President Donald Trump politely kicked Pam Bondi to the curb on Thursday, touting her as a "Great American Patriot" and crediting her with "overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country" during her nearly 14 months on the job.Hours after Trump publicized the ouster and named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting attorney general, Bondi took a page out of ex-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's book, expressing her gratitude to the president and framing her time at the Justice Department in positive terms."Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime, and easily the most consequential first year of the Department of Justice in American history," Bondi wrote on X.'She must answer for her mishandling of the Epstein files.'Bondi — criticized in recent months over her DOJ's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, her bizarre Epstein testimony, her suggestion that "hate speech" should be policed, and her perceived inefficacy and failure to prosecute the individuals who waged potentially illegal lawfare against Trump — echoed Trump's remark about the precipitous drop in crime over the past year.A report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association comparing crime stats in 2025 to stats from the previous year found that homicides dropped nationally by 19.3%; rapes dropped by nearly 9%; robberies dropped by 19.8%; and aggravated assault dropped by 9.7%.RELATED: If the Justice Department won’t execute Trump’s orders, who’s in charge? Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images"Since February 2025, we have secured the lowest murder rate in 125 years, secured first-ever terrorism convictions against members of Antifa, shattered domestic and transnational gangs across the country, taken custody of more than 90 key cartel figures, and won 24 favorable rulings at the Supreme Court," wrote Bondi.Bondi added, "I remain eternally grateful for the trust that President Trump placed in me to Make America Safe Again."Although Bondi noted that she is "moving to an important private sector role," she still may have to answer for actions taken while serving as attorney general.The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted last month to subpoena Bondi on the release of the Epstein files.Democrats on the committee emphasized in a joint statement on Thursday that Bondi "will not escape accountability and remains legally obligated to appear before our Committee under oath. She must answer for her mishandling of the Epstein files and the special treatment she has given Ghislaine Maxwell."The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Garcia (Calif.), tweeted, "Pam Bondi and Donald Trump may think her firing gets her out of testifying to the Oversight Committee. They are wrong — and we look forward to hearing from her under oath."Republican Rep. Nancy Mace (S.C.) wrote, "My subpoena still stands. When the Oversight Committee moved to subpoena Bondi, I did it by name, not by or not as the sitting Attorney General of the U.S."Around the time the subpoena was issued, Mace stated, "AG Bondi claims the DOJ has released all of the Epstein files. The record is clear: they have not. The Epstein case is one of the greatest cover-ups in American history. His global sex trafficking network is larger than what is being revealed. Three million documents have been released, and we still don't have the full truth. Videos are missing. Audio is missing. Logs are missing. There are millions more documents out there. We want to know why the DOJ is more focused on shielding the powerful than delivering justice."Citing people familiar with the discussions between Bondi and the committee, the New York Times reported that Bondi has not yet committed to appearing for her scheduled April 14 deposition.Todd Blanche said in a statement that Bondi "led this Department with strength and conviction" and that the DOJ will "continue backing the blue, enforcing the law, and doing everything in our power to keep America safe."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

There is something seriously wrong with American health care. Rising costs mean that Americans now pay nearly twice as much as people in similar countries, without getting better outcomes. “It’s complicated,” say those who want to keep prices high and rising. But some of it is simple, as my organization is showing with research on hospital systems like Cleveland Clinic.Hospital executives are leading luxurious lifestyles while claiming that every dollar spent — on television commercials, Abu Dhabi real estate, or modern art — is 'health care.'A longtime household name, Cleveland Clinic presents itself as an altruistic institution focused on health and patients. As a tax-exempt corporation, everything Cleveland Clinic does is subsidized by taxpayers, and it receives many other direct and indirect benefits in the interest of public health. Yet it pays executives millions, has massive holdings overseas, and maintains a collection of fine art.Why are your health care bills and insurance premiums going up? Why is government spending and borrowing more and more to subsidize care? Look no farther than the misplaced priorities of profit-maximizing “nonprofit” hospitals like Cleveland Clinic.Recent news has exposed massive waste and fraud against taxpayers in places like Minnesota, California, and Washington state. Yet the problem is deeper and more systemic. Rooting out actual theft is essential. So is confronting waste and abuse, especially within large health care institutions.Last month, Save Our States launched a campaign calling out a massive hospital system run by the University of Miami. While its transplant center was failing, hospital executives were focused on building a lavish new lobby and expanding into Abu Dhabi.Our new exposé on Cleveland Clinic found surprisingly similar luxury expenses. It has an in-house art museum, for example, boasting a "world-renowned collection" of nearly 7,000 pieces of contemporary art. Like many hospitals, it spares no expense on public relations and advertising — Cleveland Clinic even ran its own Super Bowl ad.The clinic pays millions in executive salaries. Those executives are planning a massive new sports center with the Cleveland Cavaliers, to go along with their fancy foreign facilities in places like London, Toronto, and — once again — Abu Dhabi.How do these expenses benefit American patients? And why should taxpayers subsidize any of it?Some medical providers do pay taxes. A doctor with an independent practice gets taxed like any other business. But sell that practice to a tax-exempt hospital, even one with billions in revenue, and suddenly it becomes tax-exempt. At the same time, hospital-owned practices often start adding “hospital facility fees” on top of regular bills.They charge patients more for the same services, then pay less in taxes. No wonder massive hospital systems buy up smaller practices and facilities. These are policy choices, not market forces, driving consolidation in health care. The result is lower quality, higher prices, and misplaced priorities.RELATED: America has a spending problem Congress refuses to fix DNY59/Getty ImagesFor many Americans, the rising prices go first to their insurance, later showing up in rising premiums and lower take-home pay. And all Americans see the cost in taxes. Everyone pays somehow, in higher costs, less access to care, or both.Meanwhile, hospital executives are leading luxurious lifestyles while claiming that every dollar spent — on television commercials, Abu Dhabi real estate, or modern art — is “health care.”During its spending spree, Cleveland Clinic has faced allegations of deceptive billing, accusations of overcharging patients, reports of underpaying nurses, and stories of medical debt lawsuits brought against its own patients.Our new site, ClevelandClinicBetrayedPatients.com, documents the misplaced priorities of this massive, taxpayer-supported hospital system.Given that Cleveland Clinic is in Vice President JD Vance's home state of Ohio, hopefully he can make it a focus of his new appointment by President Trump to lead the “war on fraud.” The vice president and congressional leaders need to scrutinize spending at all subsidized hospitals — starting with the biggest.The question is not: “Does it do some good somewhere?” One good program does not justify waste elsewhere. The question is: “Are any taxpayer dollars subsidizing waste, abuse, or unnecessary extravagance?”Americans need health systems that respect taxpayers and put patients first. More than anything, we need the kind of competition that creates accountability, demands transparency, fosters innovation, and produces better services at lower prices.

New York City's democratic socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is reportedly preparing to hire a slew of additional staffers who could cost taxpayers $10 million, after previously claiming the city was facing a critical budget deficit. The New York Post reported Wednesday that Mamdani plans to hire at least 79 more workers to support his "pet projects."'Taxpayers who are already struggling should not be bankrolling useless woke jobs for socialists who can't get real jobs in the real world.'One of those positions includes a senior adviser for enforcement in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice. This individual would be responsible for "establishing policy vision and direction related to Enforcement" and is expected to "manage and coordinate across the assigned agencies, offices, and boards." The job posting describes the department as advancing "policies that promote a more equitable and vibrant New York City." The candidate could earn up to $200,000 annually.Mamdani is also seeking to hire two temporary World Cup managers to help "lead the planning and delivery of inclusive, community-based public programming." The salaries listed for both positions, a director of NYC World Cup Activations and a project manager for NYC World Cup programming, are over $100,000. Additionally, the mayor's office is seeking an adviser for legislative advocacy, with a salary of up to $155,000.Mamdani has pledged to work toward rolling out so-called free universal child care to New York City parents. The city is currently hiring a senior project manager who could earn up to $150,000 a year to lead that initiative. RELATED: Socialist Mamdani rolls out costly ‘free’ child care program to NYC workers — after crying financial crisis Michael M. Santiago/Getty ImagesA senior adviser for fast and free buses, who could earn $180,000 a year, will have "latitude to exercise a wide degree of authority" for the "coordination, implementation, and successful completion of any projects related to the Fast and Free Buses."Last month, the Post reported that Mamdani's Office of Mass Engagement was seeking to fill over a dozen positions the news outlet described as "catered to activists." Those positions would reportedly cost taxpayers approximately $2 million. The Post estimated that if Mamdani's office filled all positions, the city's payroll would increase by 20% compared to the former Mayor Eric Adams' administration. RELATED: Mamdani made big promises to cut the budget — here's the embarrassing result so far Zohran Mamdani. Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service/Getty Images"At best, he's hypocritically spending money we don't have on his supporters," a Democratic operative told the Post. "At worst, he is breaking the law by using taxpayer dollars for political benefit.""City Hall now needs to be super clear about why these hires are needed and how they're chosen," the individual added.A second Democratic insider told the Post, "Someone should remind the mayor that the city's budget is not like his daddy's credit card.""Taxpayers who are already struggling should not be bankrolling useless woke jobs for socialists who can't get real jobs in the real world," the second operative said.Mamdani previously claimed the city faced a $12 billion budget deficit after Adams left office. He has since stated that the deficit has been reduced to $5.4 billion. Adams has denied Mamdani's claims, insisting that he left over $8 billion in reserves.Mamdani's office did not respond to a request for comment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

For decades, Americans have been conditioned to fear AI. From big-budget blockbusters portraying apocalyptic scenarios to TV shows and books that show AI in a negative light, AI has been shown negatively ever since HAL refused to open the bay doors.This Hollywood-driven fear has affected real policy change on the state level. The problem is that many of these policies are overly restrictive and come from a place of fear rather than objectivity.AI innovators should have one set of rules to follow nationwide, rather than being forced to tailor products and services according to a patchwork of laws.They come from an understandable place, of course. AI has been known to hallucinate legal cases and run roughshod over privacy law, and it can be used in abusive and hurtful ways. It is imperative that humans remain involved in decision-making and implement strong safeguards against misuse. The White House recently called for such policies in the National AI Legislative Framework.But the Trump administration has also recognized that regulations can be a hindrance.This is why President Trump issued an executive order to establish a federal framework for AI regulation last December. “My Administration must act with the Congress to ensure that there is a minimally burdensome national standard — not 50 discordant State ones,” he wrote in the order. “The resulting framework must forbid State laws that conflict with the policy set forth in this order. … A carefully crafted national framework can ensure that the United States wins the AI race, as we must.”The order also directed the secretary of commerce to publish a report examining AI regulations from coast to coast. It will identify state AI laws the administration considers "onerous" to create a targeting map that will inform the priorities of the Justice Department’s AI Litigation Task Force.Colorado — which is already in the administration’s crosshairs, according to the executive order — and other states whose laws make the list (such as California, New York, and Illinois) could lose significant federal dollars.Although President Trump’s order targets states, cities aren’t in the clear. The DOJ recently created a new Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch within the Civil Division that is tasked with “filing lawsuits against states, municipalities, and private entities that interfere with or obstruct federal policies,” underscoring the administration’s intent to challenge local laws that appear to violate the Supremacy Clause.RELATED: California’s next dumb tech idea: Show your papers to scroll Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesCentralizing AI oversight makes sense. Without a deep understanding of artificial intelligence and machine learning, city and state leaders can inadvertently hinder progress in the field of technology (such as restricting the use of aged, anonymized data for algorithm training).Regardless of the federal funding at stake, city and state statutes governing AI should be reviewed for conflicts with federal policy, which is being carefully designed to allow growth across industries where, today, progress is often powered by AI.For the good of America’s economic engine, AI innovators should have one set of rules to follow nationwide, rather than being forced to tailor products and services according to a patchwork of laws.The future is here, and we should not be afraid of it. AI is a powerful driver for progress in business, science, medicine, and a variety of other fields. Efficiency, accuracy, productivity, creativity, and analysis are magnified and elevated by this technology.Cities and states should seek to harness this tool and use it for their people. The way forward is smart, federally driven guardrails that allow innovation to flourish, not a giant stop sign.