Alligator Alcatraz is Almost Shut Down

On Wednesday, our Jorge Bonilla examined what the flagship network evening newscasts had to offer vis-à-vis the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting and found zero appetite to consider the transgender shooter’s motive was a hatred of Christianity and God Himself. Sadly, their lead Thursday morning shows felt the same way, sticking to the dishonest narrative the shooter’s scribbles on guns left no clue as to why Annunciation Catholic Church was the target. ABC chief business and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis set the table as she anchored Good Morning America’s coverage from her native Minnesota, stating in a report summarizing the last 24 hours that “[a]uthorities say the shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, born Robert Westman” and “had ties with the church” as both a student and mother having “worked there as recently as 2021.” But the real discussion of investigating the why for the transgender psychopath fell to chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas, who chose to emphasize the thug possessed a “darkness,” was “obsessed with violence,” and “want[ed] to kill people generally”:   Gee, if that’s the case, why didn’t the shooter go to, say, a mosque, a mall, or park? A few minutes later, chief investigative correspondent Aaron Katersky wrapped the first half-hour’s coverage of the massacre with a liberal hot take about school shootings:   Over on NBC’s Today, Chicago-based correspondent Maggie Vespa sounded many of the same notes from Wednesday’s NBC Nightly News. At least she cited the shooter’s “writings...including acial slurs, a call for President Donald Trump’s death, anti-Semitic messages, and references to the Holocaust, and the Catholic Church”:   The real head-in-the-sand was delivered thanks to Minneapolis Police Chief Sean Hara telling co-host Craig Melvin he’s seen “nothing..specific” as to why the assailant shot up a century-plus-old church:   It was as though O’Hara’s posture hasn’t changed since Wednesday afternoon, which is a lifetime ago in high-profile investigations such as this one. Just outside the flagship newscast hours of 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., CBS Mornings Plus tip-toed closer to acknowledging reality, courtesy of CBS News producer Anna Schecter:  

The internet is sounding the alarm on a "wellness drink" that has been growing rapidly in popularity in recent years. While the marketing for the drink makes it sound like a harmless herbal supplement to take the edge off after a long day, the lesser-known ingredients in the drinks are causing unexpected, massive problems with users.TikTok @yourbestiemisha recently described how a boy in his early teens approached him in a gas station, asking the man to purchase some "Feel Free" for him. When @yourbestiemisha refused, the teen reportedly lunged at his wallet in desperation. When he informed the gas station clerk, the clerk reported that it was a known problem and showed him the drink in the little blue bottle behind the craze.Kratom's opioid-like effects are pronounced enough that researchers have tried using it to treat opioid addicts — only to discover that kratom itself can create addiction.Botanic Tonics touts its product Feel Free as a "feel-good tonic [that] features kava root and other plant ingredients known to help with relaxation, productivity and focus." Left unmentioned is a crucial ingredient: kratom.K-holeAccording to the Mayo Clinic, the effects of kratom — derived from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia — are largely unknown, and the substance is therefore labeled as "unsafe and ineffective." Furthermore, "kratom products have been found to have heavy metals, such as lead, and harmful germs, such as salmonella, in them. Salmonella poisoning can be fatal. The FDA has linked more than 35 deaths to salmonella-tainted kratom."Kratom also produces different effects depending on the dose. At low doses, it can act as a stimulant, which is what is often advertised in the health drinks. At higher doses, on the other hand, it acts as a depressant. Because kratom is not regulated in the U.S., the exact dosages on the labels may not be accurate.RELATED: Study warns of possible link between world's most popular painkiller and autism Endah Widiarti/Getty ImagesKratom's opioid-like effects are pronounced enough that researchers have tried using it to treat opioid addicts — only to discover that kratom itself can create addiction.Easy accessUnfortunately, it was not at all difficult to find Feel Free locally in the suburbs of Dallas. Two CBD stores and two gas stations into my search, I had a bottle of Feel Free ($10.91 with tax) in my hand. The clerk at the first gas station said they used to carry it but didn't know why they don't have it anymore. The CBD stores did not carry Feel Free but were vaguely aware of it. Instead, they directed me to a wide selection of kratom in other forms: Full-size drinks, tinctures, powders, and capsules were on full display — all for a premium price. 'Liquid heroin'On X, commentator Mike Cernovich called out the harmful effects of Feel Free and other kratom-based drinks: "Those 'Kratom energy shots,' often with colorful packaging marketed to children, are anything but natural. They are loaded with 7-OH, which is liquid heroin. It's a travesty that Secretary Kennedy hasn't had these dangerous products removed, and that the DEA hasn't made arrests."The DEA's website confirms that "kratom leaves contain two major psychoactive ingredients (mitragynine and 7-hydroxymytragynine)," which cause addiction-like symptoms in its users. The DEA says symptoms include "hallucinations, delusion, and confusion, nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination, and loss of appetite. Long-term use can cause anorexia, weight loss, and insomnia."Road to ruinAnecdotally, Reddit users have described financial problems stemming from dependence on the substance, which retails for around $10 per 2-ounce bottle. Others complain of side effects including dry or cracked skin, dependence, weakness, panic attacks, weight loss, extreme nausea, morning illness; and hangover-like symptoms. Many lobby groups have pushed for tighter regulation on the processing and distribution of kratom, but the government has yet to take any decisive steps toward cracking down on this harmful substance. In the meantime, those looking for a quick pick-me-up should "feel free" to pass on this potentially venomous snake oil.

Readers of Blaze News may recall the recent tale involving a male caught on surveillance video chucking a bottle of Orange Crush at a Florida convenience store worker and knocking out the victim.The Polk County Sheriff's Office said deputies were dispatched to the Seven Star store at 6940 Old Highway 37 in Bradley regarding a physical attack against a store employee on the evening of Aug. 3.'You ain't gonna do nothin' to me, boy!'Authorities said first responders found the adult male victim "bleeding profusely" above his right eye — an injury that required 10 stitches and apparently resulted in a concussion.An investigation revealed that a suspect entered the store along with two other men and accused the victim of "staring at him," officials said.The victim told the suspect to get his items and leave, officials said. But as you might guess, the suspect apparently didn't take too kindly to the directive.Authorities said the victim and suspect continued to "loudly" exchange words, after which the suspect "threw a full, unopened, plastic 2-liter [bottle] of Orange Crush at the victim's head."The victim fell unconscious, officials said, and the suspect and his friends left the store.In the below video of the attack, the suspect appears to state, "You ain't gonna do nothin' to me, boy!" after knocking the store employee to the floor.RELATED: Florida thug caught on video knocking out store clerk with 2-liter bottle of Orange Crush. What set him off is an eye-opener. Detectives identified the suspect as 30-year old Terry Lamar Johnson Jr. of Mulberry, officials said, adding that an arrest warrant was obtained for Johnson with a charge of felony battery causing great bodily harm, and cops began looking for him.The sheriff's office previously told Blaze News that Johnson was in jail in May after a charge of possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended or revoked license. The sheriff's office also told Blaze News that Johnson in the past had been charged with grand theft, aggravated assault, battery, resisting, and "numerous" weapons violations.Below is Johnson's previous mugshot:RELATED: Violent suspect actually bites K-9's ear amid arrest, Florida sheriff says: 'You can't make this stuff up' Terry Lamar Johnson Jr. Image source: Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff's OfficeJohnson finally was captured last Thursday, authorities said.The sheriff's office told Blaze News that Johnson's charge of felony battery causing great bodily harm is a third-degree charge and that he posted a $10,000 bond Saturday just after midnight. The sheriff's office added that Johnson's arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 22.The penalty in Florida for a felony battery causing great bodily harm conviction is up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An eight-woman marketing team concocted a rebrand of the legendary breakfast spot Cracker Barrel — and it could not have gone worse.The rebrand oversaw the removal of the old country white man and vintage type from the logo and replaced it with sterile, soulless lettering. This got the attention of Americans across the country, who then took a deeper look into the company's policies.“Look at all these DEI policies they have. Look at all the LGBTQ stuff they had,” BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock says on “Fearless.” “And the next thing you know, Cracker Barrel, its stock is plummeting. People are starting to boycott the way people boycotted Target.”“This was a disaster put on by this eight-woman marketing team,” he adds.Whitlock believes what’s happened to the once-beloved company is part of a bigger cultural issue and can be blamed on feminism.“They’ve made diversity the ultimate goal rather than excellence. That’s what this is all about. And so they look at everything. They look at the logo and the branding and everything from the past when it was a competition among men. … They look at anything like that from the past as, ‘That’s bad, that’s evil, that must be eradicated, that must be erased,’” Whitlock explains.“And so they get triggered,” he continues. “They see, ‘Why is an old white man the logo for Cracker Barrel? Let’s remove him.’ And they’re doing this throughout all of American society. Eliminating male leadership because they have convinced everybody that diversity is the goal.”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.

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