Imagine buying a brand-new car and discovering it comes with a camera pointed at your face every time you drive.

Not the road. You.

Most drivers never realized their vehicles were quietly building behavioral profiles.

As of this week, that’s no longer optional across the European Union. Every new passenger car and van registered in the EU must include an interior camera as part of an Advanced Driver Distraction Warning system. The technology activates at about 12 mph, tracking your eyes, head position, and attention. If it decides you’re distracted or drowsy, it issues a warning.

Officials say it’s about saving lives.

Camera-ready

No one disputes that distracted driving is a serious problem. The question is whether constant driver monitoring is the only solution — or whether it creates infrastructure that could eventually be used for much more than safety.

According to the European Commission, the system is designed as a closed-loop safety feature. It analyzes driver behavior inside the vehicle and issues warnings when it detects distraction or drowsiness. Officials say it does not record video or transmit footage outside the vehicle.

The more important question is what happens next.

Once every new vehicle is required to have an interior camera, the hardware is already in place. Expanding what that hardware can do no longer requires redesigning millions of vehicles. It only requires new regulations, updated software, or new policies governing how the data can be used.

Safety regulations have added new technology to our vehicles for decades. Seat belts, airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, backup cameras, automatic emergency braking, and forward-collision warning systems all became standard because they delivered measurable safety benefits.

An interior camera is different because it monitors the driver rather than the roadway.

Big picture

Europe may be moving first, but the United States isn’t far behind. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop rules requiring advanced impaired-driving prevention technology in future vehicles. While NHTSA has acknowledged that passive detection systems are not yet ready for widespread deployment, in-cabin monitoring remains one of the technologies under consideration.

In other words, this conversation is already happening here.

What makes that more concerning is how much information modern vehicles already generate. Over the past several years, investigations revealed that automakers, including General Motors and Honda, shared driving behavior data — including hard braking, rapid acceleration, speeding events, and time-of-day driving patterns — with data brokers. Those brokers, in turn, supplied information used by insurance companies to help determine premiums.

Most drivers never realized their vehicles were quietly building behavioral profiles.

Now add an interior camera capable of detecting whether you’ve looked at your navigation screen, reached for your coffee, glanced at a child in the back seat, or appeared drowsy after a long shift.

Americans have also watched roadside surveillance expand dramatically. Modern license plate reader systems now identify far more than license plates, using AI to recognize vehicle make, model, color, distinctive features, bumper stickers, roof racks, and travel patterns. Combined with connected-car telematics and interior cameras, those systems create an increasingly detailed picture of where you go, how you drive, and what you’re doing behind the wheel.

RELATED: The latest ‘solution’ to reckless driving could limit freedom for all of us

United Archives/Getty Images

Who pays?

Let’s not ignore the economic incentive behind all of this surveillance.

Every mandate creates winners. Camera manufacturers gain a guaranteed market. Software companies secure long-term licensing contracts. Automakers pass compliance costs on to consumers through higher vehicle prices. And the data generated by these systems may become valuable in ways nobody can fully predict today.

Consumers pay for all of it.

They pay more for the vehicle while giving up another measure of privacy inside what has traditionally been one of the last personal spaces they control.

Highway robbery

Supporters argue these systems only issue warnings, and today that’s true.

But history suggests technology rarely remains limited to its original purpose once the infrastructure exists. Software evolves and regulations change. Data that wasn’t considered valuable yesterday often becomes indispensable tomorrow.

We’ve already watched driving data migrate from vehicles to data brokers and, in some cases, insurance companies. We’ve also watched roadside camera networks expand well beyond their original mission. Neither happened overnight; both expanded gradually.

Every responsible driver wants safer roads. My concern is what happens after every new vehicle comes equipped with hardware designed to watch the person behind the wheel.

For more than a century, the automobile has represented personal freedom. When driving increasingly means being observed, analyzed, and potentially scored, the relationship between drivers and their vehicles begins to change.

Europe has already decided that every new car should watch its driver. Americans should decide whether they’re comfortable heading down the same road before it quietly becomes the default here as well.

​Drivers, Auto industry, Nhtsa, Distracted driving, Privacy, Culture, Freedom, Data brokers, Ford, Gm, Automotive 

United States Vice President JD Vance sat down for a wide-ranging interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. The eyebrow-raising interview included skewering Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, discussing the Epstein files, and explaining aliens possibly being demons.

In the nearly three-hour podcast interview released Wednesday, Vance said many Republicans are “skeptical” because many Democrats want it to be illegal for voters to show identification when voting in elections.

‘I admire the f**king sheer tenacity that he has in being full of s**t.’

Vance asked, “Why not just have voter ID?”

Rogan said opposition to voter identification requirements makes it seem “like you want people to cheat.”

Vance declared, “If you don’t want to cheat in the election, then just make everybody actually show an ID.”

When Rogan asked about the United States’ military action against Iran, Vance said he would support President Donald Trump’s overseas intervention as long as the decisions are “legal and ethical.”

Vance stated, “The goal is certainly good, which is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.”

The prolific podcaster asked about the release of the files related to the investigation into convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The vice president conceded that the administration had “mishandled” the Epstein files.

“If people want to say we mishandled the Epstein release, guilty. We did mishandle it — especially the communications of it,” Vance said.

“We absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. We just did,” Vance admitted.

However, Vance stressed there was no truth to theories that the White House was attempting to hide anything about the Epstein files.

Vance declared himself to be one of the original “Epstein conspiracy theorists” and said that he has “probably gone down every single rabbit hole we could go down.”

Vance added, “But do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No.”

Vance said former Attorney General Pam Bondi’s claim about having binders of documents on her desk made “people mistrust the entire effort” and “overstated what we had and what we didn’t have.”

Vance said that he does “like” Bondi and that the binder incident was likely her “trying to respond to the political moment.”

Vance noted, “We did release all these files. Did it take longer than it should have taken? Yes.”

Vance said the Epstein files should have been “dropped at the very beginning” once all the reviews and redactions had been done.

“We should have just done it as quickly as possible,” Vance stated.

Vance said he believes that Epstein “clearly” had connections to the highest level of American and Israeli intelligence.

“Yeah, Mossad or CIA or some other deep state, whether in America or Israel or another country — or both,” Vance said. “Look, he clearly had connections to the highest levels of American intelligence. He clearly had connections to the highest levels of Israeli intelligence.”

RELATED: JD Vance reveals the heartbreaking conversation that convinced him to have a fourth child

Rogan — who showed support for Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), a democratic socialist, in 2020 — said that he is “really concerned” about Americans rallying around socialism.

“I’m really concerned that people think that’s a good idea and that they think that socialism just hasn’t been done correctly,” Rogan told Vance. “That drives me nuts.”

Rogan said socialism “always leads to one thing: It leads to a very powerful military government that controls the population — period, end of discussion.”

Vance agreed with Rogan’s assessment.

“The whole argument of communism is that you seize the means of production,” Vance said. “But because the most powerful means of production is the human mind, you ultimately have to get into totalitarianism.”

Vance expressed concern that artificial intelligence could unintentionally usher in communism.

“The fundamental challenge of AI is, it’s going to unleash a lot of wealth creation, but if that wealth creation all goes to some segment of people, you’re going to have communism,” Vance warned.

“But if you don’t ensure that there’s some broader prosperity from that wealth creation, we have run this experiment before, and it leads to communism,” he added.

Vance and Rogan both agreed that California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is “full of s**t.” The pair rehashed the time when Newsom told a group that he “cannot read a speech.”

As Blaze News reported in February, Newsom apparently attempted to appeal to a reportedly majority-black audience at a book tour stop in Atlanta.

“I’m not trying to impress you,” Newsom told the group. “I’m just trying to impress upon you, I’m like you. I’m no better than you. You know, I’m a 960 SAT guy. I’m not trying to offend anyone, you know, trying to act all there if you got a 940.”

“You never see me read a speech because I cannot read a speech,” Newsom added.

Vance said of Newsom, “He’s full of s**t.”

Rogan replied, “He’s so full of s**t. Admirably full of s**t. I admire the f**king sheer tenacity that he has in being full of s**t.”

Rogan asked Vance about remarks he made earlier this year, where he revealed that he believes aliens could be demons.

“I’m not one of these people who’s, like, a hyper-rationalist,” Vance responded. “I think that there are things happening in the world that we’re not always seeing. I believe in God.”

“If you look historically at things that are similar to the alien phenomenon, where some strange being, it kind of looks like a human being, but … that’s not human, and it shows a particular interest in human beings, and then it takes the human beings and does weird experiments on them.”

Vance said either it is “bulls**t,” you’re “talking to a crazy person,” or aliens could be demons.

“Just because I believe in the supernatural doesn’t mean I believe in everything supernatural,” Vance continued. “But if we’re talking about an extraterrestrial being that is human-like but not human that contains effectively infinite powers and is torturing human beings, you can call it an alien if you want, but I think there’s a lot of historical precedent to call that a demon.”

Rogan described an alleged alien encounter where the extraterrestrial healed a man. Vance replied, “Extra-powerful beings, in this case communicating telepathically, helping people, sounds like an angel.”

The entire “Joe Rogan Experience” interview with JD Vance can be seen here.

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​Gavin newsom, Jd vance, The joe rogan experience, Donald trump, Aliens, Politics 

Night owls who stay up watching TV or on their devices are known to get a little less sleep, but there is another factor that is contributing to a lower quality of life.

A glance at studies over the last decade have shown that watching devices in the bedroom and at night before bed has increased, with nearly half the population giving in to the blue glow.

‘When people eat may be just as important as what they eat.’

ET phone home

A 2025 study of more than 120,000 participants found that over 40% (~50,000) reported daily screen use before bed.

However, another nighttime ritual is contributing to poor health, specifically among women: late-night eating.

A study from New Zealand evaluated hundreds of women and their eating habits, tracking body-fat percentage, body mass index, and fat ratio.

Broken down into “evening types” and “morning types,” those who stay up late had a higher body-fat percentage than the morning people.

Staying up seemed directly related to diet, as the study showed the nighthawks consumed more energy, protein, carbohydrates, and fat after 8 p.m.

The ET group also had a reportedly worse lipid profile, which refers to blood sugar levels.

RELATED: Doctors found a mass in her stomach — and the bizarre cure for it in the fridge

ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images

Night feeding

The bodies of women who were evening types burned off less energy and ate food that is less nutrient-dense as well. This was coupled with lower dietary intake in the morning and eating more in the evening. The study said that evening intake was “significantly associated” with a higher body-fat percentage.

For evening type ladies, there was also a “potentially greater susceptibility to obesity.”

Compared to the morning types and those in between, evening types had a 20.3% higher body mass index and had approximately 6% more body fat. There was also a +12.6% difference in the android fat to gynoid fat ratio; meaning a greater proportion of body fat is concentrated in the abdomen area rather than the hips and thighs.

This all came despite the ETs and MTs both consuming similar amounts of energy and nutrients.

“The research highlights that when people eat may be just as important as what they eat,” said a senior author of the study, Rozanne Kruger, per Newsmax.

RELATED: Michigan parents charged with murder and torture after their 7-year-old boy dies with disturbing weight

Martin Bertrand/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images

Hitting the sack? Don’t snack

According to Kruger — a professor and nutrition researcher at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia — limiting food late at night could improve health even in those who feel the need to stay up.

The study further concluded that the timing of meals in relation to when a person goes to sleep is important to ongoing “metabolic health outcomes.”

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​New zealand, Study, Health, Women, Lifestyle 

As I’ve spoken on the topics of adoption and abortion all across this nation, woke professors, miseducated student activists, politicians, and fake feminists have told me that I should have been aborted. It isn’t always in those exact words, but it’s always the exact sentiment.

I heard it most bluntly at Harvard.

We live in a culture that says if you’re unplanned, you will be unwanted and unloved. It’s simply untrue.

I’d been invited to speak at one of the inaugural events for Harvard Law Students for Life. The night before, lying in my hotel room, my mind kept betraying me: I’m not worthy. I’m not worthy. I don’t come from an Ivy League school. How could I possibly hold my ground on Harvard soil?

Speak, man

The next morning, standing in the shower, still telling myself I couldn’t do this, I looked up to shift the water and reached for the nozzle — and just laughed. Printed on the showerhead was a single word: SPEAKMAN. Speak, man. I’d never seen that brand before in my life, but it branded my heart with a divine confidence. I was made to do this.

The room, when I arrived, was packed. The Harvard professor invited to offer the opposing view showed up late with nothing prepared. I shared my personal story, dispelled the myth of the “unwanted” child, and laid out the numbers: More black babies are aborted than born alive in some American cities; abortion rates among blacks is up to six times higher than among whites — a gap poverty and insurance rates alone can’t explain.

They didn’t like my take on history, equality, or abortion’s violent inequity. The hour-long Q&A that followed was a cacophony of ad hominem attacks and jeers that had almost nothing to do with the subject matter. The professor called my adoption story — a story where a woman proved she was stronger than her circumstances and chose life for her child — “a cute story.”

Afterward, several students came down to share more of their animosity. One called me a vulgar name. Another asked how it felt to be a puppet. And one activist leaned in and told me, flatly, that I should have been aborted.

RELATED: The liberty we cherish must extend to ALL Americans — especially the most defenseless

Heather Diehl/Getty Images

Hate, not debate

At another Christian college, a dean pulled me aside after a similar talk and told me, “Thank you so much for that. You handled that with so much grace.” Two days later, his own department sent a school-wide email denouncing me, claiming my comments made students “feel unheard, underrepresented, and unsafe.” Truth, it turns out, is unsafe. Victimhood is potent.

This has been my experience at too many colleges and universities. They want to hate, not debate. Higher learning has become mired learning from coast to coast. It’s not every school, not every professor, not every student. But it’s endemic to academia. The solution is courage. Like fear, it’s contagious. Unlike fear, it illuminates, educates, and motivates.

Brokenness into breakthrough

I can never let lies like that faze me. My own story is reflected in so many other lives the world is quick to write off — lives that need someone to care, someone to speak, someone to act. I fight for the most marginalized among the marginalized, because that was once me.

We live in a culture that says if you’re unplanned, you will be unwanted and unloved. It’s simply untrue. My life began in violence but became one of victory. I’m forever grateful my birth mom didn’t remove me from the frame of life. That painfully courageous decision sent ripples through time — to my own marriage, to my four children, to family I didn’t even know existed until last fall.

None of us can control the circumstances of our conception. None of us can control much of what happens in our lives for that matter. God turns brokenness into breakthrough all the time. How we rise when we’re faced with the seemingly insurmountable shows the true beauty and resilience of our humanity. In a world that is constantly searching for meaning, this simple truth is sometimes the most evasive: We’re all meant to be.

This article was adapted from Ryan Bomberger’s new memoir, “Should Have Been Aborted.”

​Culture, Abortion, Dobbs, Roe v. wade, Harvard, Freedom of speech, Radiance foundation, Pro-life 

Frightening messages between a teen couple were read aloud during a pretrial hearing earlier this week for a 16-year-old accused of killing five members of his girlfriend’s family.

Illinois State Police stated that all the victims were related to the accused’s 15-year-old girlfriend, who is identified in court records only by the initials W.T. since she is being charged as a juvenile. Her boyfriend, Ja’ymier Davis, is being prosecuted as an adult under Illinois law, which requires juveniles age 16 or older who are charged with first-degree murder to face adult criminal proceedings.

‘Babe, I’m finna lose my whole family for you.’

The couple is accused of killing the girl’s grandmother Patricia May, 74; aunt Cherie May, 49; sister Shania Thompson, 25; cousin Devin May, 24; and brother Quentin Thompson, 21.

During Wednesday’s hearing in St. Clair County criminal court, prosecutors read a series of chilling Instagram chats between Davis and the girl prior to the killings.

“Well, your auntie is going to be easy. We can have her at gunpoint and stab her [expletive],” Davis wrote.

“I can do that. I love blood,” the girlfriend allegedly responded.

She added, “Babe, I’m finna lose my whole family for you.”

It was revealed in court that the girl’s mother discovered messages in which the pair allegedly listed relatives they intended to kill.

RELATED: 15-year-old girl allegedly shot and killed 5 of her family members with 16-year-old boy, police say

Prosecutors also allege that at the time of the arrest, law enforcement officials discovered Patricia May’s severed thumb, which the pair had cut off to access her cell phone.

Davis is facing 12 criminal charges, including five counts of first-degree murder, dismembering a human body, two counts of attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, aggravated vehicular hijacking, and unlawful use of a stolen firearm.

However, his attorney is claiming self-defense.

“This is not a case where he is the hunter; he is the hunted,” part-time public defender Patrick Sullivan said. “The truth will come out.”

St. Clair County Assistant State’s Attorney Dan Lewis argued during the pretrial hearing to keep Davis in jail.

“If he gets out, there’s every indication that he will finish what he started,” Lewis said.

Associate Judge Sara Rice agreed and ordered Davis to remain in custody.

Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the killings.

Illinois State Police said the investigation began Sunday after the body of Cherie May was discovered at the Samuel Gompers Homes public housing complex in East St. Louis. Authorities said two additional victims, Patricia and Devin May, also were found dead there.

Quentin Thompson and Shania Thompson were killed at Jones Park and in an alley at 39th Street and Summit Avenue, respectively. Two other family members, Santosha Scott and Tiffany Thompson, survived after they also were shot at Jones Park.

RELATED: Thug allegedly threatens to kill homeowner, enters victim’s residence. But homeowner fights back with baseball bat — and gun.

Lamarian Smiley, whose wife survived the attack, spoke to KSDK and said the teen couple posted a “hit list” on Instagram.

“It’s all because y’all wanted to be together, so … they wanted to eliminate everybody that had a problem with the situation,” Smiley said.

He noted that his wife survived only because the pair ran out of bullets and were unable to kill her.

Smiley, along with police, also said the gun used in the spree was stolen from the girl’s mother.

“Her daughter took the keys from her purse, unlocked the lockbox, and took the firearm,” he added. “The police were notified as soon as they found out that the firearm was taken.”

The St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office is seeking to have the 15-year-old girl tried as an adult.

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​Arrests, Illinois, Illinois state police, Instagram, Murder charges, Teenagers, Trial, Crime 

For years, the Epstein files have fueled endless speculation, conspiracy theories, and demands for transparency — which have resulted in widespread disappointment among Americans demanding to know the truth.

Now, on the biggest podcast in the world, Vice President JD Vance is offering one of the administration’s most direct explanations yet for why the highly anticipated document release left so many Americans frustrated.

“The Epstein files were supposed to be released,” Joe Rogan said to Vance on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” “And there was a tremendous amount of resistance to those files being released. That concerned a lot of people because if you’re talking about very wealthy, powerful people that were engaged in crimes.”

“So you’re basically saying the fear is that whatever’s in the Epstein files was used to blackmail the administration into doing the Iran thing,” Vance replied.

“Or, at the very least, the people that were involved in the Epstein files that didn’t want them coming out had undue influence,” Rogan said.

“I say this with all candor, we absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. Like we just did. But do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No,” Vance explained.

Instead, Vance believes the reason the administration “screwed up the comms” was that former Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed the client list was on her desk.

“So, what was the purpose of that performative display of the Epstein files, and she was saying there’s tens of thousands of hours of film?” Rogan asked.

“I don’t know what the purpose of it was, but I know that the effect of it was to make people mistrust the entire effort,” Vance answered, noting that he believes Bondi was “trying to respond to the political moment.”

Vance called himself one of the “OG Epstein conspiracy theorists” and admitted to going “down every single rabbit hole.”

“The original sin of the Epstein investigation, and obviously I’m biased here, but it was not what Donald Trump and the administration did in 2025. It was, you have to go back to 2007, 2008, the original Alex Acosta investigation of Jeffrey Epstein where he basically dropped the federal charges,” he explained.

“You go to the original warrant back in 2008, what was he looking for? What was he allowed to look for? What were they collecting? It was not looking at a broader conspiracy,” he added.

“That’s fascinating,” BlazeTV host Pat Gray comments.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever find out the truth,” he adds, “but that was fascinating.”

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.

​Pat gray, Jd vance, Joe rogan, Jeffrey epstein, Pam bondi, Donald trump, Epstein files, Conspiracy theory, Pat gray unleashed 

Support for Israel is seemingly becoming a partisan issue in Congress.

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected an amendment that would have eliminated $3.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel. But the vote count told its own story: Nearly half the Democratic Caucus broke from party leadership to support it, while Republicans stayed almost entirely unified against it.

‘They’re the biggest welfare recipient of the United States and have been for many years.’

The amendment to the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for 2027, sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), would have barred any funds in the bill from being spent on Israel.

Ahead of the vote, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) laid out his position in a “Dear Colleague” letter: He would vote no because the amendment was “overly broad,” warning it would also cut off funding for humanitarian aid, refugee resettlement, and embassy operations and make it harder to counter Hamas and Hezbollah.

House Democratic Whip Rep. Katherine Clark (Mass.) broke with Jeffries publicly. In her statement, she agreed that the amendment was “overly broad” and called it “stunts from congressional Republicans who would rather score cheap political points than lead” — but reached the opposite conclusion.

“However, it is clear that the status quo is not tenable. We should not provide a blank check for military aid to any country that does not comply with U.S. law, interests, and values,” Clark said. “The Netanyahu government has failed to meet that standard. I will be voting yes … because I believe we must change course.”

RELATED: Democrat congressman’s Israel trip takes dramatic turn as officials dispute viral claims

ierney L. Cross/Bloomberg/Getty Images

In the end, 103 Democrats joined Massie in voting yes — including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who said she remains “committed to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and supportive of a two-state solution,” but that the amendment “presents an unfortunate choice to the House.”

Ninety-eight Democrats joined 215 Republicans in voting no; Massie, who recently lost his House seat in the most expensive House primary in U.S. history, was the only Republican in favor. The measure failed 104-314.

In the floor debate ahead of the vote, Massie argued that the money would be better spent at home — on roads, bridges, and homeless veterans — before calling Israel “the biggest welfare recipient of the United States,” citing $310 billion in inflation-adjusted aid received over the years from American taxpayers.

RELATED: 4 Republicans vote with Democrats to rebuke Trump on Iran war

Jon Cherry/Getty Images

“Israel has the strongest economy in the Middle East,” he said. “Their debt per GDP is in much better shape than ours. They don’t need our money.”

Then he circled back to the word himself: “In fact, they’ve claimed recently they want to get off of the welfare, but I’m concerned that the other funding mechanisms they’re talking about — commingling our technology and supply chains — will have even less transparency than what’s going on here today.”

Massie was careful to frame the measure as part of his broader principle: “I’m opposed to all foreign aid. I didn’t pick on Israel here. I’ve offered an amendment to defund Egypt and also to defund the aid to Jordan … but I am particularly concerned this year about the foreign aid to Israel.”

That concern, he said, came down to the war itself: “American taxpayers should not be conscripted into funding the military adventures of Israel,” he said, urging the adoption of his amendment.

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​Department of state, Foreign aid, Gaza, Hakeem jeffries, Hamas, Hezbollah, Israel, Katherine clark, Middle east, Military aid, National security, Thomas massie, United states, Us house of representatives, Republican party, Democratic party, Politics 

“The Odyssey” is destined for box office glory despite its anti-PR blitz.

Christopher Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic poem could generate $100 million this weekend. That’s impressive, especially for a film that feels like a homework assignment on paper.

Stallone’s early days are rocket fuel for the soul. He had nothing, suffered from a speech impediment, and seemed the most unlikely movie star possible.

Nolan is simply the most in-demand filmmaker of our era. Sorry, Mr. Spielberg, but it’s true.

Just don’t thank the film’s stars, who have spent weeks trying to scare half the country from seeing the film. Lupita Nyong’o, cast as Helen of Troy, mocked Homer for not giving enough time to his female characters. Samantha Morton, who plays a witchy woman in the saga, also played the down-with-the-patriarchy card to the press.

John Leguizamo is spending his red-carpet time demanding more Latino representation on screen. Hey, John, you’ve got seven upcoming screen credits. Can’t you let other Latino actors get a gig?

Co-star Elliot Page, who calls herself transgender, is using the publicity tour to spout gobbledygook about gender and sexuality.

Is this any way to market a movie? Good thing Nolan’s unparalleled skill behind the camera has movie fans panting in anticipation.

Who knows? If the film’s stars stuck to the promotional script, it might make even more money …

Breadstick nationalism

Speaking of Leguizamo, the actor popped up on “The Daily Show” this week to argue in favor of birthright citizenship. OK, we’ll listen. But how? He said that white Americans once came here illegally.

What’s the opposite of a mic drop?

“America works on the Olive Garden rule: When you’re here, you’re family,” he said.

Later, the actor made that comment sound brilliant by comparison.

“Now, the Trump administration says that we’re not talking about all children of immigrants. We’re only saying birthright citizenship doesn’t apply to children of people here illegally or temporarily. But how far back do you want to take that? Because at some point, every white person was here illegally.”

Maybe he should go back to culturally appropriating Greek culture on-screen …

RELATED: BILL PILLED: Maher warns fellow Democrats that they’re headed for woke-tastrophe

Shannon Finney/Getty Images

Serkis maximus

Andy Serkis is having a rough year.

The actor/director/CGI performer’s “Animal Farm” stunk up theaters just a few short weeks ago. Serkis’ pet project ignored George Orwell’s intentions, and the film cratered at the box office.

Still, brighter days lie ahead for the talented star. He’ll be directing the next “Lord of the Rings” movie. Except some intrepid journalist tried to shame him over the previous films’ lack of, wait for it, diversity.

How many moviegoers rejected the original “Rings” trilogy for that very reason? You can count them all on one hand.

Serkis, to our surprise, didn’t go the Apology Tour route. Nor did he vow to be an “ally” moving forward. Why? This isn’t 2020 anymore.

He did strike a diplomatic note while suggesting he won’t be bullied into adding Zendaya into yet another movie.

“Yes, there have been criticisms. … This particular film is somewhat acknowledging that. But I don’t think we will be doing a politically correct, just-casting-for-the sake-of-casting-and-ticking-boxes version of the film. So, it’s only where relevant basically.”

It’s not, “Go pound sand,” but it’s not a knee-bending retreat either. We’ll take it …

‘Rocky’ packs a punch

“I Play Rocky” sounds like the latest example of Hollywood’s imagination drain. The film offers a behind-the-scenes look at the 1976 boxing classic and the man who risked everything to make it to the big screen.

It’s not a reboot, a sequel, a prequel, or a reimagining … but it’s still a recycling project.

The trailer might change your mind.

Director Peter Farrelly is best known for wacky comedies like “Kingpin” and “Dumb and Dumber.” He shifted to dramatic fare with the Oscar-winning “Green Book,” and he looks like a fine choice to helm this inspirational yarn.

Stallone’s early days are rocket fuel for the soul. He had nothing, suffered from a speech impediment, and seemed the most unlikely movie star possible. But he had a dream, a vision, and a screenplay about a ham-and-egger who gets a shot at the title.

The rest is history, of course, but the story behind the story remains fascinating. It helps that star Anthony Ippolito looks and sounds just like the young Stallone.

It’s stunning.

“I Play Rocky” hits theater Nov. 13, and it could be just the movie we’ve been waiting for.

​Toto recall, Movies, Hollywood, Odyssey, Andy serkis, Lord of the rings, Dei, John leguizamo, Lupita nyong’o, Samantha morton, Elliot page 

A group of Republicans have written letters to the Federal Communications Commission asking for national changes to how consumers can use their cell phones.

On Monday, four GOP members from across the country told FCC Chairman Brendan Carr that it’s time for mandatory rules that allow for greater technological freedom among cellphone providers.

‘Working families and seniors on fixed incomes remain locked into carrier networks.’

Reps. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.), Mark Alford (R-Mo.), and Mark E. Amodei (R-Nev.) wrote the FCC to voice their “strong support” behind finalizing “uniform, mandatory cellphone unlocking rules.”

This would mean that when a customer is finished with a contract with his cellphone carrier, he could then have his phone unlocked so that it can be used under any other service provider/network, similar to carrying over one’s phone number.

“Consumers in our districts, including working families and seniors on fixed incomes, remain locked into carrier networks even after paying off their devices, unable to switch to more affordable plans due to a patchwork of voluntary carrier policies,” the congressmen wrote in a letter provided to Blaze News.

At the same time, Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.) wrote his own letter to Carr, which described locked phones as “artificial restrictions for consumers” that deter competition and “trap families in overpriced plans.”

RELATED: Dems launch new push to control more of what you do in your car

Jc Milhet/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images

Both letters cited a national poll of 1,000 registered voters on the topic of cellphone carriers locking cell phones and restricting them from being used on competing networks.

Fitzgerald cited the “extremely high” support behind being able to keep one’s cell phone when changing carriers.

“Agreement is also broad and strong for the statements that locking devices to a network limits choice and is a main reason for paying,” the FabrizioWard poll stated.

The other Congress members referred to the massively bipartisan nature of the idea, which was shown through 86% of independents supporting cellphone unlocking.

Concurrently, 85% of Donald Trump voters agreed, while 90% of Kamala Harris voters also were in favor of the policy.

Other major support was found when participants were asked if they should be allowed to switch cellphone carriers with the same phone at any point if they pay off the remainder of their contract; an average of 85% of respondents agreed.

RELATED: You can finally buy Palmer Luckey’s favorite ‘flying car’ — there’s just one catch

Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto/Getty Images

“We respectfully request that the commission move forward to finalize a clear and enforceable unlocking standard,” the group of politicians wrote.

They continued, “Consumers seeking more affordable monthly plans may have limited options, paying higher rates than a more competitive market would require.”

Without a consistent standard, they argued, consumers will continue to be treated differently depending on which carrier sold them a phone, with little recourse if they are not allowed to opt out of their contract.

The FCC has yet to respond.

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​Cell phones, Phone carriers, Fcc, Brendan carr, Tech 

In his primetime address to the nation on Thursday — which ABC, CNN, and NBC refused to carry — President Donald Trump provided damning insights into the apparent insecurity of American elections and past efforts to both exploit and cover up election system vulnerabilities.

Trump highlighted, among other things, the apparent attempts by the Chinese communist regime to interfere in the 2020 election; China’s “illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files”; the work by “members of the deep state” to “actively suppress and downplay information about the extent of China’s sinister election meddling”; and the discovery, according to a Department of Homeland Security review, that approximately 278,000 noncitizens were registered to vote.

‘He has cynically and corruptly decided to call into question our free and fair elections.’

“Great damage has been done to our country. Our elections were left vulnerable to being rigged and stolen, and the trust of the American people was lost,” said the president. “This cannot be allowed to continue.”

Officials in Beijing are hardly the only leftists outraged over Trump’s disclosures.

Following the speech and the White House’s release of supporting documents, Democrats lashed out in an apparent panic and accused Trump of trying to “rig” the upcoming midterms.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), found to have an unfavorability rating of 43% according to a recent Harvard-Harris poll, characterized Trump’s speech as a “pathetic attempt” to deny that “he lost the 2020 election.”

“He is working to rig the midterms before a single vote has even been cast. We won’t let him,” Schumer said in a statement. “When it comes to the SAVE Act, the courts have rejected it, Congress has rejected it, even members of your own party have rejected it — give it up.”

RELATED: FBI now investigating alleged election fraud among homeless in Skid Row of Los Angeles

Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg/Getty Images

In his speech, Trump noted that “addressing this crisis of election security demands that Congress must pass the SAVE America Act” — proposed legislation that would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.

“The only reason you wouldn’t do it is you want to cheat because your policies are so bad and your candidates are so pathetic that you can’t get away or can’t get elected any other way,” added Trump.

Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the House minority leader who hours earlier threatened American “regime change,” suggested that the concerns and evidence Trump presented to the nation on Thursday amounted to “deliberate and dangerous lies.”

Like Schumer, Jeffries claimed that the president’s concerns about election security are part of an election subversion strategy.

“He has cynically and corruptly decided to call into question our free and fair elections before a single ballot has been cast,” said Jeffries, a staunch opponent of the SAVE America Act. “Why? Republicans believe they need to cheat to win.”

Michigan Democrats, whose state featured in the president’s discussion of possible voter fraud, said that “despite whatever this rambling and corrupt man says, thousands of clerks, poll workers, and elections staff nationwide administered a free and accurate election” and claimed that Trump was actually attempting to “undermine our elections and disenfranchise voters.”

Some Democrats rushed to conclude that Trump was lying about election vulnerabilities even before he began speaking on Thursday.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), for instance, said ahead of Trump’s speech, “You have to be a special kind of stupid to believe this bulls**t.”

All 24 Democratic governors clutched pearls over the speech, noting in a joint statement, “It’s deeply alarming that President Trump continues to try to undermine free and fair elections. No amount of lies and conspiracy theories can change the fact that our country’s elections have repeatedly been proven to be safe and secure.”

According to the Democratic governors, Trump’s “attacks” are “intended to intimidate and silence voters.”

Gavin Newsom, the governor of a state where noncitizens can vote in certain elections, individually crashed out over Trump’s speech, saying in a video, “This was a legitimate 25th Amendment moment, the ramblings of a mad king.”

Newsom told his followers that “nothing about what you watched tonight … was real.”

Sticking to the Democratic script, Newsom added that Trump “wants to rig the election in 2026.”

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​China, Chuck schumer, Donald trump, Election interference, Gavin newsom, Hakeem jeffries, Jim mcgovern, Midterms, Save america act, Voter fraud, Politics 

A new report from a Pennsylvania commission highlights a growing problem in the state, yet lawmakers are faced with a number of tough decisions in their search for a solution.

Earlier this month, the Joint State Government Commission of Pennsylvania published a report on the state of online gambling, including sports betting, which has exploded in popularity since the United States Supreme Court struck down a federal 1992 prohibition on sports betting in May 2018.

‘Imagine if you were trying to quit drinking and someone kept leaving alcohol at your doorstep and then left coupons for alcohol at your doorstep.’

By the beginning of 2025, “95% of all sports betting wagers and 60% of all slot machine wagers in Pennsylvania were made online,” according to the House resolution prompting the report, citing public data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

The issues within this relatively new industry abound, according to the report.

Convenience is one such issue. Online gamblers now have access to online casinos “24/7,” no longer need to plan or pay for accommodations, and often enjoy “more generous” bonuses and promotions than can be found in traditional casinos. Gamblers can also use platforms like PayPal and Venmo as well as credit cards for payment, making online gambling an attractive option for many gamblers.

RELATED: Debit card company promises to pay your bill … sometimes: ‘Buy now, pay maybe’

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The report details a number of online casinos’ bonus offers and marketing tactics, including “promotions, in-game advertising, advertising during sports broadcasts and webcasts, as well as using celebrated and animated spokespersons.” Artificial intelligence is often used to create this marketing content.

While the marketing tactics may seem innocuous, the report goes on to highlight several ongoing lawsuits against various online gambling platforms, in which it is alleged that the promotions were, for example, “false and misleading” or that the platform’s systems were “highly addictive.” In one particularly illustrative example, the report references a lawsuit called Brubaker v. Chester Downs & Marina that alleges, according to a Public Health Advocacy Institute summary:

a false and misleading promise of a “$2,500 deposit match.” Only in the small-print terms and conditions is it disclosed that a new customer playing blackjack is required to gamble $375,000 in just the first seven days after opening an account. In other words, no money or winnings can be withdrawn unless a total of $375,000 is risked. All money lost during the first seven-day period is kept by Caesars and Harrah’s Casino.

Kavita Fischer, a Pittsburgh-area psychiatrist and a leading proponent of addressing these issues after her own online gambling addiction, told the Associated Press: “The report made it clear that gambling is not a personal failing, it’s a public health issue, and the recommendations really reflect that.”

She described to the AP what she called the “predatory” nature of many of the platforms’ marketing schemes. “I had so many quit dates,” she said. “Imagine if you were trying to quit drinking and someone kept leaving alcohol at your doorstep and then left coupons for alcohol at your doorstep. That is what is the predatory part of all of this.”

The report noted that, while state law prohibits any person under 21 years old from gambling, the intended limitations on youth exposure to gambling advertisements has apparently been circumvented by social media and influencers, who use a “blend of promotional intent with entertainment” to promote gambling services without announcing that they are making an advertisement.

Among the biggest problems, though, is the possible connection between online casinos and an increase in compulsive or problem gambling. As evidence, the report said that calls about internet gambling placed to a gambling hotline and categorized as the “most problematic form of gambling” skyrocketed from under 100 calls per year in 2019 to over 900 by 2025.

While the individual and social problems that apparently stem from this industry seem to abound, lawmakers face a dilemma that will likely cause significant disagreement in the searches for a solution.

For one thing, this new industry is a massive cash cow for the state. “There is no denying that the revenue from online gambling and sports betting can be economically beneficial overall for the states where iGaming is legal,” the report stated.

Citing Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board data, the report says the revenue from legal gambling nearly reached a staggering $6.4 billion in fiscal year 2024-2025, 39% of which was from iGaming alone.

The growth shows no sign of stopping either.

According to a May 2026 press release from the PGCB, iGaming revenue saw a massive year-over-year increase, crossing a quarter billion dollars in revenue: “Casino games offered online generated $254,825,042 during May 2026. Compared to revenue of $232,853,763 in May 2025, this represents an increase of 9.44%.”

Other PGCB data points from the report present a revealing picture of the unique growth that online forms of gambling have undergone since their legalization. While slot machine revenue has essentially remained stable at or around $2.4 billion in yearly revenue since fiscal year 2012-2013, with the exception of a dip during the pandemic, iGaming revenue has grown tenfold in less than half that time. Sports wagering, video gaming terminals, and fantasy sports contests have seen impressive growth as well.

The solutions, as mentioned previously, come with some trade-offs. The commission suggested, first, that Pennsylvania follow the lead of states like Colorado and Massachusetts and begin collecting anonymized data from online transactions on gambling platforms. This would ostensibly allow for a more “precise” identification of “harmful” practices and potentially identify gambling trends among the population.

More immediate proposals include the prohibition of the use of credit cards for deposits, mandatory limits on play time, banning logged-out promos, geospatial advertising blockers at places like universities, and the prohibition of the use of artificial intelligence for individualizing marketing strategies.

Doug Harbach, the PGCB director of communications, responded to Blaze News’ request for comment on Thursday, saying, “This report was drafted for possible action by the General Assembly, and the PGCB will continue to work with them on these issues. We wholeheartedly agree that effective and legal additions to the Gaming Act and regulations should be considered to protect the gaming public.”

Harbach added that the PGCB has a set of proposed regulations dealing with problem gambling, which the public can view and submit comments on no later than August 11. The public can learn more and review these proposals on the PA Bulletin website.

Blaze News reached out to DraftKings, the American Gaming Association, and Caesars Entertainment but did not immediately receive a response.

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​Online gambling, Pennsylvania, Sports betting, State lawmakers, Politics 

As the investigation into the death of 18-year-old Nolan Wells continues, a growing number of public figures — who BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock believes are installed chaos agents — are claiming race must have played a role.

“All of these leaders — they’ve all been installed. They’ve all been installed to promote chaos. And there’s no bigger example than Ben Crump,” Whitlock says.

“This man being dressed up as some lawyer with zero command of the English language, someone that literally probably has an IQ hovering around 70. And he’s out here running around as the face of the civil rights movement and a respected civil rights attorney and being quoted in newspapers and media organizations all across the country,” he continues.

“And he’s been allowed to parachute in like a carpetbagger, to parachute into Mississippi, and just to stir racial animus. And he’s been joined by Jasmine Crockett and others to stir racial animosity,” he adds.

And a clip of Crockett speaking to TMZ only proves his point.

“Some people feel like it’s racially motivated. What do you think?” a reporter asked Crockett.

“I mean, I think that specifically as black Americans in the United States right now, we are always going to question whether or not there is a racial motivation,” Crockett responded.

“But also, if you know the history of Mississippi, I think that you’d have to be blind not to question potentially what is happening, especially in the case of an 18-year-old who ends up deceased without his cell phone, without any communication whatsoever with anybody prior to ending up deceased,” she continued.

“And he was out with his Caucasian friends. And then law enforcement tells everybody there’s no foul play to be suspected. Now, a blind man could see that there’s something to investigate,” she added.

“Well, it sounds like you think it is racially motivated,” the reporter answered.

“I absolutely think that I can tell you that we don’t have any answers, but if you think that race is not something to look at, then you are not really trying to investigate,” Crockett said.

When the reporter pressed further, Crockett pointed out that the “white kids deleted their social media accounts.”

“It looks like a racial thing to me, but hey, maybe we’ll find out that it wasn’t,” she added.

“That’s illogical thinking. That’s another reason why we need to repeal the 19th Amendment,” Whitlock comments.

“Out here running her mouth about something she knows virtually nothing about. … And oh, of course, it must be racist. Kids don’t drown in boating accidents during the summer, during Fourth of July weekends,” he continues.

“That never happens. It has to be racial,” he adds.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Ben crump, Civil rights, Fearless, Jasmine crockett, Jason whitlock, Mississippi, Nolan wells, Racial animosity, Race, Jason whitlock harmony 

A black and gay-identifying Catholic priest has accused the Trump administration of idol worship.

Fordham professor Fr. Bryan Massingale — who, according to his Fordham bio, is a priest with the Archdiocese of Milwaukee — received the Catholic Theological Society of America’s John Courtney Murray Award in June. Massingale used his acceptance speech, published Tuesday by Jesuit publication Outreach, to attack the Trump administration and praise “sexual diversity.”

‘Black flesh is a place of divine encounter, revelation, and manifestation.’

The Trump administration removed Massingale’s book “Racial Justice and the Catholic Church” from the Naval Academy library in April 2025 as part of a wider crackdown on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal government.

“Why? Because that work is in direct opposition to the idolatrous ideology of white so-called ‘Christian’ nationalism that is the heart of the immoral projects being advanced by our nation’s administration,” according to Massingale. “All of this is done in the name of ‘God’ — an idol that sanctifies only white, male, heterosexual bodies.”

“It was banned because I believed that one cannot be an unabashed racist and call oneself a follower of Jesus,” Massingale said. The book is available on Amazon.

Rev. Massingale and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee did not respond to a request for comment. The CTSA declined to comment.

RELATED: WNBA star says black women are ‘amazing’ and deserve equality in strange, race-riddled rant

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The theology professor announced his sexual orientation in 2019 at a Global Network of Rainbow Catholics meeting, according to a Spectrum News NY1 interview. Roman Catholic priests promise during their ordination process to maintain celibacy.

Massingale described his “black Catholic theological project” as “more radical than most often acknowledge.” He later told attendees that they live in “a society and a church where folks are not conditioned to love black bodies.”

Massingale did not elaborate on how Americans should be “conditioned to love black bodies.”

The Murray Award winner led a controversial gay priest retreat in 2018, prompting condemnation from then-Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki. Massingale previously considered leaving the Catholic Church, but told NBC News in 2022, “I’m not going to let the church’s racism rob me of my relationship with God.”

In the same interview, Massingale called for clerical celibacy to be optional and told NBC his dream is a church-sanctioned wedding between two black, gay men or two black lesbians.

“I praise the holy mystery who, through the miracles of creation and incarnation, made black gay/queer/same-gender loving flesh sacred and holy,” Massingale’s speech concluded. “Who has stamped black, queer flesh with the image of God and made it a manifestation of God’s presence and grace in the world.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” and “under no circumstances can they be approved.”

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​Black, Catholic, Celibacy, Gay, Jesus, Priest, Racial justice, Sexual orientation, Trump administration, Religion, Lgbt, Politics