As the conflict with Iran stretches into the fourth week and shows little sign of stopping, the United States has reportedly submitted a peace plan to the Iranians. However, the plan has hardly been well-received by the Iranians, whose spokesperson even mocked the United States’ latest actions.

The United States reportedly proposed a 15-point peace plan on Tuesday for the Iranians to consider.

‘Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?’

The New York Post, citing a report from Israel’s Channel 12, gave an outline of the proposed plan. The plan contains 15 points, most of which intend to further proscribe Iran’s nuclear capabilities and its projection of power through proxies in the region. It also demands that the Strait of Hormuz remains open.

The United States and its allies would in return offer assurances to Iran in the rebuilding of the country after peace is agreed to.

RELATED: ‘TOTAL RESOLUTION’: Trump orders temporary suspension amid Iran peace talks

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo by HELMUT FOHRINGER/various sources/AFP via Getty Images.

However, an Iranian spokesperson mocked the United States’ latest offer to negotiate, saying Iran is unwilling to reach an agreement after being fooled by the current administration’s past offers of diplomacy.

According to the Post, Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari said on a video shared by the state-run Fars News Agency, “Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you. Not now, not ever.”

“The one claiming to be a global superpower would have already gotten out of this mess if it could. Don’t dress up your defeat as an agreement. Your era of empty promises has come to an end,” Zolfaghari said.

Zolfaghari reportedly went on, asking, “Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?”

Wednesday morning, Axios reported that Iran has officially rejected the 15-point peace proposal, citing Iran’s English-language Press TV.

An Iranian official reportedly told Press TV that the Iranians see the proposal “as a ploy,” calling the terms “excessive.” The official added that the war would only end “on Tehran’s own terms and timeline.”

Axios, citing Press TV’s report, noted that Iran provided a counterproposal that consists of five conditions:

Complete halting of attacks and assassinations by the U.S. and Israel;The establishment of mechanisms to ensure the war doesn’t resume;Compensation for the damages caused during the war;Halting all U.S. and Israeli attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq; andReceiving international recognition and guarantees for Iran’s authority over the Strait of Hormuz.

​Politics, Trump, Trump administration, Iran, Israel, United states, America, Iran peace talks, 15 point plan, Iranians, Lt. col. ebrahim zolfaghari, Press tv, Fars new agency, Pakistan, Shehbaz sharif 

A landmark settlement delivered a blow to the censorship industrial complex that silenced Americans during the COVID era.

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) announced Tuesday that Missouri had reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. government in its Missouri v. Biden lawsuit, which accused the Biden administration of violating Americans’ First Amendment rights by directing social media companies to censor speech challenging the government’s COVID messaging.

‘For every working Missouri family tired of being silenced by their own government: this victory is yours.’

Schmitt filed the lawsuit against the Biden administration while serving as Missouri attorney general, before securing his Senate seat.

The agreement included a 10-year Consent Decree that enforces a narrow permanent injunction on the surgeon general, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. The injunction prevents them from threatening social media companies with any form of punishment if those companies fail to remove or suppress content that contains protected speech.

However, this ban applies only to posts made on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube by the specific plaintiffs in the case, including Missouri and Louisiana government officials and agencies acting in their official capacity. It does not extend to other social media networks or content posted by the general public.

“The Parties also agree that government, politicians, media, academics, or anyone else applying labels such as ‘misinformation,’ ‘disinformation,’ or ‘malinformation’ to speech does not render it constitutionally unprotected,” the agreement reads.

The court must first approve this settlement agreement.

RELATED: BlazeTV’s ‘The Coverup’ exposes how the censorship industrial complex silenced Americans during COVID

Eric Schmitt. Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

“We just won Missouri v. Biden,” Schmitt wrote in a post on X. “As Missouri’s Attorney General, I sued the Biden regime for brazenly colluding with Big Tech to silence Missouri families — censoring the truth about COVID, the Hunter Biden laptop, the open border, and the 2020 election. They tried to turn Facebook, X, YouTube, and the rest into their private speech police, labeling dissent ‘misinformation’ while they pushed their narrative on the American people.”

Schmitt called the Consent Decree the “first real, operational restraint on the federal censorship machine.”

He explained that it “directly binds the Surgeon General, the CDC, and CISA: no more threats of legal, regulatory, or economic punishment. No more coercion. No more unilateral direction or veto of platform decisions to remove, suppress, deplatform, or algorithmically bury protected speech.”

“For every working Missouri family tired of being silenced by their own government: this victory is yours. The heartland fought back, and the heartland delivered,” Schmitt concluded.

RELATED: ‘Karma is a b***h’: Trump taps epidemiologist targeted by Biden admin and censored online to run NIH

Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Benjamin Weingarten, a senior contributor at the Federalist, addressed the victory’s narrow application.

“This decree is limited to the plaintiffs, but as precedent, and practically, its impact may prove orders of magnitude more powerful in protecting disfavored speech,” Weingarten wrote, calling it “a momentous blow for the First Amendment.”

National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, who had to withdraw as a plaintiff in the case after being appointed by the Trump administration, called the settlement “a huge win for all Americans.”

“Huzzah! The consent decree in Missouri v. Biden is a historic victory for free speech in the US. Though I had to switch to the government side in the case after I became NIH director, I’ve never been more pleased by ‘losing’ in my life,” he wrote.

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​News, Missouri v biden, Missouri, Joe biden, Biden, Biden administration, Biden admin, Eric schmitt, Covid, Covid era, Censorship, Censorship industrial complex, Surgeon general, Centers for disease control and prevention, Cdc, Cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, Cisa, Facebook, Instagram, X, Twitter, Linkedin, Youtube, Louisiana, Jay bhattacharya, National institutes of health, Nih, Social media, Misinformation, Disinformation, Malinformation, Politics 

Republican senators are launching an investigation into several abortion pill manufacturers to combat the alleged dangers and illegal distribution of these drugs, Blaze News has learned.

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, is leading the investigation against “obscure” abortion manufacturers like Draco Laboratories, Evita Solutions, and GenBioPro. Cassidy, who is a physician, slammed these manufacturers for allegedly hiding the harmful reality of taking abortion pills and for allegedly failing to act within basic safety parameters imposed by the Food and Drug Administration.

‘Women deserve real medical care, not drugs dispensed through anonymous websites.’

“Chemical drugmakers profit off killing innocent children while putting mothers’ lives at risk,” Cassidy told Blaze News. “These manufacturers and websites have facilitated the explosion in online sales of these harmful drugs without the regard for women’s health and safety, while opening the door for coercion and abuse.”

“FDA should act within its existing authorities to curb this abuse and immediately reinstate safeguards such as the in-person dispensing requirement.”

RELATED: Pro-abortion doctor gets dismantled by Hawley on men and pregnancy: ‘I don’t know how we can take you seriously’

Cassidy, alongside Republican Sens. Steve Daines of Montana, James Lankford of Oklahoma, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, penned inquiries to the three manufacturers requesting all documents, data, and relevant materials detailing the production and use of these abortion drugs. The lawmakers also alerted the FDA about potential violations.

This investigation also gained the support of prominent pro-life activists like President of National Right to Life Carol Tobias, who said the letters “raise serious and long-overdue questions about whether federal protocols are being followed — and whether women are being put at risk as a result.”

“Women deserve real medical care, not drugs dispensed through anonymous websites with little to no oversight,” Tobias told Blaze News.

“Data show that one in ten women who take abortion pills experience serious complications, yet basic safeguards have been stripped away,” Live Action President Lila Rose told Blaze News. “Women and their children are being put at risk.”

RELATED: ‘Federal dollars should not pay for abortion, period’: Sen. Cassidy doubles down on Hyde, abortion pill restrictions

Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Activists like Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, also pointed out the alarming rise of abortion drugs in the aftermath of the Dobbs decision, potentially putting more women at risk and opening the door for abuse and coercion.

“Abortion numbers are up, not down after Dobbs, driven by mail-order drugs flooding the states without regard for their laws,” Dannenfelser told Blaze News. “We are now at over 1.1 million abortions per year. Companies whose sole source of revenue is abortion drugs — which carry a black box warning — are raking in millions, while their inherently risky, abuse-prone drug sends thousands of women to emergency rooms, enables abusers, systematically kills countless unborn children, and brazenly undermines democratically enacted state protections.”

“Their disregard for even the few remaining safety standards — and the lack of transparency around these secretive entities — is deeply troubling,” Dannenfelser added. “Chairman Cassidy and fellow pro-life senators are boldly confronting this crisis head-on, demanding real accountability and safety for women and girls. It’s time for the FDA to act.”

Draco Laboratories, Evita Solutions, and GenBioPro did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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​Bill cassidy, Abortion pill, Fda, Draco laboratories, Evita solutions, Genbiopro, Senate help committee, Steve daines, Senate republicans, James lankford, Mifepristone, Abortion, Pro-life, Cindy hyde-smith, Lindsey graham, Politics 

A Democrat faces possible expulsion from Congress after federal prosecutors alleged that she stole millions in federal funds and used that money to finance her campaign.

The House Ethics Committee will host a public trial for Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.) on Thursday in connection with the allegations. According to reports, such public trials are rare and signal that Cherfilus-McCormick may be in deep trouble.

The defendants ‘conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source,’ the DOJ alleged.

Indeed, she is already under federal indictment.

Back in November, the Department of Justice announced that Cherfilus-McCormick, her brother Edwin Cherfilus, and other co-defendants had been charged after they allegedly bilked millions from a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract.

According to the DOJ, Cherfilus-McCormick and Cherfilus’ family health care company was given a COVID vax contract in 2021 and subsequently received an overpayment of $5 million from FEMA.

The defendants “conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source,” the DOJ alleged, adding that a significant portion of the money was allegedly used to bolster Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign.

The money was also allegedly used for luxury items, including “a huge diamond ring.”

Cherfilus-McCormick pled not guilty in federal court in early February. At that time, she publicly stated that she is “innocent” and called the accusations a “distraction.”

RELATED: Another Georgia Democrat is charged with fraud — the third in the last month

Former state Rep. Karen Bennett (screenshot of Georgia House of Representatives website)

Regardless of the findings of the House Ethics Committee, expelling Cherfilus-McCormick would require a vote from two-thirds of the House, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) has already declared himself a “hard no.”

“So-called ‘Leader’ Hakeem Jeffries talks a big game on corruption, but when it’s one of his own, he suddenly loses his voice. Jeffries and House Democrats have the backbone of a wet paper straw,” said a statement from National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella.

Cherfilus-McCormick is just one of several Democrats who’ve been mired in a COVID-related fraud scandal in just the last few months.

Georgia state Rep. Sharon Henderson was arrested in December for allegedly fraudulently pocketing nearly $18,000 in COVID relief. She has since been suspended in the state House.

Henderson’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Weeks later, her Democrat colleague state Rep. Karen Bennett resigned her seat in the Georgia House just before federal prosecutors charged her for allegedly stealing about $14,000 in COVID relief funds. Bennett pled guilty in January to making false statements.

Yet another Georgia Democrat, former state Rep. Dexter Sharper, was charged in late January in connection with nearly $14,000 in alleged unemployment fraud related to COVID. Sharper pled guilty and resigned his seat earlier this month.

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​Sheila cherfilus-mccormick, Ethics committee, Hakeem jeffries, Sharon henderson, Karen bennett, Dexter sharper, Democrat, Covid, Fraud, Politics 

A special-education teacher in Washington state is accused of raping a 10-year-old student at an elementary school, according to court documents.

The Spokane Police Department said in a statement that a principal alerted officers that a “family member of a student had disclosed to them statements the child made regarding possible sex acts with an adult female teacher.”

‘We are additionally concerned for community safety based on the level of sophistication and planning involved in perpetrating these sexual assaults.’

Around 3:30 p.m. Feb. 12, officers responded to the reports of child sex crimes.

“When officers arrived and took the initial report, they obtained statements and evidence to believe these allegations were founded,” the police news release stated. “SPD’s Special Victims Unit was called and took over the investigation.”

Police said investigators “worked tirelessly over the past month to obtain evidence and solidify the investigation.”

Officers arrested 32-year-old Mahayla Benavides on March 12, and she was charged with rape of a child in the first degree and child molestation in the first degree.

On March 17, Benavides pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Washington law defines rape of a child in the first degree when a person has “sexual intercourse with another who is less than 12 years old, and the perpetrator is at least 24 months older than the victim.”

Child molestation in the first degree is when a person “has, or knowingly causes another person under the age of 18 to have, sexual contact with another who is less than 12 years old, and the perpetrator is at least 36 months older than the victim,” according to Washington law.

Benavides’ bond was set at $500,000, according to jail records.

RELATED: Marriage meltdown: Mom-of-two teacher busted for alleged child molestation of student; reportedly loses custody of kids

KXLY-TV reported that Spokane Police Department officers interviewed Benavides at her home in February and administered a cheek swab.

Police said Benavides didn’t want to answer officers’ questions, but KXLY said she “performed a ‘Google search’ for a lawyer.”

KXLY added that “police also collected evidence from the classroom at Stevens Elementary School, which detectives say included a bean bag chair that tested positive for a bodily fluid.”

Citing court records, KXLY reported that the student told investigators the alleged sexual abuse occurred almost every day — “sometimes as much as five times per day.”

The boy informed investigators that the alleged child abuse often happened in a “time-out room,” but Benavides would occasionally touch him sexually in the classroom when other young students were present, according to documents filed in Spokane County Superior Court.

According to the affidavit, Benavides pressured the minor to remain silent and said that disclosing the relationship could result in legal trouble or the loss of her job.

The student told investigators that Benavides recorded sexually explicit videos of herself and then showed them to him at school, KXLY reported.

KXLY reported, “In one of the videos, she uses the child’s name.”

Police also found videos of Benavides appearing to perform a sexual act with the student in the classroom, according to the affidavit.

The school district provided police with videos from “the classrooms in question,” KXLY said.

Police said they seized items from the special-education teacher and the student, according to the affidavit.

Prosecutors said Benavides’ actions were “highly predatory, and we are additionally concerned for community safety based on the level of sophistication and planning involved in perpetrating these sexual assaults,” KREM-TV reported.

According to KXLY, prosecutors noted that the special-ed teacher was able to “keep her actions hidden for a long period of time.”

Spokane Public Schools told KREM, “It’s vital that we allow SPD to conduct its investigation, and SPS will continue to follow our policies as we take the next steps pending the outcome.”

Sweetser Law Office, which is representing the alleged victim’s family, said in a statement, “Parents entrust schools with their children every day. That trust exists because families believe their children will be safe in the care of the adults responsible for them. Every child deserves that safety.”

The Spokane Police Department said Spokane School District 81 “acted quickly once this information was brought to their attention, promptly separating Benavides from the child and further school access, and calling police.”

The Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.

Benavides is scheduled to appear in court May 11, according to KREM.

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​Child sex crimes, Child sex abuse, Rape, Child rape, Molestation, Washington, Bad teacher, Teacher arrested, Teacher sex scandal, Crime, Spokane, Elementary school 

Auto manufacturer Volkswagen is reportedly looking to diversify its portfolio.

The German company, founded by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi government in 1937, has been discussing a transition for its Osnabrück, Germany, factory for the better part of a year.

Besides representing a historical 180-degree turn, a deal with the Israeli defense company would likely be quite lucrative.

Since March 2025, manufacturers have had their eye on the Osnabrück factory, a 4.6 million-square-foot facility with 2,300 employees. The location started its vehicle production in just 2011, but some think it may be better suited for defense manufacturing.

Last March, the CEO from vehicle and weapons manufacturer Rheinmetall said he thought the factory “would be very suitable” for a transition to defense production, particularly to build tanks.

“One thing is clear: Before I’ll build a new tank factory in Germany, we’ll of course take a look at it,” said CEO Armin Papperger. The CEO followed his statements up with a visit later that month.

However, Volkswagen did not strike a deal and is now being sought by a state-owned Israeli defense group called Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

RELATED: How automakers are quietly locking you out of your own car

Photo by Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg via Getty Images

According to the Financial Times, Rafael’s idea is to convert the German factory to a components maker for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.

At the same time, Reuters reported that Volkswagen is looking to either sell or reconfigure the production facility once it has finished production of its T-Roc Cabriolet car, set to conclude in 2027.

After talks with Rheinmetall allegedly stalled, Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume reportedly said that the company has since continued discussions with defense companies to come to a final decision about Osnabrück.

RELATED: Did Bibi Netanyahu just insult Jesus? Allie Beth Stuckey sets the record straight

Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Besides representing a historical 180-degree turn, a deal with the Israeli defense company would likely be quite lucrative given the cost of Iron Dome interceptions. According to Israel Hayom, each missile interception costs upwards of $80,000.

However, these missiles could sit around, or during war time, they could be used hundreds of times per day. During a conflict, the costs could jump up to $2 million per interception when the David’s Sling system is used to intercept larger missiles at a longer range.

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​News, Volkswagen, Iron dome, Missile defense, Car manufacturer, Israeli, Germany, Politics 

A gang of teens pummeled and robbed a male victim in a Maryland shopping mall earlier this month, police said.

A similar attack took place at the same mall in February.

‘And this is why carry permits are on the rise. It’s only a matter of time before these idiots attack the wrong person.’

The Montgomery County Police Department said nine teenage suspects on March 16 followed a male victim into the Wheaton Mall in the 11100 block of Veirs Mill Road.

Police said around 11:30 a.m., one of the suspects approached the victim and struck him in the head. Video shows the strike happened from behind — after which other suspects joined in, physically assaulted the victim while he was on the floor, and stole his shoes. Police said the teen suspects then ran out of the mall.

Police said the suspects included three Hispanic females, five Hispanic males, and one black male. Police said they were wearing dark sleeves and tan pants.

Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects, police said. Those with information are asked to contact Crime Solvers at http://crimesolversmcmd.org (click “http://p3tips.com”) or call 1-866-411-8477, police said, adding that tips may be anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of $250 to $10,000.

RELATED: Thugs seen laughing, smiling on video apparently after they ganged up on, assaulted, stabbed lone victim in mall restroom

Blaze News recently reported an attack that took place at the same mall in February.

Montgomery County Police said a male victim around noon Feb. 4 entered the mall and went to a restroom. While inside the restroom, police said seven suspects armed with knives approached him, assaulted him, and stabbed him in the arm before leaving the scene.

The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries and received medical treatment at an area hospital, police said.

Police said they are looking for five unknown Hispanic juvenile males and two unknown black juvenile males in February’s attack; authorities called the incident a first-degree assault.

RELATED: Blaze News original: 19 nauseating times cowardly thugs ganged up on — and savagely beat up — lone victims

The suspects in both attacks wore similar clothing.

Commenters reacting to the latest incident are furious.

“And this is why carry permits are on the rise,” one commenter said. “It’s only a matter of time before these idiots attack the wrong person.””When you inevitably find them arrest the parents, too,” another commenter suggested.”I watched the video – the last image – horrible. How horrible. I hope the young victim is OK. Sick,” another commenter observed. “Where is security???””Just why AMERICA needs Open Carry,” another commenter said. “Shoot & waste these POS & it will stop …”

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​Montgomery county police department, Maryland, Physical attack, Wheaton mall, Strongarm robbery, Teen suspects, Crime 

At surface level, Mardi Gras — the pre-Lent festival celebrated with parades, colorful costumes, beads, music, dancing, and feasting on rich foods — can seem like lighthearted, innocent fun.

But do its pagan origins and underlying ideology pose a spiritual threat to Christians who choose to participate in the festivities?

On a recent episode of “Strange Encounters,” BlazeTV host Rick Burgess addressed this query and warned his audience why this particular holiday is problematic for people serious about following God.

The history behind Mardi Gras is dark and complicated.

“A lot of historians link the modern version of Mardi Gras with ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman spring fertility festivals,” says Rick.

“In those days with these pagan nations … this involved lewdness, sexual immorality, nudity, drunkenness, revelry of every kind. And it was associated with various gods (little g), most typically the god Pan,” he adds.

If various forms of debauchery and worshiping pagan gods weren’t enough to give Christians serious pause, these pagan festivals, he explains, involved other perverse activities, including men cross-dressing as women and wearing masks in order to conceal their identities and participate in sinful behavior, which ignited the masquerade tradition.

Rick cites Deuteronomy 22:5, which forbids cross-dressing and calls it “an abomination to the Lord.”

But if pagan origins weren’t enough to steer Christians away from Mardi Gras, the ideology behind modern celebrations certainly should, he says.

“According to the modern tradition of Mardi Gras, it’s the period of personal gratification, indulgence preceding the season of Lent” when Christians, but especially Catholics, “decide to give up something” for the 40 days leading up to Easter, he explains.

The idea of indulging in sinful behavior — gluttony, sexual immorality, drunkenness, or otherwise — before a religious season of penance is a deeply heretical idea, says Rick.

“You’ll find nowhere in scripture that the scripture would call us to a time of sin in order to prepare for holiness” he says. “No, we’re to repent of all sin, all the time.”

Ultimately, Rick sees Christian participation in Mardi Gras like this: “shaking our fist in the face of God almighty, and saying, ‘We’re going to party and participate in sinful revelry and premeditated open rebellion against You, our creator — but don’t worry, we’re going to be good for 40 days so that You’ll forgive us for what we’re about to do.”’

Scripture, he says, calls “us to holiness not for 40 days, not for a short period of time, but for every day, all the time.”

To hear more of his analysis and commentary, watch the episode above.

Want more from Rick Burgess?

To enjoy more bold talk and big laughs, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Strange encounters, Strange encounters with rick burgess, Rick burgess, Mardi gras, Spiritual warfare, Lent, Blazetv, Blaze media 

On the latest episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl,” Karl Brauer and I talk about a feature drivers almost universally dislike: start-stop technology.

You know the feeling. You pull up to a light, the engine shuts off, and for a split second you wonder whether the car just stalled. Then it lurches back to life when traffic moves again.

This is not a beloved convenience feature. It’s not a reason anyone chooses one vehicle over another.

Automakers have spent years smoothing it out, but that hasn’t changed the basic problem. Most drivers still don’t like it. And now, with federal greenhouse gas rules being rolled back, there is a real question hanging over the industry: Will start-stop finally disappear?

This is one of those rare automotive issues on which regular drivers and enthusiasts agree. People neither want nor trust this technology. And many resent being forced to pay for something that was added mainly to satisfy regulations rather than improve the driving experience.

Fuel me once

Start-stop did not spread through the market because drivers demanded it.

It spread because automakers were given a fuel-economy benefit for installing it under federal rules tied to corporate average fuel economy — CAFE standards. In practical terms, the feature helped manufacturers squeeze out regulatory compliance on paper by shutting the engine off at stops.

That may look efficient in a spreadsheet. It looks very different in real traffic.

The problem is that traffic is not clean or predictable. It is constant stop-and-go movement, with drivers creeping, hesitating, inching forward, braking, and accelerating again.

As our guest Mike Harley points out, driving is analog. Those in-between moments — when you are not sure whether traffic is actually moving — are exactly where the system is intrusive and out of sync.

Light-bulb moment

Drivers worry about wear on the starter, wear on the engine, and long-term reliability. Whether every concern is equally justified, the perception problem is real.

Many drivers believe the system adds strain and complexity to a vehicle they are already maintaining at significant cost.

Karl makes the point bluntly. He compares it to the old incandescent light bulb: The moment of greatest strain is when it is first turned on. His argument is that starting the engine repeatedly creates the same kind of wear event over and over again.

That’s a simple way to understand why the feature bothers people.

Consumers are already dealing with high repair costs, expensive electronics, and rising replacement part prices. A system that repeatedly shuts down and restarts the engine does not seem like a benefit. It is one more thing that could break.

And that’s where the frustration really sets in.

Drivers are told the system is there for efficiency. But if it contributes to more wear, more service visits, or more expensive repairs, the cost falls on them — not on the regulators who pushed the standard.

As I have reported previously, mechanics consistently point to increased strain on starters and batteries — even with reinforced components.

RELATED: Start-stop stiffed: EPA kills annoying automatic engine shutoff

Smith Collection/Gado/Saul Loeb/Getty Images

Hesitant to change

I reached out to multiple automakers after hearing that these rules were being reconsidered.

The response was revealing.

Brand after brand gave essentially the same answer: 2026 models will keep start-stop for now, and they are still evaluating what to do with 2027 vehicles.

In other words, even with the regulatory ground shifting, nothing has changed yet on the showroom floor.

That tells you two things.

First, automakers know the system exists because of regulation, not because customers love it. Second, they are still cautious about changing course until they are sure the rules are fully settled.

That caution makes sense from the manufacturer side. But from the consumer side, it means drivers may be stuck with a feature they dislike for longer than expected.

Regulatory logic

One reason start-stop has become such a useful example is that it shows what happens when policy priorities move ahead of consumer experience.

On paper, the feature looked like an easy win. It improved regulatory averages, gave automakers a compliance tool, and let officials claim environmental progress.

But in the real world, drivers are the ones living with the result. They are the ones restarting the engine every time traffic creeps forward. They are the ones shutting the system off manually every time they get in the car. They are the ones paying if extra wear shows up later.

That gap between regulatory logic and everyday driving reality is exactly why this feature has become so unpopular.

Full stop?

It might end — but probably not overnight.

Automakers have already built the systems into their current vehicle architectures. Many are not going to rip them out immediately. But if the regulatory credits tied to start-stop truly disappear, the business case for keeping it becomes weaker.

That matters because there was never much of a consumer case to begin with.

This is not a beloved convenience feature. It’s not a reason anyone chooses one vehicle over another. If anything, it can push buyers away — especially when it cannot be permanently disabled.

And that may be the feature’s biggest weakness. Consumers tolerated it because they assumed they had no choice.

A simple question

Drivers have been complaining about start-stop for years, and not because they resist change. They dislike it because it interrupts the driving experience, creates distrust, and solves a regulatory problem more than a consumer one.

The rules that justified the feature are starting to shift. The technology itself hasn’t gone anywhere — yet. But for the first time, automakers may have a real opportunity to ask a simple question: If customers don’t want this, why are we still building it?

And if they listen, start-stop may finally become a case study in what happens when consumers win one back.

You can listen to the full episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl” featuring Mike Harley below:

​Drive with lauren fix and karl brauer, Lifestyle, Auto industry, Align cars, Start stop, Emissions, Cafe standards, Mike harley