A USA Today reporter is facing fierce backlash after reporting that a top education official had hung a "Christian nationalist" symbol at his office — but it turned out to be an "Appeal to Heaven" flag.Zach Schermele posted an image of the flag hung at the office of Murray Bessette, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. The flag has a long historical tradition in the U.S. going back to the Revolutionary War.'Can we get a reporter with room temperature IQ or better?'"A controversial Christian nationalist flag is hanging outside the D.C. office of a top Education Department official, the agency's union and an employee who has observed it firsthand told me," Schermele wrote on social media."The flag, which was raised by rioters during the Jan. 6 insurrection," he added, "is adorning the office of Murray Bessette, principal deputy assistant secretary in the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development."His bizarre accusation was widely mocked on social media."We're not doing this again. We're not letting leftist media ignorance of American history demonize a patriotic flag dating back to the Revolutionary War and the Continental Navy. Proud to have it outside my office!" Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah responded. "Reminder: this is not a 'Christian nationalist flag.' It was commissioned by George Washington himself, was designed by his personal secretary, and has long served in official & unofficial capacities as a flag of Maine & Massachusetts," Dan McLaughlin of National Review replied. "Can we get a reporter with room temperature IQ or better?" another detractor said. "Attacking a revolutionary war flag that celebrates natural rights is a good way to announce you hate America's founding principles," Second Amendment activist Kostas Moros said. Schermele did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.RELATED: Lindsey Graham lectures Alito for flag, Mike Lee hits back: 'Every right to hang whatever flag' Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck summarized the historical significance of the flag when Alito was smeared for displaying it."That was the symbol of New England since the 16th century. Why? Because New England had big pine trees. Why was that important? Because they could build ships and build them for England or whoever and ship giant masts, which were hard to find because nobody had the giant pine trees that New England had," Beck said.The image also referred to a peace tradition among Iroquois Indians to ease tensions between warring nations."So, it is also the symbol of the tree of peace," he added. "It was also on the coinage produced by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and it became the symbol of the colonial iron resistance as well as a multi-tribal support for independence now."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

MGMSchliztie in the 1932 film Freaks. Circus barkers called him “Monkey Girl” and the “Last of the Aztecs.” Audiences jeeringly referred to him as “pinhead,” “cretin,” or “moron.” But his fellow sideshow performers called him Schlitzie. In the first half of the 20th-century, Schlitzie — whose real name is not known for certain — performed in all of the major circus of his day as well as moves like The Sideshow (1928) and Freaks (1932). Though he’d been born with physical and developmental disabilities, he was able to perform simple tasks, and spent his life under circus tents or on film sets. But we know very little about Schlitzie’s life outside of sideshows. Though he made an impression on audiences, and was beloved by his fellow performers, many of details of Schlitzie’s life are sadly lost to time. The Birth Of A Sideshow Performer: Inside Schlitzie’s Mysterious Childhood Very little is know about Schlitzie’s early life, but it’s believed that he was born around 1901, possibly in the Bronx, New York, and possibly as Simon Metz. However, other sources claim that Schlitzie was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and that the name “Metz” came from one of his early caretakers. It was also long believed that Schlitzie was born in Mexico, but this rumor is likely linked to his sideshow “persona” as the “Last of the Aztecs.” MGMSchlitzie in Freaks. The performer stood only four feet tall, and had the mental capacity of a child. What is known is that Schlitzie was born with a condition called microcephaly, a medical condition that gave Schlitzie short stature, a small head, skull, and brain, and the mental capacity of a three- or four-year-old. It’s unknown what caused microcephaly in Schlitzie’s case, as the condition can be genetic, caused by an infection (like Zika), or triggered by alcohol or drug use by the mother. Some claim that Schlitzie had a sister, who also had microcephaly, but these reports are unconfirmed and likely rumor. According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Schlitzie’s parents sold him around the age of eight to Stephen and Augusta Mills, who ran a traveling sideshow. As a child, he would have joined other sideshow performers of his day, largely people with physical or developmental deformities. From that point on, Schlitzie, whose microcephaly gave him a misshapen skull, would perform for jeering audiences as a “pinhead.” The Sideshow ‘Freak’ Made Famous In Movies MGMSchlitzie performing with other actors in Freaks. . From childhood on, Schlitzie performed with virtually every major circus of the early 20th century, including the Dobrich International Circus, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Tom Mix Circus, and the Clyde Beatty Circus. Though born male, he was often presented as female or androgynous, and performed in a dress. (This may have helped his caretakers more efficiently change the diaper that he needed to wear.) One of his most popular acts was to count to ten. However, it is said that Schlitzie would often skip the number seven, possibly because he forgot it — or because he knew it would make the audience laugh. But while Schlitzie was a popular sideshow performer, his fame truly skyrocketed in 1932, when he appeared in the horror film Freaks. A story of love and betrayal set in the world of sideshows, the film is most well-known today for featuring a number of actual sideshow performers like Schlitzie. The movie was widely criticized for its grotesque horror, including the implication (later removed) that the sideshow performers castrated a man. The movie was largely assailed in the press (The Hollywood Reporter called it an “outrageous onslaught upon the feelings, the senses, the brains and the stomachs of an audience”) and banned in some places. One woman even threatened to sue MGM after claiming that the film caused her miscarriage. Wikimedia CommonsPoster for the 1932 film Freaks. Despite the negativity surrounding the film, however, critics adored Schlitzie, who appeared in two scenes and spoke in a soft, slurred tone. His innocent demeanor charmed them, just as it had charmed the cast and crew. “Schlitzie was a triumph,” journalist Faith Service wrote, according to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, “…a favorite of the MGM lot…” But though briefly famous, Schlitzie’s position in life remained precarious. He remained at the mercy of his caretakers — for better and for worse. The Final Years Of The Famous Sideshow Performer MGMSchlitzie performing with another actor in Freaks. After the success of Freaks, Schlitzie continued to perform in sideshows. In 1936, he was adopted by George Surtees, who signed him to the Tom Mix Circus. (This is why Schlitzie’s name is sometimes documented as “Schlitzie Surtees.”) But while George, a chimpanzee trainer, cared for Schlitzie for decades, his death in 1965 left the sideshow performer without protection. At that point, Surtees’ daughter — who had no interest in caring for him — had Schlitzie committed to Los Angeles Hospital. Schlitzie was committed there for two sad, lonely years. Though he’d never had a family or a permanent home, circus life was the only life he’d ever known. No longer was Schlitzie surrounded by a cast of colorful performers. Hospital life was sterile, frigid, and lonely. By happy coincidence, however, a sideshow sword swallower named Bill Unks happened to recognize Schlitzie at the hospital in 1967. Unks immediately lobbied to be made Schlitzie’s caregiver, and the hospital allowed Schlitzie to leave the hospital under his care. Though the world of sideshows had changed since the early 20th century — “freak” shows were no longer in vogue, and performers were more likely to be snake charmers or sword swallowers than people with disabilities — Schlitzie was able to find performance opportunities. He performed in Toronto, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania, and even appeared at the LA Memorial Sports Arena with Ed Sullivan in 1969. After his subsequent “retirement,” Schlitzie also entertained people in Los Angeles by dancing and feeding pigeons at MacArthur Park, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Then, in 1971, Schlitzie died at the age of 70. Despite his fame, Schlitzie had never made any significant amount of money. He couldn’t even afford a gravestone, and was initially buried in an unmarked grave. However, fans ultimately raised money to mark his resting place at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Rowland Heights, Los Angeles, with a simple black stone. It was a final act of kindness for a man who, despite the odds against him, had made an impact on countless people throughout his life. After this look at Schlitzie, discover the stories of other sideshow performers, such as the conjoined Hilton Sisters and Lobster Boy. The post Schlitzie: The Sideshow ‘Pinhead’ With Microcephaly Who Audiences Called ‘Cretin’ And ‘Moron’ appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Orange County Sheriff’s DepartmentRandy Steven Kraft, the so-called “Scorecard Killer.” Randy Kraft has a few nicknames, including the “Freeway Killer” and the “Southern California Strangler.” But the “Scorecard Killer” was his most unique nickname. It was also the one that described him best. Between 1971 and 1983, Kraft murdered at least 16 young men. He usually picked up hitchhikers, whom he would ply with drugs or alcohol, before torturing them and murdering them. Kraft also had a peculiar habit: he kept a “scorecard” of his victims, using initials and characteristics for each one. Victim Edward Daniel Moore, for example, was listed as “EDM.” Meanwhile, “MC HB Tattoo” most likely described a Marine from Huntington Beach with a large tattoo. But eerily, though Kraft was found guilty of 16 homicides, his so-called “death list” has over 60 names. This is the chilling story of Randy Steven Kraft, the “Scorecard Killer.” How Randy Kraft Went From The Air Force To Attacking Young Men Born on March 19, 1945 in Long Beach, California, Randy Steven Kraft struck those who knew him in his early life as quiet, gentle, and extremely intelligent. Few could have ever guessed that he would turn out to be one of the most prolific serial killers in the United States. “Randy would always help you with your homework,” one stunned classmate told the Los Angeles Times in 1987. In addition to playing tennis, Kraft was active in the Boy Scouts and eagerly joined a “Students for Nixon” group during the 1960 election. He and his academically-inclined friends were known as “eggheads,” and Kraft went on to study economics at Claremont McKenna College. After college, Kraft enlisted in the Air Force, but only spent a year in the service. He was discharged because of “medical problems,” though the Los Angeles Times reports that his discharge actually stemmed from “circumstances related to his homosexuality.” Orange County Sheriff’s DepartmentRandy Kraft’s driver’s license. Back in Long Beach, Kraft lived an openly gay lifestyle and made a living as a bartender at a number of gay bars in the area. He also made his first foray into violence. In 1970, longbeachize reports that Kraft picked up a 13-year-old runaway named Joey Fancher. Kraft offered Fancher a place to stay, brought him home, then plied him with marijuana, wine, and sedatives. Then, when Fancher was unable to resist, Kraft beat and raped him. After Kraft left for work, Fancher escaped and notified the police — though he did not mention the sexual assault. Then, because police entered Kraft’s apartment without first filing a warrant, no charges were filed against him. And Randy Kraft would soon escalate his attacks on young men. Becoming The ‘Scorecard Killer’ Who Tortured And Mutilated Victims Orange County Sheriff’s DepartmentThe “scorecard” that Randy Kraft kept, seemingly of dozens of victims. Randy Kraft’s first suspected victim was Wayne Dukette, a bartender who worked at a gay bar called Stables. Dukette’s nude body was found dumped along California’s Ortega Highway in California on Oct. 5, 1971. Dukette had seemingly died from alcohol poisoning, but the state of his body suggested foul play. And the first entry in Kraft’s “death list” was the word “Stable.” Shortly thereafter, bodies began turning up alongside California highways. Kraft’s victims were young, between 14 and 35 years old, and many of them were former Marines. Some showed signs of being bound, beaten, and bitten, while others showed signs that they had been strangled. A few had been sodomized, castrated, or otherwise dismembered. Several were found with foreign objects inserted into their bodies. At one point, police even considered Kraft as a suspect in the murder of 19-year-old Keith Daven Crotwell, whose head was discovered in the Long Beach Marina in May 1975. But though Kraft admitted to meeting Crotwell, he assured investigators that he’d left him “alive and well at an all-night cafe.” Public DomainKeith Crotwell, a 19-year-old victim of Randy Steven Kraft. At the end of that year, one of Kraft’s most gruesome murders occurred when he killed 22-year-old Mark Howard Hall. Hall disappeared after a New Year’s Eve party in 1975 — he’s believed to be “New Year’s Eve” on Kraft’s list — and his body was found bound to a tree in Silverado Canyon in January 1976. Hall’s killer had burned his eyes and body with a lighter, and Hall was found with dirt stuffed in his mouth and his genitals removed. All the while, those who knew Kraft had no inkling that he was leading a double life. His colleagues at Lear Siegler, an aerospace firm, seemed to universally like him. One described him as “the kind of man I would want as a father for my children,” and another remembered Kraft taking the time to help her understand computers when he noticed she was falling behind. But on May 14, 1983, Randy Kraft’s true nature came to light. Then, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department reports that Kraft was pulled over while driving erraticaly. When Kraft failed a sobriety test, police put him in handcuffs. They then noticed there was another person in the car, covered by a jacket. It was the body of 25-year-old Marine Terry Lee Gambrel. Orange County Sheriff’s DepartmentThe interior of Randy Kraft’s car. Though Kraft asked investigators, “how’s my friend?” and tried to claim that Gambrel was a hitchhiker, police noticed ligature marks on Gambrel’s wrists and bruising on his neck. They also found a belt in Kraft’s car that matched the marks on Gambrel’s throat. Randy Steven Kraft was arrested on the spot. After searching his car and his home, investigators also found photos of known murder victims and their belongings. What’s more, they uncovered a list of 67 names like “Marine Carson” and “2 in 1 Beach” in Kraft’s car, which investigators came to believe was a list of his victims. The Conviction Of The ‘Scorecard Killer’ San Quentin State PrisonKraft’s 2007 mugshot at San Quentin State Prison. The trial of Randy Steven Kraft began on Sept. 26, 1988 and lasted 13 months. On May 12, 1989, Kraft was found guilty on 16 counts of murder — and later sentenced to death. “I can’t imagine doing these things in scientific experiments on a dead person, much less someone alive,” Santa Ana Superior Court Judge Donald A. McCartin stated, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, Randy Kraft maintained his innocence. “I have not murdered anyone, and any reasonable review of the record will show that,” he stated. Instead, Kraft claimed that he was the victim of discrimination. He claimed that the “death list” found in his car was actually a list of potential guests he’d put together for a surprise party for his boyfriend. The names were “in code,” he told The Pride LA, so his boyfriend wouldn’t recognize them. But the “Scorecard Killer” remains behind bars to this day. And investigators are using genetic genealogy to identify John Does from the 1970s and 1980s, which they believe they can connect to Randy Kraft. Next, read about the chilling crimes of Harvey Glatman, the “Glamour Girl Slayer.” Then read about the story of the Acid Bath Killer. The post The Chilling Story Of Randy Kraft, The ‘Scorecard Killer’ Who Kept An Eerie List Of His Victims appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Anne-Gaëlle Corbara/INRAPJust some of the nearly three dozen skeletons unearthed at the site in Grenoble. Archaeologists have unearthed a public execution site from the 16th century in Grenoble, France, revealing a grim chapter of religious persecution during the country’s Wars of Religion. The discovery at the city’s Grande Esplanade includes the remains of 32 people and the stone foundation of a gallows structure, known as a gibbet, that once stood as a warning to those entering the city. How The Grenoble Gallows’ Public Displays Served As Grim Warnings Anne-Gaëlle Corbara/INRAPThe stone foundation of the gallows. Researchers from France’s National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) found the site during 2024 excavations near what was historically the city’s northern entrance at Porte de France. This area along the Isère River was marshland until the 17th century, once valued for its sand and wood, though it was gradually occupied thereafter. The new excavation, though, has shown other ways in which this spot was put to use before it was developed. The stone structure found here initially puzzled researchers, who believed it may have been a religious building or hermit cabin, until archival research in departmental records identified it as the gibet du Port de la Roche. Cédric Jean/Departmental Archives of IsèreA 16th-century plan for the framework of the gallows found in Grenoble. Historical documents show that this gallows was constructed in 1544 with eight stone pillars supporting a wooden frame that sat more than 16 feet high. It was the human remains found around that structure, however, that told the full story. “They are buried without any care, without any care in the ornamentation and in the way of managing,” archaeologist Nicolas Minvielle-Larousse told Radio France. “The bodies can be moved, mutilated and put back in other places.” Anne-Gaëlle Corbara/INRAPA double burial found in one of the pits uncovered at the site. The remains included 30 men and two women. At least one individual showed clear evidence of decapitation. They were executed in a public square — the Place aux Herbes in Grenoble — before their bodies were displayed on the gibbets outside the city for varying lengths of time, a common execution practice centuries ago, intended to deter crime and dissent. Public gallows typically stood at city gates or crossroads, positioned for maximum visibility. The Grenoble structure’s location at the northern entrance would have ensured that merchants, pilgrims, and other travelers witnessed the consequences of defying civil or religious authority. The timing of the gallows’ construction also coincided with intensified persecution of Protestants in France, offering a macabre reminder of the tension during the French Wars of Religion. The Tense Period Of Religious Persecution In 16th-Century France Anne-Gaëlle Corbara/INRAPA decapitated skeleton uncovered at the site. Grenoble, located in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France, became a hotspot during the French Wars of Religion that ravaged the country from 1562 to 1598. The French Wars of Religion pitted Catholics against Huguenots, as French Protestants were known, in a series of brutal conflicts that left hundreds of thousands dead. The wars ended with the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which granted Huguenots substantial rights and freedoms, though religious tensions persisted for decades. Archival records link the Grenoble site to notable victims of this religious conflict. Protestant rebel Benoît Croyet, who was accused of attacking Grenoble in 1573, was among those executed there. Charles Du Puy Montbrun, the Huguenot military leader of Dauphiné, was also beheaded, and his body was displayed at the gallows in 1575 after his capture by Catholic forces. Anne-Gaëlle Corbara/INRAPSeveral burials found in one of the outer pits at the Grenoble gallows. The discovery provides rare physical evidence of judicial practices from the period. While historical records document hundreds of execution sites across medieval and Renaissance Europe, few have been preserved or located by archaeologists. This excavation site, like many others, has been transformed multiple times over the centuries. The marshland was drained and developed in the 1600s, eventually becoming part of the city’s urban landscape. The gallows itself was likely dismantled in the early 17th century as the area was repurposed — which makes the discovery all the more remarkable. INRAP researchers are continuing to analyze the skeletal remains to learn more about the lives of the condemned before their executions. Such analysis might reveal information about their age, health, diet, and the precise details of how they died almost five centuries ago. After reading about this grim discovery in France, learn about some of the most horrific medieval torture devices. Then, read about some of the strangest medieval customs. The post At Least 32 Skeletons Have Been Found At A 16th-Century Gallows In France Where The Dead Were Publicly Displayed After Execution appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Veselin DanovThe teenage boy was found in an especially deep grave near the coast of the Black Sea. More than 6,000 years ago, a Copper Age teenager was violently attacked by a lion. He was knocked to the ground and mauled, suffering wounds to his head, legs, shoulder, and arm. But the boy survived. And his skeleton, found buried deep in the earth by archaeologists at a necropolis near the Black Sea in Bulgaria, suggests that his community cared for him until he died several months later. The surprising discovery offers new insight into how prehistoric communities cared for people who were injured or disabled. But archaeologists have some questions about how the lion attack victim was finally laid to rest. The Copper Age Boy Who Survived A Lion Attack According to a study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, the remains of the lion attack victim — seemingly a young man between the ages of 16 and 18 — were found buried at a necropolis near a prehistoric settlement known as Kozareva Mogila (or “Goat Mound”). The necropolis is from the fifth millennium B.C.E., or the Copper Age. The boy’s burial stood out because of the intense injuries that archaeologists documented on his skeleton. His skull had been punctured and crushed, and he had damage to his legs, shoulder, and arm. Karastoyanova et al. (2025), Journal of Archaeological Science: ReportsThe lion attack victim had serious injuries to his skull, including one that would have exposed his brain. “[T]he youngster was injured extremely badly,” the researchers wrote in their study. “The head should have been severely injured, involving the scalp and skull bones. At the place of the penetrating wound [in the skull], the underlying structures of the meninges are also disturbed, with the integrity of the brain remaining questionable. Most likely, both legs and the left arm were also affected with deep wounds.” The researchers determined that the boy had not been injured by a weapon or even during a surgery like trepanation. Rather, he’d been attacked by a “massive carnivore,” which researchers determined was likely a prehistoric lion. Experts speculated that he could have been “a casualty of an incidental encounter” with the animal, or that perhaps he’d been injured while trying to hunt the lion. But what made the burial especially remarkable was what came after the lion attack. Though seemingly debilitated by his injuries, the boy survived for months, as evidenced by skeletal healing. This suggests that his community came together to care for him until his death. Such an action tells a story about how prehistoric communities in the Copper Age may have functioned. That said, archaeologists have some questions about how the community came to view the boy based on how he was ultimately buried. Questions About The Care And Burial Of The Lion Attack Victim N. Karastoyanova et al., Journal of Archaeological Science, Reports (2026)The lion attack victim was laid on his side and buried deep in the ground. Aside from his injuries, a couple of other things about the lion attack victim’s burial stood out to archaeologists. For starters, the boy had been laid to rest in a crouching position without any grave goods buried alongside him. His grave was also much deeper than others found nearby. While it’s impossible to know the reasons for this, archaeologists have some ideas. One possibility is that the boy had a low social status and thus was not afforded an elaborate burial. The other is that the boy’s community may have regarded him with a degree of fear after his attack, which could have left him with scars or behavioral changes caused by his brain injuries. “[H]is individual life experience, possible intimidating behaviour and appearance could have made him an extraordinary and dangerous dead, demanding deeper deposition,” the study’s authors explained. “In later sources from the Bulgarian traditional culture, people with strange appearances or scars were regarded as harmful and prevented from many social activities… In some cases, the disabled remained ‘different, special, excluded and extraordinary.’ In this case, lying the body of the individual… in a deeper pit was probably for protection from the ‘dangerous’ deceased.” The boy’s community may have come to fear him, but it seems that they also came together to keep him alive after a devastating lion attack. After reading about the Copper Age lion attack victim who was cared for by his community until he died, discover the stories of some of the most incredible prehistoric animals that once roamed the planet. Or learn about Ötzi the Iceman, history’s oldest preserved human. The post Archaeologists In Bulgaria Have Uncovered The Skeleton Of A Boy Who Survived A Lion Attack 6,200 Years Ago appeared first on All That's Interesting.

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