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

12 hours 53 minutes 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Retiring these outdated systems and replacing them with fiber, wireless and satellite alternatives would be an easy win for consumers and providers alike, and it is something carriers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Next Generation 911 replaces this outdated infrastructure with an IP-based system capable of receiving texts, photos, videos, and precise location data — including vertical “z-axis” positioning in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.

13 hours 11 minutes 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

13 hours 23 minutes 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?

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BlazeTV Staff

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

13 hours 33 minutes 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

13 hours 48 minutes 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