The American Sheriff Alliance issued a press release Tuesday blaming the Biden-Harris administration for allowing Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan gang, to enter the United States.The sheriffs torched the administration, stating that the presence of TDA in the country is the latest example of how its open-border policies have failed.'Due to the increase in human smuggling, illicit narcotics, and violent criminals coming across all borders, every county in the United States is now a border county.'The group referenced a recent leaked memo from the Homeland Security Investigations office in Chicago that warned law enforcement officers that TDA members in the U.S. have been given the “green light” from the gang to “fire on or attack” police. The American Sheriff Alliance also noted that TDA has been “linked to violent crimes across the country,” including a jewelry store armed robbery in Denver, Colorado, that occurred on June 24.According to an NBC News report released in June, the gang has been linked to more than 100 criminal investigations. In July, the Department of the Treasury sanctioned TDA as a transnational criminal organization.“TDA participates in human smuggling and trafficking, kidnapping, extortion schemes, and moving illicit narcotics in their areas of operation,” the American Sheriff Alliance’s media release stated. “The total number of TDA members operating in the United States is unknown due to the number of ‘got-a-ways’ entering the country, as well as those who may have been recruited domestically since TDA has showed its presence in the country.”National Sheriffs’ Association president and Canyon County, Idaho, Sheriff Kieran Donahue, said, “When we allow a brutal and violent gang, like TDA, to operate in the United States, we have failed in terms of border security.”“TDA is the latest example where failed policies have allowed violent gangs and criminal cartels into our country who subsequently commit heinous acts of violence and cause fear in our communities,” Donahue added.Former Sheriff Clint McDonald, who now serves as the executive director for the Southwestern Border Sheriff's Coalition and the Texas Border Sheriff’s Coalition, also blamed the current administration for the increase in gang-related crime.McDonald stated, “The American Sheriff Alliance issued a call to action in February regarding the fear of violent criminals, cartel members, and those on the Terrorist Screening Database.”“It is evident with the number of TDA members increasing rapidly in our country that we are failing at the border to ensure bad actors are not entering our country for nefarious reasons,” McDonald continued. “Coming to the United States and threatening to kill American law enforcement is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.”The American Sheriff Alliance declared that it is dedicated to finding a solution to the border crisis.“Due to the increase in human smuggling, illicit narcotics, and violent criminals coming across all borders, every county in the United States is now a border county, feeling the effects of foreign policy which has not adequately addressed issues with violent gangs and the manufacture and smuggling of fentanyl and other drugs by organized criminal cartels,” the group concluded.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Newly ranked UFC fighter Paddy Pimblett showcased a remarkable weight gain within about a week of an impressive showing at UFC 304.Pimblett choked out opponent Bobby Green in just three minutes and 22 seconds at the Manchester, England, event and noted that he quickly got to work putting weight back on after fighting at 156 pounds.Sitting down at a restaurant with his wife, Pimblett admitted that the night of the fight he had a roast dinner at a birthday party just a few hours after his submission victory. It should be noted that UFC 304 went past sunrise after the Pay-Per-View began at 3 a.m. local time to line up with the eastern time zone.'Hopefully I'll never go above 90 kilos again.'Pimblett said the feast happened after he took a one- to two-hour nap.At breakfast, he ordered iced tea, a chicken wrap, a breakfast wrap, and two full plates of curly fries followed by a giant plate of pancakes covered with white chocolate, Nutella, Biscoff, and pistachios. Following his family vacation, cameras caught up with Pimblett a week later on the way to his gym. His training partners and coaches quickly noticed his accelerated weight gain that was apparent on his face."He was having a meal, two desserts, and then an ice cream on the way home," one of his coaches said in the video. Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImagePimblett then remarked on how his teammates tease him after every fight."Probably start getting called fat f*** by everyone. Didn't do too bad. Didn't do great, though, at the same time. Still a bit chubby. I'm not as fat as I have been but I'm still a bit chubby," the Liverpool native explained."We were eating all sorts, Chinese, Thai, steaks, burgers, and s***. But I just need to train, that's the main thing, lad. Obviously, eating copious amounts of food doesn't help with your weight, but when I don't train, I put weight on," he added.The fighter was then forced by his friends to weigh himself, which revealed that he weighed 89.8 kilograms, or about 198 pounds. The shocking 42-pound increase is remarkable for such a short time, and critics often warn Pimblett that cutting weight will only get harder as he ages.In July 2023, Pimblett actually remarked that he was going to slow down his eating between fights:"Now I'm just walking around at about 84-85 kilos and not really watching what I'm eating, I'm just hobbling around at that weight, which is nice," he said, per TalkSport. "It plateaued around this weight, which is nice. Hopefully I'll never go above 90 kilos again."It seems Pimblett was correct in his assessment, while also having predicted that he would become a ranked fighter before the end of 2024; he is now No. 15 in the world.The 29-year-old explained that he tends to look heavier than he is because the weight seems to go right to his face."All to my face, though. That's why everyone does call me Chris Griffin. Right to my face. Know what did my head in the other day? Someone calling me a weight bully. 'He should move up in weight. He's a weight bully.' Are you mad?" Pimblett exclaimed. Chris Griffin from "Family Guy"Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty ImagesPimblett added that fighters in the next highest weight class, 170 pounds, are far too big for him to compete against."They f***ing massive!" he said.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Vice presidential candidate Tim Walz (D) is not apologizing for misrepresenting his service in the Minnesota National Guard, going as far as to hint that criticizing anyone who served in the U.S. military is unwarranted.While on the campaign trail on Tuesday, Walz addressed the mounting controversy and criticisms after multiple videos and statements that he and others had made about his service during his time in politics surfaced. From falsely stating he "carried a weapon of war in war" to not correcting others who claimed he served in Afghanistan, there has been a clear pattern Walz has followed."These guys ... are even attacking me for my record of service, and I just want to say, I’m proud to have served my country, and I always will be," Walz said during an appearance at the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union convention.'I thank you for your service. But you shouldn't have lied about it.'"I’m going to say it again as clearly as I can: I am damn proud of my service to this country, and I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record," he continued. "Anyone brave enough to put on that uniform for our great country, including my opponent, I just have a few simple words: Thank you for your service and sacrifice." — (@) "Hi Tim, I thank you for your service. But you shouldn't have lied about it. You shouldn't have said you went to war when you didn't. Nor should you have said that you didn't know your unit was going to Iraq. Happy to discuss more in a debate," GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance said in response to Walz.The flak Walz has received over leaving his unit to instead run for Congress in Minnesota as his men were about to deploy to Iraq, even though he initially said he was going to deploy with them, has followed Walz for years. John Kolb, who would have been Walz's boss if he had gone on the deployment, recently broke his silence and slammed Walz for misrepresenting his service. "I do not regret Tim Walz retired early" because the man who replaced him, Thomas Behrends, turned out to be an exemplary leader and was needed during their unit's tough mission to Iraq, Kolb said."I also have no criticism of his service as an E7 and E8 in the [Minnesota Army National Guard]. By all accounts and on the record, he was a competent Chief of Firing Battery/Gunnery Sergeant and First Sergeant. I cannot say the same of his service sitting, frocked, in the [command sergeant major] chair," Kolb explained. "He did not earn the rank or successfully complete any assignment as an E9. It is an affront to the Noncommissioned Officer Corps that he continues to glom onto the title. I can sit in the cockpit of an airplane, it does not make me a pilot."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

It’s been one month since former President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. “And yet, what do we know about this attempt to murder the former president of the United States?” asks Liz Wheeler. “We don't know much.” Therefore, “we are going to catalog the 10 questions that you and I, as American citizens, must demand that our government, which is supposed to represent us, answer,” she says, noting that the mainstream media is “not only incurious” as to what actually happened on July 13 but has also effectively “[buried] this story.” - YouTube www.youtube.com 1. What ideology motivated Crooks? “What was Thomas Crooks’ ideology” and “what was known about [him] before the shooting?” “There is no way that there is not a digital trail of the ideology of Thomas Crooks,” says Liz, pointing out that as a member of Gen Z, Crooks must have some kind of “digital footprint.” “It's being hidden from us. Why?” she asks. “We must find out the answer to that question.” 2. Why no counter drones? “Thomas Crooks flew a drone over the Butler County rally area some hours before Donald Trump took the stage,” which should have been picked up by the Secret Service's counter drones that are designed to “identify if there are hostile drones.” Suspiciously, “on this day, July 13, 2024, the U.S. Secret Service counter drones weren't working.” “Why did these U.S. Secret Service counter drones not work? Who was in charge of them? Was it a mechanical issue? Was it a communication issue? And most importantly, was it unusual for the U.S. Secret Service countersurveillance drones not to be working?” 3. Why wasn’t Trump removed from the stage? “At three and a half minutes prior to the shooting, Thomas Crooks was seen on the roof; at 30 seconds prior to the shooting, Secret Service knew he was armed and lying on the roof.” “Who then made the call … not to remove Donald Trump from the stage at that point, when law enforcement was aware of an armed, credible, and accessible threat? ... Who allowed him to stay on stage?” 4. Why wasn’t Crooks neutralized sooner? “18 minutes before Trump took the stage, Secret Service knew that Thomas Crooks had a range finder. Why was he not neutralized at that point? Why was he not confronted? Why was he not arrested?” “Why did it take until he had fired those shots for him to be addressed? Who was in charge of that decision?” 5. Why did the three snipers assigned to watch the roof abandon post? There were three snipers assigned to the window that overlooked the sloped roof that former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle maintained was too dangerous for her agents to stand on. However, “all three of those snipers abandoned their post moments before the shooting.” “Why? Where did they go? Who gave them the direction to leave?” 6. Was Crooks groomed by the feds? “Are we willing to consider that the feds may have groomed Thomas Crooks into an attempted assassination of President Donald J. Trump?” Liz contends that this question is absolutely necessary “because if we look at the history of our country, we know that our government has abused citizens in the past” and “targeted politicians that the Deep State dislikes.” She cites the following examples: the CIA’s involvement in the assassination of President John. F. Kennedy, the FBI “fomenting the riots outside of the capital on January 6,” and the FBI grooming “ne'er-do-wells and homeless people” into staging the kidnapping of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer. “If we are unwilling to even investigate whether this happened, if we come at this analysis with preconceived notions or preconceived conclusions that no, the government couldn't have been involved in any way, then we are no better than the mainstream media,” she says. 7. Why was the Trump campaign denied additional SS coverage? “Why did the Secret Service lie about denying resources to the Trump campaign when the Trump campaign requested additional security? What was the justification for the denial of those requests, and who made that call?" 8. Does our government even care to know the truth? Liz’s eighth question is specifically for “the elected representatives of the United States of America … both Democrat and Republican.” “Do you care that the former president of the United States was targeted for assassination? Do you care that this could happen again? Do you care what the implications of this would have been had Donald Trump not turned his head at the last second to look at that chart?” “Do you understand that this would have thrown our country into a civil war?” 9. Have any additional threats been identified? “Are there any more known threats trying to gain access to President Trump or to his family? If so, what's being done to protect them so that what happened on July 13 does not happen again?” 10. Why is Ronald Rowe the one leading the investigation? “The formal investigation … is being headed by the acting director of the Secret Service” – Ronald Rowe – who also happens to be “the former deputy director of the Secret Service.” “He was involved in decisions leading up to the July 13 attempted assassination of Donald Trump. The failure to protect Donald Trump is as much his responsibility as Kimberly Cheatle’s, and yet now he's the one supposedly conducting oversight and investigating what happened?” says Liz, adding that this “disgusts” her. “Donald Trump was almost killed on stage at a rally because leftists have spent the last eight years calling him Hitler and a dictator and authoritarian and telling LGBTQIA-identifying people and black people and women that they are on the verge of genocide, that our democracy is under attack, and that Donald Trump is the reason why,” says Liz, adding that “this hatred and fear has been fomented to the point that someone is willing to murder president Trump rather than letting an election take place.” We need answers. Now. 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. To hear more of Liz’s commentary, watch the episode above.

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After supporting third-party iPhone wallets and NFC usage in the EU due to the Digital Markets Act, Apple has announced that in-app NFC transactions using the Secure Element will be available to developers internationally, starting with iOS 18.1. Interestingly, this comes while the US Justice Department accuses Apple of antitrust due to the App Store. In a newsroom post, Apple says developers will be able to offer NFC contactless transactions using the Secure Element from within their own apps on iPhone, separate from Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. Using the new NFC and SE (Secure Element) APIs, developers will be able to offer in-app contactless transactions for in-store payments, car keys, closed-loop transit, corporate badges, student IDs, home keys, hotel keys, merchant loyalty and rewards cards, and event tickets. Government IDs will also be supported in the future. Apple says this solution was designed to "provide developers with a secure way to offer NFC contactless transactions from within their iOS apps." The company explains that to make a contactless transaction within an app that utilizes these APIs, users can either open the app directly or set the app as their default contactless app in iOS Settings and double-click the side button on iPhone to initiate a transaction. Still, developers who choose to offer third-party iPhone wallets will have to enter a new commercial agreement with Apple, request the NFC and SE entitlement, and pay the associated fees. Apple says this is necessary to ensure that only authorized developers who "meet certain industry and regulatory requirements and commit to Apple’s ongoing security and privacy standards can access the relevant APIs." The NFC and SE APIs will be available to developers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S. in an upcoming developer seed for iOS 18.1, with additional locations to follow. BGR will let you know once you can add a third-party iPhone wallet in these regions once we learn more about it. Don't Miss: iOS 18.1 beta features: Apple Intelligence and everything new coming to your iPhone The post Apple to offer third-party iPhone wallets internationally with iOS 18.1 appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best Apple Watch deals for August 2024 Today’s deals: $699 Apple Watch Ultra 2, $529 iPad mini, $249 Bose QuietComfort headphones, more Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Apple deals for August 2024

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the University of California, Los Angeles, cannot allow pro-Palestinian protesters to block Jewish students from accessing classes and other parts of campus.