If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. US Vice President JD Vance criticized the European Union this week after rumors reportedly surfaced that Brussels may seek to punish X for refusing to remove certain online speech. In a post on X, Vance wrote, “Rumors swirling that the EU commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship. The EU should be supporting free speech not attacking American companies over garbage.” His remarks reflect growing tension between the United States and the EU over the future of online speech and the expanding role of governments in dictating what can be said on global digital platforms. Vance was likely referring to rumors that Brussels intends to impose massive penalties under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a censorship framework that requires major platforms to delete what regulators define as “illegal” or “harmful” speech, with violations punishable by fines up to six percent of global annual revenue. For Vance, this development fits a pattern he’s been warning about since the spring. In a May 2025 interview, he cautioned that “The kind of social media censorship that we’ve seen in Western Europe, it will and in some ways, it already has, made its way to the United States. That was the story of the Biden administration silencing people on social media.” He added, “We’re going to be very protective of American interests when it comes to things like social media regulation. We want to promote free speech. We don’t want our European friends telling social media companies that they have to silence Christians or silence conservatives.” Yet while the Vice President points to Europe as the source of the problem, a similar agenda is also advancing in Washington under the banner of “protecting children online.” This week’s congressional hearing on that subject opened in the usual way: familiar talking points, bipartisan outrage, and the recurring claim that online censorship is necessary for safety. The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade convened to promote a bundle of bills collectively branded as the “Kids Online Safety Package.” The session, titled “Legislative Solutions to Protect Children and Teens Online,” quickly turned into a competition over who could endorse broader surveillance and moderation powers with the most moral conviction. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) opened the hearing by pledging that the bills were “mindful of the Constitution’s protections for free speech,” before conceding that “laws with good intentions have been struck down for violating the First Amendment.” Despite that admission, lawmakers from both parties pressed ahead with proposals requiring digital ID age verification systems, platform-level content filters, and expanded government authority to police online spaces; all similar to the EU’s DSA censorship law. Vance has cautioned that these measures, however well-intentioned, mark a deeper ideological divide. “It’s not that we are not friends,” he said earlier this year, “but there’re gonna have some disagreements you didn’t see 10 years ago.” That divide is now visible on both sides of the Atlantic: a shared willingness among policymakers to restrict speech for perceived social benefit, and a shrinking space for those who argue that freedom itself is the safeguard worth protecting. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post JD Vance Condemns EU Censorship Pressure, Defends X appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Who Is Brian Cole, Suspect in the DC Pipe Bomb Case?

Nearly five years after "live, active" pipe bombs were discovered at the RNC and DNC headquarters on January 6, 2021, a suspect is now in custody.On Thursday, the DOJ announced that 30-year-old Brian Cole Jr. of Woodbridge, Virginia, has been arrested. Cole lives with his mother and other family members and works in the office of a bail bondsman, according to an FBI affidavit.'Today's arrest happened because the Trump administration has made this case a priority.'At a press conference alongside Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, and others, D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro revealed that Cole was arrested for allegedly transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and attempted malicious destruction by means of explosive materials.Citing the ongoing investigation, the officials shared few details about the sequence of events that led to Cole's arrest, but they insisted that the evidence against Cole was not based on any "new tip," just old-fashioned detective work."This wasn't a new tip. It wasn't some new evidence. It was the hard work of President Trump's administration, Deputy Director Bongino, and Director Patel," Bondi reiterated. "Today's arrest happened because the Trump administration has made this case a priority," Bondi insisted."This is what it's like when you work for a president who tells you to go get the bad guys and stop focusing on other extraneous things not related to law enforcement," Bongino added.Bondi further claimed that under the Biden administration, the evidence was "sitting there, collecting dust." Such "total lack of movement" during the four years under Biden "undermined the public trust of our enforcement agencies," she said.Bongino did confirm that "forensic evidence" played a role in the arrest, but did not elaborate further. The officials declined to weigh in on a possible motive.Patel indicated that Cole is believed to have "made [the] bombs," and Bondi stated he was charged with "placing" them at the RNC and DNC on January 5, 2021.The officials reiterated that further charges may be forthcoming and that the investigation is still in its early stages."We are the most transparent law enforcement operation in U.S. history, but we are also going to make sure accountability is delivered to its fullest extent," Patel said. "And that happens in the courts of law, with our U.S. attorneys and our prosecutors. So we will divulge information when it is prudent and constitutionally permissible, while upholding the safeguards of this case, to make sure that the people that this individual intended to victimize get the accountability they deserve.""He will have his day in court." Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesThe FBI affidavit dated Dec. 3 revealed more details about the evidence against Cole. Investigators were able to link materials used in the bombs — including galvanized pipes, end caps, wires, nine-volt battery connectors, and kitchen-style timers — as well as other items that may have been used during the construction process — such as wire nuts, safety glasses, and sandpaper — to purchases made by Cole.A cell phone connected to Cole also pinged off of multiple cell towers near the RNC and DNC during the time the bombs were believed to have been placed, the affidavit said.At 7:10 p.m. on January 5, a 2017 Nissan Sentra registered to Cole was likewise observed "less than one-half mile from the location where the individual who placed the devices was first observed on foot ... at 7:34 p.m." The alleged 7:10 p.m. observation of Cole's vehicle came just five minutes before his cell phone "began to interact with Provider towers in the area," 44 minutes before the DNC bomb was allegedly placed, and 66 minutes before the RNC bomb was allegedly placed, the affidavit indicated.Cole's height and use of eyeglasses also seem to correspond to the suspect spotted on surveillance footage, the affidavit claimed.A Nov. 8 Blaze News investigation confirmed by several intelligence sources reported that a gait analysis of a former Capitol Police officer was a forensic match to the gait of the long-sought Jan. 6 pipe-bomb suspect. Today, the FBI announced that a Virginia resident, Brian Cole Jr., has been arrested in connection with the pipe-bomb incident. At this point, there is no indication that the individual matched through the gait analysis is a suspect or involved in the FBI’s investigation. An attorney for the Capitol Police officer has since denied the allegations on her behalf, and CBS News reported that the FBI ruled out her involvement, citing three unidentified sources who said there was a video of her playing with her puppies at the time the device was planted.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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