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Jewish Democrat has stunning response when asked about Muslim candidate for Senate

A Jewish Democrat had a telling response when asked on CNN if he’s supporting U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a Muslim.

Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey was being interviewed by Dana Bash when she asked him to entertain a theoretical question.

‘For the future of our party, Democrats have to call out his hate and condemn these dangerous views.’

“I know this is a hypothetical. … You’re a lifelong Democrat. If you were a Michigan voter, how would you vote in the Senate race?” asked Bash.

“One thing’s clear. There’s no way I’m ever coming out for El-Sayed right now,” Gottheimer responded with a laugh.

“This is a guy who has made it very clear his views toward, and has refused to back off his views toward, Jewish Americans,” he added.

“And I hope he comes out and clarifies where he is. I also hope that he does the right thing and condemns Hasan Piker clearly, and in a language very clearly,” Gottheimer concluded.

He went on to call out Democrat New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and others for not doing enough to call out anti-Semitism in their party.

The moment encapsulated the rift in the Democratic Party between those who support Jewish Americans and those who blame them for all of society’s ills. Among the latter is Piker, who has said that America deserved the 9/11 terror attacks and has expressed support for terrorists as long as they’re targeting Israel.

Video of the interaction was widely circulated on social media.

RELATED: Democratic Party has become so crazed, far-left AG Nessel avoids convention over safety

“For the future of our party, Democrats have to call out his hate and condemn these dangerous views. Anyone campaigning with him is part of the problem,” said Gottheimer in a post on social media.

Others like Hunter Biden say the extremists are the future of the Democratic Party.

The full video of Gottheimer’s appearance on CNN was available for viewing on YouTube.

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​Democratic party, Hasan piker, Antisemitism, Israel, Politics 

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Hasan Piker is STILL mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination

Radical leftist Hasan Piker is at it again after spending the weekend mocking the assassination of Charlie Kirk — singing the “We Are Charlie Kirk” AI-generated song while on a live tour.

A video circulating on social media shows Piker mocking Kirk in front of a crowd while his podcast co-hosts laugh.

“We are Charlie Kirk, we carry the flame / We’ll fight for the gospel, we’ll honor his name,” Piker sang while the crowd and co-hosts laughed along.

BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales is disgusted.

“You have Hasan Piker, who these days is kind of just the Democrat Party spokesman, who just this weekend continued to mock Charlie’s death,” Gonzales says.

“It’s funny that a husband and a father was brutally murdered, assassinated in broad daylight for the entire world to see on film. It’s so funny. It’s so funny that he was murdered because he was speaking freely,” she continues.

“It’s so funny that Hasan Piker is out here mocking the death and somehow is still a hero to the left even though he literally calls for people to be murdered,” she adds, playing a clip of Piker saying that property owners should be killed.

“Kill those motherf**kers and murder those motherf**kers in the street. Let the streets soak in their f**king red capitalist blood, dude,” Piker said on his podcast.

“Hasan Piker, as we’ve talked about before, lives in like … a $2.7 million home in West Hollywood,” Gonzales says.

“He thinks it’s funny that Charlie Kirk died. He’s like, ‘Just kill those property owners. Let the streets soak in their blood.’ And he has a really nice life because of that,” she adds.

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​Charlie kirk, Hasan piker, Radical leftist, Sara gonzales, Blazetv show 

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Trump tells Glenn Beck: ‘I will look at that today’ to help independent farmers and slash beef prices

President Donald Trump vowed to Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck that he would look into deregulating meat processing plants in order to slash beef prices and protect farmers and ranchers.

The president made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with Beck on his radio show Wednesday.

‘I know firsthand how rigged the system is against independent American farmers. Four massive corporations control almost the entire meat processing industry.’

“I have to tell you, Mr. President, I didn’t plan on talking about this, and we can get into it at a later date, but please, please, when it comes to beef, please look at the cartel that is the meat processing cartel,” said Beck.

“You’re right,” Trump responded. “It’s horrible.

“I run a ranch, so I know what it’s like, and I’m telling you, it’s the processing plants,” Beck said. “There’s four of them, and I think two of them are not even American. It’s bad. And I believe they’re colluding with each other.”

“I’m surprised that the ranchers and the farmers haven’t done it, because they’re smart as hell. I’m surprised, because that’s been going on a long time, Glenn,” Trump replied.

“Help us. We can’t butcher with all of the federal regulations. It is really hard. If there’s something you can do to help,” Beck said.

“Glenn, is that just a question of regulation, do you think?” the president asked.

“A lot of it is. Yeah, a lot of it is; the inspections are insane,” Beck replied.

“So they make the regulations so tough that — so could you do it? If you didn’t have those regulations, could you do it on your ranch?” Trump asked.

“Yes,” Beck replied.

“And is that the way to do it? Or do you think you need some pretty strong regulations?”

“Yes. Break the back of those processing plants. There are people that want to build processing plants everywhere. The regulations are killing us. Just killing us.”

“So you’re saying with less regulation, you think that the ranchers and farmers would do a very good job of processing the beef?” Trump asked.

“Yes, yes,” Beck replied.

“Wow. I will look at that today. I’ve been hearing about this problem. For 20 years, I’ve been hearing about this problem,” Trump responded.

“Free your people. Let your people go!” Beck joked.

“This could be a very good call for ranchers and farmers. No, for the country,” Trump added.

“That would be good,” Beck replied.

RELATED: Joy Reid says no one used ‘inflation’ until Republicans taught them to damage Democrats

.@POTUS tells me he will look into SLASHING harmful regulations in the beef industry that lead to high prices. I know firsthand how rigged the system is against independent American farmers. Four massive corporations control almost the entire meat processing industry. If… pic.twitter.com/xxNBrhWUI4
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) August 26, 2026

Beef prices have been increasing after cattle production has dropped in the U.S. since before 2024. A pound of beef cost on average about $5 in 2013, but the price has steadily risen to $6.89 by July 2026, a rise of about 37.8%.

“[The president] tells me he will look into SLASHING harmful regulations in the beef industry that lead to high prices,” Beck posted on social media along with video of the conversation.

“I know firsthand how rigged the system is against independent American farmers,” he added. “Four massive corporations control almost the entire meat processing industry. If President Trump can cut these regulations, it would be a HUGE WIN.”

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​American farmers, Beef prices, Farmers and ranchers, Glenn beck, President donald trump, Politics 

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Democrat state lawmaker ARRESTED for allegedly STEALING federal pandemic funds

Another Massachusetts Democrat has been arrested for alleged pandemic fraud after the 61-year-old mayor of Lawrence was arrested earlier this month.

Massachusetts state Rep. Francisco Paulino, a Democrat, is accused of using information gathered from his tax prep business in Lawrence to fraudulently apply for pandemic funds.

‘The money these two allegedly scammed was meant for hard-working Americans and struggling business owners, not for two greedy individuals who lied and stole for their own personal benefit.’

The 46-year-old was arrested Wednesday and charged with eight counts of wire fraud and three counts of unlawful monetary transactions.

Paulino allegedly received more than $700,000 in unemployment insurance benefits and small-business loans from the pandemic.

He used those loans to buy property and make loans to clients at his tax preparation business before he was elected to the state legislature in 2023, prosecutors claim.

If convicted, the Democrat faces 20 years in prison for each of the eight wire fraud charges and 10 years in prison for each of the three money laundering charges.

Paulino represents the 16th Essex District, which includes the city of Lawrence, whose mayor was arrested.

Federal prosecutors said Mayor Brian DePeña stole more than $1.5 million in pandemic money and used the ill-gotten cash to “fund his campaign account, pay personal taxes, and pay more than $880,000 in high-interest, hard-money mortgages on properties he owned in Lawrence.”

U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley excoriated both Democrats at a news briefing.

“The conduct alleged by the Lawrence mayor and the district state representative is appalling. Everyone listening today knows how difficult it was for Americans during the pandemic and how challenging it was for businesses,” said Foley.

RELATED: Pro-reparations Illinois Democrat indicted in FRAUD SCAM along with daughter and husband

Foley told reporters that the two cases are not related and that the investigations began three years ago, according to NBC10 Boston, which would mean they started when President Joe Biden was still in office.

“The money these two individuals allegedly scammed was meant for hard-working Americans and struggling business owners, not for two greedy individuals who lied and stole for their own personal benefit,” she added.

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​Democrat crime, Massachusetts, Pandemic fraud, Wire fraud, Politics 

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Female reporter caught mischievously smirking during Lindsay Clancy trial has smile wiped off her face

Lindsay Clancy of Massachusetts is being tried on three counts of first-degree murder in the January 2023 strangulation deaths of her children — 8-month-old Callan, 3-year-old Dawson, and 5-year-old Cora.

During the trial, hundreds of women have rallied outside the courthouse in support of the mother who allegedly admitted to killing her kids, while other women managed to find a seat inside the courtroom.

‘Nothing to apologize for.’

Among those inside the courtroom on Monday was New York City-based gossip freelancer Brittany Romano.

Footage soon went viral showing Romano — who has previously contributed to Glamour and Teen Vogue, according to her website — grinning excitedly, winking, and leering flirtatiously at a camera during Clancy’s trial.

Following the inappropriate display, Romano explained in a livestream that she “grew up with Lindsay” and had laughed in the courtroom because Clancy had looked at her, reported Newsweek.

Romano — who described the family home of the accused murderer as a “safe” space from her youth and posted a selfie with Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, last week — was swiftly met online with ridicule over her conduct in the courtroom.

Mike Davis, the founder and president of the Article III Project, stated, “The same leftist women who celebrate killing unborn babies up until the moment of birth now support mothers murdering their kids. Say it with me: Evil C**ts. They’ve earned that.”

RELATED: Hundreds of women rally outside courthouse to show support for woman accused of murdering her 3 children

L-R: Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe/Getty Images; Barry Chin/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

The eponymous host of “The Britt Mayer Show” tweeted, “Many of my sex have gone insane. Ironically, not the one who killed her kids, but the ones applauding her and smiling like a giddy school girl at her trial.”

Amid backlash over what was widely regarded as, at the very least, inappropriate behavior on the part of Romano, Vanity Fair announced that it was cutting ties with the writer.

“We were interested in the prospect of a personal essay by Brittany Romano about her experience growing up with Lindsay Clancy,” a spokesperson for Vanity Fair told the Boston Globe. “Yesterday, after clear conflicts with our editorial standards and processes, we informed Romano that we were not moving forward with her essay and informed the court that she is no longer credentialed by Vanity Fair.”

Romano confirmed that after the video went viral, a member of the Vanity Fair team told her to “take the story elsewhere.”

The gossip writer said in a lengthy statement on Instagram that “a smile is not a crime”; that she smiles when she’s uncomfortable; and that she has “nothing to apologize for.”

“For two years I have fought to cover the Lindsay Clancy case honestly, because at its center is a mother accused of killing her three children during postpartum psychosis, and because the conversation around her has spent that whole time swinging between calling her a monster and asking what actually broke insider her,” continued Romano. “Women’s mental health coverage was never a side note in that coverage, it was the whole point.”

According to the gossip writer, her role in the courtroom was effectively to amplify Clancy’s preferred narrative.

Romano noted that after Vanity Fair gave Patrick Clancy, the father of the slain children, “a platform to tell his version when this case first broke,” she asked the publication “to rebalance the scales.”

She did not immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

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​Lindsay clancy, Massachusetts, Murder, Trial, Politics, Vanity fair 

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Steve Deace: Why America must PAUSE AI data centers before it’s too late

The race to build the infrastructure powering artificial intelligence is accelerating at breakneck speed, but BlazeTV host Steve Deace warns that the public is being asked to accept sweeping changes without meaningful scrutiny.

“There’s a real sense that this stuff has just kind of gone from zero to 60 like that,” he explains. “Like why do we have to do all this like right now, right? And you know, we’re all realizing now the aftermath of ‘we have to shut the country down right now. It’s the worst thing right now. You don’t want to kill Grandma right now.’”

“And now, you know, we’re seeing the evidence of how much of that was a lie from the very beginning. So anticipate moving forward that an instant crisis that needs to be solved right now that no one knew about 10 minutes ago is going to be met with wide swaths of suspicion,” he continues.

However, there is a nuanced discussion to be had on data centers.

“Two things can be true at once, right? We certainly shouldn’t be taking people’s land in order to put up a monstrosity that almost none of the people in that community will then ultimately get a job to work at. At the same token, we need data,” Deace says, noting that the government simply needs to “pause and listen to the people.”

“Hear what they have to say. Make your case to the people. I would not just pause. I would pause for a purpose. And it would be a purpose of we’re going to have a national conversation about this,” he adds.

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​Artificial intelligence, Crisis, Infrastructure, Steve deace, Government, Data centers, Blazetv show 

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Iconic actor Tim Curry dies at 80

Iconic movie star Tim Curry died on Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 80, according to his longtime publicist.

Curry is best known for his flamboyant performance in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” from 1975.

‘I like playing the more curious corners of the human mind and human behavior.’

He also gained fame for his humorous role as the butler in the movie version of the board game “Clue” from 1985 and as the evil clown in the first television series version of Steven King’s “It.”

Timothy James Curry was born on April 19, 1946, in the rural village of Grappenhall in Cheshire, Britain.

After graduating from the University of Birmingham with a dual degree in English and drama, he met Richard O’Brien while performing on a tour of “Hair.”

Curry played the lead role in O’Brien’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show” play, a musical spoof of horror and science-fiction films. The play was developed into a movie after being brought to Los Angeles, California.

The movie version of the play was initially a flop when it was released, but has since skyrocketed into cult-film status. Fans developed an audience participation guide for the movie, and it continues to be screened at midnight showings on Halloween throughout the country.

RELATED: Dolly Parton is dead at age 80

Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage/Getty Images

“‘Rocky Horror,’ wrote Los Angeles Times writer Danny Sullivan, “is more a performance than a movie, because during screenings, art imitates art.”

Curry released rock music records and became known for numerous roles in television shows and movies. He was nominated twice for the Laurence Olivier Award and was nominated three times for a Broadway Tony Award. In 1991 he won a daytime Emmy Award for his role in the animated show “Peter Pan & the Pirates.”

Curry had recently curbed his public appearances after suffering a debilitating stroke in 2012 that left him wheelchair-bound.

He continued to work as a voice actor until his death.

“I like playing the more curious corners of the human mind and human behavior,” he said, “partly because they’re a tad more interesting.”

He never married and had no children.

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​Los angeles, Celebrity deaths, Hollywood, Human interest 

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Rutgers dean banned from campus after being hit with ‘extremely disturbing charges’ for allegedly recording ‘upskirt’ videos

A Rutgers University research dean has been accused of filming “upskirt” videos, according to authorities.

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Criminal Justice on Tuesday announced that 51-year-old Joshua Kohut of Cranbury was arrested for “allegedly recording ‘upskirt’ videos while working at Rutgers University.”

‘An invasion of privacy like this is not just disturbing, it is also a criminal act.’

Kohut, who is employed as the dean of research at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, was charged with fourth-degree invasion of privacy.

A fourth-degree invasion of privacy conviction has a maximum prison sentence of up to 18 months and a fine of up to $10,000.

The Daily Mail reported that Kohut was released on bail.

The attorney general said a search warrant was executed Monday following an investigation.

Law enforcement seized five devices belonging to Kohut, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The DA’s statement indicated that “one of the seized devices was found to contain ‘upskirt’ videos of another individual’s undergarment-clad intimate parts.”

“The defendant is alleged to have used his mobile phone to record ‘upskirt’ videos without his victim’s knowledge,” Davenport stated. “An invasion of privacy like this is not just disturbing, it is also a criminal act. We will prosecute accordingly.”

Officials did not say if the victim is involved with Rutgers, NJ.com reported.

The New York Post noted, “However, the criminal complaint indicates that Kohut and the victim may have known each other in some capacity.”

The criminal complaint stated that an incident occurred in New Brunswick, home to Rutgers University’s New Brunswick regional campus, where the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences is located.

Rutgers told the New York Post that Kohut has been placed on paid administrative leave after being informed of the “extremely disturbing charges.”

The school added, “The research dean is also banned from campus pending the outcome of an investigation.”

RELATED: VIDEO: ‘Heroic’ teen girl fights off sex predator just after he used twisted ruse in assault of 66-year-old woman, police say

Rutgers University appointed Kohut to the position of School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Dean of Research/New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Director of Research on Jan. 1, 2025.

Laura Lawson, executive dean and executive director, SEBS/NJAES, said in the January 2025 announcement: “Josh came to Rutgers more than 27 years ago as a graduate student and has experienced the university in many capacities: student, staff, faculty, and administrator.”

The statement continued, “His teaching responsibilities include contributing to first-year courses for students interested in Marine and Coastal Science research through the Oceanography House learning community and a research focused class that is currently undertaking an undergraduate student-led project to conduct the first circumnavigation of an autonomous underwater robot around the world.”

The official Rutgers University website says of Kohut: “His research explores the use of ocean observing technologies — radar, sensors, gliders, etc. — to model ocean systems, enabling multidisciplinary process studies of the dynamics of the coastal ocean.”

Kohut’s biography on the official Rutgers University website states, “I am involved in many research and education programs that range in scope from storm intensity, offshore wind, and local water quality monitoring off the NJ coast; regional fisheries along the U.S. east coast; and environmental studies of polar ecosystems in the coastal waters surrounding Antarctica.”

Open Payrolls — a nationwide public salary database — stated of Kohut: “One of the most recent records in 2025 lists a job of Sr Assoc Dir-Njaes/Dir Coop Re and a pay of $196,533.91.”

The Daily Mail said Kohut’s wife, Courtney Kohut — an assistant director at Princeton University — declined to comment on the charges against her husband.

The attorney general’s office urged anyone who may have been a victim of Kohut to contact Lt. Jon Norcia at the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety at 609-780-5449.

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​Upskirt videos, Rutgers university, Invasion of privacy, Arrest, New jersey, Dean, Crime 

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Jason Whitlock: Target’s blackface controversy may have been an inside job

Target is once again at the center of a culture-war firestorm after apologizing for a children’s Halloween clown costume that resembles blackface and 19-century minstrel shows.

While Target immediately pulled their “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock isn’t convinced that it wasn’t an inside job.

“Who’s that outfit for? Who’s wearing that outfit? Is there any demand? Would anybody even know what they’re looking at?” Whitlock asks.

“Someone within Target wants DEI to return. So it’s not the CEO. It’s not the board. Or maybe it is a board member, who knows, but someone high up in Target wants DEI to return. Trust me, they have some LGBTQ soldiers and some BLM soldiers within Target high up who are irate,” he continues.

“Someone is orchestrating a hoax against Target from within Target,” he adds.

However, Dre Baldwin disagrees with Whitlock.

“I think that’s too much of an extrapolation,” he argues.

“I think this is just a Halloween costume. Somebody saw it. Someone within the racial grievance industry saw it. They found that picture to compare it to and said, ‘Hey, here’s racism.’ … People who work in the racial grievance industry, as I call them, race hustlers, they go looking around for stuff like this because it gets a certain group of people excited,” he explains.

“It can lead to job offers, opportunities, etc. … but I don’t think this was manufactured from within Target. I think it’s just a costume,” he continues, adding, “Somebody decided to see something in it that wasn’t there.”

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​Blackface, Costume, Dre baldwin, Hoax, Jason whitlock, Target, Racism, Dei, Blazetv show 

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Soros-backed DA vows to ‘blow up’ White House ballroom, calls Trump a ‘pain in the a**’

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) amped up his rhetoric against President Donald Trump and his White House ballroom in a speech at a national monument.

Krasner, who won office thanks to a massive donation by left-wing financier George Soros, called the president a “pain in the ass” on Tuesday and vowed to blow up the ballroom.

‘The man himself is the embodiment of hate. He is the embodiment of ignorance. He is the embodiment of depriving people of their vote and their education.’

The DA was speaking at the 24th annual Commiseration at the President’s House, a National Park monument and the site of a bitter feud between the city and Trump over an exhibit on slavery.

“There is a beautiful time coming. This memorial will be here!” said Krasner.

“But let me tell you what will not be here. There will not be a ballroom. There will not be a ballroom.”

He also claimed that Trump would not prevail on putting his name onto the Kennedy Center for the Arts.

“In about 10 or 15 years, we are all going to be sitting here with smiles on our faces,” he continued.

“And I’m going to have a paperweight sitting on my desk. And do you know what that paperweight’s going to be? It’s going to be a piece of the ballroom after we all blow it up, that’s what it’s gonna be.”

He went on to say pieces of the Trump’s White House ballroom would be sold to the public in order to pay for the demolition.

Krasner also referred to the president as a “pain in the ass” before an audience member called Trump the devil.

“The man himself is the embodiment of hate. He is the embodiment of ignorance. He is the embodiment of depriving people of their vote and their education. That’s who he is.”

Krasner also agreed that there was “some evidence” that the president is the devil.

RELATED: Philly DA warns Trump on election poll watchers: ‘Break the law… I’ve got something for you.’

The dispute over a slavery exhibit at the national monument led to a court feud between city officials and the Trump administration. A federal court sided with the president in June, but activists have said they will continue the legal fight.

Soros donated nearly $1.7 million to Krasner’s campaign coffers in 2017, and the liberal DA’s actions in office have spurred condemnation and anger.

In January Krasner vowed to “hunt down” Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who break the law, and when a mass shooting took the lives of three people in his city, he blamed the National Rifle Association.

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​George soros, White house ballroom, Larry krasner, Donald trump, Politics 

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Meta pays big to settle monster lawsuit — and the terms will turn social media upside down

A historic lawsuit spanning the United States and its territories ended abruptly this week, and its terms will make major changes to how children use social media.

The lawsuit brought forth by 29 states accused Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta platforms of knowingly being addictive and harmful to young users.

‘This framework will only work if all our peers join us.’

The case has been in trial since August 18 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and it only took about a week for Zuckerberg and co. to come to an agreement with the accusing parties.

On Wednesday morning, a settlement was announced that will have Meta paying up to $18 billion over 10 years, while implementing new child safety protocols on its platforms, Variety reported.

Social media overhaul

New rules include a “hard cap” on daily time limits for children, totaling a combined two-hour daily limit across Instagram and Facebook, with mandatory pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use.

Children will be blocked from accessing Meta platforms from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m., in addition to limited school-time access, with push notifications blocked for children between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the school year on weekdays.

Age “assurance” measures were described as being “robust,” while Meta promised more parental control, safeguards against bullying, and limitations on harmful content.

The catch — and it’s a big one — is that the usage limits are planned for just five years. At the same time, Meta said that it will drop its allowed usage to only 60 minutes for 10 years if Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube adopt comparable terms.

The settlement payments also depend on other social platforms adopting similar policies. About 70% of the money will be allocated to participating states over the 10-year period, but the remaining 30% will only be released if YouTube and TikTok implement a one-hour daily limit, the night mode policy, and age assurance measures.

As well, YouTube and TikTok must each pay an amount that matches the 30% sum figure, Variety reported.

RELATED: Federal agents wanted to search his phone — now they say the trick he used to stop them is a crime

David GRAY/AFP/Getty Images

The lawsuit was led by California AG Rob Bonta, with the settlement garnering his state between $1.5 and $2.1 billion, if approved.

Let the spin begin

“Today, we have secured a settlement with Meta that will make social media less dangerous for our kids and make a world of a difference for children and their families,” Bonta said in a statement. “Meta has agreed to make massive transformations that will reduce the risk of harm from its platforms — and will do it within months.”

According to Reuters, Meta denied wrongdoing in the settlement, which absolves it of accusations that its platforms are designed to have addictive features and knowingly exposed children to mental harms, among other claims.

Meta chief legal officer C.J. Mahoney said publicly that the new framework “will empower parents to easily manage how their children access our platforms.”

“This framework will only work if all our peers join us,” Mahoney added.

“Because teens move fluidly across dozens of apps, we need an industry-wide solution. We therefore call on our industry peers, TikTok and YouTube, to implement this new framework, right away. As a parent, I’m proud of both the work Meta has done to protect kids historically, and of this new groundbreaking agreement. But its success depends on all other social media platforms following Meta’s lead,” he concluded.

RELATED: RIP your nostalgia — the top owner of kids’ TV shows is giving its characters a high-tech makeover

Enrico Fabian/The Washington Post/Getty Images

In a statement provided to Blaze News, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation said that the settlement is “one step [in] Big Tech’s reckoning” for the harms it has enabled against children.

Executive Director Haley McNamara said the settlement is “a crucial step to hold Meta accountable for protecting children, and we commend the state attorneys general for carrying these cases forward.”

“Attention must now turn to Congress to establish a foundation for Big Tech companies like Meta to follow when it comes to protecting children online,” McNamara added.

Meta expects to accrue around $10 billion in legal expenses its third quarter of 2026.

As noted by Georgia’s Office of the Attorney General, the case included 52 attorneys generals across 47 states (excluding Florida, New Mexico, and Texas) and the jurisdictions of Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

There’s a catch

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier explained in a post on X why his state did not join the settlement. Uthmeier called the payouts “peanuts” that are inequal to the “profound harms” Meta’s features have inflicted on kids.

“A slap on the wrist for a trillion-dollar corp that’ll pay more to lawyers than to the states. We’ll see them at trial,” the Florida AG said.

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​Social media, Mark zuckerberg, Facebook, Instagram, Meta, Tiktok, Snapchat, Youtube, Tech