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The Super Bowl is one of the last remaining parts of American culture that all Americans, regardless of their political beliefs, can share and enjoy, but the NFL and CBS’s Stephen Colbert seem eager to end that. On Tuesday, the host of The Late Show defended Bad Bunny’s decision not to perform in the mainland U.S. prior to the game because of ICE. Colbert began by simply noting, “And the halftime show for this year's Super Bowl will be a friend of the show, or amigo Del Show Tarde, Bad Bunny, who sings almost exclusively in Spanish. And, not only that, is expected to perform in Spanish.”   Stephen Colbert thinks the Super Bowl (Go Hawks!) halftime performer not performing in the mainland U.S. before the game is great, "The right-wing media has had their panties in a bunch over the Bad Bunny booking for months, because Mr. Bunny excluded the continental U.S. From… pic.twitter.com/kOPNZ0wSEZ — Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) February 4, 2026   The idea that the Super Bowl halftime performer will speak in a language most viewers will not understand got a bizarrely long applause from the studio audience. Afterwards, Colbert mocked his own lack of Spanish knowledge before turning to conservative media, “The right-wing media has had their panties in a bunch over the Bad Bunny booking for months, because Mr. Bunny excluded the continental U.S. from his most recent tour, out of fear that ICE could potentially raid the venues, and then on Sunday night, he blasted ICE while accepting an award at the Grammys. Hey, he's just looking out for his fans, y'all. Also—that's what you want to do.” Colbert would go on to mock an anonymous NFL player who demanded an American performer, not realizing that Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican birth makes him an American citizen and plenty of previous Super Bowl halftime performers have not been American. However, it is interesting that Colbert did not cite all the concerts that have taken place in the U.S. in recent months without massive ICE operations. Furthermore, if the last great cultural unifier wants to endanger that status by putting on a partisan hack who won’t even perform in English, people have a right to object. Here is a transcript for the February 3 show: CBS The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 2/3/2026 11:38 PM ET STEPHEN COLBERT: And the halftime show for this year's Super Bowl will be a friend of the show, or amigo Del Show Tarde, Bad Bunny, who sings almost exclusively in Spanish. And, not only that, is expected to perform in Spanish. Now, I've been practicing my Spanish on my Duolingo, so I'll understand all his lyrics, as long as the lyrics are, "The bear and the mouse need an apartment." El oso. That's all I got. The right-wing media has had their panties in a bunch over the Bad Bunny booking for months, because Mr. Bunny excluded the continental U.S. from his most recent tour, out of fear that ICE could potentially raid the venues, and then on Sunday night, he blasted ICE while accepting an award at the Grammys. Hey, he's just looking out for his fans, y'all. Also—that's what you want to do.

A NewsBusters investigation of the Epstein Files discovered that cast members of ABC’s The View were mentioned nearly four dozen times. Despite the files being a major topic of discussion on the show, as they tried to tie President Trump to criminal activity, none of the cast members addressed their names appearing in the same files. One cast member was seemingly interested in borrowing one of Epstein’s infamous private jets. A search of the cast members’ names on the Department of Justice website returned nearly four dozen (46) references. Moderator Whoopi Goldberg led the way with 21 references, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin clocked in with 20, Joy Behar had three, and Ana Navarro had two. Fortunately for co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Sara Haines, they weren’t mentioned at all (as of the release of the latest batch of files). The search for references did take into account Goldberg going by just her first name, Farah Griffin’s maiden name, and Hostin’s maiden name (Cummings) and real first name (Asunción; with and without the accent mark). NewsBusters discovered e-mails from a redacted address reaching out to Epstein and a “Larry V” seemingly on behalf of Goldberg. The e-mail was requesting possible use of one of Epstein’s private jets to help Goldberg attend a White Feather Foundation charity event in Monaco. “Whoopi Goldberg needs a plane to get to Monaco. John Lennon's Charity is paying for it. They don't want to charter so they are looking for private owners,” the e-mail began.     The message would go on to explain the short-notice of the request and specifically asked for Epstein’s Gulfstream GII: The scheduled jet fell through yesterday and they are scrambling to get Whoopi over to Monaco[.] I am sure the jet owner could attend the fete and get fuel reimbursed (otherwise if it is to be paid for, we'd love to know costs to factor it in for John. Obviously the more money we keep, the more goes directly to the charity)." Would you want to offer the GII? The Gulfstream jet was the subject of controversy in 2021, since it was tied to Epstein’s crimes. Epstein turned down the request in another e-mail with a brief “no thnaks [sic].”     According to The White Feather Foundation’s website, Goldberg still managed to attend the event. “Whoopi Goldberg kindly flew in from the United States to host the event and performed her role as master of ceremonies to perfection,” they boasted. Other references to Goldberg were from resumes, news and tabloid articles, and newsletters that made their way to Epstein’s inbox. The references to Farah Griffin were from similar sources, i.e. articles about her issuing statements as the “White House Director of Strategic Communications.” Navarro’s reference in the e-mails were also about her public comments on politics. Such incidental mentions of persons also made up the vast majority of the mentions of Trump, a fact most people citing those numbers intentionally left out. As for Behar, two of the references where headlines about her grabbing comedian Robin Williams, but the third was a list of people invited to a “William Astor’s dinner.” Included on the very long invite list was Behar, Epstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell (convicted Epstein associate). Shutterstock images of the event show Maxwell did attend the event. It’s unclear if Behar did as well. ABC News did not respond to NewsBusters' request for comment.

Is it possible just to enjoy a long-cherished international sports tradition without injecting climate scareporn into the mix? Apparently not so for the Gaia-worshipping sub-optimal intellects at The Washington Post. Post reporters Janice Kai Chen, Nick Kirkpatrick and Júlia Ledur apparently forgot it was winter when they collectively blurted out the following headline February 2, “Climate change is making the Winter Olympics harder to host.” Kicking the doom-mongering into high gear, the authors cried that “Even with the intervention of machine-made snow, climate change will substantially shrink the number of locations able to host the Games.” The 2026 games, which are being held in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, are being threatened by warmer temperatures, kvetched the Post reporters. “With the weather too warm to make snow during the day, the machines had to run at night to create enough snow for the upcoming competitions,” in the weeks leading up to the games, they exclaimed.  But weather is not always predictable. On Tuesday, KSL-TV reported the snow-makers got some natural help: A long‑awaited round of snowfall has arrived in Cortina just as the city races to prepare for the upcoming Olympic opening ceremonies. The snow brought both relief and new challenges as workers push to finish construction. Some regular visitors, like Elena Belagia of Milan, said the fresh snow brought a welcome improvement. “All the trees are full of snow, and so it’s amazing,” Belagia said. “They are very lucky. I’ve never seen so much snow in this period.” This winter in Italy hasn't always fit the climate-ragebait model. Leading Italian news organization Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA) just reported January 8 that Italy was being “gripped by cold, temperatures drop as low as 23.1° in Veneto,” a region south of Cortina. “After being hit by violent winds, heavy snow and torrential rain over the last few days, Italy was in the grip of intense cold on Thursday,” the outlet summarized. But Chen, Kirkpatrick and Ledur made it seem like this was the beginning of the end of the Winter Games:  By the middle of this century there could be fewer than 20 countries with the right conditions and infrastructure to host the Games, according to a study from 2024. A study published last month from the same authors examines how to make the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games more climate-resilient. The reporters also cherry-picked the Rocky Mountains in the American West having a particularly warm winter as being another harbinger of the Winter Games’s death knell. But as USA Today conceded about the blisteringly cold winter season in the American Northeast and Midwest going into February, “Greetings from Ice Planet Hoth … Indeed, much of the eastern United States resembles the fictional frozen Star Wars world, and now folks there are now enduring some of the worst cold on Earth.” What does all this mean? Predictions about future climate developments and conditions — particularly for something as niche as Winter Sports — is about as reliable as buying a lottery ticket for the $80 million Powerball jackpot, just refer back to former Vice President Al Gore’s conspicuously named climate Armageddon documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which was mocked on its 20th anniversary for much of its doom prophecies never coming to pass.   But leave it to The Post to turn anything and everything it can into a springboard for nutty climate politics. 

Car ownership used to come with an unspoken assumption: You bought the vehicle, and it was yours to maintain, repair, and service in any way you saw fit. That assumption is quietly eroding. And one of the clearest signs doesn’t involve software updates or subscription features.It involves a screw.Tasks once considered routine — such as clearing fault codes or accessing safety systems — now often require dealer-level credentials or paid subscriptions.BMW has filed a patent for a proprietary fastener shaped like its iconic roundel logo. It is not a Torx, not a hex, and not a Phillips head. The circular screw is divided into four quadrants mirroring the BMW emblem. Two quadrants are recessed to accept a matching tool, while the others remain flush, making it impossible for standard tools to grip. The BMW logo is embossed around the outer edge, ensuring the branding remains visible even after installation.From a design perspective, it’s distinctive. From a functional perspective, it is proprietary by design.Tightening the screwAccording to BMW’s patent filing with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, conventional fasteners are considered too accessible. Common tools, the company argues, allow “unauthorized persons” to loosen or tighten screws in sensitive areas of the vehicle. The purpose of the logo-shaped fastener is explicit: restrict access by requiring a specialized tool.What has drawn the most concern is not just the screw itself but where BMW suggests it could be used. The patent lists applications beyond cosmetic trim, including seat mountings, cockpit assemblies, center consoles, and interior-to-body connections. These are components that already demand precise torque and careful installation. Adding proprietary fasteners to those areas raises obvious questions about who will be able to perform even routine work.BMW also notes that some of these screws could be installed in visible parts of the cabin — meaning owners would be regularly reminded that parts of their own vehicle are effectively off-limits without brand-specific tools.Dealer's wheelThe patent does not define who qualifies as “authorized” or “unauthorized,” but the repair industry has little doubt who would be excluded. Independent mechanics, collision repair shops, and do-it-yourself owners would likely need BMW-specific tooling to perform work that was once straightforward. Removing a seat for interior repairs could become a dealer-only task.That concern is not hypothetical. Repair advocates and automotive media have long warned that proprietary designs widen the gap between modern vehicles and hands-on ownership. Independent shops may be forced to buy specialized equipment to remain competitive, while some repairs may no longer make economic sense outside dealership networks. For owners, the result is fewer choices, higher costs, and less control.To be fair, proprietary tools are not new. Independent repair facilities already invest heavily in manufacturer-specific equipment as vehicles grow more complex. Advanced driver-assistance systems, electronic steering, and modern powertrains require specialized knowledge and tools. Even critics acknowledge that BMW’s logo-shaped screw is visually clever and consistent with the brand’s design philosophy.But the issue isn’t aesthetics. It’s what the design signals.RELATED: Locked out: How Big Auto could destroy the used-car market Sepia Times/Getty ImagesBad 'Gateway'?BMW’s patent arrives as other automakers publicly emphasize repair-friendly engineering. Mercedes-Benz, for example, has discussed modular designs intended to simplify service. Against that backdrop, BMW’s approach appears to move in the opposite direction — favoring exclusivity and control over accessibility.It’s also important to note that the fastener exists only as a patent. Automakers file thousands of patents every year, many of which never reach production. Still patents are not filed casually. They reflect internal thinking and future direction.More importantly, BMW is not alone.Stellantis, parent company of Jeep, Dodge, and Chrysler, uses a Security Gateway Module that restricts access to diagnostic functions. Independent scan tools are blocked unless registered and authenticated through company systems. Tasks once considered routine — such as clearing fault codes or accessing safety systems — now often require dealer-level credentials or paid subscriptions.Volkswagen Group, which includes Audi and Porsche, employs Component Protection, preventing certain electronic parts from functioning unless validated through manufacturer software. Independent shops can install the part, but without official authorization, the vehicle may still display errors or limit functionality.Other automakers — including General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Hyundai — control diagnostic software, telematics data, and vehicle information through subscription-based platforms. Lawmakers have warned that these practices undermine the very idea of ownership by placing essential repair information behind paywalls or limiting it to authorized networks.Data grabThe common thread is not branding or engineering sophistication. It is control.Modern vehicles generate enormous amounts of data, and automakers increasingly decide who can access it, who can use it, and under what conditions. Software locks, digital part pairing, cloud-based diagnostics, and proprietary hardware all steer repairs back toward manufacturer-approved channels.This matters because repair access affects safety, affordability, and consumer choice. When independent shops cannot compete, prices rise. When owners cannot choose where — or whether — to service their vehicles, ownership starts to resemble a long-term lease with conditions attached.BMW’s logo-shaped screw may never leave the patent office. But it has already made the debate tangible. It turns an abstract argument about software and data into a physical object drivers can understand.After all, it doesn’t get much more basic than a screw.Cars are no longer just machines. They are platforms, data centers, and branded ecosystems. The question for consumers is how much control they are willing to give up in exchange for innovation and design.

What once was simply a showdown between football teams has been turned into a clown show with a political agenda — and BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock is tired of it.“Roger Goodell and these idiots at the NFL have added to the Super Bowl. They’ve added something called the ‘chief kindness officer,' and they've got some theme of ‘be kind to your rivals’ or whatever,” Whitlock says.The newly appointed chief kindness officer is Dhar Mann, who has created “educational” films that are supposed to illustrate some kind of lesson to the world. One video Whitlock plays is titled “Racist Karen tries getting barista fired.”“The actual video is a racial farce. I watched the video ... so fantasy driven and so over the top. It’s an alternate false reality that Dhar Mann has created to portray white women as racist. And it’s completely removed from reality,” Whitlock says.“And I’m looking at the NFL and Roger Goodell and like this is what y’all consider kindness ... putting out a video that smears white women as the most racist people on the planet. This is kindness. This is an alternate reality,” he continues.“This is bigotry that the NFL is promoting or has been commanded to promote,” he adds.And as the Super Bowl date nears, Whitlock has decided he will not be watching.“They don’t have enough money printed on the entire planet to get me to watch this year’s Super Bowl. I’ve just had it. Everything associated with this Super Bowl is gay and embarrassing. This is going to be the gayest, dumbest event in the history of sports,” he explains.“It’s in San Francisco, the gay area, for one. Bad Bunny, the Super Bowl halftime performance. There are reports that he’s planning to wear a dress to promote transgenderism and cross-dressing and all of that. Bad Bunny, who speaks no English or sings no songs in English. Bad Bunny, who is an anti-ICE, pro-illegal immigration activist,” he continues.“That’s the Super Bowl halftime performance. They’re trolling us,” he adds.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.

Don’t admire Woodrow Wilson. Not even once.

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