicate today.

Next Generation 911 replaces this outdated infrastructure with an IP-based system capable of receiving texts, photos, videos, and precise location data — including vertical “z-axis” positioning in multistory buildings.

NG911 enables faster emergency response, more accurate caller location, and better situational awareness for first responders. It also improves accessibility for hearing- and speech-impaired individuals, ensuring emergency services are truly universal.

The importance of upgrading is further heightened by a rising infrastructure security problem: copper theft. Criminals targeting underground and aerial lines have created a nationwide crisis, costing utilities and communications providers more than $1 billion annually.

Copper theft can knock out 911 service, disrupt broadband access, and leave entire communities without reliable communications. Every stolen segment must be replaced at significant cost to ratepayers and providers, perpetuating a cycle of damage that modern networks largely avoid.

For over a decade, providers have sought permission to retire copper infrastructure and transition fully to modern alternatives. Progress was slowed by a regulatory process that often required lengthy filings, public comment cycles, and unpredictable approval timelines stretching months or even years.

RELATED: One crash, one derailment — and Congress still can’t follow the data

NTSB/Handout/Xinhua/Getty Images

The FCC’s new modernization framework — advanced under Chairman Carr — changes that approach. Carriers may now proceed with copper retirement provided they give at least 90 days’ notice and ensure continuity of service throughout the transition.

Some critics have warned that retiring copper could disrepute service or lead to increased costs.

But these concerns overlook the fact that Americans already have alternatives at scale — fiber, cable broadband, mobile wireless, and satellite services capable of delivering both voice and data.

Even traditional landline-style handsets can be adapted to IP networks, preserving familiarity for users who prefer it. As for affordability, competition across wireless and broadband markets has expanded significantly, with multiple providers offering low-cost voice and data plans.

Prices are down roughly 6% since the Trump administration’s policy push on spectrum expansion and infrastructure investment during his first term helped unlock additional capacity and competition. At the same time, service quality and speeds have improved, making legacy copper increasingly unnecessary and economically inefficient to maintain.

There is also a major environmental and economic opportunity in retiring copper responsibly. Once decommissioned, copper is recovered through certified processes, such as stripping, granulation, and smelting. It is then reintroduced into manufacturing supply chains for wiring, construction, and industrial applications.

Over time, this recovery stream represents billions of dollars in reusable material value, while reducing illegal theft incentives and ensuring environmentally responsible disposal. The tech transition order positions America for generations to come, and there’s not a moment to lose.

Roslyn Layton

Was Chandra Levy's murder a UFO cover-up? 25 years later, her parents want answers.

4 days 16 hours ago


A quarter of a century after their daughter's death, the parents of a 24-year-old who went missing say she may have had knowledge about UFOs that she was not supposed to have.

The case dates back to 2001, when Chandra Levy, an intern at the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington, D.C., mysteriously disappeared.

'Could she have known something that she wasn't supposed to know?'

National scandal

The disappearance drew intense national media attention at the time, much of it focused on Levy’s relationship with then-Rep. Gary Condit, a Democrat who represented California’s 18th Congressional District — including Levy’s hometown of Modesto.

Levy's body was discovered three weeks after she went missing, in a park just a few miles from her apartment. Authorities only found her skeletal remains. While the coroner determined that there was enough evidence to declare a homicide, the location of the murder was unclear.

A few days after her death, Levy's father, Robert, told police that his daughter was in a romantic relationship with Condit, which Condit denied. Condit was later cleared by investigators.

Years later, authorities charged Ingmar Guandique — an illegal immigrant who had attacked other women in Rock Creek Park around the same time — with Levy's murder. His 2010 conviction was later vacated, leaving elements of the case unresolved.

Landmark conference

Now Levy's parents, Susan and Robert Levy, maintain that their daughter's connection to Condit is what may have resulted in her death.

In an interview with NewsNation, the couple pointed to a UFO conference held by Steven Greer in D.C. eight days after Chandra went missing. The conference was seen as a landmark event, as it featured 20 witnesses from military, government, and intelligence backgrounds.

"At that time, Chandra mentioned something that she knew about the UFOs and Congressman Condit was on the committee to learn about UFOs," Mr. Levy told host Jesse Weber.

RELATED: Dead or vanishing scientists tied to NASA, JPL, and Los Alamos: Glenn Beck’s take may surprise you

- YouTube

A broader pattern

Condit served on the House Intelligence Committee for about two years between 1999 and 2001.

Levy’s mother said her daughter told her that Condit “believes in UFOs like I do and that he deals with this stuff.”

“Could she have known something that she wasn’t supposed to know?” she asked. “And could she have been wiped out because she knew too much?”

The parents acknowledged that they have no direct evidence, describing their theory as speculation informed by their own research. Still, they pointed to what they see as a broader pattern — suggesting, without proof, that their daughter’s death could be connected to other recent cases involving government scientists who have died or gone missing.

RELATED: Speculation mounts over mysterious deaths and disappearances tied to US space and nuclear program

Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department/Getty Images

“It all sort of fits together,” said Mr. Levy.

They also claimed they had been warned not to pursue that line of thinking, alleging that elements within the CIA have targeted individuals “too involved” in the subject.

The couple urged Donald Trump and lawmakers including Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) to exercise caution when discussing UFO disclosure publicly. Burchett has previously alluded to government secrets regarding UFOs while declaring that he is “not suicidal."

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Andrew Chapados

Comedian claims his young daughter has trans friends — and Bill Maher shuts him down

4 days 16 hours ago


Bill Maher has once again clashed with a liberal on his podcast — this time with comedian David Cross over transgender politics.

As the pair argued on Maher’s “Club Random” podcast about biological men competing in women’s sports, Cross seemed to believe that the existence of his young daughter’s transgender friends would be a winning argument.

However, Maher quickly responded with shock when Cross explained that his daughter’s transgender friends are 9 years old and 3 years old.

“I knew somebody who said to me ... a woman, said, ‘I was what they called a tomboy. If I was alive now and acted the way I did then, that’s what they would have done to me,’” Maher explained.


“Well, nobody’s doing this to her,” Cross said.

“Somebody is doing something, because 8- or 9-year-olds can’t do anything on their own,” Maher responded.

BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere and co-host Dave Landau are not surprised that Cross has adopted the opinions of the left.

“He’s in L.A., though, where he lives, so he is at the eye of the storm. So, I mean, if any of us lived in Los Angeles, our kids would have a friend who identified as trans. It would be almost impossible not to,” Landau comments.

“But I would hope, Dave, we would be able to keep our connection to reality and be able to say, ‘Look, that’s not a thing,’” Stu says.

“Three years old. This is insanity,” he adds.

“It’s a conversation that I’m shocked we’re still having,” Landau agrees.

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.

BlazeTV Staff

James Comey indictment goes beyond infamous '86 47' seashell post, covers full 'body of evidence,' Blanche says

4 days 17 hours ago


The Trump administration’s indictment against former FBI Director James Comey is grounded in a “body of evidence” that goes beyond the infamous “86 47” social media post, according to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Blanche spoke with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday about the grand jury charges against Comey, which claimed that in May 2025, the former FBI director “knowingly and willfully” made a “threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon,” President Donald Trump.

'This is not just about a single Instagram post.'

The indictment referred to a since-deleted Instagram post from Comey that included a photograph of seashells arranged to read “86 47,” something “a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States,” the indictment reads.

The phrase “86” is a slang term for getting rid of something, while “47” is assumed to be a reference to Trump, the 47th president.

The caption of Comey’s May 2025 post read, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” He later deleted the post and claimed that he “didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.”

“It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” Comey stated.

NBC’s Kristen Welker questioned Blanche about the Department of Justice’s indictment, asking how the seashell image could “amount to a serious threat against the president’s life.”

Blanche highlighted the federal government’s 11-month investigation into Comey, which included a “body of evidence” beyond the Instagram post.

RELATED: Comey's legal troubles just got worse as DOJ pursues ANOTHER indictment

James Comey. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

“I am not permitted to get into the details of what the grand jury heard or found, as you know. But rest assured that it’s not just the Instagram post that leads somebody to get indicted,” Blanche told Welker.

Welker then asked how the DOJ will “prove intent” after Comey claimed he was unaware his post could be interpreted as a call for violence.

“You prove intent like you always prove intent. You prove intent with witnesses, you prove intent with documents, with materials. So again, this is not just about a single Instagram post,” Blanche replied.

He mentioned that the case will proceed with a public trial, during which the government’s evidence will be revealed.

“We are talking about evidence of all sorts. And that means documents, that means witnesses, and that means the whole array of what we did,” Blanche said.

RELATED: James Comey ARRESTED after alleged threat against Trump

Todd Blanche. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Welker asked Blanche whether online vendors who sell “87 46” merchandise and their customers should be “concerned that they’re going to be prosecuted by the DOJ.”

“Of course not,” Blanche replied. “That’s posted constantly. That phrase is used constantly. There are constantly men and women who choose to make threatening statements against President Trump. Every one of those statements do not result in indictments, of course. There are facts, there are circumstances, there are investigations that have to take place.”

Comey reacted to the DOJ’s indictment in late April, insisting that he was “still innocent.”

“I’m still not afraid. And I still believe in an independent federal judiciary, so let’s go,” he stated.

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Candace Hathaway

Suspect in deadly Palisades Fire was obsessed with Luigi Mangione, critical of rich: Prosecutors

4 days 17 hours ago


The 2025 Palisades Fire raged for at least 24 days, torching 23,448 acres in Los Angeles County, killing 12 people, and destroying over 6,800 structures.

While state authorities list Jan. 7, 2025, as being the official start of the Palisades Fire, the 30-year-old son of a French citizen is accused of kindling the inferno days earlier.

'It would be out of resentment of the rich enjoying their money.'

Jonathan Rinderknecht was arrested in October and charged with property destruction by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce, and willful of malicious burning of timber on federal lands. He is alleged to have set the Lachman Fire on New Year's Day — a fire that was suppressed but apparently continued to burn underground until revived topside days later by heavy winds.

Federal prosecutors have provided new details about the alleged arsonist.

According to a trial memorandum reviewed by Bloomberg, Rinderknecht "exhibited extreme anger, indignation, and frustration about being unable to find companionship on New Year’s Eve."

This aligns with what investigators previously said about the suspect.

A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives agent claimed in a sworn affidavit that:

  • witnesses observed Rinderknecht acting "agitated and angry" on the evening of Dec. 31, 2024;
  • Rinderknecht allegedly watched the music video for a despair-themed song featuring fire-setting imagery repeatedly in the days leading up to the Lachman Fire; and
  • the suspect asked ChatGPT, "Are you at fault if a fire is life [sic] because of your cigarettes."

Prosecutors said in the new filing that after unsuccessfully trying to make plans with two other people, Rinderknecht — then working as an Uber driver — dropped off passengers in the Palisades area then, "alone again," scaled the hillside where investigators apparently found evidence that the suspect had set a fire with a barbecue lighter.

RELATED: Democrats promised to quickly rebuild after Los Angeles fires destroyed homes and lives — they aren't delivering

Qian Weizhong/VCG/Getty Images

Prosecutors further alleged that Rinderknecht had become "increasingly angry with his life and society at large," adding that he had become "fixated on Luigi Mangione" — the 27-year-old Maryland native accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024.

According to the trial memorandum, a forensic review of Rinderknecht's computer revealed he had searched for news regarding Mangione using search terms like "free Luigi Mangione," "lets [sic] take down all the billionaires," and "reddit lets kill all the billionaires."

Mangione is apparently admired by more than one alleged arsonist.

Chamel Abdulkarim, a 29-year-old accused of sparking the massive fire that destroyed a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse in Ontario, California, last month, compared himself to Mangione, according to Bill Essayli, the first assistant United States attorney for the Central District of California.

When questioned by investigators about why someone might set the Palisades area ablaze, Rinderknecht said that "it would be out of resentment of the rich enjoying their money as 'we're basically being enslaved by them' and compared such an act of 'desperation' to the murder for which Mangione was charged," prosecutors claimed in the filing.

Steven Haney, Rinderknecht’s lawyer, said in a statement to Bloomberg, "I maintain my client’s innocence."

"No misguided theory from the government will change the lack of evidence showing my client started or was responsible for either of the fires for which he is charged. We look forward to proving it at trial," added Haney.

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Joseph MacKinnon

One Senate Democrat’s uneasy standing within the party sparks intrigue as midterms loom

4 days 17 hours ago


People have been speculating about the power balance in the Senate after the midterms — and all eyes have repeatedly fallen on one Democrat senator in particular.

Politico published an article on Monday morning detailing a behind-the-scenes snapshot of Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who was portrayed in the article as increasingly politically homeless.

'If we flip four seats in the Senate, who is the number 51 for the new majority?'

Fetterman, a first-term senator, is being courted by Republican leadership as midterms approach, and their majority hangs in the balance by a narrow margin, Politico said.

President Trump has been interested in flipping Fetterman for months, according to Fox News' Sean Hannity.

RELATED: Fetterman urges Democrats to 'drop the TDS' after WHCD shooting — but Pritzker and Soviet-born Democrat don't listen

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images

In his interview with Fetterman in March, Hannity shared that he spoke with President Trump with him in mind. Hannity said Trump tasked him with making the pitch to Fetterman.

“Your job is to tell him he’s gonna run as a Republican, he’s gonna have our full support, more money than he ever dreamed of, and he’s gonna win big,” Hannity told Fetterman, recalling Trump’s alleged instructions.

While Fetterman told Politico in an interview that he has no plans to become a Republican, he has become friends with a pair of senators and their spouses: Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) and Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.). He also "gets along well" with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, with whom he texts regularly, the outlet said.

However, he has still championed many liberal issues that put him at odds with becoming a true Republican, including his stances on legalizing marijuana, abortion, and gay rights.

Likewise, he has seen and is wary of how Republicans who have stood up to Trump, including Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.), have been treated.

Having reached across the aisle and spent more time with Republicans, Fetterman is well aware that he is becoming increasingly alienated from his own party at the same time.

However, he is equally aware of his political leverage if the Senate's margins narrow as they are expected to in the midterms: “If we flip four seats in the Senate, who is the number 51 for the new majority?” he asked during his interview with Politico.

Republicans currently effectively hold a 53-seat majority in the Senate, while Democrats hold 45 seats. There are two independents who caucus with Democrats.

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Cooper Williamson

'Jeopardy!' champ's Trump-trashing victory lap: 'As an immigrant and a person of color ...'

4 days 18 hours ago


A game-show contestant who won "Jeopardy!" dozens of times cited race and immigration in a string of divisive comments after leaving the show.

The remark come after 31 consecutive victories and almost $900,000 in winnings across March and April.

'I was able to become part of the history of an American institution.'

Jamie Ding's winning streak is the fifth longest in "Jeopardy!" history, and the $882,605 he netted stands as the fifth-highest regular play winnings in the show's history. First in both those categories goes to host Ken Jennings, who won more than $2.5 million across the span of 74 straight wins, 34 more than second-place record-holder Amy Schneider.

Foreign asset

Unlike Jennings, Ding did it all without being a native-born American of European origin, something he was eager to point out to People magazine following his final episode.

"As an immigrant and a person of color, I was able to become part of the history of an American institution," Ding stated.

The Princeton grad went on to condemn the Trump administration's policy of deporting illegal immigrants.

"'Jeopardy!' really is an institution, and America's turning 250 years old, and the federal government is going after immigrants in a way unlike anything that we've seen in the recent past," he said. "So I hope that immigrants can be seen in a positive light too."

RELATED: The homicidal empathy of the left’s immigration policies

Shame game

Ding has used his newfound fame to champion other causes, recently appearing with New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) in support of a new state housing initiative.

According to Wheel of Fortune Tonight, he works for the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency as a tax credit program administrator.

"The agency I work for, we manage the low-income housing credits for New Jersey. We fund a huge chunk of the affordable housing that's built in the state," Ding said, per NorthJersey.com. "We're ahead of New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania. If you're from one of those states, then shame on you. Build more housing."

RELATED: Illegal alien with a badge impersonates Border Patrol agent to disrupt mission — even calls in 'reinforcements'

Eric McCandless/Disney/Getty Images

Bus buff

According to Huffington Post, Ding was born in Australia and is a naturalized U.S. citizen; his parents emigrated from Beijing.

"I kept hearing how it was bringing people together," he said about his appearances on "Jeopardy!"

"I love that very much. I've heard people say, 'It's nice to have something positive on TV!'" he added.

Ding has said that he hopes to use his winnings to move closer to public transit.

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Andrew Chapados

Walz goes silent amid accusations that Democrats sent goons to disrupt fraud investigations

4 days 18 hours ago


Minnesota House Republicans are locked in a fierce partisan clash with Democrats as GOP lawmakers call for accountability from Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) and his administration for their years of failure to stop widespread welfare fraud that robbed hardworking taxpayers.

It is estimated that the fraud in Minnesota connected to 14 “high-risk” Medicaid services could top $9 billion.

Swanson further claimed senior-level Minnesota DHS officials 'harassed and abused our unit for committing the sin of trying to expose a huge amount of fraud.'

The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee, led by Rep. Kristin Robbins (R), has held dozens of hearings, aiming to address these issues.

Robbins has slammed Walz for declining the committee’s invitation to testify before House lawmakers, despite being in the Capitol building for his State of the State address the same evening as the committee’s Apr. 28 hearing.

Robbins stated that his “decision-making over the last seven years … should be addressed,” pointing to a 2019 report from the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor, published early in Walz’s administration, that revealed issues in the state’s Child Care Assistance Program.

While Robbins’ committee has not heard testimony from Walz, it has questioned members of his administration. However, Robbins stated lawmakers “did not get satisfactory answers.”

Republicans have introduced a wave of legislation to address the core issues at the heart of the state’s fraud crisis. However, Democrat lawmakers have put up resistance.

Last year, Republican lawmakers introduced a bill to establish an independent Office of Inspector General to investigate. Currently, the OIG is under the Minnesota DHS, an executive branch agency. After weeks of party-line disagreements, a bipartisan OIG compromise advanced in late Apr. 2026.

The “Fraud Isn’t Free Act,” introduced in Feb. 2026, would have required state agencies to implement a corrective action plan in response to fraud in any program they administer. However, the proposal failed to pass a House committee.

GOP lawmakers are also pushing the “Take It Back Act,” introduced in April, which is still in play. If passed, it would impose a 100% tax on an individual or organization convicted of fraud in a state or federal court.

RELATED: Walz tries to take credit for raids on day cares in Minnesota — and Kash Patel humiliates him

Kristin Robbins. Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

As the state remains in the national spotlight for ignoring years of red flags, lawmakers are facing a tied House and are up against the clock, with the legislative session set to conclude in mid-May.

On Apr. 28, FBI Minneapolis and its federal partners raided 22 child-care and autism centers. The criminal search warrants included the infamous “Quality Learing Center,” which misspelled “learning” on the business sign posted outside its establishment, as featured in journalist Nick Shirley’s reporting that uncovered rampant fraud tied to the state’s Somali community.

That same day, Robbins’ fraud committee gathered for a hearing to discuss the state’s Child Care Assistance Program, during which Jay Swanson, a former Minnesota state trooper and a former manager of the Minnesota Department of Human Services child care provider investigation unit from 2014 to 2019, provided damning testimony.

Swanson explained that he was involved in an investigation that led to a federal indictment of the owner of the Salama Child Care Center in 2017. The owner ultimately pled guilty, was sentenced to two years in prison, and was ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution, Swanson said.

“The Salama Child Care Center was located at 1411 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. That address might ring a bell for some of you because of a YouTube video taken last December at the Quality Learing Center, which was being operated at the same address,” Swanson told lawmakers, referring to Shirley’s reporting.

Swanson further claimed senior-level Minnesota DHS officials “harassed and abused our unit for committing the sin of trying to expose a huge amount of fraud in the CCAP program.” He noted that some of those individuals are still working at the state DHS.

He told lawmakers that by mid-2017, the leadership at the Minnesota DHS was not focused on stopping CCAP fraud, but “the focus was on stopping the people that are investigating CCAP fraud.”

Swanson stated that the state DHS unit he led was closed shortly after the special Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor report that flagged major weaknesses in the DHS’ fraud controls.

“Rather than INCREASING criminal investigations of childcare fraud after an OLA report came out early in his Administration, @GovTimWalz and DHS closed the unit,” Robbins wrote in a post on X. “They knew and they intentionally stopped criminal investigations.”

Robbins questioned Randy Keys, the inspector general of the Minnesota Department of Child, Youth, and Families, during the Apr. 28 hearing about whether he would want to “reinstate a criminal investigation unit” in the DCYF. This agency was established in 2024 to take over responsibility for child care-related programs from the DHS.

“No,” Keys replied. “It’s very important in our system to ensure that administrative investigations are kept separate from criminal investigations. … What we’re doing is protecting the integrity of the investigations and our ability to use that information.”

RELATED: FBI RAIDS 'Quality Learing Center' and nearly 2 dozen more in Minnesota FRAUD investigation

Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Less than two years ago, Walz was the darling of the national Democratic Party after Kamala Harris nominated him to join her on the 2024 presidential ticket.

Minnesota’s benefit fraud crisis, however, has damaged Walz’s political career, leading him to drop out of the re-election race. Walz’s prolonged failure to address the fraud prompted House Republicans to propose resolutions H.R. 6 and H.R. 7 in March that would move to impeach the governor and Attorney General Keith Ellison.

H.R. 6, which called for Walz’s removal, accused the governor of engaging “in corrupt conduct in office by violating his constitutional oath to faithfully execute the laws of this state.” It claimed he knowingly concealed or permitted others to conceal “widespread fraud … despite repeated warnings, audits, reports, and public indicators of systematic abuse.”

H.R. 7, which aimed to impeach Ellison, claimed that the attorney general “failed to discharge faithfully the duties of his office to the best of his judgment and ability, by engaging in corrupt conduct in office and committing crimes and misdemeanors.”

The criticism against Ellison stemmed from his alleged ties to those involved in the Feeding Our Future scandal. In 2021, Ellison met with criminal defendants involved with Feeding Our Future, 10 months before any indictments were filed. Shortly after their meeting, Ellison accepted over $10,000 in campaign donations from individuals tied to the group.

Ellison returned some of the campaign donations in 2022, soon after federal indictments were filed. Other campaign funds were returned in May and Dec. of 2025.

House Republican Floor Leader Harry Niska insisted that the only power the House has for accountability in the “multibillion-dollar fraud scandal that’s embarrassing our state” is impeachment.

Democrat lawmakers rejected the impeachment efforts. Rep. Sydney Jordan (DFL) called the attempt a “simple, stupid distraction” and a “political circus.”

Jordan accused Republicans of targeting Walz and Ellison because they “don’t like them,” and claimed GOP lawmakers should be focused on the “absolute solutions” that could prevent “scamming businesses” in the future.

“We actually have a fraud committee that could be doing this, but they haven’t heard any bills to actually crack down on fraud, so I don’t know what they’re doing either. This is exactly the kind of political stunt that has taken over our politics,” Jordan said. “This is an insane waste of time. I can’t believe this is what the Republican caucus is choosing to spend their limited committee time on.”

Walz similarly called the GOP’s effort “a waste of time.” He told Republicans to “just get over it and move on” because his term is coming to an end.

Ellison has insisted that his 2021 meeting with individuals involved in the Feeding Our Future scandal was “routine,” he wrote in a Minnesota Star Tribune op-ed in Apr. 2025.

“I took a meeting in good faith with people I didn’t know, and some turned out to have done bad things. I did nothing for them and took nothing from them,” Ellison wrote.

In Dec. 2025, a spokesperson for Ellison claimed that the AG did not receive donations from anyone who attended the 2021 meeting and that he had “returned every contribution from the handful of people associated with Feeding Our Future as soon as he was made aware of those connections.”

The procedural resolution to consider H.R. 6 and H.R. 7 was rejected along party lines on Apr. 15 in the Rules Committee.

Walz's office and Ellison's office did not respond to requests for comment from Blaze News.

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Candace Hathaway

‘America’s mayor’ is hospitalized in critical condition as tributes and well-wishes roll in

4 days 19 hours ago


On Sunday evening, a spokesman for "America’s Mayor" Rudy Giuliani shared the news that the 81-year-old former New York City mayor is in critical condition in a Florida hospital.

“Giuliani is currently in the hospital,” spokesman Ted Goodman wrote on X, “where he remains in critical but stable condition. Mayor Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in his life with unwavering strength, and he's fighting with that same level of strength as we speak.”

‘I pray he pulls through this. The world needs more of him.’

Goodman added, “We do ask that you join us in prayer for America's Mayor Rudy Giuliani.”

Almost immediately after the news broke, well-wishes and tributes started pouring in.

“Our fabulous Rudy Giuliani, a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR, has been hospitalized,” wrote President Donald Trump on Truth Social. “What a tragedy that he was treated so badly by the Radical Left Lunatics, Democrats ALL — AND HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!”

RELATED: Did Biden win Georgia? 2020 election results now in doubt after county admits counting perhaps 315,000 uncertified votes

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The president isn’t the only one offering well-wishes.

Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, a New York City native who served four years as a police officer with the New York Police Department, wrote on X, “Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the most transformative figure in the history of NY City politics.”

“He pulled off an economic and public safety miracle in a relatively short amount of time, and the city rose from the dead. I worked for the NYPD during the end of his second term. It was the honor of a lifetime,” Bongino continued. “I pray he pulls through this. The world needs more of him.”

Another former mayor of New York, Eric Adams, wrote on X that Giuliani “devoted his life to this city, from his days as a federal prosecutor to leading New York through 9/11. He was there when we needed him most.”

Adams then shared that he would be praying for Giuliani.

There have been no further updates from Giuliani’s team on the reasons for the hospitalization or the prognosis as of Monday morning.

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Blaze News

Two men wearing ski masks open fire at party near Oklahoma lake; at least 13 hospitalized: Reports

4 days 19 hours ago


Two men wearing ski masks opened fire at a party near an Oklahoma lake Sunday night, and at least 13 people were hospitalized, according to reports.

Edmond Police spokesperson Emily Ward told the Associated Press that authorities were notified about shots fired around 9 p.m. at a gathering of young people near Arcadia Lake. Arcadia Lake is just over 20 minutes north of Oklahoma City.

'We are working extremely hard to find the suspects.'

Police told KOKH-TV that two men wearing ski masks opened fire during the party at Spring Creek Park near the lake.

Ward told the AP that while no arrests had been made yet, she noted to KOKH that police are reviewing video from Flock license plate reader cameras in order to identify those responsible.

The outlet, citing a hospital system spokesperson, said that 10 people were taken to Integris Health Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, and three were at Integris Health Edmond Hospital as of Monday morning.

Integris Health told Fox News that six of the 13 victims have been treated and released, and of the seven who remained hospitalized, four were listed in serious condition and three were listed in critical condition.

RELATED: 17-year-old faces attempted murder charges in connection with mass shooting near University of Iowa

Ward added to the AP that "we’re kind of all over the metro speaking with victims and witnesses."

“This is obviously a very terrifying situation, and we understand the concern from the public and those involved, and we are working extremely hard to find the suspects,” she added to the outlet.

The AP said police did not immediately respond to an email seeking information early Monday.

The outlet also said that while police did not provide details about the party, a flyer seen on social media after the shooting suggested that an event called Sunday Funday had been scheduled near the lake Sunday evening.

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Dave Urbanski

This underdog candidate's app will expose the politicians to blame for LA's shocking filth

4 days 19 hours ago


Los Angeles is consistently ranked as one of the dirtiest cities in the United States, but one mayoral candidate thinks tying the city's cleanliness to government officials' records is the key to getting the city spotless.

Through a municipal service called 311, residents can already report trash, graffiti, and other garbage-related issues. However, this has not helped L.A. escape the lowest rankings of studies that measure filth in big cities.

'Our city council members need to feel that when election time comes around.'

A 2025 study by Oxi Fresh measured cities in terms of the amount of rodents, vandalism, litter, and more. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim was No. 34 out of 35 cities, only ahead of New York-Newark-Jersey City, earning a D+ rating.

Another study from last year placed Los Angeles at second-worst in terms of living conditions, waste infrastructure, pollution, and resident dissatisfaction. The only city worse off than L.A. in the massive 303-city ranking system was San Bernardino, California.

Enter mayoral candidate and former television star Spencer Pratt, who says tying the record of politicians' districts in the city to cleanliness will keep them accountable.

"I created an app that will replace 311 that actually has accountability and eventually the app would merge into the city dashboards ... [or] go on the city website," Pratt said on his podcast, "The Fame Game with Heidi & Spencer."

RELATED: Los Angeles mayor's re-election campaign gets crushing news from 'downright devastating' poll

- YouTube

Pratt and his wife, Heidi, discussed the city's lack of cleanliness with Juan Naula, who spends his time showcasing the filth of L.A., while actually going out and cleaning it.

Pratt proposed that his app would allow residents to film or photograph their local garbage, which then gets geo-stamped and sent to the appropriate district representatives.

"What the app will do is it will show wherever you are in the city ... it's going to geo-stamp it, and it's going to create accountability to all the people that are responsible," Pratt continued. "It'll automatically email them and then it'll show their track record of their response time, their failures, so that we see as voters and constituents, our city council members, and they'll be ranked and rated."

The 42-year-old likened the idea to delivery services and restaurants, which live and prosper off the back of ratings systems that push them to provide satisfactory customer service.

"Why are our city council members not held to the same expectations that my mom will hold the place [giving] her spinach artichoke choke dip," the host asked.

RELATED: LA Times gets scorched for trying to disqualify Pratt for mayor — because his home burned down in Palisades fire

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images/MTV

The L.A. website's reportable services currently includes dumping and trash collection issues, bulk item pickups, potholes and graffiti reports, parking enforcement, and animal services.

There is no built-in measurement for accountability, but a review of city data by UCLA showed that the typical response time was four to six days depending on the situation.

Anonymous reports allegedly took a day longer to solve than named reports; five days versus four days. At the same time, Android submissions took an average of six days for a resolution while Apple report had a response time of five days.

The pressure of performance was paramount for Pratt, who said "our city council members need to feel that when election time comes around."

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Andrew Chapados

Our local Catholic school sent everyone home for 2 days. You'll never guess why.

4 days 19 hours ago


The big news here in Portland, Oregon, is that a high school baseball player used a “racial hate speech” slur during a pregame, player-only huddle.

The slur itself has been kept from the public lest we all die of shock. I’m sure none of us has ever heard such a word.

Naturally, the media was called in, so the student leaders got to practice their TV interview skills.

One interesting thing about the incident: It happened at a prominent Catholic school in town, Central Catholic.

Unforced error

The reaction of the Central Catholic administration was the other interesting thing. Check this out:

  • The baseball team immediately canceled and forfeited the game they were playing.
  • Then, they forfeited the next day’s game as well.
  • The entire baseball team was then marched onto a stage at a special school assembly and made to publicly apologize to their classmates.
  • Then, they sent everyone home for the next two days, for COVID-style “remote learning.” (That’s right, not the baseball player who said the slur, but the WHOLE SCHOOL was sent home.)
  • They did this so that faculty and staff could prepare “to respond to their students' needs” when they were allowed back into the building.

Which meant that another couple of days would be spent processing the trauma and psychological suffering they’d been put through.

This all occurred even though the only students who actually heard the “racial hate speech” slur were the players on the baseball team.

Heaven help us

Central Catholic is a typical Catholic high school. Its students are good at sports. It has solid extracurriculars. It is considered a notch above the local public high schools in educational standards.

Historically, all Catholic schools were known for a certain traditionalism regarding student behavior and teaching philosophy.

If you wanted your child to have an education tainted by the latest social trends and political ideologies, you sent them to public school.

If you wanted a more classical education, with a more disciplined and rigorous approach, you sent them to a Catholic school.

But that’s no longer the case, apparently. Even a public high school wouldn’t shut down its entire campus for two days over one baseball player saying one bad word.

In the beginning was ... the Word

I’m going to take a wild guess and predict that the “racial hate speech” slur was probably based on a common derogatory derivative of the antiquated term "negro" — as further appropriated and transformed by hip-hop culture. Because of hip-hop's massive popularity, this "soft A" variant has become a more-or-less neutral form of address among young people of all races.

Our entertainment industry has bombarded young people with this word for decades, making it sound funny and cool. And then our academic communities act like it’s the gravest sin to repeat it.

Obviously, it is not a word that should be used at school. It's vulgar and still retains some of its capacity to degrade and insult. But a two-day shutdown of the entire student body? With a school-wide assembly? And the local media alerted? And almost an entire week lost processing the trauma?

How about the administration has a stern talk with the baseball player? In private?

Truant believers

But that would be too easy. Never mind that the kid’s high school career will be ruined by this obvious overreaction. What was important was allowing the administration to advertise its moral superiority.

The student body was also inspired to take advantage of this educational opportunity. A week after the initial controversy, students walked out of class in protest. “Not enough has been done!” they claimed, as they assembled outside to loiter in the street and watch TikTok videos on their phones.

Naturally, the media was called in, so the student leaders got to practice their TV interview skills.

This is what is being taught at Catholic school these days. Complain. Protest. Disrupt. And above all, don’t go to class and learn anything.

RELATED: Healthy as a horse: My journey into the ivermectin underworld

CBS/Getty Images

Mater DEI

One thing this controversy demonstrates is that a Catholic school is no longer a protection from woke ideology. It is, in fact, almost a guarantee of it.

So what are parents to do if they want their kids at a genuinely Christian school? Like a school where there aren’t Pride flags and sex manuals in every classroom. Where kids are not diagnosed with ADHD or toxic masculinity. Where America is not constantly slandered and vilified by radical leftist textbooks.

There are still some authentically Christian schools in Portland. I’m assuming they are authentic because they are small, they are self-contained, and they keep to themselves.

You would barely know these schools exist if you didn’t go looking for them. They dare not draw attention to themselves, lest our “social justice” local government — or our politicized media — invent some reason to attack them.

Bad education

So what was Central Catholic really up to during the racial slur controversy?

It was virtue signaling. Pretending it is more righteous than you are or I am, by wasting everybody’s time with performative outrage.

And this happened in Oregon, which famously ranks near the bottom of every national educational metric. In Portland, most parents’ choice of schools is: bad, worse, or terrible.

That is, until you realize there are a few actual Christian schools around. Just don’t tell anyone where they are!

Blake Nelson

Gavin McInnes tells conservatives: Stop ‘pearl-clutching’ over Kimmel’s 'expectant widow' joke

4 days 20 hours ago


Two days before the White House Correspondents' Dinner, late-night comedy host Jimmy Kimmel, parodying the upcoming event, made a joke that Melania Trump had “a glow like an expectant widow.”

Many found the joke insensitive and inflammatory, especially given the repeated assassination attempts against President Trump — the most recent of which happened at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, during which a gunman rushed a security checkpoint and fired multiple shots in hopes of killing Trump and other administrative officials.

Kimmel doubled down on his joke in the wake of the WHCD assassination attempt, insisting that the widow joke wasn’t about assassination but Trump’s old age.

President Trump, Melania, and many other prominent conservatives are actively calling for Kimmel’s firing.

But some conservatives are pushing back. One of them is Canadian writer, podcaster, and political commentator Gavin McInnes.

“We got to drop the pearl-clutching,” he told Glenn Beck on a recent episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” “because you lose the youth if you clutch the pearls, and if you don’t have youth on your side, you’re done, and we have the youth on our side right now.”

Further, McInnes believes that Kimmel really was joking about Trump and Melania’s age gap.

“The joke was way before the [White House] Correspondents' Dinner, and he always jokes about their age gap,” he says, encouraging conservatives to learn how to “take [a joke] on the chin.”

There are limitations though.

When people are “calling for violence,” that’s where we draw the line, says McInnes, citing multiple examples, including comedian Kathy Griffin’s 2017 stunt where she held up a prop that looked like a bloody, severed head resembling Donald Trump.

But Kimmel, he argues, made a genuine, albeit “cruel,” joke.

He calls conservatives out for spinning a narrative about Kimmel’s “expectant widow” comment that just isn’t true.

“That's what the left does. That's propaganda. They twist things, and I don't want to join that club,” he says.

To hear Glenn’s response, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

BlazeTV Staff

Priest breaks hip — now Canada apparently wants him dead

4 days 20 hours ago


Rev. Lawrence Holland fell in his bathroom on Christmas Day and suffered a hip fracture. While the 79-year-old Catholic priest went to a nearby hospital in search of help, health care workers at the facility apparently had a final solution in mind: state-facilitated suicide.

Since the Canadian federal government under ex-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau legalized medically assisted suicide nationwide in 2016, the so-called Medical Assistance in Dying program has been grossly liberalized.

'The moment you lose hope, the devil comes in.'

Initially, MAID applicants had to be 18 or older and suffering from a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" causing "enduring physical or psychological suffering that is intolerable" to them. Now, persons struggling with anxiety, autism, depression, economic hardship, PTSD, and other survivable issues appear to be fair game.

Next year, persons suffering solely from a mental illness will also be eligible.

MAID — which Canada's Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer boasted in October 2020 would, with expanded access, "result in a net reduction in health care costs for the provincial governments" — is now among the leading causes of death in Canada, accounting for over 5% of all deaths in Canada in 2024.

"It's a false compassion," Rev. Holland told the B.C. Catholic, the Archdiocese of Vancouver's biweekly publication.

The hobbled priest claimed that a doctor and a nurse at Vancouver General Hospital, directly affiliated with the British Columbia Ministry of Health, offered him MAID while he was recovering from his hip fracture, which is hardly a terminal condition. The priest further claimed that both medical professionals knew he is a Catholic priest.

"I think I was very shocked," said Holland. "It is such a sensitive subject."

Rev. Larry Lynn, pro-life chaplain for the Archdiocese of Vancouver, said, "This must surely be among the most appalling examples of Canada’s coercive and insensitive euthanasia regime."

RELATED: Euthanasia and the lie of the 'good death'

Mininyx Doodle/Getty Images

Although he was left "kind of silent" for a moment when the topic of assisted suicide was first apparently broached, Rev. Holland emphasized to the doctor that he, a Catholic priest, was morally opposed to the practice.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that direct euthanasia is "morally unacceptable"; that such actions constitute "a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator; and that "even if death is thought imminent, the ordinary care owed to a sick person cannot be legitimately interrupted."

The Catholic Church has long campaigned against assisted suicide.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops noted in 2023, for instance, that "euthanasia and assisted suicide (MAID) have always been, and will always be, morally unacceptable because they are affronts to human dignity and violations of natural and divine law."

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has similarly and repeatedly condemned the practice, affirming that "we are dealing here with 'a violation of the divine law, an offense against the dignity of the human person, a crime against life, and an attack on humanity.'"

Just last month, Catholic bishops in New York published a guidebook reiterating the church's moral teaching "that this practice is objectively immoral and must be avoided, despite the false veil of compassion with which it is sold." The state was apparently in need of a reminder given its recent adoption of a law legalizing doctor-assisted suicide.

Even when dealing with a patient from a "faith community" that's opposed to MAID, the Canadian Association of MAID Assessors and Providers still recommends that Canadian health care professionals make the pitch for assisted suicide.

After informing his doctor that he was opposed to assisted suicide, Rev. Holland recalled the doctor explaining that he "just wanted to make sure that, if a [terminal] diagnosis came up or not ... I knew the different services I had access to."

Rev. Holland told the B.C. Catholic that weeks later, a nurse also raised the matter of MAID with him.

A spokesman for Vancouver Coastal Health, which runs the hospital, told the B.C. Catholic that "staff may consider bringing up MAID based on their clinical judgment, provided they possess the necessary knowledge and skills to do so."

Staff are also "responsible for answering questions when patients bring up the topic of MAID," added the spokesman.

Rev. Ronald Sequeria, the Catholic chaplain serving at Vancouver General Hospital, suggested there was something demonic about how MAID-pushers prey on suffering patients' despair — especially when suffering can be redemptive.

"The moment you lose hope, the devil comes in, in different personalities, and says, 'Do you want MAID? I don’t want people to suffer,'" said Rev. Sequeira.

"God makes us more pure, more strong, through the suffering when we offer it up," said the chaplain. "So we give hope — help them not to lose hope."

Rev. Holland drove home this point, stressing that enduring pain "can encourage growth."

"It can motivate you, it can open up new worlds, new vistas, new opportunities," added the priest.

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Joseph MacKinnon

'RedSun' flaw in Microsoft's security software lets hackers take over your PC. Here's how to protect it.

4 days 23 hours ago


Microsoft Windows is one of the most popular operating systems on the planet, second only to Android. With 1 billion users spread out across interests and industries, robust security software is critical to keeping personal files and private information safe. Unfortunately, a newly discovered flaw in Windows’ built-in Microsoft Defender could give hackers full access to a PC without the user’s knowledge.

What is Microsoft Defender?

Windows PCs didn’t always have antivirus protection built in. In fact, Microsoft’s first-party solution didn’t come along until 2006, 21 years after Windows debuted. Today, the aptly named Microsoft Defender ships on every PC from Windows Vista all the way to Windows 11.

The purpose of Microsoft Defender is simple: It is designed to protect your PC from the usual online threats that pervade the internet. This includes viruses, malware, ransomware, and phishing attacks. Microsoft even boasts that Defender “can block almost all malware at first sight, in milliseconds.

That sounds promising.

In short, it provides a necessary layer of protection in a world of increasingly dangerous cyberattacks driven by AI. Unfortunately, while Microsoft Defender is meant to minimize hacking threats, it can now be used to infiltrate a PC wholesale.

Microsoft Defender’s fatal flaw

An anonymous researcher who goes by “Chaotic Eclipse” discovered a major flaw in Microsoft Defender. Dubbed “RedSun,” the threat can lead to hackers gaining administrative privileges to a target PC without the user’s knowledge or permission.

RedSun affects a wide range of PCs running Windows 10 and Windows 11.

With administrative privileges, a hacker can essentially control every aspect of the user’s PC. This includes installing or uninstalling software, running programs, changing user settings, modifying user accounts, resetting system passwords, disabling security software and firewalls (including Defender itself), and accessing user files.

RedSun, at its core, is a form of malware — the same kind that Microsoft claims to block in the blink of an eye. Then again, the company did say that Defender stops “almost all malware,” so there’s some wiggle room. It just so happens that this particular bug that the system missed comes with potentially devastating consequences.

Staying true to the name, Chaotic Eclipse left detailed instructions on a GitHub page, explaining how hackers can use the exploit to raise awareness of the issue. The move is a double-edged sword for users and Microsoft alike. On one hand, Chaotic Eclipse hopes that with this information divulged, Microsoft will patch Defender promptly to keep all 1 billion users safe around the world. On the other hand, these instructions tell hackers exactly how to infiltrate PCs using the Microsoft Defender exploit, potentially leading to mass cyberattacks of critical systems — from personal computers to businesses and even government agencies — that run on Windows.

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RedSun affects a wide range of PCs running Windows 10 and Windows 11, as well as Windows Server for enterprise applications.

How to protect your PC from RedSun

At the time this article was published, there is currently no fix available for RedSun, and it could take weeks or even months for Microsoft to issue an update. Since the exploit is now openly available and receiving attention from the media, we hope this spurs Microsoft to act fast, but considering all the bugs that have plagued Windows 11 lately — including this BitLocker hole we covered earlier this year — the company already has its hands full.

While you may not be able to stop a hacker from breaching your PC through Microsoft Defender, you can add an extra layer of protection by temporarily installing a trusted third-party antivirus solution. Some options include McAfee, Bitdefender, and Norton.

In the meantime, keep an eye on the Windows Update page in the Settings app on your PC for the latest bug fixes that will finally put RedSun to rest. Of course, if all else fails, there’s always Mac!

Zach Laidlaw

The terrifying scale of the data center land-grab

5 days ago


From the time of one’s childhood, a person learns a sense of proportion in addition to a sense of right and wrong. Even good things must be measured in the right proportion. It is this lack of proportionality that is missing from advocates of Big Tech seeking to build hyperscale AI data centers — often multiple facilities — in nearly every region of the country.

A recent Washington Post exposé of the data center fight in Archbald, Pennsylvania, exemplifies why the data center agenda is unprecedented, is unsustainable, and makes the entire generative AI concept economically insolvent.

We have never asked so many communities to give so much for abstract and speculative promises of return.

Tucked into the Pocono Mountains northeast of Scranton, Archbald is a mountain town of 7,000. Now, town council leaders have sold out to Big Tech and plan to build six sprawling hyperscale data centers covering about 14% of the town’s land.

Those campuses would include 51 data warehouses — each about the size of a Walmart supercenter — including seven buildings encompassing more than 1 million square feet. If all the data centers were built, they would occupy about 2.5 miles of land.

We have simply never done this before. And remember, this is playing out to varying degrees in thousands of places throughout the country. And of course, these campuses offer locals nothing but surveillance and slop relative to what edge computing can do with an infinitesimal footprint.

Over the past month, most members of the seven-person Archbald Borough Council, along with several planning board members, have resigned.

Keep in mind that Big Tech wants to rezone and buy up land that is exponentially larger than anything ever done before. Apologists for the industry within the GOP accuse some of us of being anti-growth and anti-infrastructure, but there is an obvious difference between this and every other infrastructure project: namely, the return on investment.

For a fraction of the space, a gas-powered plant supplies the power to an entire region and is a universal need. These behemoths, on the other hand, require exponentially more land, and rather than offering power, they suck it out — not to mention treating the neighbors to a constant 90 decibel humming. It is all being done on the promise of “artificial general intelligence,” which is nothing more than a scam.

It would be one thing if the scaling of large language models required that one region of our country get turned into a parking lot, such as what is being proposed in Archbald. But they are trying to do this with mega-hyperscale facilities in thousands of places across the country.

To provide some sense of proportion, let’s just take eight of the proposed hyperscales under contract in Indiana. Taken together, these data centers that will power cloud computing for Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon will consume 8,300 MWs of power. That is the usage equivalent of twice the number of households in the entire state.

RELATED: Republicans must reject Big Tech land grabs or start losing elections

Nathan Howard/Washington Post/Getty Images

If not for opposition from locals, Prince William County, which is already saturated with data centers, was going to permit a 2,100-acre, 37-building campus that would have been one of the largest in the world. To put that size in perspective, one could probably build well over 50 gas-powered plants in that footprint.

The Box Elder County, Utah, Commission is about to sign off on a mega data center project on 40,000 acres of private and DOD lands that, when completed, will eventually use nine GWs of power. To put that in perspective, the entire state of Utah uses four GWs.

The sheer unprecedented amount of power these leviathans would need also necessitates an unnatural and inordinate number of transmission lines that will cut through, distort, and disturb private property. For example, Dominion Power is proposing a $1 billion 765 kV high-voltage transmission line project that would span from Lynchburg to Culpeper County, Virginia. The project would impact nine counties with the most powerful lines, standing 135-165 feet tall.

It’s even worse in West Virginia, where the residents are being forced to fund projects that cut up their land with transmission lines to fund the Northern Virginia “Data Center Alley” that is not even in the same state!

Is it any wonder why there is a national bipartisan revolt against the ruling class of both parties on the sheer insanity of this model? We have never asked so many communities to give so much for abstract and speculative promises of return.

It’s more likely that we will be stuck with the surveillance state, a degraded quality of life, and a decrepit internet full of slop than that we will achieve any greatness in human progress from such sacrifice of land, power, and continuity of communities.

Never before have we had a technology that is supposedly so progressive and futuristic, yet its resource-stripping is so cloddish, archaic, and draconian.

Everyone knows the industry lacks the power and money to actually operate thousands of hyperscale data centers. Everyone recognizes that the scaling model of LLMs is unsustainable and is not the future of AI. But will we stop this madness before so much of our land is rezoned and re-owned by a centralized monopoly?

Remember, the land-grab is not the side effect, but the main point.

Daniel Horowitz
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