Students are claiming emotional trauma from their middle school teacher apparently hanging a black baby doll by an electrical cord from the television in her Florida classroom.

The bizarre incident was caught on video and was widely circulated before the art teacher was fired from the job at Barrington Middle School in Lithia.

‘They should not have to sit in the classroom and worry if they’re going to see images that can terrorize them for life.’

Nina Williams, the parent of the student who recorded the teacher, wants her to face serious consequences.

“I want her teaching certificate gone,” Williams said. “I don’t want her to be able to practice in another state. I don’t want her to be able to do what she did to my child and the other many children in that classroom to any other children.”

Williams posted the video on Tuesday to social media, where it quickly went viral.

“She needs to be charged for it and license removed. Not be around kids at all,” said Aracelis Perez, the parent of another student who recorded the teacher throwing the doll away after the hanging.

After much outrage, the district said the teacher had been terminated immediately on Wednesday.

“Our school counselors and administrators will continue to be available to meet with any students at Barrington Middle School who have concerns or need additional support,” reads the statement from the district.

Among those outraged was Hillsborough NAACP President Yvette Lewis.

“They should not have to sit in the classroom and worry if they’re going to see images that can terrorize them for life,” Lewis said. “If you don’t know your history, you’re bound to repeat it, and it was clear that this teacher did not know the history. Because if you knew your history and you knew what that meant and how it will invoke fear or intimidation to African-Americans, you would have never done it.”

Lewis went on to claim that the incident might not have happened if Florida state officials had not removed certain African-American history books from schools.

The teacher, whose name is Karen Savage, did not return requests for comment from WTLV-TV.

RELATED: NY middle school teacher fired over ‘racist’ joke allegedly made to two students about slavery

The district said the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Professional Practice Services is investigating whether her teaching certificate should be revoked.

WTSP-TV asked the FBI if it was investigating the case, but the agency refused to confirm or disconfirm any investigation.

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​Racism accusation, Florida school, Teacher racism, Politics, Middle school 

A former federal prosecutor is accused of illegally secreting confidential documents about the Trump administration from special counsel Jack Smith.

62-year-old Carmen Mercedes Lineberger is facing two felony charges for theft of the documents plus other charges in the government investigation.

Lineberger is not being detained and did not have to post any bond for release.

Lineberger allegedly emailed herself the documents and labeled the emails as cake recipes, according to prosecutors. She was working at the Fort Pierce branch of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

The documents were under seal from the Smith investigation into the alleged mishandling of national security records by President Donald Trump and two co-defendants after his first term in office.

She entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday.

One of the emails was allegedly labeled “chocolate cake recipe,” while another file was allegedly labeled “Bundt_Cake_Recipe.pdf.”

The second volume of Smith’s report had been sealed by federal Judge Aileen Cannon. Lineberger is accused of violating that order and taking steps to conceal her efforts.

She worked at the prosecutor’s office for almost two decades before retiring in December.

Lineberger is not being detained and did not have to post any bond for release.

Federal prosecutors said she could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on one charge, three years for another, and one year for each of the two charges of document theft.

RELATED: District Judge Cannon issues ruling on fate of Trump adversary’s Biden-era special report

Cannon, a Trump appointee, ruled that the case should be tossed out because the appointment of Smith as special counsel was unconstitutional.

The Trump administration had argued in Oct. 2024 that the release of the special counsel’s report amounted to election interference.

“Radical Democrats are hell-bent on interfering in the presidential election on behalf of Lyin’ Kamala Harris,” said former campaign spokesman Steven Cheung at the time.

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​Politics, Southern district of florida, Special counsel jack smith, Trump administration 

Reality TV star Spencer Pratt may be running one of the most unconventional political campaigns in recent memory — and according to BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler, that’s exactly why it’s working.

“What Spencer Pratt is doing … I don’t think I’ve ever seen another politician do this,” Wheeler says, explaining that what he’s doing is “removing the stigma of voting Republican for Democrats in L.A. who’ve been hurt by Democrat elected officials.”

“This person’s home was burned down, and this is what he wants to do so that that never happens again. This person sees the financial corruption that’s happening in the city of Los Angeles at the hands of politicians and wants to give that money — that’s your money — back to you,” she says.

“This is next-level political strategy that we don’t see in our country,” she adds.

Wheeler calls Pratt’s strategy “instinct that is not just a gut reaction.”

“This is instinct that’s based on a pre-existing thorough understanding of human nature that you have to provide for people, in order for them to change their minds, the ability to save face,” she says.

Unlike most politicians, Pratt has also identified who the elites are and how he plans to stop them.

“He’s identified the elites: Karen Bass, Nithya Raman, Gavin Newsom. And he’s identified a problem that you are suffering from that was caused by these elites. And he’s saying he’s not running away from the fact that he’s wealthy. He was famous. He’s doing the same thing that Trump did,” Wheeler explains.

“He’s giving people who aren’t just natural Republicans permission to vote for him based on the fact that he’s not necessarily associating himself with the Republican brand,” she continues.

“Spencer Pratt is not trying to appeal to Republicans in Los Angeles. Republicans are already going to vote for Spencer Pratt. He’s trying to appeal to Democrats,” she adds.

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​Karen bass, Liz wheeler, Los angeles, Political campaigns, Reality tv star, Republicans, Spencer pratt, The liz wheeler show, Blazetv, Blaze podcasts, Blaze media 

A member of a Tennessee school board has been charged with assault in connection with an incident during a recent public meeting in which he referred to a female high school student as “hot” and appeared to touch her, WJHL-TV reported.

Keith Ervin of the the Washington County Schools Board of Education was seen on video appearing to touch a student seated next to him while making a sizzling noise before telling her, “God, you’re hot, you know that? … Where do you go to school at?”

‘Every board member has been concerned about her and how this has impacted her and will impact her.’

The student replied that she attends David Crockett High School, after which Ervin exclaimed, “All right!” WJHL noted.

The incident occurred during an April 2 school board meeting and can be seen on the school district’s YouTube page; the incident occurs just after the 1 hour and 16 minute mark.

WJHL said that following public outcry, the school board on April 8 voted to censure Ervin, and the Washington County Commission issued a vote of no confidence in Ervin on April 27.

Ervin also was censured in 2009 after reportedly making a lewd gesture of a sexual nature in front of a class at David Crockett High School, the station said.

RELATED: Florida HS staffer, 49, initially fights female student in self-defense — but soon crosses way over the line, cops say

Ervin, however, has insisted the clip recorded during the meeting showing his interaction with the student lacks context, and he has stated he only was complimenting the manner in which she had been asking questions during the meeting, the station said.

A charge of assault was filed Monday against Ervin, with a violation date of April 2, WJHL reported, citing court records.

RELATED: Jesus, Trump, Charlie Kirk reportedly named role models by elementary students — but school staffer allegedly squashes picks

Washington County Schools Superintendent Jerry Boyd provided the station with a statement from the school board acknowledging that its members are aware a simple assault charge has been filed against Ervin in relation to the incident.

“Board chair Annette Buchanan previously stated that Mr. Ervin’s comments and actions were ‘shocking’ and that he ‘objectified and diminished a young woman,'” the statement reads, according to WJHL. “The Board reiterates that Mr. Ervin’s actions do not reflect the standards, policies, or values of the school district. The Board remains committed to ensuring a safe, respectful, and appropriate environment for all students and staff.”

The station said the school board stated that it will defer to law enforcement and the judicial system regarding the charge against Ervin.

Boyd added to the station that “none of the burden placed on the board members or myself or any district member compares to probably what the individual student feels. So every board member has been concerned about her and how this has impacted her and will impact her. Every board member wishes her the best. And as I said, both her and any student or any staff member that needs some additional supports, we’ll be prepared and are prepared to provide whatever we can.”

The father of the student at the center of the April 2 incident said on social media that Ervin should not be “anywhere near students” and called the other board members’ lack of action amid the incident “equally disturbing,” WJHL noted.

The station added that on May 7, the student herself addressed the school board, including Ervin, and called the board members “cowards” and said Ervin’s actions were “not only unwelcome, but sexist and derogatory.”

Boyd added to WJHL that the board has no authority to take action or discipline an individual board member beyond what already has been done — and that Ervin, an elected official, cannot be dismissed.

Boyd also told the station that “certainly in any situation, you always reflect, you certainly consider what you could have done differently during the moment, but you also focus on what can you do now. And I know every board member has been in the process of reflecting and acting on how they need to improve our board meetings, what their responsibility is, and also what my role will be and how I can support that.”

He added to WJHL that as “a father of girls and as a superintendent and a lifelong educator, this is a situation none of us anticipated; the student definitely didn’t anticipate that she would be in that kind of situation in a formal board meeting and honestly, nobody else did, either. So we’re taking measures to be preventative in the future, including ensuring that our board members always maintain a certain level of professionalism.”

The station said it has reached out to Ervin for a response.

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​Tennessee, Washington county schools, Board of education, Student, Keith ervin, Assault charge, Crime, School board meeting 

President Donald Trump surprised many of his own supporters during a recent interview with Sean Hannity when he defended the presence of Chinese students at American universities — arguing that removing them would devastate higher education in the United States.

“I could tell them I don’t want any students. It’s a very insulting thing to say to a country. They would then immediately go out and start building universities all over China,” Trump told Hannity.

“If you want to see a university system die, take a half a million people out of it,” he added.

BlazeTV host Pat Gray and executive producer Keith Malinak are among those supporters confused.

“We’re completely dependent on Chinese students,” Gray says in disbelief. “American universities would collapse without Chinese students. Come on.”

“What are you, Joe Biden? That’s something he would say. Or Barack Obama, not Donald Trump,” he adds.

“And so far,” executive producer Keith Malinak chimes in, “as the president is making his case, the two main points that he has offered to us is that it’s highly insulting and the schools might go bankrupt.”

“I’m not seeing the bigger picture here that the president is, clearly,” he adds.

“Clearly not true, for one thing,” Gray says.

“American universities will not collapse without 500,000 Chinese in them. That’s nonsense,” he continues. “This is a fairly new phenomenon to begin with. And secondly, 500,000 split between, what is it, 15,000 universities? How many do we have in the country? It’s not that many; you’re not going to lose that many students.”

Trump went on to claim that while the “top schools will do fine” without the influx of Chinese students, the “lower schools” would not be fine.

“I think it’s just the opposite of that,” Gray says. “It’s more like the Harvards and the Princetons that are going to do worse because how many Asian students are at those schools? They probably have the highest percentage.”

“They’re cutting back on their Asian students because they’ve got too many,” he adds.

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​Joe biden, Pat gray, Pat gray unleashed, Sean hannity, Barack obama 

Former officials in the Biden administration have been credibly accused of letting a tech giant slide on preventable cybersecurity breaches only to later secure lucrative arrangements with or cushy jobs at the same corporation.

The American Accountability Foundation, a nonprofit government oversight and research organization, asked the Justice Department in a lengthy letter on Tuesday to open a formal investigation into Microsoft and several Biden officials.

‘We will act where the facts and the law support it.’

Among the Biden cronies singled out in the letter is Lisa Monaco, the former deputy attorney general whose post-government career move captured President Donald Trump’s attention in September 2025.

Trump wrote that “Corrupt and Totally Trump Deranged Lisa Monaco (A purported pawn of Legal Lightweight Andrew Weissmann)” had “been shockingly hired as the President of Global Affairs for Microsoft, in a very senior role with access to Highly Sensitive Information. Monaco’s having that kind of access is unacceptable, and cannot be allowed to stand. She is a menace to U.S. National Security, especially given the major contracts that Microsoft has with the United States Government.”

Monaco’s employment at Microsoft apparently also struck the team at AAF as potentially problematic.

The watchdog noted that Monaco — who had announced a cyber fraud initiative in 2021 aimed at using the False Claims Act against contractors who intentionally misrepresent cybersecurity risks — proved eager to bring actions against numerous companies and institutions, but never against Microsoft.

Monaco and the rest of the Biden administration’s inaction against Microsoft is especially strange because the company suffered five massive cyber intrusions by foreign criminal and state-sponsored hacker groups between 2019 and 2023 that directly and adversely impacted the U.S. government.

The AAF emphasized that these intrusions “penetrated the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Departments of Treasury, State, Commerce, and Justice, as well as the National Security Council and numerous other federal agencies” and “resulted in the theft of tens of thousands of government emails, including correspondence from the U.S. Ambassador to China, the Secretary of Commerce,” and other bigwigs.

RELATED: ‘RedSun’ flaw in Microsoft’s security software lets hackers take over your PC. Here’s how to protect it.

Former President Joe Biden and Lisa Monaco. Ting Shen/Bloomberg/Getty Images

One of these cyber attacks, SolarWinds, reportedly relied on the exploitation of a flaw in Microsoft’s Active Directory Federation Services. The company was allegedly aware of the flaw for years but avoided patching it for fear of jeopardizing a multibillion-dollar federal cloud contract.

Former Microsoft President Brad Smith told Congress in 2021 that “there was no vulnerability in any Microsoft product or service that was exploited” in the SolarWinds attack.

While some Biden officials proved willing to assign Microsoft some blame, it was never too much or pursued as grounds for punitive action.

The Cyber Safety Review Board, an outfit established by former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, concluded that Storm-0558, a separate cyber attack executed by Beijing-linked hackers in May 2023, was enabled by a “cascade of Microsoft’s avoidable errors.”

Despite such recognition that it had dropped the ball, Microsoft managed to evade any meaningful reckoning.

“These facts, in our view, present squarely the kind of conduct that the Biden administration’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative was created to address: knowing or reckless misrepresentations by a federal contractor regarding the cybersecurity of products sold to the government,” the American Accountability Foundation said in its letter. “Yet to our knowledge, no False Claims Act investigation of Microsoft’s conduct has ever been opened, while other contractors whose conduct appears materially less egregious have been pursued under the same initiative.”

Besides Monaco, the watchdog made a point of mentioning several other Biden administration officials, including:

Bryan Vorndran, a former assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division who served as the bureau’s representative on the Cyber Safety Review Board. Vorndran, who the AAF said was mysteriously recused from the board’s probe into the Storm-0558 attack, joined Microsoft in June 2025 as deputy chief information security officer.Jerry Davis, a member of the CSRB from 2022 to 2025 who participated in the board’s investigation of the Storm-0558 attack. Davis was hired as a chief security adviser at Microsoft three months after the CSRB released its report faulting the company for “inadequate” security culture.Robert Joyce, the former director of cybersecurity at the National Security Agency and an inaugural member of the CSRB. After leaving the NSA in 2024, he founded a cybersecurity firm that the AAF suggested counts Microsoft as one of its clients.

The AAF stressed that “federal ethics rules prohibit government officials from participating in matters in which they have a financial interest, and require cooling-off periods before certain officials may represent private parties before their former agencies.”

While the AAF did not “allege that any individual violated any specific law or regulation,” the watchdog noted that an investigation into the matter is warranted.

A Justice Department spokesperson told Breitbart, “The Department of Justice is committed to aggressively fighting fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars. We welcome referrals from anyone with credible information about fraud, and we will act where the facts and the law support it.”

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​Technology, Microsoft, American accountability foundation, Justice department, Cybersecurity, Graft, Biden, Federal, Cover up, Politics 

The orchestrator of a massive $242 million fraud scheme in Minnesota was sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison on Thursday.

Aimee Bock, 45, was the founder and director of the Feeding Our Future nonprofit that promised to deliver meals to children and received hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief money from the federal government.

‘This was a vortex of fraud, and you were at the epicenter.’

Bock was found guilty on all counts, including wire fraud, conspiracy, and bribery.

“I made mistakes, so many mistakes. If I could go back, I would do everything differently. I don’t have the words to express just how horrible I feel,” Bock said while crying to the court after receiving the sentence.

“This was a vortex of fraud, and you were at the epicenter,” U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel said to Bock in court.

The investigation into the sprawling scam has led to more than 70 indictments and 60 convictions, many from the Somalian community.

Prosecutors said in a filing that the “brazen and staggering nature of her crimes has shaken Minnesota to its core, leaving lasting damage and eroding public trust.”

Republicans have accused officials in the deep-blue state of obstructing efforts to shut down the fraud. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) has denied the claims, but the furor led to his ending a re-election campaign for a third term.

In April, Walz tried to take credit for federal raids on numerous businesses in Minnesota accused of similar fraud schemes, but FBI Director Kash Patel mocked the claim.

“Come again? This FBI and DOJ with our DHS partners drafted and executed every search warrant today,” Patel wrote on social media. “But go ahead and take credit for our work while we smoke out the fraud plaguing Minnesota under your governorship.”

Minnesota state Rep. Kristin Robbins (R) also accused Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota of aiding the scam.

RELATED: ‘Feeding Our Future’ scam artist agrees to plea deal with a slap-on-the-wrist sentence

After Omar failed to comply with a request from a Minnesota state oversight committee, Robbins accused her of refusing to answer difficult questions about previously passing a bill “that took the guardrails off the school nutrition program that led to the conditions that enabled Feeding Our Future.”

“Democrat Ilhan Omar has shown her disdain for the taxpayers. She believes she’s above answering for her role in the Feeding Our Future fraud,” Robbins wrote at the time. “We’ve sent her multiple letters and invites, but zero response from Ilhan Omar — what is she hiding?”

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​Aimee bock, Feeding our future, Minnesota gov tim walz, Minnesota somali fraud, Politics 

Zohran Mamdani’s office has made it clear that it’s all about free speech, especially when it comes to the Luigi Mangione fangirl group the “Mangionistas.”

Mamdani’s office granted press passes to Abril Rios, Ashley Rojas, and Lena Weissbrot, who cheered on the alleged murderer outside the courthouse — and had some choice words for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

“His children are better off without him,” one of the Mangionistas said. “They need to learn to not be like their dad.”

“I’m standing on business,” another one said. “F**k Brian Thompson. I don’t give a flying f**k. Millions of Americans suffer every single day.”

“If you guys are OK with someone like Brian Thompson being around and being a part of our society, that says more about you as a person because you look absolutely monstrous defending someone like that,” she added.

“I’m pissed off about this, Dave,” BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere tells co-host Dave Landau on “Stu and Dave Do America.”

“They say they don’t care about this guy dying because they think the children are better off without him,” Stu says.

“Here’s what I don’t get,” Dave chimes in, saying that the “Mangionistas” who “want you to go kill a CEO of a health care company” are the “same people that want you to believe everything that a drug company tells you.”

“Wear a mask and lockstep to every single thing you were told during COVID. So explain that. Like that’s the part I don’t understand. You’re the reason every business shut down, because you believed every single thing that they had to say,” he says.

“But then you’re also on the side of the moron who came from a very, very rich family, and you’re completely OK with that,” he adds.

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​Brian thompson, Luigi mangione, Mangionistas, Stu and dave do america, Zohran mamdani 

Prediction markets have been harshly criticized over claims of insider trading and illegal gambling practices, leading to politicians and media demonizing them wholesale. Are their warnings symptoms of a growing problem in dire need of recourse, or is it all part of a smear campaign meant to wrest political power away from the people? Today, we dispel the myths of these “dangerous” prediction markets, highlight the differences between the top trading apps, and gain some powerful insights from our very own Stu Burguiere.

What is a prediction market?

A prediction market is a system that allows users to trade shares on the outcomes of specific events. In the words of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, “Prediction markets offer a variety of products designed to help the public forecast, plan for, hedge, and even harness perceptions of future events.”

‘When I take a position, I assume I’m going to hold it until resolution.’

Although today’s prediction markets revolve heavily around politics and sports, the first markets centered on something a little less glamorous — agriculture. The Grain Futures Administration of 1922 was a regulatory commission tasked with combating fraud among grain traders. Their efforts were so effective that, by the 1930s, the commission expanded into other products and industries. Under a new name, the Commodity Exchange Administration oversaw markets that regulated cotton, eggs, rice, butter, metals, energy, and more. Finally, in 1974, Congress passed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Act, which created the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that oversees prediction markets to this day.

The important thing to keep in mind is that prediction markets are nothing new — they’ve been around for a century! However, an increase in online accessibility and notoriety has landed these legal trading platforms in hot water.

Why prediction markets are “dangerous”

If you spend any time online, you’ll see how prediction markets are vilified by everyone from politicians to the media. Most of them claim the same thing — prediction markets are a form of online gambling, a practice that isn’t legal on a federal level. In fact, some states, like Arizona, are suing popular prediction market apps, accusing them of illegal betting practices.

The New York Times even called prediction markets “dangerous,” noting that “prediction machines have become infrastructure for the legitimacy of event outcomes, no matter how outlandish.” In other words, prediction markets have the power to reveal truths and trends outside the media’s control, making them a direct threat to the left-wing media machine.

According to the chairman of the CFTC, Michael S. Selig, prediction markets exist as a way to combat the fake news, stories, and narratives of the media. Instead of relying on talking heads to tell their audience how they should feel about a particular event, users log on to their favorite prediction market app and vote on an event’s outcome based on their own knowledge and deductive reasoning. Since users are discouraged from voting in favor of outcomes they believe to be a lie, prediction markets reveal societal truths backed by real money, giving facts more weight than misinformation with an honesty incentive at the end.

Both left-wing media and politicians, like Arizona’s Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes, hate prediction markets because they take narrative power away from the elite and put it back into the hands of the people. As for the warnings of illegal gambling? That’s a lie. The CFTC classifies prediction markets as financial products similar to stocks traded on the stock exchange, which are completely legal and regulated by the federal government.

RELATED: Prediction markets let you ‘bet’ in states where gambling is banned: Here’s how

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Top prediction market apps

Thanks to prediction market apps, the markets themselves are easier to access than ever. Two apps in particular dominate the App Store and Google Play: Polymarket and Kalshi.

Polymarket is a sports-first trading app with robust stats on the MLB, NBA, NHL, golf, and more. It also offers a section for politics and weather, with more categories on the way, but if you’re a sports fanatic, Polymarket is a great place to start.

Kalshi offers a much broader range of trading options. From sports to politics to crypto, culture, and more, Kalshi’s rounded trading portfolio makes trading much more accessible for new and seasoned users who prefer more variety.

Since both apps are financial products, you will need to provide some personal information to create your account — this can include your first and last name, date of birth, phone number, home address, your Social Security number, a form of government ID (either a driver’s license or a passport), and a current selfie for verification.

Remember that prediction markets are subject to the same ethics and government regulations as the stock market. That means all trades are subject to government scrutiny, and insider trading laws do apply.

Make markets ‘Predictable with Stu Burguiere’

To get a better understanding of prediction markets and how they work, we chatted with BlazeTV resident expert Stu Burguiere. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: What are the big differences between the prediction market platforms? Are there any benefits to choosing one platform over another (taking into account the UI, trade options, trading fees, etc.)?

A: I think it’s beneficial for the ecosystem to have many different approaches. Kalshi is the best known in the U.S., they started here as a fully regulated platform in 2021. I was using the platform within their first few weeks of existence, but they didn’t get election markets until 2024 after suing the government and winning.

Polymarket took a more crypto-forward approach and mostly remained overseas in a bit of a gray area for U.S. users. They have since launched Polymarket U.S. but have only recently expanded beyond sports.

PredictIt has been around much longer but was limited in the amount you could invest in any contract until recently. Their fees have been a famous sticking point among the nerd community, of which I am a member.

There are also several other smaller players and rumors of up to a couple of dozen new prediction markets on the way. Some of these will likely partner with deep-pocketed companies and attempt to challenge the big boys.

Q: What are the pros or cons of using multiple prediction market apps?

A: If you’re a serious trader or someone investing a lot of money in this area, it is probably worth being on multiple apps and sites. Even markets with high liquidity will sometimes have differences in price by a few percentage points, and there’s little downside in chasing the best price. You also will find instances where a nearly identical-looking contract has preferable rules on one site over another.

It can get confusing to keep track of everything, but if you’re looking at this as part of a real money portfolio, it’s worth it to look for these advantages.

But for someone just getting started, I wouldn’t sweat it.

Q: Which app provides the best trading data to make a sound decision, set expectations, etc.?

A: I think you can find the information you need to trade pretty easily on most, if not all, of the various markets once you get comfortable. I wouldn’t say any of them are the places where you’re doing research, though. The most important part is to always read the rules because the headline question is occasionally more complicated than you think.

Q: Are there any delays in depositing money to trade or receiving money after a trade is complete?

A: I find it to be about as easy as funding any investment account. Kalshi, for example, offers no-fee bank transfers in one to three days, almost instant crypto transfers, and even Venmo, CashApp, Google Pay, PayPal (fees vary), and traditional bank wire transfer. Maybe even carrier pigeon.

You won’t be surprised to hear they make it very easy for you to deposit your money! But I have also never had an issue at all withdrawing funds from any of them.

If you’ve never dabbled in crypto, the overseas Polymarket exchange can be a little intimidating. The U.S. version seems to be more manageable for the average person.

Q: Are there any missing features between the mobile and desktop web versions of Kalshi and Polymarket?

A: I prefer desktop for anything complicated. It’s pretty easy to make basic trades on the apps or to see how your investments are performing. When you are looking back at your history, you’re going to want the desktop, unless you have a fetish for scrolling and clicking “more” over and over again.

Q: Is there any risk of “wash trading” or manipulation where users can sway the stock in favor of a certain outcome?

A: I don’t think manipulation presents much risk overall, especially with the current market liquidity. There are people much smarter than me trading thousands of times a week, and that’s part of the deal. But that’s not how I go about it. When I take a position, I assume I’m going to hold it until resolution. If you take that approach, it doesn’t really matter where the markets move on a day-to-day basis. In the end, you’re either going to be right or wrong, and no market actor can change that.

Q: How serious are the “illegal gambling” lawsuits, and what are platform holders like Kalshi and Polymarket doing to push back against this narrative?

A: As with any innovation, there are plenty of annoying government officials trying to screw it up. Throw in a hefty dose of established actors looking to protect their turf against competition, and the threat is serious in scope if not in argument.

Luckily, for the time being, we have Michael Selig as CFTC chair, and an administration friendly to financial innovation. Selig has correctly been aggressive in defending the authority of the CFTC to maintain oversight over these markets. Just like your state can’t ban you from buying Walmart stock, they shouldn’t be able to stop you from participating in prediction markets.

This could all change under a different Congress or a President AOC, but we can deal with that level of hell when we arrive in it.

Q: How do prediction markets handle ties? Do these come up often or rarely?

A: I would say a tie is very rare. Most of the rules are written to make them impossible. In the old days, there were sometimes markets with poorly written rules or descriptions that led to controversy. This isn’t particularly common anymore, but it does occasionally happen.

There was a recent example revolving around the removal of the leader of Iran. Kalshi is legally prohibited from listing or paying a contract that is the result of death or assassination. This was clear in the rules, but a lot of people don’t read them. So there was controversy over the required unwinding of that contract, and some overseas markets without those restrictions resolved the contract in a totally different way.

Those rare examples get lots of press but occur in a tiny percentage of the markets available. Most people will never even experience one of them.

Q: Do you have any tips, tricks, or advice for new users who are just starting to get into prediction markets?

A: Start small and assume you’re wrong more often than you think you are. Challenge yourself on your priors, and especially in politics, make sure you’re not investing with your heart. I always feel better investing in a race when I’m on the side of the candidate I want to lose. At the very least, if I’m wrong, I’m happy with the outcome in real life. And if the candidate I dislike winds up winning, at least I’m being paid for my pain. It’s hedging your life.

Oh yeah, and hang out with us at PredictableShow.com.

Tune in

Still curious about prediction markets? Maybe you want to throw some of your own cash on a current event, but you’re not sure how to get started? Check out Stu’s new show — “Predictable with Stu Burguiere” on YouTube and Substack — for the latest prediction market news, updates, insights, and more.

​Tech, Prediction markets, Stu burguiere, Cftc, Polymarket, Kalshi