During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Tuesday regarding the oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, Democratic lawmakers took turns giving their usual sanctimonious speeches.

When her opportunity came to pose questions to acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons, New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver (D) launched into a roughly 3.5-minute diatribe replete with not only dubious murder accusations but her trademark insinuations of racism.

‘Aggressively attacking those witnesses personally is inappropriate.’

McIver, a Democrat facing nearly 20 years in prison for allegedly assaulting ICE officers last year, then decided to present her attacks as spiritual reflections about eternal consequence.

After prompting Lyons to confirm that he was indeed a “religious man,” McIver — a staunch supporter of abortion — asked the acting ICE director, “How do you think Judgment Day will work for you with so much blood on your hands?”

“I’m not going to entertain that question,” Lyons responded.

“Of course not,” said McIver. “Do you think you’re going to hell, Mr. Lyons?”

RELATED: Understanding hell — Part I

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Once more, the acting ICE director, whose agents had to repel an apparent incursion by McIver’s fellow travelers into a Newark detention facility last year, indicated he wouldn’t entertain such a question.

Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) intervened to remind McIver both that members “must adhere to established standards of decorum and debate” and that “witnesses are here voluntarily.”

Garbarino added, “Aggressively attacking those witnesses personally is inappropriate and not in keeping with the traditions of our committee.”

“I’m just asking a question,” McIver said. “You all, you guys are always talking about religion here and the Bible. I mean, it’s OK for me to ask a question, right?”

Having evidently disregarded Garbarino’s reminder and the corresponding committee traditions, McIver immediately went back to the attack, asking Lyons, “How many government agencies, Mr. Lyons, are you aware of that routinely kill American citizens and still get funding?”

Before yielding her time, McIver called for the abolition of ICE.

The congresswoman was charged in June with multiple counts of assaulting, resisting, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement agents. She could face a maximum of 17 years in prison if convicted.

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Sports used to be one of the only places you could turn to without being beaten over the head by the political opinions of others — but now it’s hard to get through a game without it.

“‘Just shut up and play.’ I thought that that was a very poignant thing that Ann Coulter said,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says, pointing out that while most people are talking about the political spectacle that was the Super Bowl — the Olympics have been no better.

“Wouldn’t you know, you have all of these people, all of these Americans over there in Milan to represent our country on a world stage, and they take that opportunity to just trash their own county in press conferences as if that makes them morally superior,” she continues, before playing a clip of one Olympian bashing his own country.

“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.,” Team USA freestyle skier Hunter Hess said.

“I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here,” he added.

“What an absolute loser,” Gonzales says. “If you don’t want to be there, don’t. You don’t have to represent our country. Like I don’t understand why you would be there representing our country if you’re not proud to represent our country.”

And Gonzales isn’t the only one taking issue with Hess’ statement.

“U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it. Very hard to root for someone like this. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” President Trump posted on Truth Social.

“Why are we sending America-haters to represent our country?” Gonzales asks.

“And by the way, I would love to hear from Hunter which country is better,” she adds.

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Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) unveiled the TruckSafe Tipline on Tuesday, which allows those who work in the trucking industry to report carriers that may be breaking federal laws.

“If you’re a trucker or work in the industry and see something unsafe or know of shady carriers hiring illegals, I want to hear from you,” Banks wrote in a post on social media.

‘The TruckSafe Tipline gives people on the ground a way to speak up when they see carriers cutting corners and putting lives at risk.’

The reporting system encourages truckers to submit a form if they believe a carrier has employed or contracted drivers who are illegally in the U.S., who are not authorized to drive, or who do not meet the English-language proficiency requirements.

Banks’ office will share the submitted tips with the Department of Transportation and its Office of Inspector General.

“Indiana is the Crossroads of America and Hoosiers are getting killed because drivers who shouldn’t be here in the first place are behind the wheel. If you’re driving a truck on our roads, you need to be legal, you need to be able to read traffic signs, and you need to follow the law. The TruckSafe Tipline gives people on the ground a way to speak up when they see carriers cutting corners and putting lives at risk,” Banks stated.

The tip line was launched following a semi-truck crash in Indiana last week that resulted in the deaths of four Amish men, including a father and two sons.

RELATED: Trucker accused of killing 4 Amish men — and DHS claims he’s an ‘illegal alien’

Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The driver of the truck, Bekzhan Beishekeev, a 30-year-old Kyrgyzstani national who obtained his commercial driver’s license in Pennsylvania despite allegedly residing in the U.S. illegally, was accused of swerving into oncoming traffic and striking a 15-passenger van head-on.

Beishekeev is in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

RELATED: ‘Do it NATIONWIDE!’ Florida mandates English-only driver’s tests, following Trump’s lead

Jim Banks. Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Banks’ office noted that the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is investigating the carrier that employed Beishekeev as well as several other companies.

“These interconnected carriers have all the markings of FRAUD and are accused of being CHAMELEON CARRIERS. This is when companies swap names and DOT numbers to avoid enforcement,” DOT Secretary Sean Duffy stated. “The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is working AROUND THE CLOCK to hold anyone involved in this horrific crime accountable.”

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Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.) criticized Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for trying to enforce a statute that the lawmaker opposes.

The DHS faced pushback from Duckworth after the agency requested a list of the Office of Inspector General’s ongoing investigations, accusing the OIG of illegally withholding such information.

In late January, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) met with DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari to demand that the watchdog open a probe into the “egregious public execution of Alex Pretti and pattern of brutality from Trump’s lawless agents.”

‘It is unfortunate that you are trying to score cheap political points rather than focus on the Inspector General’s illegal conduct.’

Duckworth speculated that the OIG denied her request because the DHS had sent the OIG “repeated tacit threats” to “sabotage” its investigations by invoking 5 U.S.C. § 417, a provision of the law that gives the DHS secretary the authority to terminate investigations that could harm national security or present a significant impairment to U.S. interests.

“I learned Kristi Noem repeatedly reminded DHS’s IG that she can unilaterally kill any investigation,” Duckworth wrote. “Why would she do that? Feels like a threat to me.”

If Secretary Noem chooses to invoke the statute to terminate an OIG investigation, the OIG must report the decision to Congress within 30 days, providing an explanation of its rationale and whether the watchdog supported the decision.

RELATED: ‘Vindication’ for Trump administration: Appeals court greenlights end of deportation protections for 90,000

DHS Inspector General Joseph Cuffari. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

In a Friday letter to the DHS, Duckworth described seeking to enforce the statute as an “obscure authority” that has “never been invoked in the history of DHS,” adding that it is “contrary to the letter and spirit of the Inspector General Act of 1978.”

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “Senator Duckworth is arguing that a Senate-confirmed Cabinet secretary shouldn’t use an existing section of federal law because she doesn’t think it should exist. If Senator Duckworth and her fellow Democrats do not like the law that Congress already passed, they — as members of Congress — have full constitutional authority under Article I to change the law and assuage their own concerns. As it stands, 5 U.S.C. 417 is federal law, and it applies to Secretary Noem just the same as it applied to previous homeland security secretaries for decades without controversy.”

DHS General Counsel James Percival responded to Duckworth’s letter on Monday.

“I want to express my surprise at your suggestion that DHS should only enforce the laws that you personally agree with,” Percival told the lawmaker in his response letter, obtained by Blaze News.

“I am puzzled that you would ask me, the Senate-confirmed General Counsel who swore an oath to uphold federal law, to become a law unto myself and pick and choose which laws to enforce. As you surely know, it is Congress’s purview to make laws, and it is the Executive Branch’s purview to ‘take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,’” Percival told Duckworth. “I decline your request to ignore the separation of powers and intrude into your own branch’s functions.”

Percival confirmed that the DHS had requested a list of ongoing investigations from the OIG, but that Noem had not sought to invoke her authority to terminate any of those probes.

“Rather, I requested on her behalf a list of all investigations to ensure she can evaluate whether it might ever be appropriate to exercise that power,” he continued.

Percival accused the OIG of “illegal conduct” by stonewalling such information.

“The real problem is that for years the Inspector General has been violating an implied requirement of the statute by withholding this information from prior secretaries and thereby making it impossible for them to faithfully execute § 417,” Percival wrote. “The fact that previous secretaries have ignored this law only demonstrates the incomparable leadership of Secretary Noem.”

“It is unfortunate that you are trying to score cheap political points rather than focus on the Inspector General’s illegal conduct,” he added.

RELATED: Democrat fires staffer accused of posing as immigration attorney at ICE facility

Tammy Duckworth. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Duckworth called Percival’s response “truly bizarre and deeply troubling.”

“I am frankly shocked that instead of simply denying that the Secretary is seeking to intimidate an independent government watchdog out of investigating potential crimes committed by DHS agents, it appears her brown-nosing General Counsel is proud of his efforts to sabotage IG independence on behalf Secretary Noem [sic] and is baselessly accusing Donald Trump’s own hand-picked IG of engaging in ‘illegal conduct,’” she stated.

The OIG did not respond to a request for comment.

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Waymo’s chief safety officer was not exactly clear when it came to questions about the company using overseas operators.

Mauricio Pena faced tough questions from U.S. senators last week when he was asked if Waymo employs humans who remotely assist its driverless taxis through difficult driving scenarios.

‘It’s one thing when a taxi is replaced by an Uber or a Lyft. It’s another thing when the jobs just go completely overseas.’

The question came from Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) during a hearing on commerce, science, and transportation. Pena submitted testimony titled “Hit the Road, Mac: The Future of Self-Driving Cars,” which promoted his company as an “American innovation success story” while urging lawmakers to advance legislation for self-driving cars.

However, it was the grilling from Senator Markey that got the most attention online.

“Senator, they provide guidance. They do not remotely drive the vehicles,” Pena told Markey. “As you stated, Waymo asks for guidance in certain situations and gets an input, but the Waymo vehicle is always in charge of the dynamic driving tasks, so that is just one additional input.”

Seeking more clarification, Markey asked, “But the human being helps the vehicle to navigate those difficult driving scenarios. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” Pena replied.

The safety executive went on to admit that at least some of these agents operate remotely from the Philippines, but he was unable to state a percentage or figure as to how many overseas agents Waymo employs.

“I just don’t have that number,” Pena told the committee.

RELATED: Self-driving cars that break traffic laws won’t receive tickets in California: Report

Senator Markey called the admission “fairly shocking” and said it was “completely unacceptable” to have people overseas influencing American vehicles. He then listed a string of possible safety issues, such as out-of-date information, lack of roadway knowledge, or not having a U.S. driver’s license.

“Let’s not forget,” Markey added, “Waymo is trying to replace the jobs of hardworking taxi and rideshare drivers. And now you’re saying that of the human beings, the human jobs that remain in the system, you’re shipping those jobs overseas. It’s one thing when a taxi is replaced by an Uber or a Lyft. It’s another thing when the jobs just go completely overseas.”

Across multiple outlets, Waymo sought to clarify what exactly its remote operators do and do not control.

In an interview with Decrypt, a Waymo spokesperson said the company does not consider its remote operators to be drivers. Furthermore, Waymo rejected the idea that humans control its taxis in real time.

“Their role is not to drive the vehicle remotely. They’re not remote drivers,” the spokesperson explained. “They answer, generally speaking, multiple-choice questions posed to them by the vehicle.”

The representative maintained that “all of the driving happens on board” the vehicle and does not happen remotely.

Addressing the safety concerns, the spokesperson said that both U.S.-based and foreign response agents are licensed and trained for the regions they support.

RELATED: Anti-ICE rioters destroy fleet of autonomous cars during Los Angeles riot

Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

All the agents have a “vehicle or van driver’s license,” the spokesperson went on, stating that human input is contextual and not direct commands.

“The human offers a suggestion in a challenging scenario, and the Waymo Driver will take that suggestion into account when making its next decision.”

In regard to its foreign hiring, the company told People that its reason for outsourcing to the Philippines was an effort to scale the company globally.

These “fleet response” agents allegedly undergo regular driving history checks, People reported. However, the outlet also said that Waymo did not provide any information on how many remote operators are located in the U.S. or abroad.

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Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee sharply criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an oversight hearing Tuesday, accusing the agency of systemic abuse and misconduct — claims ICE leadership rejected as misleading or false.

The hearing on Capitol Hill erupted into a heated showdown, as Democratic lawmakers repeatedly clashed with immigration officials in exchanges that rapidly spread across social media.

Democratic members described ICE as operating as a ‘fascist’ or ‘secret police’ force.

One of the most widely shared exchanges involved Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) pressing acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to resign, claiming that by staying in his leadership position, Lyons is siding with “killers bringing terror to our streets.”

“Will you resign from ICE?” Swalwell asked.

“No, sir, I won’t,” Lyons responded.

RELATED: LAPD defies Newsom: Chief refuses to enforce mask ban on ICE

Other Democratic lawmakers used more pointed rhetoric. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) compared ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents to slave patrols and Ku Klux Klan members, describing federal officers as “white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color.”

Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) railed at Lyons, claiming he had “blood on [his] hands” and asking whether he feared God’s judgment. “Do you think you’re going to hell?” she asked.

Throughout the hearing, Democratic members described ICE as operating as a “fascist” or “secret police” force, while agency officials defended their mission, saying enforcement priorities focus on violent offenders, human traffickers, and repeat immigration violators.

RELATED: ‘We do not support ICE’: Speedway gas station sparks backlash after booting Border Patrol boss

The hearing came as Congress continues negotiations over Department of Homeland Security funding, with Republicans warning that partisan disputes could lead to a partial government shutdown affecting border security and enforcement operations.

By the hearing’s conclusion, immigration officials had rejected calls to resign or concede wrongdoing, characterizing the accusations as distorted narratives rather than evidence-based critiques. No resignations or formal actions resulted from the exchanges.

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A new report in the New York Times finds that the Republican Party is overwhelmingly beating Democrats in the fundraising race and that Democrats are panicking ahead of the midterm elections.

Democrats have about $137 million for their campaigns, while Republicans have more than twice that amount, about $320 million, when their debts are taken into account.

‘Donald Trump has 99 problems going into the midterms. But money ain’t one.’

That is making Democrat political strategists sound the alarm.

“Any Democrat who isn’t concerned isn’t serious,” said Democrat super PAC founder Bradley Beychok. “Yes, Democrats have momentum on our side and a wide opportunity map, but we have a glaring disadvantage in overall money.”

“Donald Trump has 99 problems going into the midterms,” said Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson. “But money ain’t one.”

Worst still, some are pointing out that the Kamala Harris presidential campaign had a historic advantage in campaign donations in 2024 and still lost to Trump.

The report does note some bright spots in individual campaigns for Democrats. For instance, the top five fundraising Senate candidates are all Democrats, only two of whom are incumbents. But even those advantages are threatened by a pending Supreme Court decision that could hamstring how much they can spend on television ads.

Republicans have already planned how to use the ruling in their favor, if it goes the way they believe it will.

“He’s sitting on a huge war chest to help these people — and he’ll use it,” said White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles of the president during a podcast interview.

On top of Republicans’ clear advantage, they also have future hopes of raising even more money from pro-Republican sources. Among these are tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has come back to the party after a public split over the summer, as well as leaders in the cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence industries.

RELATED: California GOP sues to stop Newsom’s redistricting scheme — he responds: ‘Good luck, losers’

Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Democrats hope that mixed polling results for Trump will help them regain the Senate and possibly the House in the midterm elections.

The high stakes of the election have led to dueling redistricting efforts in states controlled by Republicans against those controlled by Democrats. On Wednesday the U.S. Supreme Court said that California could keep its redistricting map active for the midterm elections, which gives Democrats an opportunity to pick up five seats.

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The Super Bowl halftime show featured Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, and according to BlazeTV host John Doyle, the spectacle Americans love couldn’t have been any further from being American.

“I’m suspecting that a lot of this was done simply because of what he represents as this kind of ethnically ambiguous, flamboyant thing that can be cast into the living rooms of America, the Anglosphere,” Doyle explains, pointing out that the changing demographics mean worse entertainment.

“What we’re seeing now is this kind of stuck culture where we’re just rehashing the same things over and over again for nostalgia, or we’re just making really bad stuff that people will still turn out to see because it’s something, right? A lot of that has to do literally with the changing demographics, not only of America but of the market itself,” he says.

“I mean, because of the internet, because of open borders, practically speaking, companies which are producing that kind of media no longer have to cater to the expectations or standards of a normal American audience,” he continues.

“They can put some s***ty thing in front of people who have never seen a movie before, and it’s going to blow their minds, and they’re going to get one-shotted by it, so to speak, and they’ll make a ton of money,” he adds.

Doyle believes that this is why the quality of entertainment has declined so much.

“CGI, all of that, all of this stuff, why everything sucks now, whether it’s music, movies, it is literally because it no longer has to appeal to the standards that you’ve come to expect as an American, wanting something a little bit better,” Doyle says.

“And I’m not saying that, you know, peak American culture, the best stuff we’ve ever done are, like, your old blockbusters. … I’m just saying, if everything seems like it’s just kind of getting stupider and more stale, it is because it is not made for you anymore,” he continues.

“It is made for the lower common denominators, and you’re just going to kind of have to put up with it, I suppose,” he adds.

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