Democrats serving on the House Administration Committee are pleading with Vice President J.D. Vance to save the Smithsonian Institution from President Donald Trump.

Former NBA star Charles Barkley threw his support behind Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore as the Democrat Party's best options for the 2028 presidential race, saying they're the only candidates who could earn his vote, The Hill reported.

Former Fox News host Steve Hilton has announced that he will enter the California governor's race in a bid to become the Golden State's first Republican chief executive since Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to Politico.

In a stunning turn of events that has left the Catholic Church reeling and Twitter ablaze, pop superstar Katy Perry has declared herself the new Pope, citing an intense 11-minute session of reading a Bible verse as her divine qualification. The announcement, made via a glittery Instagram Live stream, has sparked global confusion, theological debates, and a surge in sales of her 2013 hit, Roar. “I was just vibing with my morning smoothie, flipping through the Bible app, you know, as one does,” Perry explained to her 200 million followers, dressed in a bedazzled mitre she claimed was “thrifted from Etsy.” “I read John 3:16 for, like, 11 minutes straight, and I felt this cosmic energy. The Holy Spirit DM’d me and was like, ‘Girl, you’re Pope now.’ So, here I am. Pope Katy I, reporting for duty!” The Vatican was quick to respond, with Cardinal Giovanni Rossi issuing a statement that read, in part, “While we appreciate Ms. Perry’s enthusiasm for scripture, the papacy is not a DIY project. Also, 11 minutes is barely enough time to microwave a Hot Pocket, let alone ascend to the Throne of St. Peter.” Undeterred, Perry countered by posting a TikTok of herself blessing a plate of avocado toast, captioned, “Ex cathedra vibes only. #PopeKaty.” Theological scholars are divided on the matter. Dr. Agnes Mueller of the Pontifical Gregorian University called Perry’s claim “a theological fever dream,” noting that papal succession requires a conclave, not a solo scripture sesh. Meanwhile, Dr. Chad Bromley, a self-proclaimed “TikTok theologian,” argued, “If God can speak through a burning bush, why not through a pop star who once shot whipped cream from her bra? Let’s not limit the divine aesthetic.” Perry’s fans, known as “KatyCats,” have already begun designing papal merchandise, including bedazzled rosaries and “Dark Horse” hymnals. A Change.org petition to recognize her papacy has garnered 1.2 million signatures, though most comments appear to be variations of “SLAY, POPE KATY!” Conversely, traditionalist Catholics have taken to X, where the hashtag #NotMyPope is trending alongside memes of Perry’s 2018 Met Gala angel wings with captions like, “When you’re ready for the Vatican but not the theology.” In a bold move, Perry has outlined her papal agenda, which includes replacing incense with cotton candy-scented diffusers, mandating glitter as a liturgical color, and canonizing her pet nugget, a teacup pig, as “St. Nugget of Calabasas.” She also proposed a new encyclical, Urbi et Orbi et Party, which she described as “a bop about unity, love, and sequins.” The College of Cardinals has scheduled an emergency meeting to address what they’re calling “the Perry Papacy Problem.” Sources close to the Vatican say Pope Francis, now Pope Emeritus, was seen chuckling at the news, muttering, “I’ve dealt with schisms, but this? This is a new one.” As the world awaits clarity, Perry remains unfazed, teasing a new single titled Hallelujah Firework and promising to lead her first mass at Coachella 2026. “I’m here to spread love, light, and a killer playlist,” she declared. “Also, indulgences are now called ‘VIP passes to heaven.’ Get yours on my merch site!” Whether this is divine intervention or just another day in 2025, one thing is certain: Pope Katy I is roaring, and the world is listening. The post BREAKING: Katy Perry declares herself pope after reading the Bible for 11 minutes appeared first on Genesius Times.

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin is flying out to San Diego Tuesday to address a “public health and environmental crisis” regarding sewage on the U.S.-Mexico border on Earth Day. “There is nowhere more important for me to be tomorrow than on the border in California, dealing with this very important public health and environmental crisis,” Zeldin told reporters at a Monday morning news conference ahead of his flight. “For decades, there has been raw sewage that’s been traveling across the border and Americans are very concerned with regard to beach closures, degradation of the Tijuana River Valley, concerns with public air, health quality,” Zeldin noted. “It’s been going on for too long, and we have to urgently and deliberately pursue and implement a solution that permanently ends this.” Earlier this month, Mexico completed its San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant, which treats approximately 18 million gallons of sewage per day, the Coronado Times reported. The U.S. is rehabilitating and expanding its treatment plant, the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, in a project that launched last fall and is projected to take five years to complete. The International Boundary and Water Commission reported on April 9 that Mexico would start releasing five million gallons a day of sewage into the Tijuana River for the next five days as authorities repair a critical junction box that forms part of the International Collector project. That flow partly abated a few days later, but many beaches in Coronado, the coastal city next to San Diego, remained closed as of Saturday. During a Coronado City Council meeting last week, Mayor John Duncan said the crisis has reached a “critical turning point of awareness” with the Trump administration. Zeldin told reporters that he will meet with Mexico’s environmental secretary, and he will host a news conference with Navy SEALs, who have gotten sick due to the contamination. He will also visit a local wastewater treatment facility, meet with businesses and elected officials, and take a helicopter tour of the border. In December, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, touted President Joe Biden signing a bill allocating $250 million for the wastewater project. When asked about that funding, Zeldin mentioned another source of funding—the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement that President Donald Trump signed in November 2018 and which went into force in July 2020. The EPA head said Mexico had failed to obligate $88 million for projects on the Mexican side, under the USMCA. Tensions between the U.S. and Mexico have increased since Trump imposed tariffs on America’s southern neighbor, citing Mexico’s trade surplus with the U.S. and the border crisis. Trump recently threatened to impose additional tariffs on Mexico for failing to send Texas water under the terms of a 1944 treaty. “Mexico owes Texas 1.3 million acre-feet of water under the 1944 Water Treaty, but Mexico is unfortunately violating their Treaty obligation,” the president posted on Truth Social earlier this month. “This is very unfair, and it is hurting South Texas Farmers very badly.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged that Mexico had not met its commitments under the treaty, citing drought conditions. She said Mexican officials sent a proposal to the U.S. in order to work out a solution. The post Five Tons of Sewage a Day: Why Lee Zeldin Is Traveling to San Diego for Earth Day appeared first on The Daily Signal.

American Academy of Pediatrics--Another 'Expert' Organization That Should Be Destroyed

President Donald Trump released a brief statement on the death of Pope Francis, which was announced by the Vatican early Monday morning.The president ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff to honor the pope, who had struggled with his health for many months and died of a cerebral stroke and heart failure at the age of 88. 'With charity and clarity we are all called to live in solidarity and fraternity, to build bridges that bring us ever closer together.' “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” wrote Trump on social media. Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was named to head the Catholic Church in 2013. The pope and Trump had a contentious feud, especially on illegal immigration as the president cracked down on groups that offered aid to immigrants, especially religious organizations. Francis issued a statement in February acknowledging the right of nations to establish and defend their borders, but also called on Christians to provide aid to immigrants. "I exhort all the faithful of the Catholic Church, and all men and women of good will, not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters," wrote the pontiff at the time. "With charity and clarity we are all called to live in solidarity and fraternity, to build bridges that bring us ever closer together," he added, "to avoid walls of ignominy and to learn to give our lives as Jesus Christ gave his for the salvation of all."Despite the feud, the president directed U.S. offices to respect the pope's passing. As a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment. Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, visited the pope just before he died, leading to memes on social media suggesting that Vance was somehow responsible for the pope's passing. Vance and the pope had a public debate about the interpretation of an obscure Catholic teaching about helping one's neighbor as it relates to the question of illegal immigration. Despite the disagreement, Vance had called on Catholics to pray for the pope's health when news of his deterioration surfaced. "Every day, since I heard of Pope Francis' illness, I say a prayer for the Holy Father," Vance said in February. "Because while yes, I was surprised when he criticized our immigration policy in the way that he has ... I believe that the pope is fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians under his leadership. And he's a man who cares about the spiritual direction of the faith."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Florida announced that it busted five illegal aliens tied to the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.Sheriff Grady Judd detailed the arrests during a Friday press briefing, explaining that two of the suspects were confirmed TDA members and the other three were identified as “associates.”'PCSO detectives obtained arrest warrants charging all five with robbery, which is upgraded to a first degree felony due to their gang status.'The men, who are reportedly all in the U.S. illegally, were accused of a string of liquor store robberies in Florida. The sheriff’s office stated that the illegal aliens attempted to steal $3,200 worth of “high-end liquor” from a Sam’s Club in March. When a store employee tried to stop the robbery, the men rammed her with the shopping cart, injuring her hand, Judd said.The illegal aliens reportedly disabled their getaway vehicle after driving over a concrete curb in the store’s parking lot. They left the car behind and fled in an Uber, according to the sheriff’s office.“Two of the suspects were positively identified and detectives determined they were incarcerated in Osceola County for a different robbery,” a press release from the sheriff’s office read. “Those suspects are Samuel Oglis David Anthony Charle, 25, and Ildemaro Miguel Escalona Mendoza, 26. Once the three other suspects were identified – Alexis Jose Rodriguez-Benavides, 27, Darwins Smith Vasquez Leon, 28, and Ramon Jesus Carpintero-Luna, 26 – PCSO detectives obtained arrest warrants charging all five with robbery, which is upgraded to a first degree felony due to their gang status.”The men have been tied to “over three dozen retail thefts” across the state. The total losses from their theft reportedly reached over $30,000, the sheriff’s office estimated.Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed detainers against all five of the suspects. They remain in local custody while facing first-degree felony charges. Grady noted that more charges are expected.During the press briefing, Grady closed his remarks by urging President Donald Trump to take executive action to speed up the deportation process.“We’ve got to have policy change to make an appreciable difference. We got the same old clunky system that’s ineffective at best and horribly broken in reality. And to try to move it along, it is just slow,” Grady stated. “The feds are helping and working hard on the local level. They don’t have the policy change that allows this to speed up, and the word’s got to get to the president.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Leftists Continue Blaming Trump for Famine Deaths In War-Torn Sudan

WOWZA: Dana Loesch Takes Laura Loomer APART In HEATED Back and Forth for Pushing Vile, Repugnant LIE