Category: Conservative Review
The Psychology of Radicalization: From Hamas to America’s Activist Left
During my time in the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, I focused on international terrorism cases involving Palestinian groups hostile to Israel….
New York Judge Signs Off On Democrat Effort To Eliminate GOP House Seat
Democrats scored a major win Wednesday evening after a Manhattan judge ruled Republican New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ district is unconstitutional and must be redrawn ahead of November’s midterm elections. Democratic firm Elias Law Group, led by high-profile election lawyer Marc Elias, argued that Malliotakis’ district covering all of Staten Island and parts of southern […]
New York Judge Signs Off On Democrat Effort To Eliminate GOP House Seat
Democrats scored a major win Wednesday evening after a Manhattan judge ruled Republican New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ district is unconstitutional and must be redrawn ahead of November’s midterm elections. Democratic firm Elias Law Group, led by high-profile election lawyer Marc Elias, argued that Malliotakis’ district covering all of Staten Island and parts of southern […]
Indian students score $200K ‘food racism’ payout from UC Boulder
A 35-year-old Indian student says he was told that curry stinks, but sandwiches do not.
Aditya Prakash and his fiancée, Urmi Bhattacheryya, won a settlement of $200,000 from the University of Colorado Boulder in a story dripping with progressivism.
‘My food is my pride, and notions about what smells good or bad to someone are culturally determined.’
The BBC described the ordeal as a case of “food racism” while outlet Indian Express said Prakash was the “target of racism” over his microwaved food.
Ate crime
The couple reportedly claimed they faced a series of “microaggressions and retaliatory actions” after a staff member at the university — who was British, according to the BBC — complained about the “smell” of the food Prakash had in the microwave.
The staffer allegedly said the food was giving off a “pungent” odor and informed Prakash there was a rule against heating foods that have strong odors. Prakash reportedly claimed there was no such rule publicly stated and said, “It’s just food. I’m heating and leaving.”
The Indian also said he later inquired what foods were considered pungent. He was allegedly told that smelly foods included curry but not sandwiches.
In a pickle
The couple claimed they soon lost their research funding and teaching roles, and a lawsuit followed. Prakash claimed it was not about money, though.
“It was about making a point — that there are consequences to discriminating against Indians for their ‘Indianness,'” he said.
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Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images
Prakash also claimed he was a victim of “systemic racism” because his department “refused to grant” his Master’s degree.
“That’s when we decided to seek legal recourse,” he said.
The May 2025 lawsuit alleged discriminatory treatment and a “pattern of escalating retaliation” but was settled with the university that September. The terms reportedly include giving the students their degrees while denying all liabilities and banning them from studying or working at the school in the future.
Paneer miss
The dish at the center of the controversy is called palak paneer, which, according to cooking website Hooked on Heat, contains some strong ingredients.
The main parts of the dish include spinach and paneer, a soft white cheese considered to be the Indian version of cottage cheese. Also added to the dish are onion, ginger, garlic, chili powder, garam masala (Indian spices), and more.
Prakash reportedly argued that his food only stinks according to some people.
“My food is my pride, and notions about what smells good or bad to someone are culturally determined,” he posited.
Cruciferous context
A counterargument he allegedly faced was that even broccoli is not allowed to be heated because of its odor, but Prakash claimed that “context matters,” before adding, “How many groups of people do you know who face racism because they eat broccoli?”
His fiancée says that President Trump’s re-election has caused a “narrowing of empathy” toward foreigners.
“Institutions talk a lot about inclusion, but there is less patience for discomfort, especially if that discomfort comes from immigrants or people of colour,” she claimed.
Currying favor
The university told BBC that while it cannot comment on the specifics of the claims due to privacy laws, it is “committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all students, faculty and staff regardless of national origin, religion, culture and other classes protected under U.S. laws and by university policies.”
“When these allegations arose in 2023, we took them seriously and adhered to established, robust processes to address them, as we do with all claims of discrimination and harassment,” the school continued. “We reached an agreement with the students in September [2025] and deny any liability in this case.”
The couple has reportedly not since returned to the United States, with Prakash saying he is willing to start over.
“If this case can send out a message that this (‘food racism’) cannot be practiced with impunity, that we, as Indians, will fight back, that would be the real victory,” he said, per Indian Express.
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Ghislaine Maxwell scheduled to testify before House Oversight
The House Oversight Committee revealed Wednesday that it plans to depose Ghislaine Maxwell next month as part of the committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.
Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in a Texas prison for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse children, is scheduled to testify virtually on February 9 in a closed session.
‘Ms. Maxwell will invoke her privilege against self-incrimination.’
Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) stated during a Wednesday hearing, “We need to hear from Ghislaine Maxwell. We’ve been trying to get her in for a deposition, and her lawyers have been saying that she’s going to plead the Fifth. But we have nailed down a date, February 9, where Ghislaine Maxwell will be deposed by this committee.”
Comer stated that he hopes Maxwell changes her mind about invoking the Fifth Amendment.
David Oscar Markus, Maxwell’s attorney, wrote in a Tuesday letter to Comer, “Ms. Maxwell will invoke her privilege against self-incrimination and decline to answer questions.”
Markus claimed moving forward with deposition would serve “no other purpose than pure political theater and a complete waste of taxpayer monies.”
James Comer. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“That is not a negotiating position or a tactical choice; it is a legal necessity,” Markus stated. He claimed that his client’s “post-conviction litigation is far from over,” referring to a pending habeas petition seeking to vacate her conviction.
Maxwell filed the petition in December, arguing that her conviction must be voided because a juror gave false answers during the selection process, “concealing a history of sexual abuse directly relevant to ‘issues at trial.’” She also claimed that prosecutors concealed a detective’s grand jury testimony that “conflicted with his trial testimony.”
Ghislaine Maxwell. Photo by Paul Zimmerman/WireImage
Democrats on the committee accused Comer of treating Bill and Hillary Clinton differently from Maxwell, claiming he was allowing Maxwell to avoid answering to lawmakers.
Comer disputed that claim, arguing that Maxwell has been willing to appear before the committee, while the Clintons have “refused to appear,” altogether ignoring the committee’s subpoenas.
“One of the proposals that Clinton made was, if we would let Hillary Clinton off, then Mr. Garcia and I could travel to Mr. Clinton’s house and bring one staffer and take notes, but no transcript,” Comer said, referring to the committee’s ranking member, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.). “That’s not even a thing, and you all know that.”
“What few counterproposals that the Clintons’ massive legal team has made aren’t acceptable,” Comer stated.
Comer noted that the committee has been negotiating with the Clintons’ lawyers for five months.
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Exclusive: ‘Anti-China moves’ pay off BIGLY — Governor Sanders and Arkansas earn A+ for crushing CCP land-grabs
The communist regime in Beijing has long worked to undermine the United States.
China — which the first Trump administration recognized as a “revisionist” power keen on shaping “a world antithetical to U.S. values and interests” — and its agents have run intimidation and coercion campaigns out of illegal police stations on American soil; engaged in espionage and political destabilization efforts in the U.S.; and launched numerous cyberattacks on American institutions and critical infrastructure.
Perhaps most importantly, China has bought up vast swathes of strategically significant U.S. land.
‘Arkansas was the first state in the country to kick communist China off our farmland and out of our state.’
Some states have taken meaningful steps to fight back against these and other subversive initiatives.
The efforts by Arkansas, in particular, to defend against Chinese communist influence and infiltration have not only captured Beijing’s attention but that of State Shield, a foreign-influence watchdog group founded by Joe Gebbia, the co-founder of Airbnb who went to work last year for the Department of Government Efficiency.
State Shield, which works in over 10 states to advance policies to counter Chinese influence and bolster regional and national security, has awarded Arkansas an A+ rating in its inaugural 2025 State Shield Scorecard and named Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) “Best Governor for National Security.”
“Arkansas was the first state in the country to kick Communist China off our farmland and out of our state, and we didn’t stop there,” Sanders said in a statement obtained by Blaze News.
“We’ve taken real action to protect our land, our data, and our taxpayers from hostile foreign influence,” continued the governor. “This recognition shows that strong leadership at the state level makes a real difference in keeping our people and our economy secure.”
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Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
Whereas subsequent scorecards will reflect annual reviews of legislative activity, State Shield indicated its inaugural scorecard reflects an evaluation of work completed from 2021 to 2025. During that period, Arkansas passed numerous laws aimed at curbing foreign influence.
Last year, for instance, the Natural State, enacted legislation:
- withholding funding for a state-supported institution of higher education that has a Confucius Institute or similar institute related to China, prohibiting state-sponsored investment in China, and banning sister cities with China;
- barring Chinese Communist Party-controlled businesses from leasing any interest in Arkansas land or holding any interest in agricultural land located within a 10-mile radius of critical infrastructure; and
- prohibiting colleges and universities from engaging in the creation of agricultural products, conducting classified research, or conducting agricultural research under a contract with a prohibited foreign party.
In addition to ratifying these and other pieces of legislation on-theme, Gov. Sanders moved the needle on countering Chinese influence with numerous actions and executive orders.
‘It is indeed necessary to be vigilant against Arkansas’ anti-China moves.’
Among the gubernatorial actions highlighted by State Shield was Sanders’ January 2023 executive order aimed at protecting Arkansas information and communications technology from the influence of adversarial foreign regimes, and her EO banning CCP-linked TikTok on state networks and state-issued devices.
Arkansas’ efforts to curb Chinese influence have infuriated the communists in Beijing.
When, for instance, Arkansas ordered the subsidiary of a China-owned agricultural firm ChemChina to sell off land in the Natural State pursuant to Arkansas Act 636 — legislation ratified in 2023 by Sanders — the CCP propaganda publication Global Times viciously attacked the governor.
The publication accused Sanders both of advancing “undignified” rhetoric and proving that “American politicians are incapable of driving local development, but are good at orchestrating political farces.”
It further warned that “it is indeed necessary to be vigilant against Arkansas’ anti-China moves, as they could potentially lead to imitation and similar actions by other conservative U.S. states.”
State Shield’s scorecard indicates that while Arkansas leads the pack, other red states — especially Nebraska — aren’t far behind.
Sanders, whose efforts have in some cases dovetailed with the Trump administration’s, said early last year, “President Trump is the first president in my lifetime to take a hard line against communist China, and we are proud to support that work in Arkansas by getting communist China off our land and out of our state.”
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