The Rush reunion announcement landed like a Neil Peart cymbal crash heard from two continents away.For some, it was a benediction. For others, a blasphemy. In America especially, Rush has always been a band that splits the room in two. On one side: devotion bordering on reverence. On the other: a curled lip, a sigh, a muttered word like “soulless” or “show-off.”Rush endured because they never chased cool. Cool is perishable, but craft is not.Few great bands inspire such loyalty and such irritation at the same time. Even fewer manage it without changing who they are.A Farewell to KingsThe power trio we know as Rush formed in 1974 in Toronto, three young men chasing something bigger than barroom rock. They were loud, fast, and committed to mastery. As the years passed, they grew tighter, more disciplined, more deliberate. While other bands burned out or sold out, Rush stayed true.That mindset carried them for four decades. Album after album. Tour after tour. By the time they bowed out in 2015, Rush had become one of the most reliable live acts in rock history. No scandals (despite a well-documented affection for Bolivian marching powder). The farewell felt final, especially as drummer Peart’s health declined. When he died in 2020, the door seemed closed for good.Which is why this reunion lands so satisfyingly. It doesn’t feel forced. It doesn’t feel desperate. It feels natural. Two old friends picking up guitars, laughing through familiar songs, and realizing the music still matters to millions.To others, it matters in the way a neighbor’s power drill matters — piercing, relentless, and likely to trigger a migraine.Working ManRush has never fit comfortably into the American rock myth. The band wasn't blues-rooted, booze-soaked, or born of Southern swag. Geddy Lee sang like a caffeinated banshee. Alex Lifeson mixed power with precision. And Neil Peart — the irreplaceable center — treated drums like an Olympic event.To rock traditionalists, however, something about this just felt off. Rock, to them, was meant to feel dark and dangerous. Think Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, the Who, AC/DC. Part of the gig was bringing chaos — both on and off stage. Treating hotel rooms like demolition sites and sanity as optional. Consider the late, great Ozzy Osbourne: a man who built a Hall of Fame career out of conduct that would have ended most working lives in a padded room.Rush never subscribed to that model. And for a certain kind of American critic, that alone was enough to raise suspicion.Rock wasn’t supposed to sound so organized. It wasn’t supposed to sound like the band had talked things through. So the complaints piled up. Too clean. Too lame. “Cheesy” and “corny” became the easy shortcuts, a way to dismiss what they didn’t want to engage with.RELATED: Exclusive: Former Toto bassist recalls 2019 breakup: It got a little 'Lord of the Flies' NurPhoto/Getty ImagesLimelightTake “Tom Sawyer,” still my personal favorite. Purists love to pick it apart. The synth line is too bright. The lyrics are too earnest. The chorus too triumphant. It doesn’t brood.But that’s the point. “Tom Sawyer” isn’t trying to sound dangerous. The aim isn’t menace but momentum. It captures motion, confidence, and propulsion — three qualities rock critics often mistake for shallowness. Look past the childish nitpicking, and what’s left is undeniable. A song that still fills arenas, still hits hard, still makes people feel 10 feet tall.For some critics, Rush was the band you loved if you owned graph paper and color-coded your homework. Rush's music was for the kids who finished the test early and then checked their answers. Not rebels, not wreckers, but students of the thing itself. In rock culture, that kind of seriousness was treated like a social crime.SubdivisionsRush is hardly alone in this. Steely Dan took the same beating, dismissed as music for dental offices, waiting rooms, and people who alphabetize their spice racks, despite writing some of the sharpest, most venomous songs of the era. Yes was mocked as bloated and indulgent. Genesis, especially after Peter Gabriel left, got the same treatment.America has always had a complicated relationship with genuine greatness. It celebrates brilliance, but only when it looks accidental. Genius is best received if it arrives late, drunk, and a little out of control.You see this pattern everywhere. Adam Sandler spent decades being treated like a joke because his films made money and audiences laughed until they nearly lost bladder control. Jim Carrey wasn’t taken seriously until he stopped being funny and started looking permanently unwell. Rush refused that trade and paid the cultural price.Headlong FlightWhat the reunion clarifies — especially now, in an age of irony fatigue — is that Rush endured because they never chased cool. Cool is perishable, but craft is not. When Lee and Lifeson talk about laughing while jamming, about the music “dispelling dark clouds,” they’re describing something purists often forget. Music is allowed to be joyful. It’s allowed to be exhilarating without being mystical. It can be thrilling without pretending to be profound every second.The dark humor is that Rush’s biggest sin may have been optimism. In an era increasingly allergic to it, they believed in improvement — musical, personal, even societal. That’s unfashionable.Cynicism sells. Rage Against the Machine built an entire brand on permanent fury, screaming about “the system” while cashing checks from it. Nine Inch Nails turned self-loathing into an aesthetic. Nirvana mattered because they captured the feeling that nothing worked and no one was coming to fix it. Misery read as honesty. Anger read as depth. Enjoyment, by contrast, looks unserious.But why? We’re here for a good time, not a long one. Rush understood that early. Music doesn’t always need to diagnose the human condition. Sometimes it just needs to move, lift, and hit you square in the chest. Half a century on, they’re back. Not to win over the skeptics, who never wanted convincing anyway. But to reward the faithful and quietly remind everyone else that having a good time isn’t a crime.

Police investigators said they were horrified to find more than 100 skulls and skeletons at the Pennsylvania home of a man who is now facing nearly 600 criminal charges.Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse announced in a press conference Thursday that 34-year-old Jonathan Gerlach of Ephrata had been charged with 574 counts, including trespassing, abuse of a corpse, and theft.'It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. I grieve for those who are upset by this.'Detectives had been on a stakeout at the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery and Arboretum in Yeadon Tuesday when they noticed that a car belonging to Gerlach had "numerous bones and skulls in plain view in the back seat." They said they saw the man leaving the cemetery with a burlap bag and a crowbar. When he was detained and questioned, Gerlach admitted that he had stolen human remains from 30 grave sites. They found far worse after raiding the man's home. "Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life in that home," Rouse said at the press conference. "It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific. I grieve for those who are upset by this, who are going through this, who are trying to figure out if it is in fact one of their loved ones." Investigators are now trying to determine why Gerlach had been collecting the remains. They are also investigating Gerlach's involvement in a group on Facebook titled, "Human Bones and Skull Selling Group." Rouse said that some of the remains were hung up, some were pieced together, and skulls were found on the man's shelf. "Very simply, detectives have recovered an awful lot of bones at this point, and we are still trying to piece together who they are, where they are from, and how many we are looking at," Rouse said. "It's going to be quite some time before we have a final answer." Gerlach is being held at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility on bail of $1 million.RELATED: 4 people arrested over human remains scattered across New York, bail reform sets them free "Rest in peace is rest in peace, and this is definitely something that tears at your heartstrings," Yeadon Police Chief Henry Giammarco said. The cemetery was founded in 1855, according to a sign at the entrance. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Minnesota has faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks due to revelations of a widespread childcare fraud scheme, largely among local Somalis, that has allegedly drained millions of taxpayer dollars. However, the problem is far from new, as whistleblowers have been warning about this alleged rampant abuse for nearly a decade. Yet, there has been little progress or accountability.In May 2018, KMSP-TV released a scathing report alleging "massive daycare fraud" based on whistleblower claims. Scott Stillman, a former employee of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, told the news outlet that he warned his supervisors about these issues in a series of emails in March 2017.Stillman, an upper management employee who spent eight years overseeing the state's digital forensics lab, explained that he reported alleged fraud to the state's DHS because he was concerned there was a "strong possibility" that defrauded taxpayer funds were being used against innocent civilians and the U.S. military. 'Everyone who did this must be arrested.'The alleged fraud pertained to the Child Care Assistance Program, which the federal government created in 1990 to help low-income parents afford childcare so they could work or participate in job training. Stillman told KMSP he wanted the federal government to launch an independent investigation into the handling of day care and Medicaid programs, claiming the fraud reached $100 million or more annually. He also alleged that individuals in the state sent the fraudulent money to Somalia, where it was used to fund a terrorist organization known as al-Shabaab.The local news interview prompted lawmakers to hold a hearing that same month. "This is not a Minnesota problem," Stillman testified. "It started in Minnesota, but we found an individual in our investigation who was teaching and training other states to do this, and it's spreading out.""A federal investigation would reveal that there are other entities involved in this who may be receiving benefits from this fraud," he said.RELATED: The insane little story that failed to warn America about the depth of Somali fraud Photo by Matt Roth for The Washington Post via Getty Images Stillman's testimony prompted the Minnesota's Office of the Legislative Auditor in 2019 to issue a report in which auditors stated they could not verify the alleged $100 million in annual fraud and concluded they could not provide a reliable estimate. However, they believed the fraud was greater than the $5 million to $6 million prosecutors were able to prove in several criminal cases where defendants were charged with felonies and ordered to pay $4.6 million in restitution for their participation in a childcare fraud scheme. Auditors also said they could not substantiate Stillman's claims that any of the alleged funds were making their way into the pockets of terrorist groups."On the other hand, we found that federal regulatory and law enforcement agencies are concerned that terrorist organizations in certain countries, including Somalia, obtain and use money sent from the United States by immigrants and refugees to family and friends in those countries," the auditors wrote. "In addition, federal prosecutions have convicted several individuals in Minnesota of providing material support to terrorist organizations in foreign [countries]."Federal and state officials have been concerned about Child Care Assistance Program fraud since at least 2013, the report added.The auditor's report referenced an August 2018 email from Jay Swanson, the then-manager of the CCAP Investigations Unit, in which he substantiated Stillman's allegations."Investigators, as well as the Supervisor and Manager of this unit believe that the overall fraud rate in this program is at least 50% of the $217M paid to child care centers in CY2017," he wrote in an email to then-Inspector General Carolyn Ham.Swanson claimed that much of the "pervasive" fraud could be attributed to "large scale overbilling" by "many child care centers," eligible mothers recruited by providers to receive cash kickbacks, fraudulent centers opening in the same location as a previous center that was ineligible for the program, and shell care centers that exist only to scam the program, among numerous other schemes and oversight gaps."In my opinion anyone who claims that Mr. Stillman was making false statements on this topic either has no knowledge of this situation, or is attempting to shift the focus of the conversation away from a very serious issue," Swanson concluded in his letter to the inspector general.During a December 2018 hearing before the state lawmakers, IG Ham disputed Swanson's claim. "I do not trust the allegation that 50% of CCAP money is being paid fraudulently," Ham remarked.The CCAP Investigations Unit also warned about rampant fraud, according to the 2019 auditor report. The unit's manager stated that investigators "do not believe, despite the number of cases investigated thus far, that any real progress has been made regarding CCAP fraud.""Investigators regularly see fraudulent child care centers open faster than they can close the existing ones down," the manager explained.While Minnesota DHS officials did not dispute the existence of a CCAP fraud problem, they argued that $100 million in fraud, as Stillman had claimed, was "not a credible number.""We're concerned about fraud and are aggressively pursuing it, but it's not at that level. Funding for the Child Care Assistance Program for 2017 was $248.2 million," the MDHS said in a statement in May 2018, responding to Stillman's allegations. RELATED: Anna Paulina Luna refers Tim Walz and AG Keith Ellison for criminal charges: 'May justice be swift' Photographer: Simone Lueck/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThen-acting MDHS Commissioner Chuck Johnson reiterated that Stillman's fraud estimate was not credible. However, he admitted he could not put a reliable number on the total fraud.By the time the 2019 report was published, dozens of Minnesota residents and childcare centers had been charged with CCAP fraud. Since these issues were initially brought to the MDHS' attention, Minnesota has transitioned CCAP oversight and administration to the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. When reached for comment concerning childcare fraud, MDHS directed Blaze News to contact DCYF. That department did not respond.Minnesota's long-standing childcare fraud issues recently gained national attention, thanks to journalist Nick Shirley's on-the-ground reporting in December. This explosive coverage has ignited fierce criticism of the state's Democratic leadership while shining a harsh light on broader oversight failures that extend beyond the CCAP.This week, the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor released a performance audit highlighting grant issuance lapses in the Minnesota Department of Human Services' Behavioral Health Administration, the department responsible for overseeing mental health programs and alcohol and drug abuse services. Auditors aimed to assess whether the BHA had "adequate internal controls and complied with significant finance-related requirements related to oversight of grants." Instead, they found that the administration had failed to comply with "most" of the tested requirements, concluding that it lacked sufficient internal controls over grant funds.Some of the report's shocking findings included nearly $300,000 in unsupported grant reimbursements, $915,000 in grant payments for work performed before fully executed agreements were established, $2.5 million in grants awarded without using a competitive bid process, and the improper use of single-source grants.Additionally, auditors noted that, while MDHS and BHA staff were cooperative with the audit, they provided "a number of documents" that were "either backdated or created after our audit began." When reached for comment about the OLA report, Minnesota's Department of Human Services provided an excerpt from temporary Commissioner Shireen Gandhi's testimony at a Tuesday Legislative Audit Commission hearing. During her opening remarks, Gandhi stated that she was "shocked" to learn that staff have provided auditors "anything other than an accurate representation of the work done.""With respect to the audit report, while it's upsetting that DHS has findings in an area that we have placed concerted effort, the OLA's report highlights the importance of the compliance work that is under way at the department. And the findings provide us with a road map for our focus going forward to continue strengthening oversight and integrity of behavioral health grants," Gandhi said. "I take the report seriously, I accept responsibility for the findings, and I will ensure that DHS closes the findings."Eric Daugherty of Florida's Voice reacted to the new "BOMBSHELL" report, stating that it confirms the MDHS "FABRICATED RECORDS and did not verify grant recipients, tried COVERING THEIR TRACKS, enabling massive fraud."He called on Gov. Tim Walz to immediately resign. Walz has already dropped out of his re-election campaign amid the state's ongoing fraud controversy."Everyone who did this must be arrested," Daugherty wrote. It is not yet clear whether any of these reports will result in criminal investigations. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) is making the media rounds as she eyes a U.S. Senate run — and her latest stop on “The View” raised eyebrows for all the wrong reasons.“She’s running for Senate here in Texas, where she will fail miserably, and she’s making the rounds ’cause she’s running for U.S. Senate. And so, she made an appearance on everyone’s favorite daytime talk show, ‘The View.’ And they asked her a pretty reasonable question,” BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales says.When the panel asked Crockett why she’s willing to go all in on a Senate race in Texas, her answer was essentially that she’s black.“We are also a majority minority state. So, for everybody that’s like, ‘Well, she running for Senate, and she black.’ Yes, I am. I am. ... We have more African-Americans in the state of Texas than any other state,” Crockett said proudly on “The View.”“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you tell me that you’re black, Jasmine. I never would have known that you were black except for all the times that you’ve just led with the fact that you’re a black woman. Other than literally every time you speak, I would have never known that you were black,” Gonzales says sarcastically.“It seems to be your only identification in your entire life, is that you’re an independent black woman who don’t need no man,” she adds.Gonzales believes that Crockett, despite being black, might face some challenges trying to sway Texans to vote her way.“President Trump won Texas in 2024. This was, like, unprecedented since 2012. 56 to 42. That’s the largest gap since 2012. It was a difference of 1.5 million votes, I believe,” Gonzales explains.“So, yes, the overwhelming majority of black people voted for Harris, but they only made up 11% of the total vote. So, like, okay, cool. There are more black people who live in Texas than anywhere else. They’re not voting,” she continues.“And I don’t know, I guess she’s just like, ‘I’m going to get black voter enthusiasm up so high that they’re just going to, like, skip to the ballot box,’” she adds.Crockett also is refusing to release her polling numbers.“What I did is, I evaluated the numbers. The numbers are clear that we can win,” Crockett said on “The View.”“I want to be clear that a lot of people haven’t put their numbers up, and I haven’t put mine up for a good reason because I’m playing for keeps. But let me tell you that I know how to evaluate, and I know how to win races,” she explained.Crockett went on to claim that she shared her numbers with the “front-runner” in the race, who decided to “step aside” after seeing her numbers.“He decided to step aside because he felt like what mattered was getting the best person across the finish line,” she added.“Or, Republicans just tricked you and astroturfed you,” Gonzales says.“This was actually a thing that they did to try to push you into a Senate run,” she continues. “They ran these polls suggesting that she would win.”Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.