A gun-toting North Carolina homeowner said he “didn’t have any hesitation” after spotting an intruder in his Charlotte residence last week and “just let it fire,” WSOC-TV reported.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police told the station the scene unfolded along Glen Brook Road off West Sugar Creek Road early Wednesday morning.

‘He saved my life, saved my dog’s life.’

A man and woman who didn’t want to be identified told WSOC they woke up to loud banging.

“You don’t know what their intentions are; you don’t know anything,” the man recounted to the station. “All you can do at that moment is protect yourself.”

The man added to WSOC the intruder was in the home for about 10 seconds — and he soon saw the intruder in the hallway and immediately began shooting.

“I didn’t have any hesitation,” the man added to the station. “As soon as I knew someone was coming in, I just let it fire, let it go.”

The homeowner also told WSOC he’s not sure if he hit the suspect, who ran away. Afterward, the couple hid in the bathroom until police arrived, the station said.

RELATED: Machete-wielding females beat up homeowner in robbery try, cops say. But victim ends attack with single shotgun blast.

“He saved my life, saved my dog’s life,” the woman told WSOC. “I mean, I couldn’t ask for a better significant other in this situation.”

The station said the victims are now wondering what may happen next.

“Now it’s just a matter of, ‘Will they come back, what will happen?'” the woman noted to WSOC.

The station said it reached out to police to inquire if they have any leads on the intruder.

Under North Carolina’s Castle Doctrine, homeowners are allowed to use deadly force against intruders, WSOC said, adding that there is no duty to retreat, and the law protects residents from legal liability.

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Just days after announcing it would be shutting down its artificial intelligence video generation platform, OpenAI put the brakes on another project.

While the terminology remains vague, it seems Sam Altman’s company could be drawing a line as to what it deems “adult” content.

‘We still believe in the principle of treating adults like adults.’

Those familiar with the adult-themed project at OpenAI have “indefinitely” shelved their plans to release an erotic chatbot, per the Financial Times. OpenAI confirmed that before moving forward with such a product, the company wanted to be able to fall back on long-term research about the effects AI sex chats have on users and any emotional attachments that might be created.

OpenAI said there is no “empirical evidence” available at this time.

RELATED: Sam Altman tells BlackRock he wants AI on a meter ‘like electricity or water’

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP/Getty Images

Last year, Altman announced that ChatGPT would start including more content, including erotica, to “treat adult users like adults.”

But in early March, OpenAI made its first announcement that “adult mode” was being delayed. That decision was made in part to focus on more pertinent tasks. “We’re pushing out the launch of adult mode so we can focus on work that is a higher priority for more users right now,” a spokesperson told reporter Alex Heath, “including gains in intelligence, personality improvements, personalization, and making the experience more proactive.”

“We still believe in the principle of treating adults like adults, but getting the experience right will take more time,” the company stated.

Inside sources since told the Financial Times that the company will refocus on core products after staff and investors expressed concern about the sexualized AI content. The upside to this endeavor was allegedly too small for OpenAI.

RELATED: Sam Altman says NSA can’t use OpenAI — then tells staff they don’t have a say in military actions

Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The revelations follow hot on the heels of other strategy-shifting announcements. The tech giant has recently tightened up its offerings, shuttering generative AI service Sora.

“What you made with Sora mattered, and we know this news is disappointing,” the company wrote on X. “We’ll share more soon, including timelines for the app and API and details on preserving your work.”

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​Return, Ai, Openai, Chatbot, Sex chat, Sam altman, Chatgpt, Tech 

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed over the weekend that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested two relatives of an Iranian terrorist whom President Donald Trump had whacked at the end of his first term.

In January 2020, President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian major general who commanded the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.

‘They are now in ICE custody.’

“Soleimani made the death of innocent people his sick passion, contributing to terrorist plots as far away as New Delhi and London,” Trump said in the wake of the lethal drone strike on Soleimani near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. “Today we remember and honor the victims of Soleimani’s many atrocities, and we take comfort in knowing that his reign of terror is over.”

Despite her uncle’s role in supporting the Iraqi insurgency against American forces, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar managed to enter the U.S. on a tourist visa in June 2015, said the DHS. Afshar’s daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, entered the following month on a student visa.

Both women were granted asylum in 2019. The niece became a green card holder in 2021, and Soleimani’s grand-niece became a green card holder in 2023, both under the Biden administration.

The DHS noted that Afshar’s numerous trips back to Iran — she disclosed in her naturalization application that she had returned at least four times since her receipt of a green card — “illustrate her asylum claims were fraudulent.”

RELATED: Iranian regimists throw a fit after Trump threatens to send their country back to the ‘Stone Ages’

Mandel NGAN/AFP/Getty

Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Saturday, “I terminated both Afshar and her daughter’s legal status and they are now in ICE custody, pending removal from the United States.”

ICE arrested both women in Los Angeles on Friday.

Rubio added that “the Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes.”

The State Department accused Afshar of promoting Iranian regime propaganda, celebrating attacks against American soldiers and military facilities, denouncing America as the “Great Satan,” and expressing support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a foreign terrorist organization, all while residing in the U.S.

“Afshar Soleimani pushed this propaganda for Iran’s terrorist regime while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, as attested to by her frequent posting on her recently deleted Instagram account,” said the State Department.

In addition to the pending deportation of mother and daughter, Afshar’s husband has also been barred from entering the United States.

Narjes Soleimani, Soleimani’s daughter, said in a statement obtained by the BBC, “The individuals arrested in the U.S. have no connection whatsoever to Martyr Soleimani and the claims made by the U.S. State Department are false.”

The terrorist’s daughter claimed further that the U.S. was “fabricating lies against a great figure.”

Trump said in his Wednesday address to the nation that Soleimani “was an evil genius, brilliant person, a horrible human being.”

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​Soleimani, Iran, Iranian, Assassination, Department of homeland security, Ice, Marco rubio, Great satan, Deportation, Donald trump, Hamideh soleimani afshar, Politics 

With California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) nearing the end of his term, numerous candidates have stepped up to replace him in the upcoming gubernatorial primary race on June 2.

Sixty-one individuals appear on the official certified list of candidates competing for California’s top office. While there is currently no clear front-runner, several notable candidates have emerged. These include former Rep. Katie Porter (D), Rep. Eric Swalwell (D), climate advocate and businessman Tom Steyer (D), Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco (R), and Fox News host and small-business owner Steve Hilton (R).

‘With President Trump’s full backing and federal support, we are going to take California back and make it better than ever before!’

President Donald Trump released a post on social media on Sunday attempting to tip the scales in favor of his preferred candidate in the crowded race.

“I have known and respected Steve Hilton, who is running for Governor of California, for many years,” Trump wrote. “He is a truly fine man, one who has watched as this once great State has gone to Hell.”

Trump gave the current governor the nickname “Newscum” and criticized him and other Democrats for doing “an absolutely horrendous job.”

“People are fleeing, crime is increasing, and Taxes are the highest of any State in the Country, maybe the World,” Trump continued. “Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so! With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!”

RELATED: Republicans are leading the field in the California governor race

Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images

Trump declared that Hilton has his “COMPLETE & TOTAL ENDORSEMENT” in the upcoming primary.

“He will be a GREAT Governor and, importantly, WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!!!” Trump added.

Hilton’s campaign thanked the president for his endorsement.

“With President Trump’s full backing and federal support, we are going to take California back and make it better than ever before!” the campaign wrote. “This is the moment California has been waiting for!”

RELATED: USC accused of racism after minority candidates don’t qualify for gubernatorial debate — so USC makes drastic decision

Steve Hilton. Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Newsom has previously stated that he has “some concern” about how crowded the race has become. He told CBS News in early March that he was not yet ready to endorse any of the candidates.

“I don’t have an endorsement,” he stated. “There might be a moment [for that] in the next few months.”

Several recent polls show Hilton with a narrow lead, while other surveys favor Bianco, Swalwell, or Porter. The top two finishers in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, will appear on the ballot in November.

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​News, Gavin newsom, Newsom, California, Donald trump, Trump, Steve hilton, Chad bianco, Katie porter, Eric swalwell, Tom steyer, California gubernatorial race, California governor race, California governor, Politics 

Catholic churches across the U.S. and other parts of the Western world welcomed historic numbers of new members over the weekend. Although popularly characterized as a “surge,” some analysts have suggested the flood of new and often young converts is actually a rebound.

Prior to welcoming 20 people fully into the faith during the crowded Easter Vigil at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, Archbishop José Gomez said, “Tonight your story will be joined to His story, to the beautiful history of salvation, the great story of God’s love for His people.”

‘This generation just seems open to the call of the Lord.’

Altogether, 8,598 catechumens and candidates were received into the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles this Easter, reported Angelus News.

On Saturday, Archbishop Ronald Hicks welcomed some of the over 3,600 new catechumens who reportedly joined the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of New York this Easter season, telling a packed house at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, “It does feel good when you belong, and we belong to Jesus and we belong to our church.”

Father Andy Matijevic of Holy Name Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Chicago told WBBM-TV, “We had six Masses so far, last night and a few this morning, and all of them have been packed inside.”

Holy Name, which held overflow Masses on Sunday, reportedly saw 18 people baptized and another 23 confirmed, contributing to the archdiocese’s total of over 600 catechumens who received the sacraments of initiation at the Easter Vigil.

Chicago Catholic noted last month that the archdiocese was also set to welcome 445 individuals from other Christian traditions this past weekend, representing a 78% increase in members over last year.

RELATED: Catholic church sees huge surge in conversions — due to inclusivity?

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Ronaldo Bolaños/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

Father Burke Masters, whose St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Parish in the Chicago suburb of Hinsdale reported a 124% year-over-year increase in new members, told WLS-TV that the average age of those being received into the church is 28 years old.

St. Mary’s Church near Texas A&M’s campus in College Station, Texas, also managed to roughly double its 2025 Easter baptism numbers, welcoming 61 catechumens into the Catholic Church. Again, most of the newcomers were apparently young adults.

“Most of the [new members] are students, most of them are invited by other students, most of them also maybe heard a call or were drawn to the church,” Rev. Will Straten told KBTX-TV. “So it’s great to see more students desiring to be baptized and to live the faith.”

Boston Archbishop Richard Henning, who saw the churches under his purview similarly packed over the weekend and expected over 680 catechumens to join the Church at Easter, told CBS News, “I think this generation just seems open to the call of the Lord in a way that we’ve not seen in a while.”

Numerous other American dioceses — such as the Archdiocese of Newark — similarly reportedly years-high numbers of new Catholics converts, as did dioceses elsewhere in the Western world.

In Canada, for example, the Archdiocese of Toronto counted a total of 2,050 adult catechumens baptized at its Easter Vigil celebrations — a 12.4% increase over last year. Other Canadian dioceses, including those covering the cities of Montreal, Ottawa, and Vancouver, were also reportedly set for significant growth over the weekend.

In France, over 13,000 adults were set to be baptized into the Catholic Church over the weekend, including more than 700 catechumens in Paris, reported the National Catholic Register.

The numbers appear especially high in large part because conversion numbers in recent decades had fallen so low.

According to U.S. diocesan statistics compiled by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University and analyzed by the Pillar, there was a precipitous decline in the number of people becoming Catholic from 2000 to 2020.

Whereas, for instance, there were 173,674 adults baptized or received into full communion in 2000, that number reportedly had plummeted to 70,796 in 2020.

The Pillar noted that while there has been a significant increase in the number of new adult Catholics following the pandemic, the number of babies baptized every year has dropped by over 50% since 2000.

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​Religion, Catholic, Catholic church, Church, Conversion, Baptism, Religiosity, Faith, Catechumen 

When BlazeTV host Rick Burgess first read the story of Jesus casting out a demon from a young boy after the disciples had been unsuccessful, he was confused.

“I remember the first time that I heard it … I didn’t understand it. I thought, well, are they different kinds of demons you’re supposed to do different things to? And why didn’t the disciples know this?” he reflected on a recent episode of “Strange Encounters.”

While many interpret this story to mean that there are different ranks or strengths of demons, with more powerful ones requiring specific disciplines, Rick says this misses the main point.

The disciples’ issue was never tactics or strategy; it was self-reliance.

According to the three gospel accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus stumbled upon his disciples arguing with the religious elite after they had been unsuccessful at casting out a demon from a young, mute boy, who would convulse, foam at the mouth, and self-harm as a result of being possessed.

After speaking with the boy’s father, who uttered the famous words “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24), Jesus cast out the demon and restored the boy to health. Afterwards He privately addressed His disciples, who were upset that they were not able to do it themselves, as they had previously been casting demons out successfully.

Jesus told them that “this kind can only come out by prayer” (Mark 9:29 — with some manuscripts adding “and fasting”).

But contrary to popular belief, this isn’t Jesus saying there are different strategies for different demons, says Rick.

He argues that the disciples “let their power go to their head” and had stopped “consecrating themselves under the authority of Jesus.”

“These disciples started thinking they were casting out demons. They’ve never cast out a demon. Jesus cast out demons,” says Rick.

“Even when a human being casts out a demon, the human being brings the demon to Jesus. You and I have no ability to cast a demon out of anyone — not by our own strength. The only thing that gives the redeemed power against demons is Jesus,” he continues.

Even the highest ranking angels rely on the authority of Jesus to rebuke the demonic.

Rick references the story from Jude where the archangel Michael is disputing Satan over the body of Moses. Rather than attacking Satan with harsh accusations or trying to condemn him on his own authority, Michael simply said: “The Lord rebuke you!”

“He rebuked Satan by bringing in Jesus,” says Rick.

The disciples, he argues, should have done the same thing when they were attempting to rid the boy of the unclean spirit.

“The disciples have no ability to cast out demons unless they access the power of Jesus, and they had stopped doing that. They started thinking they had the power,” Rick explains, “and Jesus is saying, ‘Y’all better get back to prayer. You better get back to fasting. And you better get back to concentrating on me.’”

To hear more of Rick’s spiritual analysis, watch the episode above.

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​Strange encounters, Strange encounters with rick burgess, Rick burgess, Blazetv, Blaze media, Christianity, Spiritual warfare, Demonic possession, Jesus’ disciples 

For the past few years, a familiar narrative has taken hold in American automotive media: Chinese electric vehicles are about to reshape the global car market.

Reviewers highlight low prices, sleek interiors, and giant screens. Commentators talk about a coming wave of imports that could challenge American, European, and Japanese automakers. Some even point to BYD surpassing Tesla in global EV sales as proof the shift is already happening.

Some reports suggest a large number of brands could disappear, merge, or restructure in the coming years.

That all sounds compelling — until you ask a simple question: What does this actually mean for a buyer?

Because right now, most of these vehicles aren’t even for sale in the United States.

Tariffs and regulations keep them out. So a lot of this hype is based on overseas test drives and showroom impressions — not real ownership in North America.

And where these vehicles are being used, the story isn’t nearly as clean.

What happens in real-world driving

Cold weather is one of the first reality checks.

Like all EVs, Chinese EVs lose range in low temperatures — sometimes up to 30% to 40% of their range.

That’s not a small difference. That’s the difference between getting home comfortably and watching your battery percentage like a hawk.

Shorter range means more charging. Charging takes longer in the cold. And more energy goes to heating the battery and cabin instead of driving the car.

If you live somewhere with real winters, this isn’t theoretical. It’s your daily routine.

The problem with ‘cool’ features

A lot of the appeal here is design — flush door handles, fully electronic entry, big minimalist interiors.

It looks great in photos; a different story in real life.

Electronic door handles and latches depend on power and sensors. Lose power after a crash, or deal with freezing conditions, and those systems can fail or become harder to use. There have already been reports of handles sticking or not working properly in cold weather.

That’s the trade-off with adding complexity to basic functions.

And when something breaks, it’s not a simple fix. It’s usually more expensive, more specialized, and more time-consuming.

Here’s the bigger issue

The structure of China’s EV industry may matter more than any individual feature.

Over the past decade, government incentives fueled a wave of EV startups. Dozens of companies jumped in. A lot of them are now competing on price, trying to survive.

And not all of them will.

Analysts at firms like Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase expect consolidation. Some reports suggest a large number of brands could disappear, merge, or restructure in the coming years.

That’s not just industry chatter. That’s a real risk for buyers.

Because if the company behind your car disappears, what happens next?

Who provides software updates? Who supplies parts? Who services the vehicle?

That “great deal” doesn’t look so great if you can’t get support — or if resale value drops because buyers don’t trust the brand will still be around.

We’ve seen this before with failed automakers. The difference now is how dependent vehicles are on software.

RELATED: How government and Big Tech can wreck your new car’s resale value

Denver Post/Getty Images

Price isn’t the whole story

There’s no question Chinese automakers have pushed prices down in some markets.

But price is only part of the equation.

Many of these companies are operating on thin margins while spending heavily to stay competitive. That creates pressure — and in some cases, instability.

Some brands will make it. Companies like BYD and Geely have the scale.

Others won’t.

And you don’t get to choose which one you bought after the shakeout happens.

What American buyers actually care about

Even if these vehicles eventually reach the U.S., they’ll be competing on more than price.

American buyers care about reliability, service access, resale value, and long-term support.

That’s not something you figure out in a quick test drive or a YouTube review.

That’s built over time — through dealer networks, parts availability, and how a company stands behind its product.

And that’s where newer players still have something to prove.

Don’t buy the hype

Chinese EVs are real. Some are competitive. Some are impressive.

But the idea that they’re about to flood the U.S. market and take over leaves out a lot.

They face trade barriers, infrastructure challenges, and a major shakeout at home.

For buyers, the takeaway is simple: Don’t buy the hype — buy what actually works for your life.

Look at how the vehicle performs in real conditions. Look at who’s going to support it. Look at what it’s likely to be worth in a few years.

Because in the end, the question isn’t how a car looks in a headline, but how it holds up when you’re the one paying for it.

​China, Auto industry, Ev, Tesla, Byd, Lifestyle, Align cars