The peace and quiet of a residential street in Southern California was shattered on Wednesday evening when police shot and killed a man they watched allegedly shoot and kill a kidnapped victim after a car chase.

Video captured of the shocking incident shows the driver of the car getting out of his vehicle after being pulled over by police, then calmly walking back to the trunk and shooting someone lying inside.

‘It is disturbing. … Apparently there was a victim inside there who had been kidnapped.’

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies were dispatched to a home on Monteverde Drive in Chino Hills at about 10:14 p.m. over a report of gunshots and screaming, according to a press release.

While they were responding, they saw the suspect driving away at a high speed and attempted to pull him over.

He refused and led them on a chase that ended on Wandering Ridge Drive. Officers ordered the occupants out of the car, and a passenger complied and was taken into custody.

The driver did not comply.

After the driver fired into the open trunk, he was shot and killed by deputies.

“It is disturbing,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Gloria Orejel said. “Apparently there was a victim inside there who had been kidnapped from the previous Monteverde address.”

Police found a male victim in the trunk and attempted to revive him and the shooter, but they were both declared dead at the scene. They indicated that the officers were not aware of the person in the trunk before the shooting.

An investigation found that the victim had been shot and kidnapped from the Monteverde Drive address. No deputies were injured in the incident.

RELATED: Florida man who allegedly abducted 13-year-old gets shot and killed by 9 officers

The vehicle involved was a Nissan Altima with an Oregon license plate.

“I was shocked, to be honest,” said Gregory Uthus, a resident of the neighborhood. “This doesn’t happen in Chino Hills.”

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​High speed chase, Surveillance video, Police shooting, Kidnapping, Crime 

In “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” Oscar Wilde imagines a portrait that records the corruption its subject refuses to see in himself. Dorian hides the picture because its truth is unbearable. The concealment is physical, but the deeper act is spiritual: Self-deception protects him from self-knowledge.

Anthony Fauci’s Wednesday appearance before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs supplied a modern version of Wilde’s image. Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times.

The legal questions are serious. The philosophical question is more intimate: How does Fauci live with himself?

The constitutional privilege against self-incrimination is fundamental. The government bears the burden of proving guilt. A witness need not assist the prosecution by supplying evidence against himself, and a jury ordinarily may not treat a criminal defendant’s silence as proof of guilt.

But Fauci’s silence invites a question larger than criminal liability. What does a public official do when the legal right not to answer collides with the moral obligation to confront his own record?

Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have raised a narrower legal question. If President Biden’s pardon protects Fauci from prosecution for the conduct under examination, the basis for invoking the Fifth Amendment may be considerably weaker. Congress can also compel testimony after an appropriate grant of immunity. Those questions belong to lawyers and courts.

Cruz, meanwhile, accused Fauci of showing “contempt for Congress and contempt for the American people.” He argued that Fauci’s diaries reveal private doubts about the “wet market” explanation for COVID-19 and private satisfaction over persuading Democrat officials to keep schools closed while publicly distancing himself from those decisions. The consequences for millions of children, Cruz said, will last a lifetime.

Other controversies surrounding Fauci’s tenure at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases deepen the moral inquiry. NIAID funded research using human fetal tissue derived from elective abortions, including projects intended to create “humanized” mice for disease research. The Trump administration later restricted NIH scientists from acquiring new fetal tissue. One widely discussed study involved grafting fetal scalp tissue onto mice. The study appeared in Scientific Reports in 2020.

The legal questions are serious. The philosophical question is more intimate: How does Fauci live with himself?

The answer may be that he does so by dividing himself. There is the public Fauci, who speaks with certainty and moral authority, and the private Fauci, whose diaries preserve doubts, calculations, resentments, and self-justifications.

Self-deception tells a person that he has done nothing wrong. Self-justification supplies the explanation for everyone else. The first lie protects the conscience. The second protects the reputation.

“Taking the Fifth” can therefore become more than a legal act. The constitutional privilege is legitimate. The existential temptation it symbolizes is not: the desire to avoid the truth because the truth would collapse the identity one has built.

RELATED: ‘It’s past time’: Florida launches investigation into Fauci

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc./Getty Images

A divided person does not merely conceal himself from others. Eventually, he loses the ability to recognize himself. Public statements serve one purpose, private reflections another, and the distance between them becomes a permanent feature of the soul.

Why keep a diary at all? Even teenagers know that diary locks are flimsy and private pages may someday be read. The impulse to record what one cannot say publicly suggests that self-deception never quite succeeds. A person may hide the portrait, but he still returns to the attic.

Fauci’s diary resembles a secular confessional. He did not confess to God or seek absolution from anyone beyond himself. He recorded his private account before the highest authority his worldview appears to recognize: Anthony Fauci.

That arrangement offers no forgiveness because it requires no repentance. The same man supplies the accusation, the defense, the verdict, and the pardon.

Wilde understood that self-deception cannot preserve the soul forever. The portrait keeps changing even when no one looks at it. The mind can suppress guilt, rename pride as duty, and call self-protection public service. But every evasion leaves another mark.

At some point, only two paths remain. One leads through truth, repentance, and the surrender of the false self. The other leads deeper into silence, because every answer threatens the structure of excuses holding the person together.

That is the existential Fifth: not the lawful refusal to incriminate oneself before the state, but the lifelong refusal to testify honestly before one’s own conscience.

​Anthony fauci, Fifth amendment, Ted cruz, Rand paul, Covid, Lockdowns, Picture of dorian gray, Niaid, Plead the fifth, Fauci diaries, Opinion & analysis 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) promised to tax the rich, and he is keeping that promise. His newly announced pied-à-terre tax would impose an annual levy on many pricey second homes — and comes with a dose of public shaming.

“In true commie fashion — Muslim commie fashion — the new mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani … he’s like, ‘How can I go further and further commie?’ And so he just keeps outdoing himself,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales comments on “Sara Gonzales Filtered,” before playing Mamdani’s initial announcement of the tax.

“When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich. Well, today we’re taxing the rich. I’m thrilled to announce we’ve secured a pied-a-terre tax. The first in New York’s history. This is an annual fee on luxury properties worth more than $5 million whose owners do not live full-time in the city,” Mamdani said in a promotional video.

“They’re not actually taxing you for land and for homes that are supposed to be yours once. They’re taxing you twice, because who are you to have so much wealth that you have two homes? Who are you to work hard and enjoy the rewards of all of your hard work?” Gonzales asks, adding that “in true Muslim commie fashion, he’s gloating about it.”

In a post on X, Mamdani wrote: “If you have a second home in New York City worth more than $5M, check your mailbox when you’re back in the five boroughs — because you’ve got mail.”

“Today, we sent notification letters to property owners, letting them know that our new pied-a-terre tax is coming soon. The best city in the world deserves the best parks, libraries, and schools in the world. That’s only possible when we all pay our fair share,” he added.

“This certainly is going to put a bow on the destruction of New York City,” Gonzales says.

But Mamdani didn’t just notify the property owners. He “actually put out a hit list,” including all the names and addresses of those who could be hit with the new tax in a searchable database.

“He is doxxing you guys for the world to see,” Gonzales comments, noting that on the list are celebrities like Anna Wintour, Cynthia Nixon, and Woody Allen.

“It’s just insane how badly he wants to just doxx these people for working hard,” she adds.

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​Sara gonzales, Zohran mamdani, Muslim, Tax the rich, New york city, Cynthia nixon, Woody allen, Anna wintour, Piedterre tax, Communism, Blazetv show 

A 23-year-old who has been volunteering as a Little League umpire for a decade is getting rewarded with a chance to officiate the league’s World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

James Farque of Summerville, South Carolina, said he umpired his first game at age 13 after realizing he was not equipped to advance very far as a player in the sport.

‘I pride myself on volunteering and giving back to the community.’

“I realized I would not excel at the high school level, so I still wanted to stay connected to the game, so I started umpiring,” Farque said. “Umpired my first game [at age 13] and haven’t stopped since.”

He told WCIV-TV that he’s proud to be called up to the Little League Baseball World Series.

“This is every Little League umpire’s dream,” he added. “It’s a tremendous honor; there’s only 20 people each year that are chosen.”

His performance at four games of the contest will determine whether he gets assigned further spots. He said he is going to try not to be intimidated by the bright lights of the ESPN coverage of the event.

“That’s a big aspect of everything. Big mental side of umpiring is being in the spotlight,” Farque said. “Then again, it’s just another baseball game. Anytime you step on the field, it’s just another baseball game. Just a higher stage in front of more people.”

He said that volunteering as an umpire is how he gives back to the community.

“Little League is run by volunteers. It prides itself on volunteerism,” Farque added. “I pride myself on volunteering and giving back to the community.”

RELATED: Actress who played mom in ‘Little Big League’ now has a son playing Major League Baseball nearly 30 years later

Farque said that he has aspirations to make it to college baseball or the major leagues, but he’ll always return to the Lowcountry of South Carolina where he’s from.

“I don’t think I can ever hang it up. Even if I do the championship game at Williamsport, I still have this to come back to,” Farque said.

“The local level is what I enjoy the most, getting to mentor these kids and the sense of community around here,” he added.

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​World series, Little league, Baseball, Feel good story, Human interest 

An AI-backed robot teacher pilot program that was already under fire over privacy concerns has hit another bump in the road.

Teachers and parents had expressed concerns about having AI in the classroom and the possible replacement of humans, but that was before the latest revelations came to light.

‘It can help students engage with educational material and gain hands-on exposure to AI and robotics.’

Realbotix, the company behind the program, planned to implement “Sally,” a fembot of sorts with “lifelike appearance” that included silicone skin and long, brown hair. Sally was to be an in-classroom teacher who addressed students’ questions based on their identification codes, which are numbers assigned to the kids.

The pilot targeted high school students in the Salamanca City Central School District, which is reportedly located on the Seneca Nation of Indians reservation in New York state, according to Spectrum News 1.

As word of the program spread, the New York State Education Department stepped in to put a pause on the program to ask questions about privacy and intent. However, it has since been revealed that Realbotix shares the same parent company as another company involved in the production of sex dolls.

Parent company Realbotix Corp. operates both Realbotix LLC for “commercial robotics” and Intima LLC, which manufactures products “for the adult wellness and companionship market,” according to Morningstar. The Associated Press further reported that Intima LLC holds an ownership stake in RealDoll, which creates sex dolls.

RELATED: This ‘lifelike’ fembot teacher is so problematic she’s already been put on pause

Rachel Aston/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service/Getty Images

The teachers’ union has since caught wind, with president Melinda Person stating that “a robot built by a company associated with sex dolls has no business in our classrooms.”

The New York State United Teachers rep further stated, “Our students don’t need robots. They need real relationships with caring adults.”

Blaze Media reached out to Realbotix to ask about student privacy and its connection with using the bots for “companionship.”

A spokeswoman said the technology is meant to serve as a classroom resource for older high school students who participate in the district’s science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics curriculum.

“Like a calculator, laboratory apparatus, or other instructional tool, it can help students engage with educational material and gain hands-on exposure to AI and robotics, but it does not perform the work of a teacher,” Jessica Starman told Blaze Media on behalf of Realbotix.

“Characterizations suggesting that the technology would replace teachers or assume their responsibilities are false,” she said.

Starman addressed media reports that “falsely connected” the school project to adult products, stating that the Salamanca robot is a “newly manufactured, purpose-built educational unit; no existing consumer product or hardware is being modified or repurposed for the school.”

“No adult-products business has any involvement in the Salamanca project or in any product or initiative developed by Realbotix LLC,” Starman further explained.

As for student privacy, Realbotix said the robot would not be connected to “public internet” and does not record audio, video, nor use facial recognition.

“Realbotix would not receive, access, or store personally identifiable student information or student interactions,” the spokeswoman added.

RELATED: Before you say ‘no’ to a data center, here’s what you’re giving up

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images

The company said it has no additional school deployments to announce at this time, and local news reports say the pilot program remains on pause.

The district previously said it was working through “enhanced student data privacy agreements” with state education officials, but it is unclear what will be done moving forward.

“The physical robot has not been deployed,” Realbotix said.

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​New york, Robots, Artificial intelligence, High school, Tech 

President Donald Trump is escalating his pressure campaign against Senate Majority Leader John Thune, urging Republicans to scrap the Senate filibuster and remain in session until the SAVE America Act reaches his desk.

And in a fiery Truth Social post, Trump warned that Thune’s failure to take action could have devastating consequences.

“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER, where Republicans can then quickly pass everything they ever dreamed of, including a full and deep throated SAVE AMERICA ACT, the Budget, and the ever looming Debt Ceiling disaster, 1929!” Trump wrote.

“The Dumocrats will do it on day one, and can’t believe how lucky they got with this Senate leadership. Remember, stupidity always brings LOSING & DEATH!” he added.

“Very true,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray comments on “Pat Gray Unleashed,” before playing a clip of the president addressing questions about his relationship with Thune.

“He’s got to get his job done. It’s fine. I have a good relationship with John Thune. He’s just got to get his job done,” Trump told a reporter.

“You got to get the SAVE America Act passed. Or better than that would be the filibuster. If you terminate the filibuster, everything happens. If you don’t terminate the filibuster, only bad things will happen,” he added.

“For his part,” Gray says, “John Thune was like, ‘My hands are tied. Show me how I can do this. There’s no path. There’s no path.’”

“It’s maddening,” co-host Jeff Fisher comments.

“He just doesn’t seem to understand and grasp what needs to happen,” he adds.

“He’s not willing to do it,” Gray agrees. “He’s just not.”

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​Donald trump, Jeff fisher, John thune, Pat gray, Save america act, Senate filibuster, Truth social, Blazetv show 

Hispanic comedian George Lopez says he has given up his longtime devotion to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Lakers after discovering the owner’s investments in federal immigration detainment centers.

Lopez made the comments on a Facebook post and during an interview with Shaquille O’Neal on “The Big Podcast” released June 10. Clips from the episode have gone viral on social media this week.

‘So as soon as I found that out, I disassociated myself. … I lost two teams in one week.’

The team has tried to encourage its fandom among members of the Latino community in Los Angeles despite activists’ complaints about the displacement of a Latino community when the stadium was built in 1959.

Lopez, who was born in 1961, referred to that history when he said the team blocked him on Facebook after he called them out for not speaking out against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in L.A.

“So they’ll take a stand on me, but not on the treatment of the families who called Chavez Ravine home before they decided to build a baseball stadium where they lived and where their families called home,” Lopez responded. “Also, no comment from the owners. … If anyone doesn’t belong, it’s the Dodgers.”

Lopez had been a common sight at the Dodgers games and had participated in many promotions with the team.

The Dodgers principal owner Mark Walter reportedly held a financial stake in the GEO Group, which operates for-profit detention centers. He also leads TWG Global, which has links to Palantir Technologies, a company that has received millions from ICE for data analytics.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Walter’s investment firm had completely divested from GEO Group as of March.

Lopez told O’Neal that he also dropped his support for the Lakers.

“Mark Walter owns detention centers and runs them for profit,” Lopez said.

“So as soon as I found that out, I disassociated myself from the Dodgers and the [Los Angeles] Lakers, unfortunately. I lost two teams in one week.”

RELATED: LA Dodgers say they blocked ICE at stadium after campaign to pressure team to condemn deportations

He added the complaint about Chavez Ravine.

“The idea that Dodgers Stadium was built on a Latino neighborhood that was, people were forcibly removed in the late ‘50s,” he continued.

“Then, when I found out they run that [detention] thing for profit and part of ICE and where they put people, I dissociated myself.”

While activists continue to call for Latinos and others to boycott the Dodgers, a recent report showed the team still enjoys the highest attendance rate in the entire league, with 50,544 per game.

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​George lopez, Immigration and customs enforcement, Sports, Boycott, Politics, Dodgers