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‘100% MAGA’ county executive joins governor’s race in New York
While Republicans may have suffered some defeats in the elections last month, one Republican with a proven track record is tossing his hat into the ring in New York.
On Tuesday, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced that he will be running for New York governor in 2026, challenging Democrat incumbent Kathy Hochul.
‘I am ready to take on Kathy Hochul and fight for our families.’
“It is official. I am running for Governor of New York. Our state is struggling with high taxes, rising utility bills, and rising crime. New Yorkers deserve a proven leader who will Put New York First,” Blakeman announced in a Tuesday morning post.
“New York needs leadership that works. I am ready to take on Kathy Hochul and fight for our families,” Blakeman added.
RELATED: Trump slams Hochul’s endorsement of ‘communist’ Mamdani: ‘No reason to be sending good money’
Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Blakeman’s announcement video touted his ties to President Trump as well as his successful track record as Nassau County executive. Blakeman’s wins include Nassau County being named the safest county in America and the successful ban of males in girls’ sports.
Kathy Hochul and her team offered a variety of responses to Blakeman’s announcement.
“Bruce Blakeman is another MAGA cheerleader running to do Donald Trump’s bidding in New York — and raise your costs. Not on my watch,” Hochul said on her personal X account.
“Meet Bootlicker Blakeman, #1 fan of Trump’s expensive tariffs. 100% MAGA, 0% committed to fighting for New York,” Hochul’s team said above an attack video on X.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) previously announced her candidacy as well.
According to Fox News, Stefanik’s campaign said of Blakeman’s announcement: “Public polling has repeatedly shown Elise Stefanik leads Blakeman by 70% in a primary, including beating him soundly on Long Island. Elise is the strongest candidate against Kathy Hochul by a long shot.”
Trump has previously praised both Stefanik and Blakeman for their work in New York, so it is unclear who will ultimately gain his endorsement.
“I don’t think the president has to make a decision now. Let’s see how it plays out,” Blakeman said in an interview on “Fox & Friends.”
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Archdiocese orders removal of church’s ‘divisive’ Nativity display — but church leaders are dragging their feet
A Catholic church’s Nativity display criticizing the administration’s immigration policies was ordered to be removed by the Boston Archdiocese, but church leaders are trying to stall the decision.
The Saint Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, has displayed an empty Nativity scene with a sign reading, “ICE was here,” implying that the biblical figures were dragged away for detention. There’s also a sign with a phone number people can call if they spot an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.
‘Any divisiveness is a reflection of our polarized society, much of which originates with the changing, unjust policies and laws of the current United States administration.’
Fr. Stephen Josoma said the scene is supposed to protest the poor treatment of immigrants in his community.
“That some do not agree with our message does not render our display sacrilegious, or as the cause of any scandal to the faithful,” the church pastor claimed. “Any divisiveness is a reflection of our polarized society, much of which originates with the changing, unjust policies and laws of the current United States administration.”
However, the Archdiocese of Boston has ordered it to be shut down over rules against politicizing sacred objects.
“The people of God have the right to expect that when they come to church they will encounter genuine opportunities for prayer and Catholic worship, not divisive political messaging,” read a statement from the archdiocese.
“The church’s norms prohibit the use of sacred objects for any purpose other than the devotion of God’s people,” the archdiocese added. “Regarding the recent incident, St. Susanna Parish neither requested nor received permission from the Archdiocese to depart from this canonical norm or to place a politically divisive display outside the church. The display should be removed, and the manger restored to its proper sacred purpose.”
Josoma said he wants to meet with Archbishop Richard Henning before deciding whether to follow the order.
Church parishioner Jeannie Connerney told WHDH-TV that she believed the order was not in line with statements from higher Catholic leaders criticizing the president’s immigration policies.
“The pope has condemned ICE. The American bishops have condemned ICE. I don’t know why the Archdiocese is against them,” she said.
This is not the first time the church has politicized its Nativity scene to oppose immigration policies.
RELATED: City officials back down after rejecting Nativity display at Christmas farmers’ market
In 2018, members put the baby Jesus in a cage and closed off the wise men behind a wall. Josoma said at the time it wasn’t necessarily against the Trump administration and instead referred to it as “gospel activism.”
A similar Nativity scene has been set up outside of an Illinois church, where the baby Jesus had zip ties on his hands and centurions were depicted as ICE agents, even though the gospels make no mention of Roman centurions at the manger in Bethlehem.
“It’s really important how we treat our neighbors because we find out if you read the Gospels, how we treat our neighbors is how we are treating Jesus,” said Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf of Lake Street Church of Evanston.
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The UK is now cracking down on … words? England edges toward full-blown speech police state
Before the Magna Carta, the King of England was the law. After, he was under the law. It created the principle of due process, habeas corpus protection from arbitrary arrest, and limited taxation without consent.
“Rule of law, jury trials, rights of the accused, limits on government, protection of property, accountability of leaders — all of that comes from the Magna Carta,” Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck explains on “The Glenn Beck Program.”
“That gave birth, 500 years later, to us and our ideas,” he says.
However, now all of that is changing.
“The birthplace of the Magna Carta is now thinking about getting rid of jury trials and arresting more than 12,000 people every year for what they call speech crimes — 12,000,” Glenn says.
“In 2023, Russia arrested 4,000 people for speech crimes against the Russian military for Ukraine — 4,000 in Russia, 12,000 in England. The number I saw, and we don’t have all the numbers, but the number I saw that were arrested for speech crimes in China was 120,” he continues.
“Not for violence, not for theft, not for treason — 12,000 in England for words,” he adds.
But it gets worse, as the prime minister is “floating the idea of eliminating” most jury trials.
“It’ll only be for murder, manslaughter, oh, and something else like that,” Glenn says.
“This goes against the Magna Carta, the lawful judgment of your peers. OK? That is the safeguard that stands between you and an out-of-control state. This is the first and ancient firewall against tyranny. It is what makes England, England,” he continues.
“And if England, of all places, tosses that aside, what does the word ‘free’ mean anymore? OK? What does it mean? You can’t speak, and you have no jury trial of your peers. Wait, what?” he says.
“First of all, understand this: A nation that polices speech is not free. A nation that dissolves juries is not just unfree; it’s prepping for something worse, because the entire architecture of the Western world, the liberty that we have, rests on a single radical belief,” he says, adding, “The truth does not need a king.”
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PSC to PH athletes: No need to worry about Thailand-Cambodia clash amid SEA Games
PSC chairman Patrick Gregorio said Filipino athletes competing in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand have nothing to worry about despite the ongoing clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in several border provinces that have left a few casualties.
Alex Eala on being PH flag bearer in SEA Games opening: ‘It was surreal!’
Alex Eala, along with volleyball star Bryan Bagunas, led the Philippines in the parade of nations in the opening ceremony of the 2025 Southeast Asian Games on Tuesday.
Opposition solons urge Marcos to certify anti-dynasty bill as urgent
Following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”s appeal to Congress to prioritize the passage of an anti-political dynasty law, opposition lawmakers on Tuesday urged Marcos to certify the measure as urgent legislation as soon as possible.
Australia’s social media ban for children takes effect in world first
Australia has become the first country to ban social media for children under 16, blocking access to platforms including TikTok, Alphabet”s GOOGL.O YouTube and Meta”s META.O Instagram and Facebook from midnight.
