The Blaze

Leah Remini announces that she has earned her associate degree



Actress Leah Remini announced that she has earned an associate degree and is working toward earning a bachelor's degree.

"Three years ago, I embarked on a terrifying journey: becoming a college student at the age of 50 after only having an 8th-grade education and spending 35 years in a totalitarian cult," Remini, 53, wrote in a tweet, referring to her time in Scientology. "After three years of hard work, long nights, tears, and wanting to give up so many times, I have earned an associate's degree from NYU. I'm now working on my bachelor's degree."

"I desperately wanted a higher education for many years but didn't move forward because I feared I was not smart enough. Even though I had managed to leave Scientology, three decades of brainwashing still gripped my mind," she noted. "Whether a cult used to control your life, you have a full-time job as a stay-at-home parent, or full-time job(s) outside of the home, it's never too late to continue your education and pursue what you have always wanted to achieve for yourself!"

Remini is widely known for her role on the sitcom "The King of Queens" as well as for helping to expose the dark underbelly of Scientology with her series "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath."

"As some of you know, since I escaped from Scientology in 2013, I have been followed constantly by Scientology operatives and agents. These people hide in the shadows to monitor my movements and who I am meeting with so they can report back to Scientology's intelligence agency, the Office of Special Affairs, which reports directly to David Miscavige," Remini wrote in a post last month.

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Christie says if mounting a third-party bid would assist Trump, 'then it is not the way forward'



Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who launched a bid for the Republican presidential nomination last year, failed to gain traction, and then ultimately dropped out before the Iowa GOP presidential caucuses earlier this year — seems to have indicated that he will not pursue a third-party White House bid.

The Washington Post reported that Christie and his team had probed the potential of a presidential bid connected with No Labels, but he ultimately determined that there was not a practical avenue to secure the win in the White House contest.

"I appreciate the encouragement I've gotten to pursue a third party candidacy. I believe we need a country that once again feels like everyone has a stake in what we're doing and leadership that strives to bring people together, instead of using anger to divide us," Christie noted in a statement. "While I believe this is a conversation that needs to be had with the American people, I also believe that if there is not a pathway to win and if my candidacy in any way, shape or form would help Donald Trump become president again, then it is not the way forward."

Christie has previously said that he will not vote for Trump and "can't see" himself voting for Biden. He participated in the GOP presidential primary debates last year, which Trump opted not to join.

It appears that former President Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden will face off against each other during the presidential election later this year, as both men have become the presumptive nominees of their respective parties. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent, will also be in the mix.

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Man dressed in 'Scream' costume killed his neighbor with a chainsaw and knife, Pennsylvania police say



Pennsylvania police say a man killed his neighbor with a chainsaw while wearing the costume of the killer from the popular movie "Scream."

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Anthony Petroski told reporters in a media briefing that police found 59-year-old Edward Whitehead Jr. with life-threatening injuries on 3:30 p.m. on Monday.

"Edward Whitehead Jr. was struck multiple times with a knife and a battery-operated chainsaw," said Petroski.

Whitehead was transported to St. Luke's Carbon County Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Petroski said police were given a very strange description of the attacker.

"The suspect was wearing an all-black outfit, consisting of a mask of the Scream character from a movie from a few years ago," he explained.

“Through investigation, we were able to develop a suspect. The suspect's house had a perimeter around it, and through successful negotiation, the suspect exited and was taken into custody without an incident,” said Petroski.

Witnesses said that the suspect, 30-year-old Zak Moyer, was the next door neighbor to Whitehead.

"This was not just a random attack, they did know each other," said Petroski.

Moyer had passed notes to the police while they were negotiating his surrender. The criminal complaint describes one of those notes that may explain his motivation in attacking his neighbor.

"Ed murdered women and kids. Eddie Junior murdered women and kids last summer," the note allegedly read.

A criminal complaint said that Moyer admitted to stabbing Whitehead in the head with the knife and then returned to his home to watch a movie until police came for him. Police said that Moyer's sister told them that he had been planning to kill the neighbor for a week before the crime.

Investigators said Moyer admitted to hiding the chainsaw in the attic and a knife in a drawer. They also found the black costume and the mask after obtaining a search warrant for his residence.

Moyer was charged with one count of criminal homicide and is being held at the Carbon County Correctional Facility. He had no prior criminal history in the court system in the state of Pennsylvania.

Neighbors said they were shocked by the incident because their neighborhood was usually quiet.

Here's more about the incident:

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21-year-old Texas man who allegedly sold child sex and bestiality videos on messaging app was turned in to police by relative



A 21-year-old Texas man was arrested on Wednesday for child pornography after his relative turned him in to the police.

Bexar County Sheriff's Office's Sheriff Javier Salazar said that Tristen McLelland was found to have "several thousands" of images of children being "brutally sexually assaulted."

The relative was cleaning McLelland's bedroom on March 3 and bumped into the man's laptop, according to Salazar. When the computer turned on, the relative saw the disturbing images and called the police.

An investigation by BCSO and ChildSafe found images on the laptop of sexual abuse of children as young as 2 years old and up to 9 years old.

"This is one of the more disturbing cases I heard in quite some time," he added.

Salazar said an investigation found evidence McLelland was selling and trading the images on Discord, a popular messaging application. He was also allegedly selling videos of people having sex with animals.

"I think we've just begun to scratch the surface of the depravity in this case," Salazar said after telling reporters there may be other charges added as a result of the ongoing investigation.

He went on to say that investigators didn't believe McLelland had any access to children but that police were asking for help from the public if they had any information related to the accusations.

McLelland faces several charges, including possession of child pornography, possession with intent to promote child pornography, possession for wholesale promotion of child pornography, and bestiality.

"I've been doing this job a long time," said Salazar. "But it's pretty disturbing to know that there's people out there."

He said they found about 4,000 images of abuse on the man's laptop. McLelland had no prior criminal history, and Salazar said that he had been living in his car for some time.

News video showed McLelland being led in handcuffs into a patrol car. When the reporter asked him if he was sorry for what he did, he replied that he didn't remember what he had done.

After that, the reporter asked McLelland if he had anything to say, but he was completely silent and stared at the camera.

Here's a local news report about the arrest:

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Zelenskyy urges 'quick passage of US aid to Ukraine,' says much of the money 'stays in the U.S.'



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing for the U.S. to green-light additional assistance to Ukraine.

For more than two years, Ukraine has been fighting against a Russian onslaught. In a Thursday post on X, Zelenskyy noted that he had spoken to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and briefed him "on the battlefield situation." Zelenskyy said in the post that speedy approval of more American aid is critical.

"In this situation, quick passage of US aid to Ukraine by Congress is vital. We recognize that there are differing views in the House of Representatives on how to proceed, but the key is to keep the issue of aid to Ukraine as a unifying factor," the post declares. "We also discussed the importance of cutting off Russia's sources of funding for its war as soon as possible and using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's benefit. We also rely on the leadership of Congress in this regard."

The U.S., which is saddled with massive national debt, has already provided Ukraine with billions worth of assistance.

CBS News reported that Zelenskyy has said, "Let's be honest, the money which is allocated by the Congress, by the administration, in the majority of cases, 80% of this money — well, at least more than 75% — stays in the U.S. This ammunition is coming to us, but the production is taking place there, and the money stays in the U.S., and the taxes are staying in the U.S."

Like many U.S. lawmakers, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) wants to approve more Ukraine aid.

"We cannot let Pro-Putin MAGA extremists dictate America's foreign policy. It's time to pass the bipartisan national security bill and stand with Ukraine until victory is won," Jeffries declared in a post on X, which also included a line of American and Ukrainian flag emojis.

Last month, the Senate passed a measure that includes, among other things, more assistance for Ukraine, but the House has not voted on it.

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New York Times writer mocked and ridiculed for regurgitating bizarre NPR claim against Israel in Gaza war



New York Times columnist Nick Kristof posted a bizarre claim from an NPR report against Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, and they were both ridiculed mercilessly on social media.

Kristof reposted a report that there were an impossibly high number of relief trucks that were being held up by Israel on Thursday morning.

"[Jane Arraf] of @NPR quotes a Jordanian official as saying that 30,000 aid trucks are stuck at the Egypt/Gaza border, waiting for Israeli approval to enter Gaza, with some Jordanian trucks stuck there for the last two months. Meanwhile Gaza kids starve," wrote Kristof.

Image Source: Nick Kristof X screenshot

Here's the section of the NPR report Kristof was referencing:

While the U.S. says those shipments have increased recently to as many as 200 trucks a day, it's still much less, Leila, than the roughly 500 trucks of aid that aid officials say are desperately needed. A Jordanian official says 30,000 trucks are backed up at the main border crossing with Egypt, waiting for Israeli approval to enter. He says some of Jordan's own aid trucks have been waiting in line for two months there.

'Dumb and malicious'

Critics on social media immediately took Kristof and NPR to task for circulating such an obviously exaggerated accusation.

"Nick, I realize you’re an idiot, but does that sound right to you? 30 THOUSAND trucks?" responded Jonathan Greenburg. He went on to calculate that 30,000 trucks would take up 271 miles of street space.

"That’s twice the distance from Kerem Shalom to Amman, where @janearraf’s idiot source is feeding her fake statistics because he knows hacks like you are dumb and malicious enough to believe anything you’re fed," he added.

"They don’t even try to make their propaganda believable and the all stars in the Western media lap it up because OF COURSE the Jews have kept a line of trucks visible from Mars waiting at the Gaza border!" Greenburg said.

"30,000 trucks? LOL. People with an anti-Israel mindset will believe anything. Where are all these truck drivers sleeping? Who is feeding them? Where are the satellite photos of these trucks? Why hasn't this huge line of trucks at the border received any attention before now? I mean, some basic questions that anyone with common sense would be asking," replied David Bernstein.

"That’s what happens when your fervent conviction that Israel is to blame for everything addles your ability to think reasonably," replied Eylon Levy.

"Even well-educated, well-intentioned people will believe the most ridiculous things when it comes to Israel," read another response.

"30,000 trucks stuck at the Egyptian border? You want people to believe that trucks are lined up for 300 miles awaiting inspection by Israel? Reporters from the NY Times repeat other people's lies because it's easier than making up their own," responded Joel Petlin.

"Imagine pretending there are *30,000* trucks just sitting there at the border just to bash Israel. They don’t even try to make the propaganda believable," said radio host Jason Rantz.

Kristof eventually deleted the tweet, but NPR has not yet addressed the claim in its article.

Here's more about the war on Hamas:

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More than $2 million slated to go to family of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller



A GoFundMe fundraiser to benefit the widow of slain New York City Police Department officer Jonathan Diller has raised more than $636,000 so far.

Diller, who was only 31 years old and was the father of a young child, was fatally shot on Monday.

The funds raised from the GoFundMe will not be the only money going to the late officer's family.

Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports fame has announced $1.5 million will be going to Diller's family. Barstool Sports is selling "NEW YORK'S FINEST" shirts and indicating that all of the net proceeds will be donated to Diller's family. On Wednesday, Portnoy announced a donation match for the total amount raised through midnight. "Thanks to everybody who donated. We raised 750k. With the matching of the funds that brings the total to 1.5 million that will go directly to the family," he tweeted on Thursday.

Guy Rivera has been charged with the murder. Records reportedly indicate Rivera had been previously arrested by NYPD a whopping 21 times.

"Rivera, 34, whose last known address is on Broadway in Woodside, was charged with murder in the first and second degrees; attempted murder in the first and second degrees; four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree; and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree," a Queens District Attorney's Office press release indicates. The release also notes that the man "faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted."

Former President Donald Trump, who attended the wake on Thursday, declared in a Truth Social post, "THIS IS SUCH A SAD OCCASION—WE HAVE TO STOP IT, WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO LAW AND ORDER…WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF THINGS DIFFERENTLY—BECAUSE THIS NOT WORKING…THIS IS HAPPENING TOO OFTEN…"

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Texas man allegedly exposes himself to kids at grocery store; then, police find horrifying videos of his wife on his phone



A man and wife have been arrested for acts of bestiality that were found on a cellphone confiscated by police after the man exposed himself to children at a grocery store.

The Montgomery County Constable's Office said they were called to a H-E-B grocery store over reports that a man was following children and performing a sex act on himself on March 13.

Police were able to locate and arrest William M. Keen, but when they took his cellphone into evidence and got a search warrant to look at the data, they reportedly discovered evidence of more horrific crimes.

Prosecutors said that police found "multiple images of child sexual assault material as well as video content of Keen's spouse, identified as Joely Keen, engaging in both oral and vaginal sex with a Great Dane dog the couple owned together." They also found other photographs of child sex abuse.

Deputies obtained warrants and searched the couple's home in the city of Spring on Wednesday. They said that they found the Great Dane dog as well as two other dogs. They were rescued in order to avoid "further sexual exploitation" according to officials.

Two of their children were also removed from the home, aged 10 and 18 years old.

Joely Keen was charged with bestiality while William Keen was charged with indecency with a child by exposure and possession of child photography.

Neighbors told KTRK-TV that Joely Keen worked as a registered nurse and had been known around the neighborhood as being good with animals.

"I used to call him pet detective," one neighbor said to KTRK. "I don't even want to think about what transpired."

Ken Washington with the Montgomery County Constables Precinct 3 said they were concerned that the children might have been exposed to the couple's alleged criminal acts.

"It's not normal," Washington said to KTRK. "In the 20-plus years I've been doing this job, it doesn't cease to amaze me. Something comes up every now and again when you are investigating a crime. So when these detectives were going through this investigation and they find the images and the video and the sexual acts -- that's extremely concerning. But then you see an animal is involved and that makes this odd."

Here's a video about the incident:

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Megyn Kelly on the ONLY 2 ways Trump can beat our corrupt legal system



Former president Donald Trump is facing a handful of massive trials, including some that are being prosecuted by extremely partisan attorneys.

Glenn Beck and Megyn Kelly can’t help but notice that the attack on him is not only unprecedented but completely unfair.

While in one case, Trump’s bond was lowered from $464 million to $170 million and his fans across America rejoiced — it still doesn’t make it a win.

“It’s still $170 million, which in a victimless crime, I don’t understand,” Glenn says, astonished.

“The injustice against him is patent to anyone who’s not a hard-left partisan,” Kelly tells Glenn, adding, “I think we understand the fix is in. He’s probably going to lose, potentially across the board, on all four of these criminal cases.”

However, Kelly doesn’t believe all hope is lost.

“I think at this point, the only thing that’s going to save Trump is the Supreme Court and us in November,” Kelly says.

“Those are the two ways out of this for him, which is pretty ironic, Glenn, if you think about it,” Kelly adds.

Kelly believes it’s “ironic” because the Democrats' main goal is to stop Trump from running for and winning the presidency. However, it’s going to be one of the only ways he can save his life, his company, his business, and his freedom.

“He has no choice but to win, so he’s going to fight harder than ever. I mean, it’s kind of perfect,” Kelly says.


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Trump attends funeral for slain NYPD officer while Biden prepares to hobnob with celebrities at major NYC fundraiser



The presumptive nominees for president from the Republican and Democratic Parties will both be in the New York City area on Thursday — but for entirely different reasons.

Former President Donald Trump, who has already clinched enough delegates to become the Republican nominee for the third straight time, arrived in New York City to attend a funeral for Jonathan Diller, a 31-year-old NYPD officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty on Monday. According to a Trump spokesperson, the former president was invited to attend.

"President Trump is moved by the invitation to join NYPD Officer Jonathan Diller’s family and colleagues as they deal with his senseless and tragic death," Karoline Leavitt said in a statement released Wednesday.

Outside the funeral home, Trump made a few brief remarks about Diller and his family. "I just visited with a very beautiful wife who now doesn't have her husband," Trump said. He called Diller's widow, Stephanie, "incredible" and his 1-year-old son "beautiful" and "innocent as can be." "He doesn't know how his life has been changed," Trump added.

Trump also reaffirmed his support for law enforcement. "The police are the greatest people we have. There's nobody like them," Trump stated. "... We have to get back to law and order. We have to do a lot of things differently."

Diller's wake was held at Massapequa Funeral Home. A funeral mass will be held for him at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church on Saturday, and at least one union boss affiliated with the NYPD has already warned New York City Council members not to attend.

"The Council members who are vehemently and inexplicably against public safety are responsible for the carnage in the streets," wrote Vincent J. Vallelong, the president of the NYC Sergeants Benevolent Association.

Vallelong added that all too often, NYC leaders see such funerals as a "good photo opportunity." However, the presence of anti-cop members of the city council at Diller's funeral would be "a stain on the legacy of a true hero who made the ultimate sacrifice," he said.

Meanwhile, on the same day Trump was attending Diller's wake in Massapequa, just east of NYC, President Joe Biden is scheduled to host a major fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall in Midtown Manhattan. The event is expected to draw some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry and the Democratic Party, including former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton as well as late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert, Queen Latifah, Lizzo, Ben Platt, Cynthia Erivo, Lea Michele, and actress Mindy Kaling.

Though tickets for the event start as low as $225, costs skyrocket to $100,000 or more to snap exclusive photos or attend more exclusive receptions. According to the AP, the fundraiser has already broken records, bringing in a staggering $25 million. "This historic raise is a show of strong enthusiasm for President Biden and Vice President Harris and a testament to the unprecedented fundraising machine we’ve built," said campaign co-chair Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Steven Cheung, a Trump campaign spokesperson, took a decidedly different view. "Crooked Joe is so mentally deficient that he needs to trot out some retreads like Clinton and Obama," he quipped.

The contrast between the two events and the campaign priorities they represent is so stark that even CNN took note. National correspondent Kristen Holmes explained that Trump "does appeal to working-class voters" because of his willingness to show up at important moments, making his Democrat opponents look "elitist and out of touch."

Host Kate Bolduan agreed, claiming that such comparisons have been "successful" for Trump "in the past."

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Talking Diddy — Jason Whitlock’s deep dive into Sean Combs’ lawsuits is leaving thousands jaw-dropped



Sean John Combs, better known as P. Diddy or Puff Daddy in the rap music industry, is in hot water as he faces multiple civil lawsuits related to sex trafficking, rape, physical and sexual abuse, and other criminal activities.

Last year, Diddy’s former partner, Casandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit against the entertainer for a number of allegations involving rape, grooming, and other forms of abuse. Although Combs denied the allegations, he settled immediately with an undisclosed amount of money.

However, Ventura is not the only woman who’s come forward with similar allegations. Since November 2023, three additional women have filed suits against Combs for incidences of sexual assault that took place decades ago.

Fast forward to Combs’ most recent lawsuit, which was filed this past February by producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones, who cited many of the same violations. Jones alleged that Combs sexually harassed him and was engaged in a “widespread and dangerous criminal sex trafficking organization.”

This is the subject Jason Whitlock thoroughly unpacks in his two-part series: “Diddy and the Shocking Truth About Hip-Hop.”

Part one starts all the way back at the beginning — before Sean Combs was even born. In this episode, Jason explores how the unsolved murder of his drug-dealing father made young Sean Combs the perfect pawn in hip-hop’s war against America.

In Part 2, Jason dives into the seedy world of Diddy and how what he calls “agents of nihilism” use gangsta rap and prison culture to exploit young people.

The series has garnered thousands and thousands of views, beckoning people who want to see the entirety of the iceberg, not just what’s visible from the surface.

Shemeka Michelle calls the series “highly informative.”

“I appreciate you taking the time and the effort and the energy and the guts to actually give us that information,” she tells Jason.

“There's no other form of music like hip-hop that is this negative, this corrosive, and this celebrated without question,” says Jason.

To hear the duo’s discussion of the Diddy scandal, as well as T.I. and Jamie Foxx’s suspected debauchery, the Obamas’ involvement in the rap music industry, and the theory that Tupac’s 1994 murder was a psyop, watch the clip below.


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Potty-mouthed Karen on a kayak tries splashing dad, daughter with oar amid dispute — and loses hilariously



In a video you didn't know you needed today, we are treated to a potty-mouthed, kayaking Karen who tries splashing a father and daughter with her oar amid a dispute on an Australian waterway — and instead, the boss lady ends up going for an unexpected swim.

What are the details?

Benny Larkin and his 14-year-old daughter, Taylor, were boating down Dora Creek in New South Wales, Australia, when they stalled out and were approached by a woman in a kayak, the Daily Mail reported.

The elder Larkin, 33, told the outlet that their engine stopped working while they slowed down to meet the four-knot speed limit — but the woman in the kayak decided he broke the speed rules.

As the angry Aussie moved closer to the father and daughter, cursing them out, she tried to splash them with her oar.

It didn't end well for her.

Amid her liquid offensive, the woman lost her balance — and into the drink she went.

Now clinging to her kayak, the woman continued her verbal battle with dad and daughter — who soon got their engine running and motored away.

Here's the clip. Content warning: language:

The dad has since said he was annoyed by the January confrontation but wanted to remain calm and be a "smart ass" to her instead of losing his temper, the Daily Mail said.

Beyond the confrontation, the elder Larkin told the outlet the woman's splash damaged his onboard CD player and speaker system, which will cost him over $1,000 to fix.

"We were just trying to have some fun on the water, and then some local tried to spoil our day," he told the Daily Mail. "She came out of nowhere and just started abusing us. At first I thought she wanted help, then I realized she was going off her head, so I started filming. She thought I was speeding, but we slowed down before the four-knots zone. She wouldn't let me talk, but I was calm about it. I was being a smart ass back to her. ... She tried splashing me, and it wet all my boat gear, but she got instant karma. When you go for someone, and you fall off your kayak, then that's fair in my eyes. She must have had a bad day or something because she just felt the need to take authority and cause a scene."

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‘Just as illegal as the old plan’: Biden hit with lawsuit over latest student loan debt ‘forgiveness’ program



Eleven states, led by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R), filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Biden administration after the White House announced last week yet another round of federal student loan debt “forgiveness,” Fox Business reported.

The lawsuit reads, “A coalition of States sues Defendant Biden, as well as co-defendants the Department of Education and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, to stop a second attempt to avoid Congress and pass an illegal student debt forgiveness. Last time Defendants tried this the Supreme Court said that this action was illegal. Nothing since then has changed.”

Since the Supreme Court’s June decision to strike down the Biden administration’s plan to enact sweeping, unilateral debt cancellations, the White House has ultimately ignored the court’s ruling and unveiled numerous smaller programs that meet the same ends. Biden’s original failed cancellation program would have eliminated $10,000 of federal student loan debt for borrowers earning less than $125,000 per year and married couples earning less than $250,000 per year. If the program had been allowed to move forward, the administration would have laid approximately $430 billion of unpaid student loan debt at the feet of American taxpayers.

The Biden administration has bragged about his new plan to cancel debt for 4 million Americans totaling at least $143.6 billion.

“In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on my Administration’s original student debt relief plan, we are continuing to pursue an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible,” Biden stated.

Last week, the White House announced that student loan borrowers working in the public service sector, including teachers, nurses, and firefighters, will see $6 billion of student loan debt canceled.

Kansas AG Kobach, along with Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah, sued Biden for rolling out the so-called debt forgiveness programs.

Kobach told Fox News Digital, “Not since the Civil War has a president told the Supreme Court, ‘Yeah you blocked me, but I’m gonna do it anyway.’”

“Biden is trying to twist federal law once again, and his new plan is just as illegal as the old plan,” he declared.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said that the state also intends to sue the administration for the debt cancellations, noting that Arkansas would join as well.

“Between our two coalitions of states, we will get this matter in front of a judge even more quickly to deliver a win for the American people. The Supreme Court sided with Missouri on this matter the first time. I look forward to bringing home yet another win for the Constitution and the rule of law,” Bailey stated.

The White House did not respond to Fox Business' request for comment.

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Federal judge orders release of Jan. 6 defendant while condemning DOJ for 'fact-free approach'



A judge has ordered that Jan. 6 defendant Kevin Seefried be released from prison pending the appeal of his conviction.

Last year, Seefried was sentenced to serve three years in federal prison for his role in Jan. 6 after being found guilty on five criminal charges, one felony and four misdemeanors.

Then, last December, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Fischer v. United States, a case concerning the proper application of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c), a felony statute that federal prosecutors are using against Jan. 6 for "obstruction of an official proceeding." If the Supreme Court rules the statute cannot be applied to Jan. 6 defendants, then Seefried and hundreds of others would have their felony convictions vacated, resulting in substantially lighter sentences.

In light of the Supreme Court agreeing to hear the case, Seefried asked a judge to release him from prison pending appeal.

On Jan. 8, U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves asked a judge not to release Seefried. Graves argued:

Seefried cannot establish by clear and convincing evidence that he does not pose a danger to the community/is not a flight risk; nor can he show that ... it is likely that the outcome in Fischer will result in a reduced sentence to a term of imprisonment less than the total of the time already served plus the expected duration of the appeal process.

But U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden strongly disagrees with the government.

"The riot on January 6th was the culmination of a unique — indeed, never-before-seen — confluence of events. The Government provides the Court no evidence suggesting that any of the events that led to that riot are reasonably likely to recur. Nor does it point to any evidence that Seefried would participate in another riot if they did," the judge wrote in his order on Tuesday.

"Instead, the Government invokes general atmospherics about a 'fiercely contested presidential election' and a 'political maelstrom.' It then leaves the Court to speculate that this 'maelstrom' will ultimately result in Seefried reoffending," he explained.

McFadden described the government's argument a "fact-free approach."

"Ultimately, none of the Government’s arguments involve any facts specific to Seefried. Instead, they are purely class-based," he condemned. "People who have already gone to prison, as a class, cannot be released. January 6th defendants, as a class, cannot be released during an election year."

"In the end, if specific facts about Seefried lead the Government to believe that he is imminently likely to engage in criminal conduct, options remain open to the Government. But without those facts, the Court cannot deprive a citizen of his liberty based on guesswork alone," McFadden explained. "Because the Government has presented no reason to believe that its previous concession about Seefried’s flight risk is no longer valid, the Court reaffirms its previous finding."

"By clear and convincing evidence, Seefried is not likely to flee the jurisdiction or pose a harm to the community during his release," McFadden declared.

McFadden ordered Seefried released from prison one year to the date of his surrender, which was May 31, 2023. That means he will be released in two months.

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Need a laugh? We got you. Introducing ‘Agua Donkeys’ – the best pool-maintenance-related comedy ever produced



When wokeness entered the entertainment industry chat, it began trolling anything and everything it deemed unsuitable for the new progressive narrative — including comedy.

How long has it been since you’ve seen a genuinely good comedy film — one that had you laughing until your sides hurt?

For us at Blaze Media, it’s been too long. So, we’re doing something about it.

Last year, we brought you “Re-Opening,” a sidesplitting mockumentary about a theater company trying to reopen amid the pandemic.

And this year, we’re proud to present “Agua Donkeys,” the tale of two pool bros spending the summer chasing good vibes and the girl of their dreams — all at the expense of actually cleaning pools.

It’s a “Napoleon Dynamite” meets “Dumb and Dumber” kind of experience and one you don’t want to miss.

Here’s what people are saying about “Agua Donkeys”:

Subscribe to BlazeTV+ to watch MP Cunningham and Jer Jackson as they try to get abs, get calves, and most importantly, get the untouchable Jackie to fall for one of them in the silkiest, sickest, and most buttery comedy film of the year.


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Horrified women say men punched them in face, head in unprovoked, broad-daylight attacks on NYC streets this month



"I was literally just walking and a man came up and punched me in the face," influencer Halley Mcgookin said through tears in a now-viral Monday video describing an attack against her that had just taken place on a New York City street, Today reported. "Oh my God, it hurts so bad. I can't even talk."

Mcgookin added in the clip — which Today said has received over 35 million views — that she fell to the ground after the punch; she then pointed to a bump on the upper right side of her head, the outlet noted.

She's not alone.

A number of horrified women are saying that men have punched them this month in unprovoked, broad-daylight attacks on Manhattan streets.

Mcgookin — known online as Halley Kate — said in a follow-up video that she was walking on a sidewalk looking down at her phone to send an email when a man who was walking his dog punched her, Today reported: “There was so much room on the sidewalk, literally nobody was around, and I guess this man — I don’t know if he punched me or elbowed me. I literally passed out, so I don’t really remember."

She added that when she tried to get up, the man was “screaming” at her before she ran away, the outlet reported.

NBC News noted that videos of women reporting similar attacks have picked up in the last week: One woman said she was attacked walking home from class; another while on her way to work; still another while she was walking her dog.

The news network added that a police spokesperson declined to answer whether the attacks reflect an uptick in violent crime against women in the city or whether the police department is taking any additional measures to ensure their safety.

NBC News reported that a 25-year-old woman said she was walking out of the Times Square subway station on 7th Avenue and West 42nd Street Saturday when a man punched her in the head. The victim told the news network that she captured video of the man as he was walking away, and police publicized in a poster that the suspect was wanted for assault.

The woman said on TikTok the "traumatic" experience will stick with her the "rest of [her] life," NBC News added: "We are always cautious about walking at night, now we have to be cautious about walking in broad daylight."

'Out of nowhere'

The news network also said Mikayla Toninato — a Parsons fashion design student — also shared a TikTok video saying she was punched in the face while leaving class in Manhattan as she was looking down at her phone and texting.

“Out of nowhere this man just came up and hit me in the face," she said in the clip with a bruise visible under one of her eyes, according to NBC News.

“He hit me right on my cheekbone," Toninato told the "Today" show Thursday, according to NBC News. "This doesn’t hurt as bad as the concussion does." She added that emotionally "it's been really really hard. I think it hits me in waves. A lot of crying because it’s been really scary."

Another woman reported getting punched by a man who apologized before he hit her, the news network said.

“I literally just got punched by some man on the sidewalk,” she said in a TikTok video, NBC News reported. “He goes ‘sorry’ and then punches me in the head.”

Police told the news network the attack took place around 11:48 a.m. March 17 while a woman was walking her dog in the area of Kenmare and Mulberry Streets and that "no injuries were reported as a result of this incident."

NBC News said the woman in an update posted to her TikTok account added: “I wasn’t looking down at my phone. I was just literally across the street from my building walking my dog to the dog park. I had seen the man. He was, like, slightly walking toward me, and I didn’t think anything of it. And then he says, ‘sorry,’ and hits me and was immediately gone.”

'I got attacked from behind'

The news network added that Sarah Harvard, 30, posted Tuesday on X that she was walking near the Delancey Street and Essex Street station on the Lower East Side when she was punched in the back of the head March 19.

“I was not on my phone. I was walking somewhere, and I got attacked from behind,” she told NBC News. “So it’s really violating that I didn’t see it coming, and there was nothing I could’ve done, really, to prevent it from happening.”

Harvard added to the news network that since the attack, she's felt a “spiky pain, throbbing feeling” in her head and experienced nausea, headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision.

More from NBC News:

Harvard said she initially didn’t go to the police because she thought that it was an isolated incident, and that officials might brush it off. Since she learned that more women have come forward online to say they’ve been assaulted, she said, she plans to file a police report.

Since the attack, Harvard said, she is struggling with feeling unsafe in the city she calls home.

“What’s really unbearable is that general, never-ending feeling now of feeling unsafe and feeling constantly alert, constantly looking over my shoulder,” she told the news network. “This anxiety is manifesting physically, too. I slept last night for two hours; the night before, I slept for four hours. I’m having trouble breathing, and my chest is getting really tight.”

An arrest

NBC News, citing police, said 40-year-old Skiboky Stora of Brooklyn was arrested Wednesday on an assault charge. The attack for which the news outlet said Stora was arrested is the same attack Today reported in reference to Mcgookin.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Image source: YouTube screenshot

More from NBC News:

Stora has sought public office in New York since 2021, public records show. He participated in a New York City mayoral debate in 2021. In 2022, he filed a handwritten petition to get on the ballot for New York governor. Last year, records show, Stora ran for the District 9 seat on the New York City Council.

However, the news network added Stora and the suspect wanted in connection with the Saturday assault outside the Times Square subway station do not appear to be the same person.

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High-profile Princeton grad and leader of school's LGBTQ alumni group arrested for alleged possession of child porn



A high-profile graduate of Princeton University who has involved himself in various arts and entertainment organizations and banking enterprises around the globe has been arrested in connection with alleged possession of child pornography.

In January, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contacted prosecutors in Mercer County, New Jersey, to report that someone in the county had uploaded an image of child sexual abuse. An investigation into the report led authorities to a condo belonging to 53-year-old Roy "Trey" Farmer, located near the main entrance of Princeton University.

Last Friday, police arrested Farmer and charged him with one count of third-degree possession of child sexual abuse material. They also collected several items from his condo that may have "evidentiary value," the Daily Voice reported, citing prosecutors.

Farmer was booked into Mercer County jail, and prosecutors have requested that he be held without bond pending trial. A hearing to consider that motion is scheduled for next week.

Though he graduated from Princeton more than 30 years ago, Farmer has remained deeply involved with the school. A Princeton University Alumni profile piece on Farmer from February 2022 — an article that is no longer available on the PUA website — referred to him a "piano prodigy" and claimed he was involved with Princeton Internships in Civic Service, the Princeton Club of Southwest Florida, the Princeton University Glee Club Foundation, and the Princeton Bisexual, Transgender, Gay and Lesbian Alumni organization, now known as Queer Princeton Alumni.

According to the New York Post, Farmer became the president of Queer Princeton Alumni just a few months ago. QPA and the Princeton University Glee Club Foundation did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

Farmer also joined a number of other prestigious organizations, including the New York Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, Naples Music Club, Opera Naples, and the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet.

Though he studied philosophy at Princeton and did further graduate study in philosophy at Yale and in education at Harvard, he also became involved in international banking. According to the alumni profile piece, Farmer spent "more than 15 years in Eastern Europe and the Middle East where he founded a boutique investment bank."

Even with his international experience, Farmer seems to have always remained a Princetonian at heart. "Princeton has always been about the people for me," he told PUA. "Alumni and students are constantly challenging me and inspiring me in new ways. The things I’ve done in my life and career all stem from the things I was exposed to at Princeton."

NJ.com noted that Farmer participated in these Princeton-affiliated alumni organizations as a volunteer, not as an employee of Princeton. The school directed all requests for comment to the prosecutor's office, the outlet said.

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'Did you just think I was Joe Rogan?' Ex-ESPN anchor Sage Steele and Dana White have viral exchange over mistaken identity



Former ESPN host Sage Steele momentarily mistook UFC President Dana White for a different "white bald guy" on her very first day of her return to the spotlight.

Steele, who announced her departure from ESPN in August 2023, left the company after a lawsuit that reportedly accused Disney and ESPN of retaliating against her for public statements she had made. Steele reportedly voiced opinions about Barack Obama and her employer's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

"Having successfully settled my case with ESPN/Disney, I have decided to leave so I can exercise my first amendment rights more freely," she announced on X at the time.

Steele has since returned with a new podcast, "The Sage Steele Show," promising high-profile guests that included fight promoter White for the very first episode.

After discussing mainstream media, energy drinks, cancel culture, and more, Steele and White had a viral moment over mistaken identities.

"What's Joe Rogan's dream?" Steele asked.

"What's Joe Rogan's dream?" a confused White replied.

"Joe Rogan...Dana White. What's Dana White's dream?" Steele jokingly corrected.

"Did you just think I was Joe Rogan?" White, sipping an energy drink, suddenly realized.

"I totally did," Steele confessed.

"You just called me f**king Joe Rogan?! You thought I was f**king Joe Rogan!" White continued as he feigned outrage. "I was bald before Joe was ever bald!"

Steele, attempting to explain her mistake, said that she got Rogan and White confused because they are "literally the only two I have the respect for because of how you freaking stood up and supported others."

The two then exchanged stories of mistaken identities, with White stating that he often gets confused for Rogan when fans approach him for pictures.

"Do you correct them?" Steele asked.

"No, I just let them go show everybody their Joe Rogan photo ... I just did a two-hour f**kin podcast I flew here from from [Las] Vegas and she thought she was interviewing Joe Rogan!" White jokingly reasserted.

White explained that he has even been confused for comedian Howie Mandel. The pair also recently had a viral moment of their own when White walked off the set of Mandel's podcast after just 30 seconds.

"All us white, bald guys look alike, so it makes sense," White sarcastically explained.

"I mean, listen, you know I've been called Candace Owens lately," Sage noted. Adding that "black conservative girls" tend to get mixed up by fans, as well.

Steele's new podcast may surprise some viewers as it is being hosted by the Club Random Network, which is under comedian and fellow podcast host Bill Maher's umbrella.

According to Hollywood in Toto, other talents joining the network are Billy Corgan, singer from the Smashing Pumpkins, former NBA player Kevin Garnett, and Limp Bizkit's rap-metal front man Fred Durst.

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Biden wants taxpayers to pay for obliterated bridge — but a House Republican has better ideas



Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) doesn't believe taxpayers should finance the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

After a massive cargo ship obliterated the bridge, President Joe Biden promised to "move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible."

His plan? To force taxpayers to fund the project.

"It's my intention that federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort," Biden explained on Tuesday.

But Meuser thinks the government must explore other options instead of rushing to spend more taxpayer money.

"It was kind of outrageous immediately for Biden to express in this tragedy the idea that he’s going to use federal funds to pay for it in the entirety," he said Thursday on Fox Business. "You know, he doesn’t refer to it as the American taxpayers' dollars on anything. You know, the first reaction, in fact the only reaction, tends to be to spend."

He added, "We just can't take the easy route all of the time and just spend the taxpayers' money."

Instead, Meuser suggested three alternative ways to pay for the rebuilding project.

First, Meuser said Singapore, where the company that owns the ship is located, could play a role in helping finance the project. Second, he pointed to insurance companies, something Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has also suggested. Third, he said that money from Biden's massive infrastructure bill that isn't being used can be reappropriated to pay for the project.

The exact cost of the rebuilding project is not yet known. It is expected to cost several billion dollars.

Still, it would not be totally unprecedented for taxpayers to foot the bill.

After the I-35W Mississippi River bridge collapsed on August 1, 2007, Congress unanimously approved a bill allotting $250 million in emergency money to rebuild the bridge. Then-President George W. Bush signed that bill on August 6, 2007.

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Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s newest deadly export, infiltrates US borders



Jose Ibarra, the criminal alien accused of bashing in the skull of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, is a member of Tren de Aragua, an emergent prison gang from Venezuela. So is his brother Diego, also detained in Georgia for other crimes. How many more of these skull-bashers have crossed the border? That’s just it: We don’t know. Assume a virtually unlimited supply.

We do know the prevalence of this violent group in the United States is becoming alarmingly high. With federal agencies like the FBI preoccupied with other matters, such as investigating Blaze Media’s Steve Baker, the true danger looms larger. International gangs that should be the focal point of federal law enforcement give the lie to the claim that “domestic extremism” is the greatest threat to our country.

Unless and until we allow states to begin removing criminal aliens, there will be more Laken Rileys.

If the feds won’t address the problem, the states and local governments had better — before it’s too late.

“The Aragua train is in the United States,” Britton Boyd, the FBI deputy special agent in charge of El Paso, told CNN Español in January. “We already have evidence that they crossed the border. They are crossing and there is a presence.”

How dangerous is Tren de Aragua? Imagine a new version of MS-13, the nihilistic Salvadoran street gang that has been brought to heel in El Salvador but continues terrorize parts of the American Southwest and Northeast. The difference is, Tren de Aragua has ties to the terrorist government in Venezuela, which means it also has links to Hezbollah and Iran.

As hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan “asylum-seekers” have entered the United States in the past three years, you may rest assured that thousands of Tren de Aragua thugs and killers have been among them.

Attacks on cops, rise in theft

Remember the illegal aliens who assaulted two New York City police officers in Times Square last month? Seven of the 14 men believed to be involved were charged. At least two of them are confirmed members of Tren de Aragua.

Attacking police officers is a trademark of the Aragua gang, said Joseph Humire, executive director of the Center for a Secure Free Society and one of the nation’s foremost experts on Latin American affairs.

“Chile was one of the first cases where we saw assaults on police officers where basically, in this case, Tren de Aragua attacked the police officers and killed them, and that became a big deal,” Humire said in an interview on my podcast. “And that’s why Chile took a very harsh stance against Venezuelan migration and started deporting a bunch of them because they were attacking their law enforcement.”

Humire noted that Aragua members seek “defiance towards the rule of law” to “diminish the public confidence in law and order.” This is what they did in South America, and this is what they will do here if they are allowed to gain a solid foothold in the United States.

Earlier this year, a Tren de Aragua member was arrested for the brutal murder of a retired Venezuelan police officer living in the United States, who was lured to his death by a group of prostitutes. The Aragua gang has long used prostitutes as part of a honey trap for street crime and as a revenue source. Sex trafficking is the gang's currency, much the way that drug trafficking is the currency of the Mexican cartels.

New York City also has been experiencing a rash of cell phone and motor scooter thefts in recent months. The NYPD says Aragua steals phones to unlock the owners’ banking information, then sells the phones to vendors in Latin America. Law enforcement sources told the New York Post that the gang is also “likely behind many of the moped robberies.”

As with Chicago, which also has a sizeable population of recently arrived Venezuelan nationals, New York has seen sharp increases in property crime that correlates with the flood of newcomers. Robberies are up 9% citywide in 2024 compared with the same period last year and up 14% over 2022. Grand larcenies were also up 1.6% compared to last year.

A creation of the Venezuelan regime

Joseph Humire argues that Tren de Aragua is more of a national security threat than MS-13 ever was because of the gang’s origins and ongoing ties to the socialist regime in Caracas.

“In 2011, Hugo Chavez created a Ministry of Prisons and appointed a woman named Iris Varela to be the minister of all the prisons in Venezuela,” Humire told me. “So he takes what was a fragmented prison system and he consolidates it under this ministry where Varela handed over the prisons to the prisoners inside Aragua. She consolidates them, empowers them, and then centrally locates them in Aragua,” one of Venezuela’s 23 states.

Humire also noted that a key player in the gang’s creation was Tareck El Aissami, Venezuela’s former vice president, who is of Syrian descent and has ties to Hezbollah. Before becoming vice president and later minister of industries and minister of petroleum, Aissami was governor of Aragua when the gang was established in 2012.

“During this time, [Aissami] reforms the penal code to create lower barriers of entry for the police forces, which allowed them to become increasingly corrupted by these new consolidated prison gangs,” Humire explained. “He created the conditions and incentives to empower what was previously known as the prime prison system, which was loosely composed of prison gangs, to consolidate it and essentially organize it almost like an army.”

As a result, the Venezuelan government essentially weaponized its prison system to create a gang that has gone on to become the fastest-growing transnational criminal organization in the world. Not unlike how Iran empowered Hezbollah, which began in Lebanon in 1992 and now has cells scattered across the globe.

Humire warns that the same corrupt immigration agency in Venezuela that gave out false travel documents to Hezbollah operatives has likely done the same for Aragua gang members so that the government — through the gang — can control the flow of the migrants into our communities.

“Through this process, the Venezuelan government also has the ability to know the exact travel patterns and so they can anticipate it,” Humire said. “They can move in front of it. And they can start to co-opt it along the way. You don’t get that information unless you’re talking to the ministries in Venezuela.”

In short, we are facing a gang with MS-13-level brutality that is even more brazen in its assaults against Americans and our police, even more closely involved in the trafficking of illegal aliens, and most likely being directed by a foreign terror state.

This is why we cannot sit around while Republicans waste our leverage and fail to fight the invasion. States must begin arresting and removing criminal aliens. States should also designate Tren de Aragua as a transnational gang and pass criminal statutes with sentencing enhancements for gang membership. Thus, if an Aragua member is arrested for stealing a cell phone, he would be punished with greater severity than in a typical petty theft case.

We have a short window to combat this blight before it becomes a permanent fixture in our society. Rather than engaging in photo ops at the border, governors must act decisively to root out criminal alien gangsters. Unless and until we allow states to begin removing criminal aliens, there will be more Laken Rileys.

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