Category: Blaze Media
Trump move to dismantle climate agency blows up Senate funding deal
A potential deal to fund large swaths of the federal government, including the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services, collapsed on Thursday night after Colorado senators demanded that Congress stop President Trump’s efforts to dismantle a key climate agency. A Democratic senator involved in the negotiations over passing a five-bill package of appropriations…
Massie: Epstein files’ release will show whether Bondi, Patel were lying
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Thursday released a 14-minute video explaining what Americans can expect if the Department of Justice (DOJ) does or does not disclose all of its information on the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on its Friday deadline. “Let’s start with how will you know if they have released all the materials,”…
LA Rams star apologizes for agreeing to perform offensive gesture in touchdown dance
A star wide receiver on the Los Angeles Rams football team has apologized for agreeing to make an anti-Semitic gesture for a touchdown celebration.
During a livestream, Puka Nacua was persuaded by personality Adin Ross to perform a gesture that refers to a trope and meme meant to smear Jewish people. He also agreed to repeat the dance at the next Rams game.
‘At the time, I had no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetrated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people.’
Nacua faced an immediate barrage of criticism that led to his posting an apology on social media Thursday.
“When I appeared the other day on a social media livestream, it was suggested to me to perform a specific movement as part of my next touchdown celebration,” wrote Nacua on his Instagram account.
“At the time, I had no idea this act was antisemitic in nature and perpetrated harmful stereotypes against Jewish people,” he added. “I deeply apologize to anyone who was offended by my actions as I do not stand for any form of racism, bigotry or hate of another group of people.”
The incident comes at a time when the Jewish community is reeling from a horrific terror attack in Australia that took the lives of more than a dozen people and is being investigated as motivated by anti-Semitism.
Among those who condemned Nacua was Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California.
“The Los Angeles Jewish community is on edge after the Bondi Beach massacre,” he wrote on social media. “And what does this asshole @AsapPuka do? He promises an antisemitic touchdown dance for his Thursday night game.”
Swalwell added, “He should apologize or be dropped.”
Others said if Nacua did the gesture during the game, he should be suspended by the NFL.
RELATED: Christian NFL star apologizes after reference to kids’ game that left LGBTQ crowd seething
The NFL and the Los Angeles Rams also released statements condemning the offensive gesture.
Nacua and the Rams will play on Thursday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks. Each team has a record of 11 victories and only three losses for the season.
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Beloved NASCAR legend Greg Biffle dies in horrific plane crash, police believe
Iconic NASCAR driver Greg Biffle died in a plane crash on Thursday in a horrific incident that reportedly involved his family members.
Biffle, 55, had 56 NASCAR national series wins throughout his career, including two championships.
‘We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this.’
On Thursday, Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina reported that an aircraft had crashed while landing at 10:15 a.m.
The FAA arrived to investigate the incident at around 12 p.m., the airport stated.
Iredell County officials soon confirmed the plane crash, with the county sheriff confirming that several people had died in the crash, according to WCNC-TV. WCCB-TV later reported that multiple witnesses and family friends confirmed that Biffle and his wife were on the plane.
Jordan Bianchi, motorsports reporter for the Athletic, wrote on X that North Carolina State Highway Patrol stated there were seven total fatalities from the crash and that they “believe that Mr. Greg Biffle was one of the deceased occupants.”
Garrett Mitchell, a YouTuber who goes by the name Cleetus McFarland and has over 4.5 million subscribers, made a Facebook post with similar remarks.
“Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane … because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us. We are devastated. I’m so sorry to share this,” Mitchell wrote.
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Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Mitchell lives in Florida, and Biffle’s plane was reportedly headed to Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in Florida before it crashed, with the airport CEO issuing a statement.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of the Cessna C550 aircraft crash at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina and en route to SRQ this morning. Our thoughts and prayers are with those on board and with their families and loved ones during this difficult time. Our thoughts also go out to the first responders who we know are diligently working to assist all those involved,” the statement said.
Last year, Mitchell and Biffle teamed up to deliver disaster relief supplies in North Carolina via helicopter after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina.
RELATED: Beloved race car driver dies after mid-race catastrophe has officials tearing his car apart
Geoff Burke/Getty Images
Flight logs reportedly showed that the aircraft was traveling over 100 mph at the time of the crash, WCCB stated. The plane was described as a Cessna C550 business jet with tail number N257BW. The outlet also confirmed the plane belonged to Biffle.
Republican Rep. Richard Hudson (N.C.) wrote on X that he was “devastated by the loss of Greg, Cristina, and their children, and my heart is with all who loved them.”
The congressman added, “They were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others. Greg was a great NASCAR champion who thrilled millions of fans. But he was an extraordinary person as well, and will be remembered for his service to others as much as for his fearlessness on the track.”
Biffle was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023 for his “spectacular start in the 1990s” that ran through the 2000s.
“Though Biffle has stepped away from full-time competition at the NASCAR national level, the longtime veteran made five starts in 2022, including the season-opening Daytona 500. His last full season was in 2016,” NASCAR wrote.
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Person of interest ID’d in deadly Brown U. shooting; warrant issued: Multiple reports
A person of interest has been identified in connection with the deadly Brown University shooting Saturday, a warrant has been issued, and authorities are investigating possible ties between the Brown shooting and the fatal shooting of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor days later, according to multiple reports.
The New York Times — citing a law enforcement official briefed on the matter who wasn’t authorized to speak about the investigation — reported Thursday that authorities have identified a person of interest in the Brown shooting and are investigating a possible connection with the MIT professor’s fatal shooting.
‘A shooting in a state where it’s so hard to even have a gun?’
Both CBS News and the Associated Press reported similarly to the Times; both CBS News and Fox News reported that a warrant has been issued.
The Times reported that the official said investigators are searching for the individual as well as a car that the person is believed to have rented — and that authorities believe the rented vehicle is the same make and model of a car identified in connection with the shooting of the MIT professor, the official said.
Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect in either case, the Times also said.
Blaze News reported that MIT professor Nuno Loureiro was fatally shot in his Brookline, Massachusetts, home Monday night and died in a hospital early Tuesday.
Brookline — a Boston suburb that’s less than a half hour from MIT — is about 90 minutes northeast of Providence, Rhode Island, where Brown University is located.
The FBI had told the AP it knew of no connection between the deadly shooting at Brown and the fatal shooting of Loureiro. However, WPRI-TV reported that multiple people familiar with the investigation said they discovered evidence showing the two crimes may be linked.
WBZ-TV said in its video report that Loureiro, 47, was shot several times in the foyer of his home; a neighbor said he lived in a first-floor apartment.
A reporter suggested to the neighbor on camera that the crime is atypical for Brookline, and the neighbor replied that it was a “surprise … and a shooting in a state where it’s so hard to even have a gun?” The neighbor also said fellow neighbors noted a nearby car was “parked in the wrong direction” and “seemed to be waiting.”
The Jerusalem Post reported that Loureiro was Jewish and a vocal pro-Israel nuclear scientist. However, the Post added that it could not confirm speculations by Jewish organizations that Loureiro was targeted for his political affiliations.
Blaze News earlier Thursday reported that Providence police said the Brown University suspected shooter’s DNA had been gathered and that images and video of a person of interest match eyewitness descriptions.
A person of interest was initially detained over the weekend before law enforcement determined they had the wrong guy.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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Former NFL player melts down after old ‘Caucasian’ mistakes him for an Uber Eats driver
Former NFL standout Keyshawn Johnson took to social media this week after a run-in with a “Caucasian” woman whom he guessed to be no older than 65 — because he was upset that she asked him if he was an Uber Eats driver.
“So, I just went to pick up food from a restaurant down the street from my crib. And I live in an affluent neighborhood. You know, it’s many different ethnicities and all of those sort of things, and people make money and, you know, they live a certain lifestyle,” Johnson said into the camera.
“So, when I walk in the restaurant to pick up my food, I had somebody who’s a Caucasian — I’m African-American, whatnot — ask me if I was, like, a Uber Eats or DoorDash or something, you know, picking up the food for delivery or whatever. She says, ‘Oh, are you here with Uber Eats?’” he explained.
“I was like, ‘No, I’m not,’ and then I proceed to move forward and say, ‘Everybody that’s a minority isn’t Uber Eats or picking up food to go and delivering service or nothing like that,’” he said.
Johnson went on to claim that the woman tried to backtrack and say she “didn’t mean it that way,” and that “she couldn’t have been no more than, like, 65.”
“I mean, I understand they get plastic surgery and all that, but she couldn’t have been no more than, like, 65 years old. But the fact that she would ask me something like that, it rubbed me the wrong way. And I just want to know what y’all think,” he said, asking, “Am I overreacting?”
“If I’m sensitive, y’all let me know,” he added.
“Keyshawn, you’re sensitive,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock answers.
“I hope there’s someone in his circle that could tell him that someone asking you, ‘Hey, do you have a job?’ or you’re working a job or whatever, or mistaking you for someone who’s working, that’s not an insult,” he continues.
“Keyshawn, you’re being overly sensitive,” he adds.
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Border Patrol nabs 49 illegal aliens with commercial driver’s licenses
Border Patrol agents in Southern California arrested 49 illegal aliens who, despite their unlawful status, were in possession of commercial driver’s licenses, Blaze News has exclusively learned.
El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested some of those individuals while conducting vehicle stops at immigration checkpoints between November 23 and December 12. Others were apprehended during a two-day interagency operation.
‘The individuals arrested should never have been operating these semitrucks, and the states issuing them commercial driver’s licenses are directly responsible for the fatal accidents we have tragically witnessed recently.’
While stopping vehicles at checkpoints along Highway 86 and 111, Indio Station agents nabbed 42 illegal aliens who were operating semitrucks. Of these arrested individuals, 30 were from India, while the others were from El Salvador, China, Eritrea, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Russia, Somalia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Customs and Border Patrol reported that 31 of the CDLs were issued by California. The other licenses were issued by Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
Indio Station agents also participated in Operation Highway Sentinel, an enforcement operation held on December 10 and 11, in collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
The initiative aimed to enhance the safety of America’s roadways following several recent fatal accidents involving illegal alien truck drivers.
Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
The joint operation specifically targeted commercial trucking operations in California and resulted in the arrests of 45 illegal aliens with CDLs. The seven individuals arrested by Indio Station were from India, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
RELATED: Trump’s DOT claims 53% of New York’s non-domiciled CDLs were issued illegally
Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images
“El Centro Sector personnel are stalwart defenders of our nation’s security, whether that occurs at the border or in the interior of the United States,” said El Centro Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Joseph Remenar. “Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2026, El Centro Sector’s arrests of individuals in the interior have surpassed those at the border, directly illustrating what can be accomplished when a secure border is achieved.”
“The success of this operation highlights the ongoing dangers posed by the unmitigated border crisis we experienced prior to 2025,” Remenar continued. “The individuals arrested should never have been operating these semitrucks, and the states issuing them commercial driver’s licenses are directly responsible for the fatal accidents we have tragically witnessed recently. Together, with our allied partners in Homeland Security Investigations and other agencies, El Centro Sector will continue to ensure that the safety of the American public is at the forefront of our efforts.”
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Trump can fix a hidden public safety failure
During President Trump’s first term, he signed the First Step Act — the most comprehensive criminal justice reform bill in decades — into law. He now has a chance to take a “second step” by rightsizing federal supervision of people on probation — an often overlooked public safety gap — with the introduction of the Safer Supervision Act.
I worked with the president and many bipartisan leaders to pass the First Step Act. I have also been on supervision and spend time with law enforcement leaders across the country. The Safe Supervision Act will empower our federal probation officers and judges to devote previous supervision resources to the people most likely to commit more crimes.
The Safer Supervision Act is the smart, responsible way to make our communities safer — and it is a great ‘second step’ for President Trump.
Currently the federal system for supervised release — the period of monitoring that follows incarceration — is structured in a way that actively undermines this goal. By overwhelming federal probation officers with low-risk individuals, the current system diverts attention and resources away from the true threats.
Due to the sprawling, largely automatic application of supervised release, our federal system currently monitors more than 110,000 individuals. This policy forces federal probation officers to spread their time dangerously thin.
When officers must dedicate precious time and limited resources to tracking individuals who have already demonstrated a low risk of re-offending, they are left with insufficient bandwidth to provide the oversight and intervention required by high-risk, violent offenders.
The bipartisan Safer Supervision Act is a targeted piece of legislation that corrects this dangerous imbalance. It is a genuine public safety bill that has earned the strong endorsement of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Major Cities Chiefs Association, and the National District Attorneys Association, among others. This bill’s promise is simple: More efficient use of law enforcement resources will reduce repeat crimes.
The core mechanism of the act is the restoration of individualized assessment. Under the current system, supervision is imposed in virtually every case. The Safer Supervision Act requires courts to conduct an individualized risk assessment before imposing supervision.
By reserving supervised release for cases that genuinely warrant it, this change moves toward a gold standard of effective supervision endorsed by professional associations such as the American Probation and Parole Association.
The strongest supervision model ensures that intensive supervision and rehabilitation efforts are directed to the highest-risk areas. The bill would allow federal law enforcement to operate as true risk managers, directing resources where they can have the most effect on those who pose the greatest public threat.
RELATED: Mexico has cartel armies. Blue America has cartel politics.
Photo by HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images
The bill helps break the cycle of recidivism by providing a strong incentive for successful rehabilitation. For low-risk individuals who have served their time and demonstrated good conduct, unnecessarily prolonged supervision terms become a counterproductive barrier. They inhibit successful re-entry by making it difficult to find stable employment and housing, which paradoxically increases the likelihood that the individual will re-offend.
The Safer Supervision Act establishes a process for early termination of supervision for individuals who have served half their term (or two-thirds for violent offenses) and have maintained good behavior. By giving people a clear finish line and rewarding sustained compliance, it dramatically increases the incentive for positive life changes. A successfully terminated supervision term means one less individual returning to crime, thereby enhancing the overall safety of their neighborhood.
Finally the act shows intelligence in addressing substance-use violations, treating them as opportunities for intervention rather than instant triggers for renewed incarceration. The bill creates an extremely narrow carve-out, giving judges discretion for minor offenses.
Under current law, mandatory re-imprisonment is required for these minor violations, often derailing successful rehabilitation and costing taxpayers significantly. The Safer Supervision Act empowers judges to prioritize treatment, counseling, and swift rehabilitation over immediate, expensive, and ineffective re-incarceration.
The support for the Safer Supervision Act is the most bipartisan coalition we have seen since the First Step Act. It is endorsed by police chiefs and prosecutors who understand the operational realities of crime and by fiscal conservatives demanding accountability for federal spending.
By adopting this bill, Congress can deliver a modern, evidence-based supervision system that ensures limited resources go to our highest-risk individuals, minimizes government waste, and delivers lasting public safety improvements.
The Safer Supervision Act is the smart, responsible way to make our communities safer — and it is a great “second step” for President Trump.
