'International environment was complex and severe'

'I don’t care about that kind of stuff'

As Virginia’s gubernatorial race presses on, Republican nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears continues to try to define her opponent, Democrat nominee Abigail Spanberger. The Earle-Sears campaign released two ads Wednesday that aim to reveal what it considers is Spanberger’s true identity. In one of the ads, titled “Forward,” the Republican candidate and Marine Corps veteran warned Virginians that Spanberger’s policies were closely aligned with the leftward leanings of the Democratic Party: “Four years ago, we rejected career politicians and sent a message: Move Virginia forward. But Abigail Spanberger is a Washington insider who voted with [former House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and [President Joe] Biden every single time.” On Wednesday, Spanberger touted her law-and-order credentials after she received an endorsement from the Virginia Police Benevolent Association, the largest organization representing police officers in Virginia. “Virginians deserve a governor who recognizes the tremendous sacrifice that comes with swearing an oath to protect and serve our neighbors—and as governor, I will always make sure our brave men and women in blue have the tools, resources, and training they need to do their jobs and keep us safe,” Spanberger said in a post on X. In another ad, titled “Spanberger is Hiding,” the Earle-Sears campaign argues that Spanberger is not the centrist she claims to be. The ad features footage of the former CIA officer refusing to answer questions during her campaign regarding her views on males who identify as females playing in female-only sports. The ad shows that prior to her gubernatorial campaign, Spanberger called herself a “progressive” and supported legislation, such as the Equality Act, that would effectively abolish federal Title IX law by allowing males into spaces designated for females. >>> Sign up for our Virginia email newsletter “Abigail Spanberger voted to force girls to share their locker rooms with biological males as a member of Congress,” Peyton Vogel, Earle-Sears’ press secretary, said in a press release. “Will she do the same if she is elected governor? Virginia parents have a right to know if their daughters will be safe.” This week, Earle-Sears’ campaign accepted a debate offer from CNN and one from Nexstar, the largest television station owner in the United States that also owns NewsNation and other channels. The Nexstar debate is being hosted by Norfolk State University, a historically black university. Spanberger’s campaign declined CNN’s debate offer and has yet to respond to Nexstar’s invitation.  “Abigail Spanberger turning down a CNN debate is beyond absurd. It’s proof she’s terrified of facing voters in an unscripted setting,” Vogel said in a press release. “She hasn’t stepped on a debate stage since she first ran for office in 2018.” Vogel continued: “In 2022, she infamously pulled out [of a debate] at the last minute. Now she’s running from CNN, one of the friendliest stages she could ask for. If she’s too afraid to show up there, what’s she hiding from? She can either step on that stage with Winsome Earle-Sears and defend her record or admit to Virginians that she can’t.” With its latest ads, Earle-Sears’ campaign is not just challenging Spanberger’s policies, it’s also questioning her persona. The Daily Signal reached out to both campaigns but has not received comment as of publication time. The post Who Is the Real Abigail Spanberger? Winsome Earle-Sears’ Campaign Says It Knows appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Moral Victory

To listen to Audie Cornish, you might have thought ICE agents stormed Gavin Newsom's latest gerrymander speech and dragged the governor, hair and all, off the stage. On today's CNN This Morning, host Cornish suggested that the presence of ICE outside an L.A. museum where Newsom was speaking looked like "an armed response to a political conversation." She began by suggesting that it is "very common" for ICE to turn up in various places, to insert that part of the story." You mean, like Newsom turning up anywhere he has a chance to get his face on TV in preparation for his 2028 presidential bid? Cornish put it to Rob Bluey, an MRC alum, and president of The Daily Signal: "It feels not an unforced error, but even if it's not a coincidence, does it help?" Audie clearly implying the answer was, "no!" Rob queried, "The ICE piece of it?" To which Cornish emphatically replied: "Yeah! Right outside a Newsom event? Like, what's the message there?" Bluey wasn't biting on Cornish's downbeat take. To the contrary, he responded: "The message is that the border is secure and that the Trump administration is moving full speed ahead with deportation plans. They're not going to let anyone, whether it be the California governor or any other Democrat politician, stand in the way of what they have promised the American people."  That's when Cornish unleashed her absurd "armed response" accusation. Bluey pushed back: "These raids are happening all over the country. So it could have been a pure coincidence. It could have been an opportunity to send a message to those who had gathered to see the Newsom speech." Cornish seemed troubled that not only were the ICE agents there, but they "even made an arrest."  Um, yeah. That's ICE's job: arresting illegal immigrants. Far from being improper, the arrest indicates a valid reason for the agents' presence. Note the screencap's chyron: "Border Agents Crash Newsom's 'Big, Beautiful' Event." Wrong. As Audie admitted, the agents remained outside. Perhaps Cornish got confused with the left-wing tactics of crashing, shouting down, and shutting down conservative speakers.  Let's guess CNN was like the other networks and ignored Biden's FBI sending 25 armed men with guns drawn into the home of pro-life protester Mark Houck in 2022, scaring his wife and children. Houck had shoved a protester in 2021 who was harassing his son. He was acquitted of any violation of the Freedom to Access Clinic Entrances Act in 2023. CNN acted like the FBI Press team when they entered the home of Trump associate Roger Stone in 2019. Don't forget CNN thought it showed a healthy democracy when Biden's FBI engaged in an armed raid on former president Trump's home at Mar-a-Lago in 2022.    Here's the transcript. CNN This Morning 8/15/25 6:20 am EDT AUDIE CORNISH: Dozens of Texas Democrats are ready to return home. They fled the state earlier this month to block Republicans from redrawing congressional maps. But they have two demands. First, that the Texas legislature has to end its first special session on Friday. And second, that California lawmakers introduce their gerrymandering proposal to offset the GOP gains in Texas.  California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for a special election in his state. But as he and his allies were laying out their own redistricting plan yesterday, masked federal agents were outside the venue and even made an arrest.  GAVIN NEWSOM: You think it's coincidental? Donald Trump and his minions, Tom Homan, tough guy. Cooly decided, coincidentally or not, that this was a location to advance ICE arrests.  Wake up, America. This is a serious moment. Wake up to what's going on.  . . .  CORNISH: There's sort of two things going on here. One, there is the issue itself, redistricting and the power of our vote. And then this other thing has to happen where it feels like, very common these days, ICE is there, right? Like kind of inserting that part of the story.  Rob, I want to start with you. Like, it feels not an unforced error, but even if it's not a coincidence, does it help?  ROB BLUEY: The ICE piece of it?  CORNISH: Yeah! Right outside a Newsom event? Like, what's the message there?  BLUEY: The message is that the border is secure and that the Trump administration is moving full speed ahead with deportation plans. They're not going to let anyone, whether it be the California governor or any other Democrat politician, stand in the way of what they have promised the American people.  CORNISH: But does it look like an armed response to a political conversation?  BLUEY: I don't know whether Kristi Noem or Gavin Newsom is telling the truth here, but I will say that these raids are happening all over the country. So it could have been a pure coincidence. It could have been an opportunity to send a message to those who had gathered to see the Newsom speech. 

Democrats expressed outrage and dismay when federal immigration officers performed an operation near a press conference Thursday where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom (Calif.) berated the Trump administration.Among those was Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), who suggested that President Donald Trump intentionally ordered the action in order to intimidate and threaten California officials who opposed his policies. Newsom had called on Democratic-led states to redistrict in response to a similar proposal by Texas Republicans.'That is unbelievably disrespectful. It's a provocative act! They're talking about disorder in Los Angeles, and they are the source of the disorder in Los Angeles right now.' Bass went into a long rant in front of television news cameras, where she accused the feds of "staging a stunt" at the same time as Newsom's event."This is a complete provocation! This has nothing to do with safety! In fact, this is the exact opposite of keeping our city safe! We do not need them here, and they have no business to come here and provoke this!" said Bass.She went on to suggest that it was improper for immigration officials to perform operations in front of an "iconic" museum in Los Angeles. "There is no way this was a coincidence. This was widely publicized that the governor and many of our other elected officials were having a press conference here to talk about redistricting, and they decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governor's face," she continued. "Why would you do that? That is unbelievably disrespectful. It's a provocative act!" Bass said. "They're talking about disorder in Los Angeles, and they are the source of the disorder in Los Angeles right now. This is just completely unacceptable!"A reporter told Bass that a federal commander had said the operation was a result of a routine patrol, but she completely rejected the notion."This is about causing trouble in our city," Bass replied.RELATED: Los Angeles Mayor Bass sues Trump admin to protect illegal aliens from mass deportations Bass went on to accuse the Trump administration of violating a recent court order from the Ninth Circuit Appeals Court that restricted "roving patrol" operations that may target people based on their appearance, where they work, and whether they speak Spanish."We're going to use every tool in our toolbox to make sure that we do everything we can to keep Angelenos safe," she continued. "But I will tell you that that is a very difficult charge for me to fulfill when the government itself violates the law. Here we are as Angelenos needing to protect ourselves from our own federal government."In response to the mayor's meltdown, acting U.S. Attorney for Central California Bill Essayli fired back a response defending the operation."The mayor and other California officials are under the false impression that they are an actual sanctuary from federal law," he wrote on social media. "No person or state is above the law. Federal agents will operate anywhere and anytime within the United States."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Most residents of the District of Columbia appeared to be supportive of President Donald Trump's federalization of law enforcement when asked this week by Blaze News national correspondent Julio Rosas, but one was especially rancorous. Some of the residents didn't want their faces to be recorded, but even those who said they were uneasy about President Donald Trump admitted that D.C. officials had failed to protect them from crime. 'You can't expect a society to flourish when they're surrounded by things that they can't predict or control. So it's a good thing.' The president said that he would take over criminal enforcement in the district for 30 days as allowed by the Home Rule Act, but he has hinted at possibly keeping the troops there for far longer. "I think it's a good thing. I think far too many people feel like they have to keep their head on a swivel going about their daily lives," said a woman who had been a hairdresser in D.C. for 15 years. "And you can't expect a society to flourish when they're surrounded by things that they can't predict or control. So it's a good thing." "The crime is outrageous, and you do feel unsafe walking the streets, I know me as a senior," said a black female resident to Rosas. When asked if she felt like the city and the mayor were addressing her concerns about public safety, she laughed. "No! You think I would agree with this type of crime going, that it was OK? No," she laughed. One man said he was absolutely opposed to the effort and said the president was wrong. "Hell, yeah, I disagree with Trump, everything. Everything. He's a crazy maniac. A Hitler type! I don't like none of his — anything that he's doing!" the man said. When asked if he believed what the president said about the high crime rate in D.C., he was just as colorful. "Hell, no! You walking the street, ain't nobody jumpin' on you!" said the man. "It's true!" Rosas laughed. "He can walk the streets too; won't nobody jump on him!" he continued. "You don't need a whole bunch of police around here! You police yourself by how you behave! People treat you the way you want to be treated, so no, hell, no, I don't believe nothing Trump says." Another woman who didn't want to appear on camera said her concerns about crime had not been met by city officials. "It's terrible. I don't even like reading the news no more," she said. "Every day you read people getting killed and carjacked. It's just a lot of crap that shouldn't be going on. So I'm for it." RELATED: Nancy Pelosi cites Jan. 6 to criticize Trump takeover of DC — and gets obliterated by former chief of the Capitol Police When Rosas tried to talk to some left-wing protesters, they were far less accommodating and much more strident. They asked him who he worked for and recoiled in horror when he mentioned Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck's name. "Glenn's an a**hole!" said one female activist. "He's a f**king right-wing propagandist! F**k you guys! Get a better job!" said a male activist. "How does it feel to have a white person to berate a brown person?" asked Rosas. "Does that mean anything to you at all?" Rosas challenged the man, who identified as white, for telling him to "f**k off" and asked if that would be considered racist. "I didn't attack you for being brown. I told you to f**k off and get a better job!" the man responded. "OK," Rosas said. "I'll tell anybody to f**k off and get a better job if they're working for fascists!" he added. He went on to tell Rosas that the white supremacists in the Trump administration would seek to deport him despite his being a U.S. citizen. 'As a Washingtonian, I love this place! I want it to be better!'Another woman who also didn't want to be identified on camera said she wouldn't support or oppose Trump's federalization, but said she would support anything that lowered crime. She added that it did appear as if crime had eased up recently."I want it to get better! I'm hoping for better!" she said. "As a Washingtonian, I love this place! I want it to be better!" Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Chicago father was broadcasting live video on Facebook in front of family and friends when he was shot and killed. Kevin Watson, 42, parked his car in the city's South Austin neighborhood and was livestreaming inside his vehicle around 6:14 p.m. Wednesday.'This hurt a lot of us.'Watson is heard talking about a parking dispute he had experienced earlier before becoming alarmed, putting up his hands, and asking, "What's up, bro? What's up?"He then says, "Hell, nah!"Watson exits his car, and what sounds like a physical confrontation occurs just outside the vehicle — and beyond the view of the video camera in his car. Seconds later, a single gunshot rings out. The audio of the video then goes eerily silent. Soon the door of another vehicle is heard slamming shut, after which the sound of a car driving away is audible.Several people are heard screaming in the background.One man yells, "Call the police!"Someone is instructing others to apply pressure to Watson's gunshot wound. The New York Post reported that Watson was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.The shooting occurred just a few blocks from a police station.RELATED: Chicago carnage: 50+ shot, 8 killed during bloody July 4th weekend — but mayor focuses on LGBTQ Pride, safety in city The disturbing Facebook live video was shared on social media. One post that includes the clip had nearly 2 million views as of Friday afternoon.Some of Watson's loved ones were watching the livestream. Freddie Collier, a friend of Watson, stated, "We're going to have to figure out how to move on and be strong, day to day, to help each other get past this, because this didn't just hurt one person. This hurt a lot of us."Watson was killed just weeks shy of his birthday, and he leaves behind a 6-year-old son.The fatal shooting occurred near the liquor store where Watson's cousin worked. Watson reportedly visited his cousin there shortly before he was killed."He was choking for breath. He was trying to struggle to breathe," Watson's cousin Jacquez Smith told WLS-TV.Lamar Spencer, a close friend of Watson and a witness, recalled, "I rubbed his palm, and I squeezed his hand, and he wouldn't squeeze back." Alvin Jackson, Watson's close friend and a shooting witness, told WLS, "He was talking to a guy, and he was going to his car, then the guy followed behind him. So the guy followed behind him and pulled the gun on him. He was trying to wrestle with the gun, and the gun went off."Smith said, "He was a good man. No matter what he done, he helped people, you know? He helped me get this job in here."The Chicago Sun-Times said there have been no arrests in connection with the deadly shooting, and detectives are investigating the case. The Chicago Police Department on Friday did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.According to the Chicago Police Department data, there have been 903 shootings in the city so far in 2025 along with 249 murders. The year before, there were 359 murders in the Windy City and 1,432 shootings.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has accomplished a lot in just a short amount of time. From removing Pfizer’s mRNA jab from the childhood recommended immunization schedule to spearheading organ transplant reform, these massive wins should not go unnoticed.And they’re not, especially by the medical industry.“And the reason that industry is attacking Bobby Kennedy, it’s not because of what he’s done. It’s because of what he’s about to do,” BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler says on “The Liz Wheeler Show.”“Bobby Kennedy is preparing. He’s building. He’s laying the foundation brick by brick to do something paradigm-shifting. But he hasn’t done anything paradigm-shifting yet, and industry is desperate to prevent that,” she continues.One paradigm-shifting step RFK could take is to overhaul the entire childhood vaccine schedule.“Incrementalism is not going to take you from evil and corruption to flourishing. And so, yeah, we want the childhood vaccine schedule changed. We don’t just want research. We don’t just want randomized clinical trials. We don’t just want studies into the effects of aluminum,” Wheeler says.“We need the childhood recommended immunization schedule changed because right now it’s weaponized. It’s weaponized against parents,” she continues.“It doesn’t matter if the parent looks at a new study and says, ‘Oh, I don’t think that my child needs that vaccine,’ or, you know, ‘In our situation, the benefits do not outweigh the risks.’ If it is not removed from the childhood vaccine schedule, then the experience of parents is going to be the same,” she adds.Want more from Liz Wheeler?To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Sydney Sweeney, the all-American icon we desperately need in our post-woke wasteland, is repairing classic Americana — one Ford at a time.Her now-infamous American Eagle jeans ad may have hit the final nail in woke advertising’s coffin. Betting on the classic, winning formula — hot girl, blue jeans, cool car — American Eagle’s campaign with Sweeney paid off — big-time.After years of gender-fluid, body-positive ads accompanied by ever-plummeting stock prices, American Eagle’s stock jumped 15% the day the campaign launched — bumping its market cap by $400 million.The Zoomer bombshell is bringing back the wholesome Americana that we’ve lost to the Millennials’ woke crusade against family, beauty, hard work, and wholesome fun.Sweeney can fix woke advertising. And apparently, she can fix cars, too.Restoring the ‘all-American girl’Amid the idle-making, mind-numbing sea of TikTok content, you may stumble across the surprisingly wholesome, grease-stained oasis of Syd’s Garage.Separate from her main account, Syd’s Garage is a passion project. In partnership with Ford, Sweeney gets under the hood of Broncos and Mustangs, teaching viewers how to jump-start, fix tire pressure, and change air filters — all while wearing denim overalls, covered in sweat and engine grime, beaming with real joy.I’ll admit, I had my doubts. Was this just another thirst trap for conservative dudes? Was Sweeney pulling a Cindy Crawford — cracking open a Pepsi in a low-cut top next to a cool car for clicks and kickbacks?I’m happy to say she proved me wrong.Syd’s Garage is wholesome, it’s all-American, and it actually shows Sweeney knows a thing or two about cars.You won’t find low-cut tops or booty shorts here — to my relief. Instead, she’s decked out in Dickies jumpsuits, oversized T-shirts, and the occasional baseball cap as she documents the full restoration of her cherry-red 1969 Ford Bronco — lovingly named “Bronco.”Her account also features her 1965 Mustang, “Brittney,” a sky-blue Fiat 500 beach cruiser called “Jolly,” and most recently, a tank-like Hummer H3 named “Arnold.”Sweeney doesn’t outsource the work. She takes apart every piece, de-rusts every nook and cranny, changes the spark plugs, installs new transmissions, and, in her words, “cleans, cleans, cleans.”It’s not flashy. It’s not overly produced. It’s just a girl who is genuinely passionate about cars — and it happens to be Sydney Sweeney. And as if the channel couldn’t get more lovable, Sweeney’s dad and dog are regularly featured.Keep going, SweeneySay what you want about Sweeney, but the Zoomer bombshell is bringing back an iconic feminine American archetype that’s been lost to the Millennials’ woke crusade against family, beauty, hard work, and wholesome fun.She’s “Rosie the Riveter” putting in some serious elbow grease. She’s the girl next door fixing cars the way her dad taught her. She loves her family, her dog, and off-roading in America’s deserts. And dare I say, the joy she has in overalls while working on her Bronco is even more stunning than her most glamorous red-carpet looks.More often than not, the internet is a black hole of doom, gloom, clickbait, thirst traps, and trolls. Syd’s Garage is the exception. Maybe it will inspire a few girls to go offline, put on some gloves, and open a hood.