The driver and passenger of a tractor trailer are facing federal charges after they sped away from a Border Patrol checkpoint before having to stop after their vehicle caught fire.

Bodycam footage published by WFAA-TV showed police officers frantically trying to open the trailer doors to save the dozens of suspected illegal aliens inside.

All of the migrants were pulled to safety, and no one was harmed.

On June 4 at about 8:36 p.m., Jairo Julian Holguin-Florentino was driving the tractor trailer through the Falfurrias checkpoint before a service canine alerted police to the possible presence of trafficked migrants.

The driver sped away on Highway 281 instead of stopping for a secondary inspection, and various agencies gave chase.

Police used spikes to flatten the vehicle’s tires in an attempt to stop the driver, but he continued to drive on the rims and the vehicle caught fire.

The driver and passenger were dragged out of the cab and arrested when police said they heard screaming coming from the locked cargo trailer of the burning vehicle.

Video showed officers rescuing dozens of migrants as smoke and fire engulfed the trailer. All of the migrants were pulled to safety, and no one was harmed.

Officials later said there were 39 rescued illegal aliens who were from Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.

The Texas Department of Safety published video of body camera footage from the incident on its YouTube channel.

RELATED: At least 46 illegal aliens found DEAD in a trailer in San Antonio, and death toll may climb higher

“This case highlights the serious risks associated with human smuggling, including dangerous and life-threatening conditions inside concealed vehicles,” reads a statement from the U.S. Border Patrol about the incident.

Holguin-Florentino is the father-in-law of the passenger who was arrested, Cristian Johansel Mirambeaux-Martinez.

“This incident is a reminder of the dangerous lengths human smugglers will go to when engaging in this criminal activity, and DPS is proud to work with our federal partners, like [U.S. Border Patrol], to stop them,” reads a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Bodycam footage, Burning trailer, Human smugglers, Us border patrol, Politics 

Philadelphia police have released surveillance video of suspects wanted in the fatal shooting of a Penn State student in South Philadelphia, WPVI-TV reported.

Billy Schmidt, 22, was shot dead early Saturday morning in the 1900 block of Durfor Street, the station said.

‘He was a really good person who cared about everybody and never hurt or bothered a soul, never bothered anyone, and for him to get shot like that is a travesty.’

Investigators said video released Wednesday shows suspects walking in the area of 20th Street from Ritner Street to Jackson Street before encountering Schmidt, WPVI said.

The suspects also allegedly were seen fleeing on foot in the area of 22nd and Porter streets after the shots were fired, the station said.

Schmidt, a Penn State senior, was shot just yards from his family’s home around 1:30 a.m., WPVI reported.

Family members told the station Schmidt was returning from a nearby bar where he was watching the NBA Finals with friends.

“He was a really good person who cared about everybody and never hurt or bothered a soul, never bothered anyone, and for him to get shot like that is a travesty,” Bill Schmidt, the victim’s father, told WPVI.

More from the station:

Surveillance video captured by nearby cameras appears to show the moments leading up to the shooting. In one video, a man can be seen throwing a cell phone. Seconds later, another man runs around a corner with Schmidt chasing him. The gunman then turns around and shoots Schmidt in the chest.

Bill Schmidt said he later found his son’s phone under a car and turned it over to police.

“I’m shocked he chased them after they took his phone,” the elder Schmidt said, according to WPVI. “From what we’re told, another person came out and shot him.”

Lifelong friends of Schmidt gathered at a memorial in South Philadelphia on Wednesday evening, the station said.

“Leaning on each other is all we did growing up, and that’s what we’ll continue to do,” Jaden Kelly of South Philadelphia told WPVI.

“I hope they find them. I want [them] in jail. That’s what I want. They don’t deserve to get to walk away from what they did,” Matthew Segal of South Philadelphia also told the station.

RELATED: Karmelo Anthony appeals his murder conviction in stabbing death of Austin Metcalf

Friends told WPVI they didn’t learn of Schmidt’s death until the next day; now they’re cherishing the moments they had with him Friday night into Saturday morning.

“The way he always said goodbye. It was a big hug and ‘I love you,’ and I’m happy we got to say that one last time,” Gino Russo of South Philadelphia recalled to the station.

A vigil was set for Thursday night, WPVI said.

“They are animals for doing that to him,” the victim’s sister said, according to a Fox News video.

In addition, police are offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction, WPVI said, adding that those with information are asked to call 215-686-TIPS.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Crime, Philadelphia, Fatal shooting 

Vance Boelter admitted to shooting Mark Hortman at the entrance of the victim’s home before chasing down Melissa Hortman to shoot her numerous times and place his 9mm gun to her head.

The guilty plea ended the federal criminal prosecution in the horrific murders of a Democratic Minnesota state representative and her husband, as well as the attack on another political couple.

‘While the legal process may provide accountability, true healing requires something more from all of us.’

Boelter was arrested by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office two days after the June 14, 2025, attack that shook Minnesota.

He had impersonated a police officer when he showed up at the home of Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and shot him and his wife numerous times before he shot at their daughter, Hope Hoffman.

Boelter then went to the Hortmans’ front door to kill the couple.

Prosecutors said he had a list of other lawmakers he was targeting and visited the homes of those lawmakers but found no one at home.

John Hoffman, his wife Yvette Hoffman, and their family were in the audience at today’s hearing.

Boelter pleaded guilty to two counts of stalking, two counts of murder, and two counts of firearm discharge. He agreed to serve two life sentences and another 40 years in prison. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to not seek the death penalty, according to U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Daniel Rosen.

“Political violence is a scourge in our nation,” Rosen said after the plea deal. “We now expect Vance Boelter will spend the rest of his natural life in prison without parole. To all of those who would commit political violence: this Justice Department will seek and obtain the longest prison terms for your offense.”

Boelter is also facing numerous state charges related to the attacks, including first-degree premeditated murder, attempted first-degree murder, felony cruelty to an animal, and impersonating a police officer.

RELATED: Exclusive: Assassination suspect Vance Boelter tells STUNNING inside story about shooting

The Hoffman family released a statement Thursday about the plea deal.

“There is not justice when our family and our state will never truly heal. While the legal process may provide accountability, true healing requires something more from all of us,” their statement reads.

“The choice we’ve made is to go forward with public service and being present for our community,” the family added. “The opportunity to justice is for Minnesotans and Americans to serve is to treat people with respect, to stop de-humanizing each other, and to stop dividing our country with hate and rhetoric.”

A GoFundMe page set up to help pay for the Hoffmans’ recovery raised over $265K.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Vance boelter, Melissa hortman, Political violence, John hoffman, Impersonating an officer, Politics 

After losing county funding, Los Angeles’ primary homeless services agency has lost federal funding due to its failure to address potential fraud.

The Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, alongside the Department of Housing and Urban Development, sent a letter on Thursday to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to inform the agency that it was immediately suspending funding amid an ongoing probe by HUD’s inspector general. The IG’s office is investigating any potential offenses by the LAHSA and its leadership, according to Fox News Digital, which obtained a copy of the letter.

‘Taxpayers will not bankroll LA’s fraud-filled homelessness industrial complex.’

The department reportedly outlined in its letter conflicts of interest, financial mismanagement, fraud, and oversight failures.

HUD has given the Los Angeles Continuum of Care, which is led by the LAHSA, nearly $1 billion over the last five years.

“Suspending LAHSA’s participation in federal government programs is a necessary step in accomplishing that critical mission in Los Angeles,” the letter read, according to Fox News Digital. “LAHSA’s failures have been so severe and pervasive that Los Angeles County has withdrawn its funding for the agency, and the City of Los Angeles is considering doing so as well.”

“HUD cannot ignore LAHSA’s wanton mismanagement of public funds. HUD’s mission is to reduce the plague of homelessness in America,” the agency’s letter continued. “Turning over billions of dollars from American taxpayers to an organization under investigation and suspected of gross misuse of federal funding and ‘obvious fraud’ does nothing to reduce homelessness. Indeed, diverting dollars from worthy programs to LAHSA merely makes the homeless crisis worse.”

RELATED: Socialist mayoral candidate is outraged at encampment outside her LA home — but it’s not what it seems

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

HUD’s letter quoted a federal judge who stated last year that the LAHSA had committed “obvious fraud” after it allegedly sought full funding for an 88-bed shelter despite maintaining only roughly half occupancy.

HUD also noted that a former top LAHSA official, Va Lecia Adams Kellum, was caught up in a conflict-of-interest scandal. The LAist reported in Feb. 2025 that the executive signed contracts that funneled $2.1 million to a nonprofit where her husband held a senior leadership position. The LAHSA told the outlet that Adams Kellum was “completely recused” from any business related to the nonprofit, and the contracts were inadvertently given to her for signature.

The LAist reported that the LAHSA has an $828 million budget this fiscal year, 46% of which comes from Los Angeles County, 35% from the city of Los Angeles, 11% from the federal government, over 8% from California, and a smaller amount from private philanthropy.

RELATED: Homeless people on Skid Row claim they were PAID TO VOTE — and not for Spencer Pratt

Scott Turner. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images.

L.A. County voted last year to cut $300 million in funding from the LAHSA, beginning in July. The county has formed a new department to address homelessness, which it believes will increase accountability by “streamlining bureaucracy to stretch our dollars further, and improving care for people experiencing homelessness.”

HUD Secretary Scott Turner stated that the agency “will fund results, not corrupt failure.”

“While hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars were funneled to LAHSA with little accountability, homelessness skyrocketed,” Turner wrote. “Taxpayers will not bankroll L.A.’s fraud-filled homelessness industrial complex.”

“For years, American taxpayers have been sending billions of dollars to Los Angeles to house the homeless and other vulnerable Americans. The result? Fraud and corruption. That ends today,” White House Task Force Executive Director Scott Brady stated, according to a HUD press release.

The LAHSA confirmed receipt of HUD’s letter and warned that the department’s actions “could put thousands of formerly homeless people back on the street,” the agency said in a statement provided to Blaze News.

“After initial review, this appears to be a blatant attempt to pull yet more resources from Los Angeles, a city they have targeted time and again, when it is clear that LAHSA has either corrected or is in the process of correcting nearly all of the issues raised,” the agency said. “Local oversight actions have already resulted in strong repairs and reforms to LAHSA’s internal controls, which are accountable and viewable to the public.”

The LAHSA noted that it is also modernizing its financial systems.

“If HUD’s inspector general actually conducts a fair review of LAHSA’s current and future practices, they will clearly see how our systems now allow us to clearly track the work and investments that have resulted in L.A. outperforming the nation by reducing homelessness over the last two years,” the statement continued. “While the review plays out, our immediate priority is to explore all available options to ensure that federal funds continue to support the thousands of people who have been housed through LAHSA and our broader rehousing system.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​News, Los angeles, Homeless, Task force to eliminate fraud, Housing and urban development, Hud, Scott turner, Los angeles homeless services authority, Lahsa, Politics 

On June 9, Karmelo Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

He was found guilty in the April 2, 2025, fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a track athlete from a rival high school, during a Frisco Independent School District track meet in Frisco, Texas. Anthony, then a student at Centennial High, stabbed Metcalf in the chest during an altercation.

Anthony’s defense claimed he acted in self-defense, despite Metcalf being unarmed.

While both the prosecution and defense maintained that race played no role in the crime, the story has been heavily racialized publicly due to the fact that Anthony is black, Metcalf was white, and no black jurors were seated.

“They want you to see not the dead boy and the knife and even the testimony. They just want you to see color. They want you to see a black defendant and a white victim. That’s it,” says Glenn Beck.

To prove his point, Glenn plays clips from TPUSA frontlines reporter Savanah Hernandez interviewing Anthony supporters outside the courthouse.

In the first clip, she speaks with a black mother.

“If evidence does come out that Karmelo was not in fact fighting for his life when he stabbed and killed Austin Metcalf, do you think that the black community will accept that?” Hernandez asked.

“No, we going to stand by ours regardless,” she said, acknowledging that the trial “is about race.”

Glenn is sickened by this response and argues that it is possible to stand by someone in love without defending objectively evil actions.

“We stay by our kids’ side just as God stays by our side when we screw up. He loves us. He’s with us. But he requires a penalty,” he says.

He then plays a second clip from Hernandez speaking with a black minister.

“I come out here every Thursday, and we pray for people going to court because we know this is the final frontier of racism, and it’s legalized here,” he said, before adding that he “just [wants] justice done.”

“I believe he’s got a good heart. I just think he is misguided … because people want you to believe that this is just an endless American morality play of systemic racism over and over again,” says Glenn.

“They want you to ignore that Anthony was asked to leave 15 times, that he put his hand into the bag and dared them. He said, ‘I’m not leaving. F you all,’” he continues. “They want outrage; they don’t want evidence. Division, not truth.”

As for the jury, Glenn defends it, arguing “a jury of your peers doesn’t mean people who look like you.”

“It does mean this: citizens who can set aside their bias — racial, political, cultural — and weigh the evidence with integrity,” he says.

“Perhaps we think that the juror needs to look like us because we don’t think people of other color hold the same values, and that is terrifying if that is true,” he continues. “And these voices here that I just played for you make me think that is true.”

To hear more, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The glenn beck program, Glenn beck, Karmelo anthony, Austin metcalf 

Karmelo Anthony says he is unable to pay for an attorney for his appeal after being convicted in the murder of high school track star Austin Metcalf.

Anthony is requesting a court-appointed attorney, according to a filing that claimed he was a “penniless, destitute, and indigent person.”

The Anthony family reportedly purchased a new car and moved into a ritzy neighborhood in a gated community after the killer’s bond was lowered.

The high-profile murder case has led to suspicions that the Anthony family misspent $625,000 that was raised from their supporters.

Anthony was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison for stabbing Metcalf during an altercation at a track meet event in Frisco, Texas. His attorney, Mike Howard, said they were going to immediately file an appeal.

“After the conclusion of the trial yesterday, we gave the court our official notice that Karmelo Anthony is filing an appeal,” said Howard. “We believe there are several important issues for the appellate courts to consider. An appeal is the next part of the legal process and a right afforded every American.”

The case has become a flash point in the public debate between those claiming the U.S. is irredeemably racist and others who say the conviction and sentence were appropriate for Anthony’s violent attack.

Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas responded to the conviction by claiming that the Metcalf family didn’t know the depth of agony that all black mothers feel.

“Black women, especially black women who have black male children, live in fear and agony every single day, a fear and agony that, I promise you, the Metcalfs probably never spend a day living that way,” the congresswoman said.

“We’re gonna have to have just some real conversations about race in this country,” she added, “but also just, like, what are we going to do to protect ourselves.”

RELATED: White-hating agitator claiming Karmelo Anthony was ‘legally lynched’ is a criminal, disgraced ex-judge

A Daily Mail report said the Anthony family purchased a new car and moved into a ritzy neighborhood in a gated community after the killer’s bond was lowered from $1 million to $250,000 in April 2025.

Anthony had claimed that he was protecting himself and that Metcalf had put his hands on Anthony before the lethal stabbing. Officials admitted that the knife Anthony brought to the event was not illegal according to Texas law.

He will eligible for parole after serving at least half of his sentence.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Appeal, Donations, Karmelo anthony, Murder, Politics 

President Donald Trump named Jay Clayton, the former head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, as his next director of national intelligence.

The president made the announcement on Truth Social after many Republicans objected to his nomination of Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as temporary DNI.

‘Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay.’

“I am pleased to announce the Nomination of very Highly Respected Jay Clayton, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the former Head of Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the most prominent and successful Law Firms anywhere in the World,” the president wrote, “and the current United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be the next Director of National Intelligence and, importantly, to serve in my Cabinet.”

Clayton was previously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a vote of 61-37 to lead the SEC.

“Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay,” the president added. “I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible.”

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina praised the pick in a statement on social media.

“Jay Clayton is an OUTSTANDING choice by President Trump to serve as Director of National Intelligence,” he wrote. “Jay is a proven leader with a distinguished record of public service and sound judgment needed to lead our intelligence community. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure his swift confirmation.”

Tillis vehemently opposed the nomination of Pulte, whom he called an “incendiary attack dog” that didn’t have “a prayer” to get past the Senate.

RELATED: Federal housing director calls for investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell — and for his removal

“Whoever told the president to go ahead and commit to this publicly before vetting it should lose their jobs, because they should know that the math just works against Pulte being confirmed,” Tillis said at the time.

Democrats warned that they would oppose Pulte as well as the extension of FISA surveillance authorization.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Bill pulte, Director of national intelligence, Jay clayton, President donald trump, Tulsi gabbard, Politics 

Sens. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and Ed Markey (Mass.) are just the latest high-profile Democrats to throw their support behind scandal-plagued Senate candidate Graham Platner.

The progressive oyster farmer from Maine won the Democratic nomination Tuesday night, a result that was widely expected after Gov. Janet Mills (D) suspended her campaign in April. Despite Mills still appearing on the ballot, Platner managed to secure 72% of the vote share, setting up a general election against five-term incumbent Sen. Susan Collins (R).

‘In November, Maine voters will elect Graham Platner, and we will win a Senate majority.’

Prior to Election Night, Platner had received the endorsements of Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).

Many moderate Democrats have been hesitant to endorse the anti-establishment populist over the course of his candidacy due to his troubling past, including a now-covered-up chest tattoo that resembled a symbol used by Nazi concentration camp guards, sexually explicit messages he sent to several women while married, and past Reddit posts in which he downplayed sexual assault in the military.

Although Schumer initially backed Mills, he and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) released a joint statement on Wednesday saying, “In November, Maine voters will elect Graham Platner, and we will win a Senate majority.”

Gillibrand reiterated her position when asked by reporters about Platner’s victory. “We are going to win Maine, and we are going to flip the Senate,” she said.

RELATED: Graham Platner trots out wife to deal with his extramarital sexting scandal, giving some Democrats the ick

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

After Platner clinched the nomination, Markey posted on his X account: “We need more leaders in Washington who will stand up to corporate power, fight for working families, and take bold action on the climate crisis. That’s what Graham Platner is fighting for in Maine. And that’s how he will help Democrats take back our Senate majority.”

The senator’s statement stands in contrast with his awkward CNN interview last Thursday during which he evaded endorsing Platner while praising his campaign and policies to anchor Boris Sanchez.

“So why not say that you endorse him?” Sanchez asked.

Markey responded, “In my opinion, he has taken the issues and he’s galvanized a grassroots movement all across Maine. People are responding at the town meetings, they are up, they’re energized, and in my opinion he is on a pathway to victory in the state of Maine.”

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) also proclaimed she would support Platner against Collins even as she denounced his past comments.

“I’m disgusted by what [Platner] posted, and I’ve been disgusted by some of his other, you know, behaviors and antics. But here’s the thing: You know, come November, there’s going to be a clear choice,” she said. “There’s going to be Susan Collins on the one hand, who has stood with Trump.”

While both Sens. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) stopped short of official endorsements, Welch expressed his support for the voters’ decision, while Schatz is working to raise funds for Platner’s campaign.

“He’s got a lot of controversy around him, but that’s been out there. The Democratic voters in Maine were fully aware of it, and they gave him a very solid Democratic victory in the primary,” Welch said.

Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) followed suit, posting on X early Wednesday morning: “Graham Platner made a passionate case for loving and serving Maine. Powerful.”

“I’ve made mistakes in my life, mistakes that I regret, that I live with and that I continue to learn from. And I’m still far from perfect,” Platner said in his victory speech Tuesday night.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Democrats, Graham platner, Maine, Politics 

In addition to killing unborn children in the womb and exposing their mothers to potentially fatal health risks, the abortion pill mifepristone might be contaminating America’s water supply.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claimed when the drug was approved 26 years ago that mifepristone — which “may enter the environment from excretion by patients, from disposal of pharmaceutical waste, or from emissions from manufacturing sites” — would have a negligible environmental impact.

‘It risks contaminating the very water supply millions of Americans drink every day.’

Whereas medical abortions accounted for only 6% of all abortions in the formal U.S. health care system in the year immediately following mifepristone’s approval, that number climbed to 53% in 2020 and again to 63% in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Given the drug’s massively increased use in recent years and the coinciding loosening of relevant regulations, a coalition of 14 state attorneys general is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate whether mifepristone has contaminated American waters and adversely impacted public health — especially the health of expectant mothers.

The coalition’s recent letter to the EPA states that while the FDA promulgated a regimen and risk evaluation and mitigation strategy when mifepristone was first approved, “The FDA has eliminated many of the protections that minimized the health risks posed by mifepristone and its approved generics, including the in-person dispensing and check-up requirements that kept medical staff involved in the process.”

In addition to the FDA dropping these protections, the coalition noted that regulations have been greatly relaxed, paving the way for far more “chemical abortions occurring in the home” and resulting, in turn, “in tons of chemically tainted medical waste being flushed into American waterways.”

Aid Access, a group that works with registered abortion providers who provide abortion pills, states on its website, “It is best to flush everything [placenta, embryo, and blood] down the toilet or to wrap the sanitary pads in a plastic bag.”

RELATED: Colorado Democrats really want college women to abort the next generation

DREW ANGERER/AFP/Getty Images

The death of hundreds of thousands of children via medical abortions every year has “serious implications for the Safe Drinking Water Act,” said the coalition’s letter, not only because conventional wastewater treatment is not designed to remove the contaminants involved but because “the metabolites in mifepristone and its approved generics remain active post-excretion, meaning they ‘retain [their] considerable affinity towards the human progesterone and glucocorticoid receptors’ after disposal.”

The coalition expressed concern that if the mifepristone entering the American water supply reaches a sufficient concentration, then pregnant women who unwittingly ingest the drug may disproportionately suffer health complications.

After all, the drug harms an existing pregnancy by inhibiting the actions of progesterone at progesterone-receptor sites and promoting both uterine contractions and a softening of the cervix, according to the National Library of Medicine’s Hazardous Substances Data Bank.

The Republican state attorneys general — hailing from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas — have asked for the EPA to add mifepristone and its generics to the Contaminant Candidate List — “a list of drinking water contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems and are not currently subject to EPA drinking water regulations.”

“The health of pregnant women and Americans everywhere may depend on it,” said the letter.

“As medical waste is discarded and washed away, it risks contaminating the very water supply millions of Americans drink every day, and the long-term consequences could be severe,” Alabama AG Steve Marshall said in a statement on Wednesday.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Epa, Water, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Abortion, Fda, Drugs, Republican, Politics, Mifepristone 

Actor Neal McDonough is shedding light on how he lost his house and almost lost his career.

The “Band of Brothers” and “Yellowstone” alumnus explained the combination of factors that almost put him in an insurmountable hole, which stemmed from substance abuse and his career choices.

‘I didn’t think I was worth anything.’

Lip service

During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, McDonough said his frame of mind used to always revolve around the bottle.

“What time is the bar open? That was generally my thought process back then,” he told the outlet.

McDonough continued, “I was always a drinker. I’m Irish, I’m from Boston, it’s what we do. It wasn’t ever a problem. But it became a bad problem.”

That was just one issue, though. The other was an apparent Hollywood blackballing because of McDonough’s firm position regarding being intimate with other women on-screen.

“It was, you know, fired from a show because I wouldn’t kiss a woman,” McDonough revealed. “No one would hire me because they thought I was this religious nut bag, which is that I love my wife so much. And no one can understand it, no one could understand it.”

This seemingly started a downward spiral for McDonough, who drank more and more after being blacklisted for refusing to kiss his co-star, the outlet reported.

RELATED: From ‘Homestead’ to the decision that nearly destroyed his career — Neal McDonough spills all in Glenn Beck interview

Friend indeed

“I lost the house, lost the cars, lost everything,” the 60-year-old recalled.

Despite successes on shows like “Desperate Housewives,” McDonough still couldn’t get work until he was given a role in the TV series “Justified.”

However, by then the actor’s confidence was shot. He explained to Fox News Digital that he didn’t think he was “worth anything.”

“I failed my family. I failed [my wife] Ruve, my five kids. … I lost our house. I lost all the beautiful things that were the shiny widgets that I had accumulated, were all taken away from me. And that crucifixion caused me so much inner pain because I made it all about me. How could I let the team down?” he asked.

McDonough remembered running into actor and friend Luke Perry at a movie premiere; the two had been in a 1997 miniseries called “Invasion” and were still friends.

“He saw I was a mess,” McDonough said. He opened up to Perry about his life and the loss of his home, to which Perry responded by offering his vacant home to the McDonough family, telling his friend it was empty and close by.

“Stay there for as long as you want,” Perry told him.

RELATED: The one big liberal media lie about Spencer Pratt that no one is mentioning

Bottle stopper

This helped get the “Project Blue Book” star back on his feet, but he still credited his wife with the motivation he needed to quit drinking.

Ruve, his better half for 25 years, can be seen alongside McDonough at countless premieres throughout his career.

“She grabbed me and says, ‘It’s us or the bottle. You choose.'” McDonough said he “never looked back” from that moment.

The actor then attributed having his teammate as just a “cold, hard fact that God gave me an amazing, incredible, most amazing woman that I’ve ever met.”

McDonough concluded by describing Ruve as his “good luck charm” who got him through hell.

The duo are now producing movies together.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Align, Faith, Neal mcdonough, Luke perry, Band of brothers, News 

Zach Lahn’s upset victory in Iowa’s GOP gubernatorial primary has BlazeTV host Steve Deace asking whether or not the MAHA movement is becoming the foundation of a new conservative coalition.

“Iowa has the fastest-growing cancer rate in the world. We all know something is terribly wrong. But too many politicians from Washington, D.C., to Des Moines have had their heads stuck in the sand while Big Ag and Big Pharma printed money,” Lahn said in a campaign speech.

“Zach also ran on a really based immigration message — some of the most aggressive immigration messaging I’ve ever seen on Iowa airwaves,” Deace comments.

“The messaging that he combined there essentially mobilized evangelicals or Christian conservatives — in Iowa, most of those would be evangelicals — with the MAHA language that you saw … in his speech,” he continues. “So is this an omen or an outlier? Is this the grassroots coalition of the future?”

“I obviously hope so,” co-host Todd Erzen says.

Author Jon Harris points out that he sees this attitude everywhere now, especially in his own home.

“I think on the grassroots level, this is happening quite a bit. So my own wife has basically gotten all the plastic out of our kitchen. My brother was the first one to do a home birth in the family — it was actually during 2020 — and didn’t want to do any vaccines,” he explains.

“I thought that was kind of crazy at the time — that that didn’t make a lot of sense. What if there’s a complication? Don’t you need a hospital nearby?” Harris recalls.

“Well, my daughter was born, and we did the same thing that he did, and we’re very happy with it. And I never thought I’d be in a doula’s office with a bunch of hippies talking about how to bring a baby into the world. I thought that was the doctor’s job,” he says.

Harris believes the reason for this is that there are “a lot of Christians are also more connected to the natural order of things.”

“And fundamentally, MAHA, I think, is a conservative move in a way, because what they’re saying is we don’t trust the government to regulate these things. We need to have personal responsibility over our lives. And the reason is because God created this world,” he explains.

“There’s a design that we’re supposed to function by. And so if we go back to the ways our bodies should function and the nutrients that they actually need, then I think that’s a conservative move — that’s a Christian move on a fundamental level,” he continues. And at least it’s an on-ramp to those things.”

Want more from Steve Deace?

To enjoy more of Steve’s take on national politics, Christian worldview, and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Big ag, Big pharma, Steve deace show, Christian conservatives, Zach lahn, Christianity, Todd erzen, Steve deace, Jon harris 

HelloFresh is a company that delivers meal kits to ease the burden of grocery shopping and cooking on customers — but now it is facing online backlash for something that has nothing to do with food.

The company used Pride Month to post an explicit advertisement, suggesting that its high-fiber meals could help customers “prep” for Pride Month.

In a post on Instagram, the company wrote, “We know eating isn’t always a top priority this month. We respect that. But for those of you who are … prepping … we have an extensive lineup of high-fiber recipes available. Happy Pride.”

“And just to accentuate the joke,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray comments, “they said, ‘Use the code BOTTOMSUP for a Pride Month discount.’”

“I will absolutely be saying goodbye, HelloFresh. I mean, that’s just sick and completely inappropriate,” he says.

“How are you sitting around a conference table at HelloFresh and you’re in a marketing meeting and somebody says, ‘Hey, I know’ … and the person in charge says, ‘Yes, that’ll go over hugely with the 94% of Americans who aren’t living that lifestyle. They’ll love it,’” he continues.

“It’s not funny, and it’s not appropriate,” he adds.

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat’s biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Hellofresh, Pride month, Pat gray, Keith malinak, Jeff fisher, Pat gray unleashed 

An African migrant was arrested in Northern Ireland on Monday after allegedly attempting to behead a British national in Belfast. Locals incensed by the news of yet another savage crime committed on camera by a foreign suspect — this time a Sudanese national who entered Northern Ireland via the Republic of Ireland in 2023 — took to the streets in protest.

While there were initially peaceful demonstrations, things quickly went sideways.

‘Politicians aren’t listening.’

On Tuesday evening, multitudes of young men wearing masks and clad in black clashed with police, pelted migrant housing complexes with rocks, and torched several buildings and vehicles. There was “significant rioting” in the streets of Belfast again on Wednesday, where police liberally used nonlethal rounds and powerful water cannons — never before deployed in other parts of the U.K. — against protesters and made 16 arrests.

While some officials in the United Kingdom have acknowledged the unaddressed concerns and desperation underpinning the native population’s recent violent outbursts, others appear more focused on how minorities might be feeling in this time of upheaval and “racist thuggery.”

Hilary Benn, a member of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party and the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, expressed outrage during a press conference on Wednesday over recent criticism in parliament of “alien cultures” and the uncritical acceptance of refugees from Sudan, stating that “there’s probably a surgeon from Sudan operating on someone somewhere in the United Kingdom as we stand here this morning saving somebody’s life.”

On Thursday, Benn further evidenced the chief focus of his concern, stating in an interview, “It is really important to convey the sense of fear that has been created, above all, for those who were intimidated, burned out of their houses by masked thugs, on the basis of their skin. But talking to those community organizations, everyone else in Northern Ireland who is an ethnic minority is thinking, ‘Well, is someone going to come for me?'”

RELATED: African suspected of trying to cut white Briton’s head off identified — while police fret about online critics

Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

“There is no justification for the kind of violent thuggery that we have seen,” Benn continued. “This is not the true face of Northern Ireland.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer similarly spoke out against the backlash with a vehemence not similarly present in his condemnation of 30-year-old Sudanese national Hadi Alodid’s alleged blinding and near-beheading of Scottish national Stephen Ogilvie on Monday.

“There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere,” Starmer wrote. “It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it. Those responsible will feel the full force of the law.”

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill also focused on the backlash rather than on the trigger, stating, “Racism, intimidation and violence are wrong wherever they occur. There can be no excuse and no justification for these attacks tonight.”

While not necessarily justifying the backlash, some Britons have provided critical context for why violence may be regarded as some citizens’ only recourse.

Ron McDowell, a Trade Unionist Voice councillor in Belfast, said, for instance, in a statement on Wednesday, “Politicians who say, ‘don’t engage in violence, trust me and vote for me’ have completely failed the people because they simply haven’t delivered and there is now a massive chasm between the public and the political class who design and deliver their communities. As often happens when politics fails in Northern Ireland, violence exploits the void.”

“We are at a critical tipping point,” McDowell continued. “The void between politicians and the public is widening by the hour, and we must step up with genuine, accountable action to address immigration before violence steps in irreversibly.”

A Belfast local identified only as Chris told CBS News that locals are becoming less and less surprised by the kinds of attacks seen on Monday, alluding also to the response to 18-year-old British teen Henry Nowak’s barbaric murder by a Sikh man in December.

Chris suggested that locals “just want a sensible immigration policy, and for the people here not to be put last.”

“This is what causes this: Politicians aren’t listening, and people just feel like they have to make a stand and be noticed,” Chris added.

Among the many lawmakers who condemned the violent response to the latest apparent display of imported barbarism, Carla Lockhart, a Democratic Unionist Party member of parliament, echoed Chris’ sentiment, stating that “politics and the government have failed local communities.”

Lockhart — who stressed to Starmer on Wednesday the need to address the open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland — said, “People are angry and concerned for their safety. Therefore, they want the government to give answers around issues such as how many migrants, illegal migrants, have arrived in the U.K. via the Republic of Ireland land border. That, I believe, is one of the most important questions around all of this.”

Chris Rose, a black environmental campaigner and Reform UK member, highlighted a difference in approach adopted in response to the Black Lives Matter riots and the riots in Belfast.

“I don’t support rioting from anyone but when BLM did it, Labour said that MPs should speak to the black community and listen to the concerns,” Rose wrote. “Following the scenes in Belfast, has any Labour MP mentioned speaking to white, working class communities to listen to their concerns?”

With the stated aim of restoring the status quo, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has launched the “Op Exposure” campaign — releasing images of protesters in order to “identify those responsible and bring them to justice.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Northern ireland, Ireland, United kingdom, Belfast, Riots, Migrant, Sudanese, Stephen ogilvie, African, Asylum seeker, Beheading, Violence, Remigration, Keir starmer, Politics 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation says a federal fraud suspect turned himself in after being placed on the newly created “Most Wanted Fraudsters” list.

Said Abdullahi Ereg was indicted in the Feeding Our Future scam in June 2024, but the U.S. District Attorney’s office said he was living overseas and his exact whereabouts were unknown.

Prosecutors say Ereg falsely claimed to have served ‘3,000 meals, twice a day, seven days a week’ as part of the scheme.

Ereg turned himself in just one day after the fraudsters list was announced.

Prosecutors claim Ereg received more than $4.2 million in funds from the Federal Child Nutrition Program after submitting false reimbursement claims through a deli and grocery business he owned in Minneapolis.

Ereg’s Evergreen Grocery and Deli participated in the “Feeding Our Future” program, allowing Ereg to allegedly scam the government beginning about April 2020 and lasting until about April 2021, coinciding with the COVID pandemic.

Prosecutors say Ereg falsely claimed to have served “3,000 meals, twice a day, seven days a week” as part of the scheme. His wife, Najmo Ahmed, also received payments directly from Feeding Our Future.

The couple spent the money they allegedly stole on Burberry, Louis Vuitton, and Canada Goose, and also allegedly transferred about $2.5 million to foreign accounts.

Ereg was indicted on charges that included conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. His wife pleaded guilty in Feb. 2025 to one charge of money laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday.

FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent Chris Dotson said at a media briefing Wednesday that Ereg was one of the first eight people put on the fraudsters list, which was published within the last week.

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

“Today’s apprehension of Said Abdullahi Ereg, a fugitive on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters List, highlights the collective commitment of the DOJ, FBI, IRS, and USPIS, along with our USAO to bring every alleged fraudster to justice,” Dotson said.

“FBI Minneapolis will be nominating more fugitives to this Most Wanted Fraudsters list,” he added.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

​Federal bureau of investigation, Feeding our future, Politics, Fraud 

On a recent episode of “The Drive,” my co-host Karl Brauer and I discussed one of the most contentious issues in the automotive industry today: tariffs.

It’s one of those topics everybody seems to have an opinion about.

President Trump’s tariff strategy is ultimately aimed at creating incentives for companies to build products in the United States rather than elsewhere.

For many people in the anti-tariff camp, the argument against them is straightforward. Tariffs raise prices, distort markets, and protect industries that should simply learn to compete. In the automotive world, the response is often some version of: “American automakers need to compete with China.”

To which Karl offered a simple response: Europe tried that.

Closing time

The results haven’t been encouraging, to say the least.

Over the past several years, Chinese automakers have rapidly expanded across Europe, capturing market share with aggressively priced vehicles while many traditional European manufacturers struggle to keep up. Volkswagen recently announced plans to close a plant in Germany for the first time in the company’s 88-year history.

Other major automakers have announced layoffs, restructuring efforts, and production cuts as competition intensifies.

Every time someone argues that tariffs are unnecessary because domestic manufacturers should simply compete with Chinese imports on an open playing field, it’s worth looking across the Atlantic and asking a simple question:

How is that working out for Europe?

The answer is complicated, but it’s difficult to ignore the warning signs.

Manufacturing matters

Supporters of tariffs aren’t simply arguing for higher prices or protectionism for its own sake. They’re arguing that manufacturing matters. Jobs matter. Industrial capacity matters. And once those things disappear, they’re not easily rebuilt.

That’s especially true in the automotive industry, where factories support entire ecosystems of suppliers, contractors, transportation networks, and skilled workers.

We’re already seeing evidence of what domestic investment can accomplish here in the United States.

Hyundai’s growing manufacturing presence in Georgia has become one of the most significant automotive investments in the country. Combined with suppliers and battery production facilities, the project is expected to support thousands of jobs. For many workers in the region, those positions represent opportunities that simply didn’t exist before.

The same pattern is playing out across the South. Automakers including Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Nissan, Ford, General Motors, and others continue expanding their U.S. production footprints.

These projects don’t just create assembly jobs. They support entire communities, generating opportunities for local businesses, contractors, suppliers, and workers throughout the region.

RELATED: Gone in 60 seconds: How high-tech thieves can steal your car

Jeff Greenberg/Getty Images

Price check

Critics often warn that tariffs will dramatically increase vehicle prices. The reality is more nuanced.

Modern vehicles are assembled from components sourced around the world. The impact of tariffs depends on where those components are produced, where final assembly takes place, and how manufacturers choose to absorb or pass along those costs.

For many mainstream vehicles, the effect may be relatively modest. Luxury brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce, and Porsche face a different situation because they are unlikely to move production to the United States.

But let’s be honest: Buyers spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on an exotic sports car aren’t facing the same concerns as a family shopping for a Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, or Ford Explorer.

The larger question is whether America wants to maintain a strong manufacturing base.

President Trump’s tariff strategy is ultimately aimed at creating incentives for companies to build products in the United States rather than elsewhere. Whether you support that approach or not, the objective is clear: encourage investment, create jobs, and strengthen domestic production.

Data breach

There’s another factor that rarely receives enough attention in these discussions: data security.

Modern vehicles collect enormous amounts of information, including location data, driving habits, communications, and vehicle performance metrics. As Chinese automakers continue expanding globally, policymakers have increasingly raised concerns about who controls that data and where it ultimately ends up.

Whether those concerns prove justified or not, they are becoming part of the broader conversation surrounding automotive trade policy.

Tariffs aren’t a magic solution. They won’t instantly rebuild America’s industrial base or solve every challenge facing the auto industry.

But the debate shouldn’t be reduced to whether tariffs might add a few hundred dollars to the price of a vehicle.

The bigger question is what happens when domestic manufacturers lose market share, close factories, eliminate jobs, and become increasingly dependent on foreign competitors.

Before America dismisses tariffs as outdated or unnecessary, it may be worth paying close attention to the experience of those countries who’ve already made that bet.

​Donald trump, Tariffs, Auto industry, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Jobs, Made in the usa, Lifestyle, Cars