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Kid Rock catches heat for viral Apache helicopter social media video — Army launches investigation

Famed rock star and longtime Trump supporter Kid Rock has drawn some scrutiny over a video he posted on social media this weekend. While many social media users loved the video, the U.S. Army has nonetheless launched an investigation into the incident.

On Saturday, Rock posted a video from what appears to be the pool of his Tennessee mansion, nicknamed the “Southern White House.” In the video, Rock can be seen standing at the pool’s edge and saluting apparent servicemen aboard a helicopter hovering for a few seconds right in front of him.

‘My buddy’s the commander in chief.’

The helicopter hovers in the air almost level to the camera, which is stationed behind Rock.

“This is a level of respect that s**t for brains Governor of California will never know. God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her,” Rock captioned the video.

RELATED: Kid Rock’s TPUSA halftime destroyed the NFL’s Bad Bunny agenda

WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Many commenters on the Instagram post showed their love for the stunt and for Rock’s patriotism. Others, however, have taken issue with the flyover, including the U.S. Army.

“Fort Campbell leadership is aware of a video circulating on social media depicting AH-64 Apache helicopters operating in the vicinity of a private residence associated with Mr. Robert Ritchie (also known as ‘Kid Rock’). The command has initiated an investigation to review the circumstances surrounding this activity,” Maj. Jonathon Bless, 101st Airborne Division public affairs officer, told Fox News in a statement.

Rock, on the other hand, saw no issue with those in the helicopter having a little bit of fun. In an interview with WKRN, Rock laughed, “I think they’re going to be all right. My buddy’s the commander in chief. I mean, what are they looking into? They stopped for, I don’t know, seconds? A minute? Maybe they were here three to four minutes.”

Fox News reported that Apache helicopters also flew over a nearby No Kings protest in downtown Nashville earlier in the day.

“If you’re flipping the military off, you’re on the wrong side of things man,” Rock said of the protesters, who, by his telling, did not appreciate the military presence nearly as much as he did.

The Associated Press obtained a written statement from the Army: “Army aviators must adhere to strict safety standards, professionalism, and established flight regulations. An administrative review is underway to assess the mission and verify compliance with regulations and airspace requirements. Appropriate action will be taken if any violations are found.”

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​Politics, Apache, Apache helicopter, Tennessee, Nashville, Kid rock, Southern white house, Us army, Fort campbell 

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SCOTUS rules on law banning ‘conversion therapy’ — and 2 liberal justices break rank

In a nearly unanimous decision, the Supreme Court has issued a ruling on one state’s ban on conversion therapy for minors, resulting in an important First Amendment win and setting a possible precedent for many states with similar laws on the books.

In an 8-1 decision released Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled in Chiles v. Salazar that, when applied to talk therapy, Colorado’s ban on minor-directed conversion therapy — or any therapy that attempts to “change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity” — “regulates speech based on viewpoint” in violation of the First Amendment.

‘The First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country.’

The Colorado law, passed in 2019, was adopted “in response to a growing mental health crisis among Colorado teenagers and mounting evidence that conversion therapy is associated with increased depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts.” The law thus prohibited licensed counselors from engaging in “conversion therapy” with minors, according to the opinion.

Kaley Chiles, a mental health counselor in Colorado, brought the suit against Patty Salazar, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

RELATED: SCOTUS sides with officer over protester in qualified immunity case, reversing lower-court opinion

Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The ruling overturns a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, which ruled in favor of the law, not finding any violation of Chiles’ First Amendment rights.

However, the majority opinion, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, concluded:

In cases like this, it censors speech based on viewpoint. Colorado may regard its policy as essential to public health and safety. Certainly, censorious governments throughout history have believed the same. But the First Amendment stands as a shield against any effort to enforce orthodoxy in thought or speech in this country. It reflects instead a judgment that every American possesses an inalienable right to think and speak freely, and a faith in the free marketplace of ideas as the best means for discovering truth.

Gorsuch added that the law in question not only regulates the content of Chiles’ speech, but “goes a step further, prescribing what views she may and may not express.”

Justice Elena Kagan, together with fellow liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined the majority opinion, but wrote a concurring opinion “only to note that if Colorado had instead enacted a content-based but viewpoint-neutral law, it would raise a different and more difficult question.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson alone dissented from the majority: “Stated simply, the majority has failed to appreciate the crucial context in which Chiles’s constitutional claims have arisen. Chiles is not speaking in the ether; she is providing therapy to minors as a licensed healthcare professional.”

While these facts were clearly established in the syllabus and the body of the majority’s opinion, Jackson’s primary contention, stated at the end of her dissent, was that “the majority’s holding means, in effect, that just because Chiles is a talk therapist — and not, say, a surgeon — a State can be prevented from incidentally imposing reasonable restrictions on the treatments she provides.”

“To do anything else opens a dangerous can of worms,” Jackson concluded. “It threatens to impair States’ ability to regulate the provision of medical care in any respect.”

Matt Walsh, noted for his documentary “What is a Woman?,” weighed in on the decision, attacking Jackson’s attempt to uphold the ban:

To be clear, this was a law that attempted to ban therapists from telling gender confused boys that they’re actually boys, and girls that they’re actually girls. It was literally a law prohibiting anyone in the therapy profession from verbally acknowledging biological reality to their clients. Easily one of the most psychotic pieces of legislation ever passed anywhere in the world at any time in history. The fact that Ketanji Jackson tried to uphold this law — even as her fellow liberals broke ranks with her — just proves again that she is the most unfit, unqualified, unhinged lunatic to ever hold a seat on the Supreme Court.

Colorado is one of more than 20 states with laws prohibiting conversion therapy.

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​Politics, Chiles v salazar, Conversion therapy, Minors, Colorado, Us court of appeals 10th circuit, Justice jackson, Justice kagan, Justice sotomayor, Justice gorsuch, Patty salazar, Scotus, Kaley chiles 

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The sad, strange death of CPAC

I realized CPAC was dead the morning of the first day. It would take a while to examine the corpse fully, but the smell of decay was unmistakable. One sign was perhaps the Dallas location of the body; while Big D is my hometown and a wonderful city, it’s removed from the palace intrigue of the D.C. elite, where this conference usually takes place. There’s also a concerted effort to expand the brand into new markets, such as Hungary and the U.K. CPAC Angola might be around the corner; who knows? Two well-dressed ladies in designer shoes, Mersedeh Shahinkar and Raheleh Amiri by name, were onstage. Their titles were “Victims of the Ayatollah,” and they explained in broken English why the U.S. should bomb their country into oblivion. The dozens of elderly people in attendance returned polite, tepid applause. I was bored.

After they spoke, I heard loud shouting in the hallway. I grabbed my camera and shuffled off, along with most of the press corps, desperate for action. It was an extremely loud group of Persians, who, completely spontaneously and definitely not in some astroturfed way, began shouting slogans in Farsi while waving Iranian flags for the press. They held aloft signs saying MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN. They held pictures of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former shah, wanting him to sweep back into power. One wonders why the fail-son of an autocrat from the 1970s who has been living in Maryland for the last 30 years would be the ideal leader for Iran in 2026. I have my doubts. When I later asked a young Iranian guy from Glendale, California, with tattoos and a MIGA hat if he would be returning to Iran, he seemed legitimately confused.

Peter Gietl

This absurd scene of people screaming in Farsi was indicative of the entire event. There may have been more Iranians than Americans attending. Ethnic minorities of all stripes from the frontiers of the empire, here to entice us to send gold or legions to decide their petty squabbles. I saw people waving Iranian, Israeli, Cuban, Polish, Korean, British, Brazilian, and many other flags, but very few American flags, aside from the bedazzled USA jackets that seemed to be selling well at the merch booths. It’s a telling and depressing realization when your country has become nothing more than a cash machine or a weapon for other countries to get rich from or to use to kill their enemies. I’m guessing George Washington would have some questions.

Ethnic minorities of all stripes from the frontiers of the empire, here to entice us to send gold or legions to decide their petty squabbles.

I spoke with a delegation from Korea, angling for me to write about why the U.S. should overturn the Korean election, for reasons I couldn’t grasp. I met people from the U.K. and Brazil who were representing their respective parties. A conference to help unite right-wing parties around the world is badly needed, but I didn’t get the sense that CPAC was that venue.

The most common question I heard from attendees was why the conference was so small this year, and that’s a question that needs more unpacking.

Peter Gietl

The most obvious answer is that President Trump skipped it this year and, with him, the gravitas and the momentum of the MAGA movement he carries everywhere. For several years, however, there has been a precipitous decline in the status and power of the Conservative Political Action Conference. I saw a noticeable lack of vendors, besides the very nice ladies selling bedazzled jackets, unlicensed Charlie Kirk shirts and hats, and some vibrating contraption for (I assume) losing weight. While some reporters were milling about from larger conservative outlets like Blaze Media, the Daily Caller, Fox, and the Daily Wire, there wasn’t the big presence you would see at, for example, Turning Point USA.

Turning Point, through the tireless dedication of the late Charlie Kirk, has now become the preeminent event for conservatives, along with the National Conservatism conference run by Yoram Hazony. Attending both recently, it was obvious how many more serious people with big ideas and star power attended compared to CPAC. It’s also clear that they appeal to the younger generations of voters in a very deliberate way. There is real energy at Turning Point; young people and new ideas are championed. There is also a refreshing diversity of opinion at those conferences that was not on display here. CPAC was a series of milquetoast talking points you can find by switching on Fox News. “More war” would be the underlying theme, if you made me choose.

There are also the obscene allegations against the chair of CPAC, Matt Schlapp. I suppose I could use journalese to euphemistically describe the multiple allegations, but why use obtuse language when the truth can suffice? Numerous young men have accused Schlapp of forcefully grabbing their genitals. Schlapp has maintained his innocence, but there have been large amounts of money allegedly paid to settle with at least one of the accusers. Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but I would say after the fourth allegation of homosexual assault, you might not be the right person to run a powerful conservative political organization.

Peter Gietl

These conferences are always a bit performative, filled with grifters and endearing characters, but there was a sense here of a longing to return to 2000s RNC politics and just to pretend those days didn’t die as soon as Trump descended that gold escalator. Here, I saw numerous transsexuals for some reason. While sipping a martini in the afternoon, I witnessed 6’5” transsexual influencer “Lady Maga” posing for pictures with elderly people. It’s all so degenerate; my drinking partner described it as “blackface for women,” which is fairly accurate.

The topic everyone seemed to be ignoring onstage was the outbreak of a very serious Middle Eastern war that has the potential to cause a worldwide depression. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) took the stage to lambaste it, but most of the other speakers were very muted or chose to ignore the topic altogether.

Peter Gietl

A generational divide will roil conservatism over the next few election cycles. Among older conservatives, there is a strong affinity for Israel and a belief that our policies should help Israelis as much as possible and that this war was entirely justified. Among those I spoke to under 40 at the event, there is a large degree of skepticism about the Israeli-American relationship and this war in general. This divide will transform much of politics in the coming years. There’s even talk among the Fuentes-adjacent America First wing of young conservatives about infiltrating and taking over CPAC. That seems like a bit of a stretch, given that they struggle not to disgust everyone they meet in the real world. In the meantime, I think it’s fair to expect more from conservatism than transsexuals, foreign flags, and naked grift.

On the way home in an Uber, I chatted with an Egyptian gentleman named Mohammed, who explained the history of Sadat and President Sisi (Sadat is beloved, Sisi feared); why the war broke out in his opinion (a combination of the Epstein files and an attempted shift from the petrodollar); and how he has voted for Trump three times but is heartbroken that Trump wasn’t able to keep America out of another Middle Eastern war. He seemed to have a better grasp of the world than most of the speakers. I wished him assalamu alaikum as I got out of the Uber, hoping a shower and stiff drink would help me wash away the conference.

​Lady maga, Trans, Cpac, Opinion & analysis 

blaze media

Why nationwide No Kings protests literally don’t matter: ‘Extremely bleak for them’

No Kings protests have been popping up all over the country in protest of President Trump and the United States’ involvement in the Iran war, and of course, the mainstream media has covered these protesters as if they’re a real force to be reckoned with.

However, BlazeTV host John Doyle attended one of the protests in Dallas and explains that the reality on the ground tells a much different story.

“If you Google it, ‘No Kings 2026,’ there are all of these leftist outlets — be those local, national, even on CNN, MSNBC, all the usual suspects — trying to just put all of this out there, put the imagery out there, to let people know that this is definitely a thing that is very real and very threatening and certainly happening,” Doyle says on “The John Doyle Show.”

“The people who actually mobilize and show up to these Democrat quote-unquote ‘protests,’ these are the revolutionary class. This is an inherently sort of kinetic group of people, which is to say a people who are motivated almost chiefly by resentment against just normal American patriots,” he continues.

Doyle explains that these protesters also “always need to be out on the streets causing problems, feeling as though they are pushing back against some force.”

“It is this kind of ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ LARP for them. They really do enjoy the interaction with law enforcement, feeling as though they’re being freaking persecuted,” he says.

And the visuals Doyle caught at the protest in Dallas only prove his point.

“It’s extremely, extremely bleak for them,” he says, before showing a picture of one of the protesters.

“It was this extremely obese creature, and it was occupying a mobility scooter, like how you see at Walmart. And there was a sign mounted on the mobility scooter … that said ‘#FreakingNoKings,’” Doyle recalls.

“And then you have old people and then foreign people and then foreign old people, and everybody’s dying. It’s like, what? I’m not intimidated. I’m not even having fun. I just feel bad. I used to go in there and felt like I was in a lion’s den, you know? Do a little sparring with the people who want me killed,” he continues.

“I had a smile on my face, a pep in my step. You’ve all seen it. I just felt bad,” he says.

Want more from John Doyle?

To enjoy more of the truth about America and join the fight to restore a country that has been betrayed by its own leaders, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The john doyle show, John doyle, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, No kings protests, No kings, Leftism, Conservatives, Liberals, President trump, Dictator, Trump administration 

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Video: Check out what led to motorist taking down domestic violence strangulation suspect on the run from cops

Las Vegas police bodycam and helicopter video shows what led to a motorist taking down a domestic violence strangulation suspect earlier this month.

Police said officers on March 10 responded to a domestic violence incident involving a reported strangulation.

‘This video highlights how coordination from the air, rapid response on the ground, and the courage of community members can make all the difference.’

As officers were working to locate the suspect, he fled — leading to a “dangerous series of events” near West Desert Inn Road and South Decatur Boulevard, police said.

Police said the department’s Air Unit tracked the suspect as he drove erratically through the area — and then moments later the suspect crashed, which led to a foot chase.

Police said two citizens, witnessing the chaos unfold, took action and used their vehicles to help block in and stop the suspect.

Video shows one of the assisting motorists exiting his vehicle, grabbing the suspect from behind, and taking him down to the ground.

RELATED: UFC fighter helps thwart shooting at Texas restaurant, takes down suspect using choke hold — putting the suspect to sleep: ‘I like Batman’

Image source: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department helicopter video screenshot

The motorist then sat on the suspect’s back, restraining him, until an arresting officer arrived on the scene and placed the suspect in handcuffs.

RELATED: Video shows good Samaritan in a cowboy hat jump in to help cop struggling with a suspect who grabbed for a gun

Image source: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department bodycam video screenshot

Check out the video compilation below from police showing the suspect speeding through the area, crashing into traffic, running away, and then being taken to the ground by the assisting motorist.

RELATED: Black belt family members hear screams next door to their studio, rush over to rescue female from attempted sexual assault

Police said the suspect fled from a domestic dispute involving strangulation, and approximately five vehicles were involved in the crash.

Police said that “this video highlights how coordination from the air, rapid response on the ground, and the courage of community members can make all the difference.”

“We are grateful for a community that steps up to help keep one another safe,” police added.

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​Arrest, Las vegas, Lvmpd, Police, Bodycam video, Helicopter video, Domestic violence suspect, Strangulation accusation, Motorist takes down suspect, Good news, Crime 

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‘Delayed courage’: Trump tells allies to fend for themselves amid oil crisis

President Donald Trump told America’s allies to fend for themselves as the Strait of Hormuz continues to constrain the world’s oil supply.

Trump called on countries like the United Kingdom to either buy American oil or to “build up some delayed courage” and go into the strait themselves. Trump also said that he had already done all the dirty work, telling other countries they need to start relying on themselves rather than the United States.

‘The upcoming days will be decisive.’

“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you,” Trump said in the Truth Social post Tuesday. “Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.”

“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” Trump said. “Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”

RELATED: Trump issues grim threats against Iran if new, ‘MORE REASONABLE’ regime fails to strike a deal

Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

Trump later called out another European ally for its lack of cooperation with the Iran strikes, warning that the United States will remember.

“The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!”

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

Oliver Contreras/Getty Images

The United States is officially on day 31 of the conflict with Iran, which is still within the four- to six-week timeline floated by Trump and members of the administration.

“Just one month in, only one month, we set the terms,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said during a Tuesday press conference. “The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there’s almost nothing they can military do about it.”

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​Donald trump, Pete hegseth, Iran, Iran war, Oil, Strait of hormuz, United kingdom, France, Israel, American allies, Nato, European allies, Oil crisis, Forever wars, No new wars, Politics 

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Second lady Usha Vance brings back wholesome story time with the launch of kids’ podcast

Second lady Usha Vance announced the launch of her new children’s podcast on Monday.

The podcast, “Storytime with the Second Lady,” features Vance and special guests, including celebrities, children’s authors, athletes, veterans, and musicians as they read books to children.

“Very proud of my wife, Usha, for launching her podcast today!” Vice President JD Vance wrote in a post on social media.

‘The second lady is passionate about childhood education and hopes to inspire a lifelong love of learning in children across the country.’

The show’s first three episodes were released on Spotify and YouTube on Monday.

In episode one, Vance read one of her favorite childhood stories, “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter.

“Story time with my kids is the highlight of my day,” Vance stated. “Books have taken our family on so many adventures. Through books, we’ve learned so many new things about science and nature, faraway countries, ancient civilizations, America’s history, and more. Most of all, we’ve had lots of fun reading together. I thought it would be even more fun to share story time with all of you. So every few weeks, we’ll gather here in my office to read together.”

RELATED: Second lady Usha Vance announces historic pregnancy: ‘Our family is growing!’

IAN LANGSDON/AFP/Getty Images

Special guests joined Vance in the second and third episodes of her podcast. Race car driver Danica Patrick joined the show to read Disney’s “Cars,” and Paralympic bronze medalist Brent Poppen read his book, “Playground Lessons.”

Vance’s podcast is part of her ongoing initiative to increase childhood literacy rates and inspire a love of reading in children, according to a press release from the Second Lady’s office.

RELATED: ‘Fraud … for abortion’? Vance announces probe into Planned Parenthood’s $88M taxpayer-funded loans at March for Life

ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

Vance launched a Summer Reading Challenge in June 2025 for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Participants were asked to read 12 books of their choice over the summer and track their progress. Those who completed the challenge received a personalized certificate and a small prize. Vance’s office reported receiving tens of thousands of submissions from across the country.

“The second lady is passionate about childhood education and hopes to inspire a lifelong love of learning in children across the country,” a spokesperson for the second lady told Blaze News. “Last year, the second lady’s Summer Reading Challenge received overwhelming support, and Ms. Vance hopes to continue sharing passion for literature with children across the country in an age-appropriate and accessible format through her podcast.”

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​News, Usha vance, Jd vance, Vance, Education, Reading, Literacy, Politics 

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Google agrees to PAY $68 million to settle yearslong eavesdropping case

For decades, users suspected that Google was listening in on conversations through their smartphones, oftentimes serving ads for products that users spoke about in casual conversation but didn’t actually search for online. While no wrongdoing has been admitted or found, the suspicions are gaining new attention as Google has agreed — citing the “uncertainty, risk, expense, inconvenience, and distraction” involved — to settle a years-long illicit eavesdropping case for a cool $68 million.

The lawsuit

The class action lawsuit, which was filed all the way back in July 2019, alleged that any Google and/or Android devices with Google Assistant hotword detection enabled both recorded and transmitted anything it heard — including conversations — back to Google’s servers without users’ knowledge.

If you just want to kick Google out of your conversations, it’s easy to pull the plug.

A hotword is a phrase you can use to invoke the assistant on your smart devices without touching or otherwise interacting with them. To see if hotword detection is active on your phone, try this quick trick: Android users can say “OK, Google” or “Hey, Google” to bring up the virtual assistant, while iPhone users can say, “Hey, Siri” to invoke the Apple assistant. If your phone immediately lights up and starts to listen to your commands, then your phone could be spying on you.

Before jumping to conclusions, it’s important to note that hotword detection is only supposed to listen for those specific “Hey” or “OK” commands before actively capturing data to answer your query. The lawsuit, however, claims that Google and Android devices recorded data without invoking a hotword.

While the lawsuit specifically alleges Google Assistant is the big offender, Google has since abandoned that service for Gemini, its in-house AI. But Gemini works exactly like Google Assistant, letting users summon the service on an Android device with the same “Hey, Google” or “OK, Google” command. In other words, it has the capability to enable listening of the same kind.

Google has a whole eavesdropping ecosystem

The tricky part about Google Assistant — and now Google Gemini — is that it’s embedded in a wide range of devices. Hotword detection can be enabled on most Android handsets, including Samsung Galaxy phones and Google Pixel phones. For Android fans, that means you carry Google’s listening software in your pocket every day, waiting to hear those magic words that give it permission to record what you say.

But, of course, Google isn’t limited to working through your phone. The same service works on Google’s family of smart home products, including those with the Google Home and Google Nest badge. You’ll find it on Android tablets too, as well as Wear OS smartwatches, such as the Google Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watches.

RELATED: Kristi Noem claims Elon Musk helped expose spyware inside DHS

Kristi Noem claims Elon Musk helped expose spyware inside DHS. Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg/Getty Images

It’s everywhere throughout Google’s broad first-party and third-party ecosystem, covering an install base of approximately four billion devices worldwide, giving it access to a massive expanse of data.

How to disable hotword detection on Android devices

Google’s hotword detection is helpful if you like to get information from your device completely hands-free, such as asking for directions to a location, playing a song from your favorite app, or sending a quick text message to your spouse on your way home from work. If you don’t care about these things though, or if you just want to kick Google out of your conversations, it’s easy to pull the plug on hotword detection entirely:

Open the Google app on your Android phone.Tap your profile picture in the top right corner.Then tap “Settings.”In the Settings menu, tap “Gemini.”Then “Talk to Gemini hands-free.”Finally, uncheck the toggles beside “Hey, Google” and “While driving.”

Screenshots by Zach Laidlaw

As for Google Home and Google Nest products, these all come with a physical microphone kill switch on the device. Simply turn the switch off to block microphone access, cutting off conversations for good.

The settlement

Per the terms of the settlement, Google has agreed to pay $68 million to users affected from May 18, 2016, to December 16, 2022, pending preliminary approval by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. If you believe the settlement applies to your use of Google products, you could be eligible for compensation up to $56 per device, with owners of first-party Google products more likely to receive a payout. To be considered, you must fill out a valid claim form, which at this time isn’t yet available.

Notably, Google isn’t the only company that has been accused of spying on users. Apple also recently settled a similar class action lawsuit for $95 million over Siri’s listening capabilities.

The lesson to take from this is that Big Tech is finally getting a firsthand look at what’s at stake in invading users’ privacy. How much improvement awaits us remains to be seen.

​Tech, Google, Big tech, Hotword 

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Socialist Mamdani rolls out costly ‘free’ child care program to NYC workers — after crying financial crisis

New York City’s democratic socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, announced a free child care program for city workers after previously claiming the city faces a $12 billion budget deficit. His goal is to provide universal child care to all New York City residents, and the program is being implemented in phases.

Mamdani held a press conference on Monday to unveil NYC’s first free, on-site child care pilot program, which will serve year-round approximately 40 children ages 6 weeks to 3 years.

‘When we took office, we inherited a historic budget gap.’

The program will begin in the fall after the city completes its $10 million renovation at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building to create a 4,000-square-foot child care facility. The building currently houses over 2,000 employees.

The mayor’s office claims the program will put “upwards of $20,000 a year back in the pockets of working families.”

“Change begins at home. As we deliver universal child care to New Yorkers, that work must include the public servants who keep this city running,” Mamdani stated. “We are bringing year-round, no-cost child care right here to Lower Manhattan — not just saving families money, but giving them back hours of their time. No parent should have to spend hours commuting just to ensure their child is safe and cared for.”

RELATED: Mamdani made big promises to cut the budget — here’s the embarrassing result so far

Jason Alpert-Wisnia/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images

Mamdani’s campaign has estimated that the mayor’s universal child care program will cost $6 billion annually.

Shortly after being inaugurated early this year, Mamdani claimed that New York City was “facing a serious fiscal crisis.”

“There is a massive fiscal deficit in our city’s budget to the tune of at least $12 billion,” he stated in January.

RELATED: Socialist Mamdani’s tax assault on NYC’s rich begins — claims Adams forced his hand with fiscal crisis

Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

Mamdani blamed former New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) for the city’s alleged budget crisis. Adams has consistently denied leaving a deficit in the city’s budget, insisting instead that he left over $8 billion in reserves.

Mamdani provided an update on the city’s budget in February, stating, “When we took office, we inherited a historic budget gap. Our aggressive savings plan, daily incorporation of updated revenue and bonus estimates, and our deployment of in-year reserves in tandem with more than a billion dollars in additional aid from Governor [Kathy] Hochul, have lowered that deficit from an initial $12 billion to $5.4 billion. While considerably less, it is still a significant chasm.”

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​News, New york city, Nyc, New york, Zohran mamdani, Universal child care, Child care, Childcare, Mamdani, Politics 

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‘Laptop from hell’ prosecutor recruited for Vance’s fraud task force

President Donald Trump’s administration has recruited Scott Brady, a lead prosecutor from the Hunter Biden investigation, to aid Vice President JD Vance’s task force to eliminate fraud.

Brady served as the lead prosecutor against Hunter Biden as well as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania during Trump’s first term, where he focused on prosecuting health care and COVID-era fraud schemes. Brady currently serves as special counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services aiding the crackdown on grant fraud and will now serve as the executive director of the task force.

‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.’

Brady was also handpicked to investigate Hunter Biden’s “laptop from hell” where prosecutors looked into corruption charges against former President Joe Biden’s son.

“In my investigation of Hunter, despite not having a grand jury, we were the only investigation which found an actual smoking gun detailing bribes to Hunter and then-VP Biden, in the Smirnov FD-1023, which detailed Burisma Chairman Zlochevsky’s $10M bribe to Hunter and Joe Biden,” a online biography of Brady reviewed by the Daily Wire reads.

RELATED: This scandal-ridden Democrat just got one step closer to being expelled from Congress

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“I am proud to have served under President Trump in his first term, and I am excited to see an unapologetically muscular strategy being executed in the second term,” the bio continues. ”As President Reagan presciently said, ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It has to be fought for and defended by each generation.’”

The task force was first convened last week with Vice President JD Vance at the helm. During the meeting, Vance commended Trump’s numerous “anti-fraud protections” implemented during his second term, pointing the finger at the Biden administration.

“This is not just theft of the American people’s money,” Vance said of the uptick in fraud under Biden. “This is also the theft of critical services that American people rely on.”

RELATED: The SAVE America Act won’t be enough to save the GOP from a midterm bloodbath

Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Brady’s appointment to the role was made official on Thursday, according to the Daily Wire, and he attended the task force’s first meeting on Friday.

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Chicago Bulls drop Christian player just hours after he criticized Pride Month: ‘I know Jesus is the way’

The Chicago Bulls have dumped 24-year-old guard Jaden Ivey after he made comments in support of God and against Pride Month.

Ivey’s stint with the Bulls is over after just four games, following a trade from the Detroit Pistons in early February.

‘God did not make a man to be with a man.’

The Bulls waived Ivey on Monday — which means his contract can be picked up by another team — after the guard criticized gay pride and the NBA on his Instagram page.

“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, they proclaim Pride Month, and the NBA, they proclaim it,” Ivey said from inside a vehicle.

“God did not make a man to be with a man. God did not make a girl to be with a girl. God made a man for the purpose of procreation to have another child,” Ivey added.

It did not take long for the Bulls to catch wind of the young player’s comments, and the organization announced at 6 p.m. that he was being let go.

“The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guard Jaden Ivey due to conduct detrimental to the team,” the Bulls said in a statement shared to social media.

Before their game on Monday evening, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan told the media that the organization expects certain standards to be upheld.

RELATED: ‘I’m on fire!’ NASCAR indefinitely suspends driver for using ‘gay voice’

“We’ve got people from all different backgrounds, you know, inside the organization,” Donovan said after a reporter claimed Ivey was spiraling.

“We’re all going to basically take care of each other. We’re going to accept each other. And I think we’re going to be hardworking, we’re going to be accountable, and we’re going to be respectful, and we’re going to be professional,” the coach continued.

Donovan concluded, “I think, organizationally, there’s certain standards I think we want to have as an organization and try to live up to those each and every day.”

Ivey was quick to jump back on social media on Monday night and call the Bulls’ reasoning into question.

RELATED: Panthers transgender cheerleader gets cut from team — then blames exactly what you’d expect

“Why didn’t they just say, ‘We don’t agree with his stance on LGBTQ?'” Ivey asked.

“How? Because I believe in the truth because I know Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life?”

He added, “This is not about me. This is about the kingdom of God. This is about the truth, the truth of the Bible, because I spoke what the truth is. I called these things out because that’s what it is. The word of God will be preached to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Ivey is on the final year of his rookie contract, a four-year deal worth almost $33 million.

If he is not signed by another team within the league’s 48-hour window, the Bulls will have to pay the remainder of his contract, and he will become a free agent.

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