The Wednesday edition of the PBS NewsHour featured perhaps the outlet's most radical member‚ White House correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez‚ launching a paranoid broadside against the Trump campaign and the Heritage Foundation’s collection of presidential policy proposals known as “Project 2025.” Guest anchor William Brangham set up Barron-Lopez’s radical take‚ conflating privileges that fly in the face of biology and common sense (boys on girls’ sports teams‚ genital surgery for minors) under the misleading banner of “civil rights”: BRANGHAM: On the campaign trail‚ Trump has been talking about what he plans to do if elected in November‚ and that includes rolling back the rights of millions of LGBTQ people. It's part of a wider playbook to undo many modern civil rights advances for minority groups. White House correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez has been following this‚ and she joins us now. So‚ on LGBTQ rights‚ what has Trump said he wants to do? BARRON-LOPEZ: Since launching his campaign‚ former President Donald Trump has targeted LGBTQ people‚ transgender people. He's attacked gender-affirming care for minors‚ as well as their ability to play in sports. And he says that he plans quick action if elected.     Barron-Lopez explained that Trump’s “allies have drafted a sweeping document titled Project 2025...by the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation" and stoked fear that the plan acknowledged biological science: Specifically on restricting LGBTQ rights‚ what that details is reinstating a transgender military ban‚ limiting LGBTQ workplace discrimination protections. Currently‚ under the law‚ sexual orientation‚ and gender identity are protected. It would rescind health-care protections for transgender people and urge Congress to define gender as male and female‚ fixed at birth….this plan also is trying to stop any and all acknowledgement of an acceptance of gender identity and LGBTQ people‚ period…. Also on Trump’s “chopping block”: eliminating DEI (diversity‚ equity and inclusion) from government mandates and banning federal funding for teaching Critical Race Theory. It sounds like a mainstream backlash to recent radical overstepping by the identity-obsessed left‚ but one which tax-funded PBS greeted with alarm.  Barron-Lopez described the authors as “roughly 100 right-wing organizations led by the Heritage Foundation‚” including some former Trump administration officials" BARRON-LOPEZ: Professor Thomas Zimmer at Georgetown‚ who studies authoritarian regimes…explained that Trump wasn't necessarily able to institute this in 2017‚ when he first took office‚ because he didn't have the amount of loyalists that he plans on having across the board. And with these new loyalists‚ Zimmer said‚ he can advance a white Christian evangelical ideal of American society. (...) THOMAS ZIMMER (Georgetown University): It is opposed to egalitarian democracy because it fundamentally does not agree that all people are equal or deserve to be treated as equal citizens. Only those who belong to the "true people‚" to real America‚ deserve that. And so everyone else needs to either be purged from the nation or‚ at the very least‚ accept their sort of lesser place in society. Barron-Lopez didn’t blink at that hysterical take but simply forwarded that apocalyptic spin: Professor Zimmer added that that type of purging he's talking about takes roots in the McCarthyism of the early 1950s‚ where they essentially tried to sweep away anyone across American society that would deviate from perceived norms. Truly bizarre. This segment of left-wing paranoia was brought to you in part by Raymond James. A transcript is available‚ click “Expand.” PBS NewsHour 3/27/24 7:17:09 p.m. (ET) William Brangham: On the campaign trail‚ Trump has been talking about what he plans to do if elected in November‚ and that includes rolling back the rights of millions of LGBTQ people. It's part of a wider playbook to undo many modern civil rights advances for minority groups. White House correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez has been following this‚ and she joins us now. Hi. Laura Barron-Lopez: Hi. William Brangham: So‚ on LGBTQ rights‚ what has Trump said he wants to do? Laura Barron-Lopez: Since launching his campaign‚ former President Donald Trump has targeted LGBTQ people‚ transgender people. He's attacked gender-affirming care for minors‚ as well as their ability to play in sports. And he says that he plans quick action if elected. Donald Trump‚ Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: On day one‚ I will sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing Critical Race Theory‚ transgender insanity‚ and other inappropriate racial‚ sexual‚ or political content onto our children Laura Barron-Lopez: That promise you just heard‚ William‚ has become a staple of former President Donald Trump 's campaign rallies. William Brangham: How much of that‚ though‚ is just campaign rally rhetoric? I mean‚ we know that kind of language excites a certain slice of his base. How much of that is just him talking versus what he actually plans to do? Laura Barron-Lopez: Well‚ it's not just campaign rhetoric. And his allies have drafted a sweeping document titled Project 2025. It's led by the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation‚ and it details a blueprint for a second term for Trump. Specifically on restricting LGBTQ rights‚ what that details is reinstating a transgender military ban‚ limiting LGBTQ workplace discrimination protections. Currently‚ under the law‚ sexual orientation‚ and gender identity are protected. It would rescind health care protections for transgender people and urge Congress to define gender as male and female‚ fixed at birth. Trump has repeatedly said‚ also‚ William‚ that he would ban gender-affirming care for minors. And this playbook makes pretty clear that his plan — this plan also is trying to stop any and all acknowledgement of an acceptance of gender identity and LGBTQ people‚ period. And so‚ throughout this blueprint‚ there's some pretty striking language where government — saying that government officials should only recognize marriages between a man and a woman and that a man and a woman are the ideal natural family structure. Also‚ in addition to that‚ William‚ Trump has outlined a number of policies that essentially help minority groups and that they would be on the chopping block. So‚ when it comes to Project 2025 cuts to diversity‚ what the plan would do is delete diversity‚ equity and inclusion from every piece of legislation‚ remove diversity‚ equity‚ inclusion offices from federal agencies‚ curtail the teaching of race and racism‚ and urge Congress to ban federal funds for Critical Race Theory training. Essentially‚ William‚ Trump has vowed on the campaign trail to terminate all DEI programs. William Brangham: Are all of those things that you listed‚ are those within the purview of the president? Can he legally just go ahead and do those things? Laura Barron-Lopez: So‚ technically‚ this relies on Trump‚ if he is reelected‚ enacting a legal concept known as the unitary executive theory‚ and that's outlined in Project 2025. And it essentially suggests that Trump could basically just work around or ignore congressional oversight. And we spoke to Kim Wehle — she's the professor — a law professor at the University of Baltimore — about Trump's ability to carry out Project 2025. Kimberly Wehle‚ Former U.S. Associate Independent Counsel: With Donald Trump ‚ the question isn't so much what the law authorizes. It's that if he has an army of employees that are willing to be loyal to whatever he wants and they implement what he directs‚ then the question is‚ is there going to be pushback through Congress‚ through the courts‚ through the voters? If there's no accountability and pushback‚ then the answer to your question is‚ yes‚ then these things can happen‚ because there's nothing to stop him. Laura Barron-Lopez: As you heard Professor Wehle say there‚ this plan really relies on loyalists being installed across the board in government for him to be able to carry this out. William Brangham: I mean‚ as you and others have reported‚ I mean‚ this — these LGBTQ changes‚ proposed changes‚ are pretty sweeping. But Project 2025 has a lot of other things. Who is it — you mentioned it's Heritage‚ but who else is behind this project? Laura Barron-Lopez: So this draft blueprint playbook was created by roughly 100 right-wing organizations led by the Heritage Foundation. And a number of these authors are actually people that worked in Trump's administration when he was president‚ including Peter Navarro‚ a former White House official‚ Roger Severino of the Health and Human Services department‚ and Ken Cuccinelli at the Homeland Security Department. They have all contributed to drafting this. They're contenders for a future Cabinet if Trump were to win reelection. This is a 180-day manual of sorts‚ William‚ that outlines the ability for former President Trump to consolidate power under the presidency. And I spoke to Professor Thomas Zimmer at Georgetown‚ who studies authoritarian regimes‚ and he explained that Trump wasn't necessarily able to institute this in 2017‚ when he first took office‚ because he didn't have the amount of loyalists that he plans on having across the board. And with these new loyalists‚ Zimmer said‚ he can advance a white Christian evangelical ideal of American society. Thomas Zimmer‚ Georgetown University: This is not going to beat Trump presidency part two‚ just more of the same. This is qualitatively something very‚ very different. It is opposed to egalitarian democracy because it fundamentally does not agree that all people are equal or deserve to be treated as equal citizens. Only those who belong to the — quote‚ unquote — "true people‚" to real America‚ deserve that. And so everyone else needs to either be purged from the nation or‚ at the very least‚ accept their sort of lesser place in society. Laura Barron-Lopez: Professor Zimmer added that that type of purging he's talking about takes roots in the McCarthyism of the early 1950s‚ where they essentially tried to sweep away anyone across American society that would deviate from perceived norms.

A GoFundMe fundraiser to benefit the widow of slain New York City Police Department officer Jonathan Diller has raised more than $636‚000 so far. Diller‚ who was only 31 years old and was the father of a young child‚ was fatally shot on Monday.The funds raised from the GoFundMe will not be the only money going to the late officer's family.Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports fame has announced $1.5 million will be going to Diller's family. Barstool Sports is selling "NEW YORK'S FINEST" shirts and indicating that all of the net proceeds will be donated to Diller's family. On Wednesday‚ Portnoy announced a donation match for the total amount raised through midnight. "Thanks to everybody who donated. We raised 750k. With the matching of the funds that brings the total to 1.5 million that will go directly to the family‚" he tweeted on Thursday. — (@) Guy Rivera has been charged with the murder. Records reportedly indicate Rivera had been previously arrested by NYPD a whopping 21 times."Rivera‚ 34‚ whose last known address is on Broadway in Woodside‚ was charged with murder in the first and second degrees; attempted murder in the first and second degrees; four counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree; and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree‚" a Queens District Attorney's Office press release indicates. The release also notes that the man "faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted."Former President Donald Trump‚ who attended the wake on Thursday‚ declared in a Truth Social post‚ "THIS IS SUCH A SAD OCCASION—WE HAVE TO STOP IT‚ WE HAVE TO GET BACK TO LAW AND ORDER…WE HAVE TO DO A LOT OF THINGS DIFFERENTLY—BECAUSE THIS NOT WORKING…THIS IS HAPPENING TOO OFTEN…"Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

New York Times columnist Nick Kristof posted a bizarre claim from an NPR report against Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip‚ and they were both ridiculed mercilessly on social media. Kristof reposted a report that there were an impossibly high number of relief trucks that were being held up by Israel on Thursday morning. "[Jane Arraf] of @NPR quotes a Jordanian official as saying that 30‚000 aid trucks are stuck at the Egypt/Gaza border‚ waiting for Israeli approval to enter Gaza‚ with some Jordanian trucks stuck there for the last two months. Meanwhile Gaza kids starve‚" wrote Kristof. Image Source: Nick Kristof X screenshot Here's the section of the NPR report Kristof was referencing: While the U.S. says those shipments have increased recently to as many as 200 trucks a day‚ it's still much less‚ Leila‚ than the roughly 500 trucks of aid that aid officials say are desperately needed. A Jordanian official says 30‚000 trucks are backed up at the main border crossing with Egypt‚ waiting for Israeli approval to enter. He says some of Jordan's own aid trucks have been waiting in line for two months there. 'Dumb and malicious' Critics on social media immediately took Kristof and NPR to task for circulating such an obviously exaggerated accusation. "Nick‚ I realize you’re an idiot‚ but does that sound right to you? 30 THOUSAND trucks?" responded Jonathan Greenburg. He went on to calculate that 30‚000 trucks would take up 271 miles of street space. "That’s twice the distance from Kerem Shalom to Amman‚ where @janearraf’s idiot source is feeding her fake statistics because he knows hacks like you are dumb and malicious enough to believe anything you’re fed‚" he added. "They don’t even try to make their propaganda believable and the all stars in the Western media lap it up because OF COURSE the Jews have kept a line of trucks visible from Mars waiting at the Gaza border!" Greenburg said. "30‚000 trucks? LOL. People with an anti-Israel mindset will believe anything. Where are all these truck drivers sleeping? Who is feeding them? Where are the satellite photos of these trucks? Why hasn't this huge line of trucks at the border received any attention before now? I mean‚ some basic questions that anyone with common sense would be asking‚" replied David Bernstein. "That’s what happens when your fervent conviction that Israel is to blame for everything addles your ability to think reasonably‚" replied Eylon Levy. "Even well-educated‚ well-intentioned people will believe the most ridiculous things when it comes to Israel‚" read another response. "30‚000 trucks stuck at the Egyptian border? You want people to believe that trucks are lined up for 300 miles awaiting inspection by Israel? Reporters from the NY Times repeat other people's lies because it's easier than making up their own‚" responded Joel Petlin. "Imagine pretending there are *30‚000* trucks just sitting there at the border just to bash Israel. They don’t even try to make the propaganda believable‚" said radio host Jason Rantz. Kristof eventually deleted the tweet‚ but NPR has not yet addressed the claim in its article. Here's more about the war on Hamas: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing for the U.S. to green-light additional assistance to Ukraine.For more than two years‚ Ukraine has been fighting against a Russian onslaught. In a Thursday post on X‚ Zelenskyy noted that he had spoken to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and briefed him "on the battlefield situation." Zelenskyy said in the post that speedy approval of more American aid is critical."In this situation‚ quick passage of US aid to Ukraine by Congress is vital. We recognize that there are differing views in the House of Representatives on how to proceed‚ but the key is to keep the issue of aid to Ukraine as a unifying factor‚" the post declares. "We also discussed the importance of cutting off Russia's sources of funding for its war as soon as possible and using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's benefit. We also rely on the leadership of Congress in this regard." — (@) The U.S.‚ which is saddled with massive national debt‚ has already provided Ukraine with billions worth of assistance. CBS News reported that Zelenskyy has said‚ "Let's be honest‚ the money which is allocated by the Congress‚ by the administration‚ in the majority of cases‚ 80% of this money — well‚ at least more than 75% — stays in the U.S. This ammunition is coming to us‚ but the production is taking place there‚ and the money stays in the U.S.‚ and the taxes are staying in the U.S."Like many U.S. lawmakers‚ House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) wants to approve more Ukraine aid."We cannot let Pro-Putin MAGA extremists dictate America's foreign policy. It's time to pass the bipartisan national security bill and stand with Ukraine until victory is won‚" Jeffries declared in a post on X‚ which also included a line of American and Ukrainian flag emojis.Last month‚ the Senate passed a measure that includes‚ among other things‚ more assistance for Ukraine‚ but the House has not voted on it.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

BREAKING: Democratic Mega Donor Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced for Crypto Crimes

Fascism Alert: Washington State to Offer Cash Reward for Reporting 'Hate Speech' and 'Bias'

Idaho Tribune Announces Cash Reward for Evidence of 'Hate Crime' Against Basketball Team

Vanderbilt Tampon Tantrum Takes Terrific Turn

White House: Senate Republicans Are Relentlessly Smearing Biden's Judicial Nominee

Schumer Announces Majorkas Impeachment Trial Will Commence in April‚ Sen. Patty Murray Will Preside