Featured Essays Summertime Spookiness: On the True Meaning of Summerween Summerween is not about consumerism; it’s about holding on to the wonder and freedom of childhood (and also eating candy and defeating monsters). By Lorna Wallace | Published on August 19, 2024 Credit: Disney Comment 0 Share New Share Credit: Disney “Wait, Summer-what?” “Summerween! The people of this town love Halloween so much, they celebrate it twice a year.” “Summerween? Something about this feels unnatural.” These are the words that are spoken at the start of a viral TikTok sound, which then launches into the dark lyrics of “West End Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys. Laid overtop are usually clips of Summerween celebrations, which range from watching horror movies with spooky snacks on a warm summer’s evening to extravagant pool parties decked out in Halloween decorations. For some reason, Summerween has exploded into the mainstream this summer, despite first being introduced to the world way back in 2012 by the animated show Gravity Falls (specifically season 1, episode 12, which is appropriately titled “Summerween”). The show follows the supernatural adventures of 12-year-old twins Dipper (Jason Ritter) and Mabel Pines (Kristen Schaal) while they spend their summer break with their eccentric Grunkle Stan (Alex Hirsch) in Gravity Falls, Oregon. The dialogue from the TikTok sound is taken from the start of the “Summerween” episode. Every June 22nd, the Halloween-loving residents of Gravity Falls decorate the town with Jack-o’-melons—watermelons are the summer substitute for pumpkins—to celebrate the seasonally strange event. Dipper decides he’s too old for trick-or-treating, but he’s forced to join in with Mabel and her friends after insulting the Summerween Trickster, an unsettling creature that threatens to eat them if they don’t deliver him 500 pieces of candy by the end of the night. In an interview with Polygon, the show’s creator, Alex Hirsch, said that Summerween came to be because he needed “to excuse having a Halloween episode in a series set in the summer.” This is a level of commitment to Halloween that I wholeheartedly support. And as for the mash-up holiday taking off in 2024, Hirsch comments, “If I accidentally contrived a new holiday into existence through sleep deprivation and deadline sweat I will be shocked and really delighted.” Summerween’s existence isn’t really in question, with the holiday having received coverage by The New York Times, Good Morning America, and USA Today. The focus of these pieces is mainly on the consumerist aspect of the holiday, with GMA largely promoting things you can buy (zombie popsicles, pumpkin inflatables, and ghost pillows, oh my!). Similarly, in the NYT article, Steven Kurutz declares that Summerween “seems to have been assembled, Frankenstein-style, out of social media’s insatiable need for content, retailers’ desire to drum up excitement in the dead zone of July and August and an enthusiasm among certain people for ghouls and goblins so strong that it cannot be satisfied by one holiday a year.” While spookily aesthetic products certainly seem to be one driving force behind the recent TikTok trend, the focus of these articles on things that can be bought and then shown on social media is a rather superficial view of the core concept behind Summerween. While people can now go into stores to buy glittery skeletons and pink spiders to look fabulous at their Summerween BBQ (that they’ll then post about on Instagram), plenty of others simply reuse the Halloween decor they already have to create a spooky atmosphere for watching a scary movie or reading a horror novel. The spirit of Summerween doesn’t lie in buying cute but creepy decor (although, sure, go ham on that if you want!). The fictional holiday has become reality, and has actually been steadily chugging along for years now—albeit largely unnoticed by mainstream eyes—without that consumerist drive. Fans of Gravity Falls have long been carving Jack-o’-melons to celebrate the spooky side of summer. And although it’s not directly related to the show, for the past few years YouTuber gabbyreads has been hosting a Summerween readathon, with BookTubers coming together online each July to read horror and thriller books. So what is Summerween about, if it’s not to do with buying all of your Halloween decor in fun summer colors? At its most basic level, the holiday is simply about bringing the joy of Halloween into the summer season, be that decorating with skeletons, dressing up in costumes, or eating pumpkin-flavored treats. If Christmas lovers get to celebrate Christmas in July, then why can’t enthusiasts of all things spooky celebrate a bit of Halloween in summer? But along with the obvious horror vibes, there’s also a genuinely wholesome component to Summerween. In the original Gravity Falls episode, Dipper is desperate to grow up and doesn’t want to put on a costume and go door-to-door for candy, but he’s coerced into it by the Summerween Trickster. Although there’s the fear that he’ll be eaten if he fails, he’s also essentially forced into enjoying and appreciating the simplicity, wonder, and wholesomeness of childhood for just a little bit longer. Although trick-or-treating isn’t typically a part of real-life Summerween celebrations—partly because so many adults partake and partly because the neighbors would probably be extremely confused—there’s nothing stopping people from carving a scary face into a watermelon or baking a cake shaped like a ghost in July or August. These out-of-season indulgences may seem silly on the surface (although that doesn’t make them any less joyful in my eyes!), but both summer and Halloween can also be deeply nostalgic times of year, representing a kind of joyful, carefree freedom that can be hard to recapture once you’ve hit adulthood. I’m sure I’m not the only one who looks back on Halloweens past with acute nostalgia. Although I’ve dressed up for Halloween as an adult, the costumes I wore as a kid can’t be beat. There was no better feeling than sorting through my candy haul at the end of Halloween night while still dressed as the Grim Reaper. A similar feeling comes from thinking back on childhood summer breaks, which felt endless at the time and were mostly comprised of playing and relaxing in the sun (well, I live in Scotland, so there were also a fair few reading-indoors-to-avoid-the-rain days too). Summerween exists in a liminal space between summer and Halloween, allowing people to not only enjoy the best of both in the present, but also to look back at the past with a fond eye. The holiday is bound up in the wistfulness of knowing that both summer and Halloween are always over too soon, so why not enjoy them to the fullest anytime we can? With the true meaning of Summerween now established, here are a few recommendations of things to read and watch if you want to get into the Summerween spirit before the days start getting colder. It goes without saying that the “Summerween” episode of Gravity Falls is essential viewing. Books We Ride Upon Sticks (2019) by Quan Barry — In late ’80s Massachusettes, a high school field hockey team start to engage in some witchy behavior by way of a devilish Emilio Estevez notebook. The Saturday Night Ghost Club (2018) by Craig Davidson — A darkly nostalgic tale about a small group of misfit friends bonding over ghost stories during summer break.   The Elementals (1981) by Michael McDowell — This terrifying tale about a haunted house on the beach brings supernatural scares to the sun and sand. Ghost Summer (2015) by Tananarive Due — This compelling and deeply empathetic short story collection is partly set in a small town in sunny Florida and features (literal and figurative) ghosts, as well as zombies, werewolves, and more.  Rules for Vanishing (2019) by Katie Alice Marshall — In search of her missing sister, a teenage girl walks a transient path through an otherworldly forest in this YA horror novel. Until Summer Comes Around (2020) by Glenn Rolfe — Filled with perfect Lost Boys vibes (which is also a great pick for Summerween viewing!), this vampire novel features blood-soaked fangs and a seaside town setting. Various Ray Bradbury books: check out Dandelion Wine (1957) if summer vibes are important to you, Something Wicked This Way Comes (1962) if you’d like more autumnal spookiness, or The Halloween Tree (1972) if you think October 31st can’t come quickly enough. Movies The Halloween Tree (1993) — the animated adaptation of Bradbury’s story  (starring Leonard Nimoy, no less) will likely stir up nostalgic feelings in you, even if it’s your first time watching it! The Monster Squad (1987) — Universal’s Classic Monsters meet The Goonies in this film about a group of kids saving the world from a Dracula-led group of ghouls. The ‘Burbs (1989) — Over the course of a weeklong staycation, a bored homeowner (played by Tom Hanks) becomes convinced that his new neighbors are a murderous cult; goofy comedy ensues.  Summer of 84 (2018) — A group of teenage boys on summer break think they’ve identified a serial killer in their town; mischief and mayhem ensue (but without the playful comedic tone of The ‘Burbs). Stand By Me (1986) — Based on Stephen King’s The Body (which is also excellent), this classic Rob Reiner film is deeply nostalgic about childhood’s lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer. Depending on how you feel about clowns, King’s IT, with its creepy clown scares and coming-of-age trials and tribulations, is another fitting Summerween story and has been adapted twice, first as a miniseries in 1990 and then as two connected films in 2017 and 2019. Addams Family Values (1993) — Wednesday and Pugsley, members of everyone’s favorite macabre family, have to endure the sunny indignities of a preppie summer camp in one of the plot lines of this family-friendly ’90s classic. Friday the 13th (1980) — A group of teenagers are brutally murdered in this not-at-all-family-friendly classic summer camp slasher film. Obviously, this isn’t intended to be an exhaustive list of Summerween recs—more of a starter kit for anyone who’s ready to dive into the joys of letting a little of the Halloween spirit into these long, balmy summer days and nights. Please share your own recommendations: books, movies, or anything that captures that elusive mixture of nostalgia, childlike wonder, and spooky thrills that remind us that even at the peak of summer, the dark promise of autumn is lurking off in the shadows, waiting for its chance…[end-mark] The post Summertime Spookiness: On the True Meaning of Summerween appeared first on Reactor.

A struggling father, played by Michele Morrone (The Next 365 Days) buys a domestic AI (Megan Fox – Transformers) to help run the household. But the situation soon turns deadly when the lifelike robot develops an obsessive attachment to her CONTINUE READING... The post Megan Fox’s New Movie ‘Subservience’ Debuts On Demand September 13th appeared first on The Retro Network.

Netanyahu: By Golly, I Like the US Plan; UPDATE

Two-Tier Kier Releases Criminals to Jail Social Media Users; Expect the Same Under Harris/Walz

A remarkable moment occurred Monday morning on ABC News Live when 2024 Democratic National Convention delegate and Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff praised Vice President Kamala Harris for having little to no official policy positions because “[t]he more details you share, the more your policies are going to get picked apart,” and thus it’s best for her to “trust” the news media “to explain these policies...to folks”. Shroff also made a fool out of himself when he drew of the ire of host Diane Macedo for insisting Harris’s off-the-record pow-wows with reporters on campaign planes make formal interviews and press conferences unnecessary and demanding those are a “unfair” burden. The first jaw-dropper was unprompted as all Macedo had asked was “what do...Harris and Walz need to do over the next four days to try to convince voters that they can solve these problems” such as the economy, the border, and crime. Shroff took the approach of those lefty tools who think the corporate media are actually biased toward Republicans, whining that “when the national polls show the Democratic nominee ahead, we talk about other polls that show something else” even though the focus should be on how polls “show[ing] that Vice President Harris is poised to defeat Donald Trump pretty handily.” #DNC delgate Kaivan Shroff on @ABCNewsLive: “Vice President Harris has been incredibly brave to roll out an ambitious economic agenda...The more details you share, the more your policies are going to get picked apart. But she's saying, I trust the American people, I trust the… pic.twitter.com/BcmDrCJSzL — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 19, 2024 He then dropped the humdinger saying the quiet part out loud that the liberal media will do Harris’s job for her: I think Vice President Harris has been incredibly brave to roll out an ambitious economic agenda because we all know how this works. The more details you share, the more your policies are going to get picked apart. But she’s saying, I trust the American people, I trust the journalists, to explain these policies and our values to folks. And I think when that happens, it will be successful for Democrats. These are very pro-worker, pro-middle class that people have been waiting for.  For good measure, he threw in some talking points about Trump’s views being based on “side deals and backdoor agreements with his billionaire friends.” A few minutes later, Macedo asked Shroff “to respond to the fact that Harris has not done a lot of unscripted events” and “been called on by many to do more press conferences, to do more interviews.” Shroff had the gall to insist everyone settle down because this week “is the big rollout...to talk about her policies, her vision, her agenda”, but Macedo wasn’t amused: “But it’s not the same as a press conference or an interview where she has to answer direct questions.” ABC’s @DianeRMacedo: “Harris has not done a lot of unscripted events. She has been called on by many to do more press conferences, to do more interviews. What do you say to that?” Harris delegate/lefty guest Kaivan Shroff: “Well, I think people should watch this week, right?… pic.twitter.com/NXXBMGZKSr — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) August 19, 2024 He piled on by claiming the press are in the tank for Trump against Harris. His evidence? How one person at Trump’s 84-minute press conference on Thursday lobbed a softball asking whether he believes God saved him from death in the attempted assassination. To her credit, Macedo didn’t take too kindly to this nonsense, including Shroff’s defense that secret, off-the-record meetings Harris does with the press should be good enough for the American people (click “expand”): SHROFF: [W]ell, I mean, I don’t know, because when Trump holds those pressers, it’s your colleagues in media ask him, Trump, why did God save you? I mean, these are not serious questions that help the American people — MACEDO: You know that he’s asked a wide range of questions — ALFONSO AGUILAR: Of course not. SHROFF: — so I think that’s one point. But that’s false. I do want to fact-check. MACEDO: — and he has to answer many. SHROFF: Fact-check! MACEDO: So, so — SHROFF: She will — she will answer questions. MACEDO: — but just answer me that. Do you think she needs to do more unscripted events where she to answer — SHROFF: She is! MACEDO: — direct questions?  SHROFF: She is doing a lot of — and —  MACEDO: She’s doing a lot of speeches.  SHROFF: — conversations with reporters. MACEDO: That’s not the same thing. SHROFF: She’s talking to people. She’s talking to reporters on her plane and all of that stuff. It’s been widely reported, but just a fact check. She has not proposed price fixing and that’s a lie. She’s — supported legislation against price gouging, which is very different, and some antitrust things. And then on the border, actually, daily border crossings are lower today than they were at the end of the Trump administration.  Shroff kept talking so he could run out the clock on the segment. He sure filled it with more argle-bargle falsely claiming “[s]he’s been doing a ton of media” and, even then, “[t]he reality is the media landscape has changed,” so “[i]t’s not the Democratic nominee’s job to make sure legacy media is staying afloat when the models are changing and I think that’s a very unfair lens to place on this election.” To see the relevant transcript from August 19, click “expand.” ABC News Live August 19, 2024 10:10 a.m. Eastern DIANNE MACEDO: Kavian, to Alfonso’s point, the latest poll numbers do show former President Trump leading Harris on the economy, on inflation, on immigration. So what do Democrats in particularly Harris and Walz need to do over the next four days to try to convince voters that they can solve these problems? KAIVAN SHROFF: There’s an interesting pattern that it seems when the national polls show the Democratic nominee ahead, we talk about other polls that show something else. So, I do think we’ve seen a lot of polling this week and last week and the week before that actually show that Vice President Harris is poised to defeat Donald Trump pretty handily because this campaign is strong and the energy and momentum is electric. I mean, I actually had a friend, the creator, give me one of these Taylor Swift-style bracelets yesterday. That’s the energy people are bringing to this DNC. And I think on the other side, you do look at Trump and Vance and, my colleague, with respect, says that they’re going to bring down inflation, says they’re going to deal with the border, but they never did it. And also, he can’t articulate what the actual policies Trump is suggesting are because they’re not talking about policy. In fact, I think Vice President Harris has been incredibly brave to roll out an ambitious economic agenda because we all know how this works. The more details you share, the more your policies are going to get picked apart. But she’s saying, I trust the American people, I trust the journalists, to explain these policies and our values to folks. And I think when that happens, it will be successful for Democrats. These are very pro-worker, pro-middle class that people have been waiting for. Meanwhile, Trump is running on these side deals and backdoor agreements with his billionaire friends to, you know, oppress the working class further and enrich them further. So I think it’s not an appealing message on the Republican side. MACEDO: And, Kavian, just be clear, we have reported at length about the polling numbers about Harris pulling ahead in general, and we participated — SHROFF: Okay, next time I’m on. MACEDO: — in that poll that you’re referring to. And that was part of this same poll that we also reported on. SHROFF: Yeah, right. MACEDO: So we are talking about all of those numbers. (....) 10:15 a.m. Eastern MACEDO: Kavian, I want to give you a quick chance to respond to that. But I do also want to ask you and we are out of time, but I just want to give you a minute on this — give you a chance to respond, but also to respond to the fact that Harris has not done a lot of unscripted events. She has been called on by many to do more press conferences, to do more interviews. What do you say to that? SHROFF: Well, I think people should watch this week, right? This is the big launch. This is the big rollout. This is where she’s going to talk about her policies, her vision, her agenda, and then —  MACEDO: But it’s not the same as a press conference or an interview — SHROFF: — she can come back to — MACEDO: — where she has to answer direct questions. SHROFF: — well, I mean, I don’t know, because when Trump holds those pressers, it’s your colleagues in media ask him, Trump, why did God save you? I mean, these are not serious questions that help the American people — MACEDO: You know that he’s asked a wide range of questions — ALFONSO AGUILAR: Of course not. SHROFF: — so I think that’s one point. But that’s false. I do want to fact-check. MACEDO: — and he has to answer many. SHROFF: Fact-check! MACEDO: So, so — SHROFF: She will She will answer questions. MACEDO: — but just answer me that. Do you think she needs to do more unscripted events where she to answer — SHROFF: She is! MACEDO: — direct questions?  SHROFF: She is doing a lot of — and —  MACEDO: She’s doing a lot of speeches.  SHROFF: — conversations with reporters. MACEDO: That’s not the same thing. SHROFF: She’s talking to people. She’s talking to reporters on her plane and all of that stuff. It’s been widely reported, but just a fact check. She has not proposed price fixing and that’s a lie. She’s — supported legislation against price gouging, which is very different, and some antitrust things. And then on the border, actually, daily border crossings are lower today than they were at the end of the Trump administration. So, both lies coming from my colleague there.  AGUILAR: No, no, no.  SHROFF: And in terms of what she needs to comment on. She’s been doing a ton of media. The reality is the media landscape has changed. It’s not the Democratic nominee’s job to make sure legacy media is staying afloat when the models are changing And I think that’s a very unfair lens to place on this election. I mean, Donald is not really campaigning in full. So, you know, she’s introducing herself to the American people, holding these rallies. She’s had a record short amount time to get this campaign off the ground and here we are at the DNC. So, sure, if she doesn’t give those interviews you’re talking about in the coming months, I do think would be unacceptable, but I know that’s not going to happen, so I think it’s really a moot point.

In a massive blow to the radical gender movement, California dad and parents’ rights activist Harrison Tinsley has won full custody of his son, Sawyer. The battle began when his ex-girlfriend became pregnant with his child and set out to raise the little boy as a girl — despite the boy correctly insisting that he was a boy. “She took him to Disneyland, he told me, ‘Dad I couldn’t go on the rides unless I wore my princess shoes. I didn’t want to wear my princess shoes, I wanted to wear boys shoes,’” Tinsley tells Sara Gonzales of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered.” “There was some pretty serious coercion or whatever you want to call it going on,” he continues. “Sawyer’s always said ‘I’m a boy,’ he’ll fight you if you say anything to the contrary, if you say he’s girly in any way, he’ll yell at you.” “Why are we trying to confuse kids on the most basic, beautiful thing about life?” he adds. Tinsley had filed for full custody of Sawyer in 2023 after his ex-girlfriend, who apparently identifies as a nonbinary lesbian now, was arrested on felony child endangerment charges. Tinsley originally lost, but he appealed the decision and hoped to win that one on merit as well as set case law for parents moving forward. However, he ended up winning custody through an entirely different means. “I’m literally just laying in bed one day, and I had a bunch of missed calls, and it was the San Francisco police, so I call them back and they’re like ‘Oh you need to pick up your son.’ So I go pick him up, and I find out there was another violent incident,” Tinsley explains. This is when he found out his ex-girlfriend had gotten into a physical altercation with one of her dads — she was adopted by two men in San Francisco — and ended up involving Sawyer by allegedly telling him to hit her father with a baseball bat. “What adult, or even person, parent, any human being, wouldn’t tell a 4-year-old to just run away in that scenario,” Tinsley says. However, when he filed an ex parte after this incident to get Sawyer in his custody — the court denied it. “I do want to get one thing clear, so this, the reason that you have full custody stems from a CPS complaint,” Gonzales says, adding, “We still need to fix the court system because we’re talking about felony child endangerment, we’re talking about, I am sure, pages and pages and photos and videos and all this documentation that you provided the court, and they still denied you.” After his ex parte was denied, Child Protective Services was still skeptical of Sawyer’s mother and did a thorough investigation — which finally resulted in Tinsley being granted full physical custody. “It was divine that I got the CPS workers I did, ‘cause they really put politics aside. I mean, this is San Francisco, California. The two people I got seem to really care about children more than they cared about politics,” Tinsley says, adding, “I just feel so lucky and grateful.” Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Those planning to attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week will have the opportunity to undergo a vasectomy or even a medication abortion, perhaps at no cost. Last Wednesday, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers bragged on social media that it would establish a pop-up "mobile health clinic" in the West Loop of Chicago, just a few blocks from the United Center. The clinic will offer services such as abortions, vasectomies, and emergency contraception to those in the area on Monday and Tuesday. 'There’s a direct through line between what Donald Trump did and loss of access to abortion care.' "Here we come, Chicago! Our mobile health clinic will be in the West Loop with @ChiAbortionFund & @TheWienerCircle Aug 19-20, providing FREE vasectomies & medication abortion. [Emergency contraception] will also be available for free without an appointment," said an X account for the Planned Parenthood facility, which offers services in Missouri and Southern Illinois. Medication abortion will be available both Monday and Tuesday, while vasectomies will be available only on Tuesday, according to the New York Times. Vasectomies are in particularly high demand, the Times added, claiming last Friday that there was already a "waiting list." The tweet from Planned Parenthood Great Rivers included a link for booking an appointment, but as of early Monday afternoon, that link indicates that all appointments for "free" vasectomies and medication abortions have already been "filled." A previous version of the appointment form notified users that the facility offers services "on a sliding-fee scale — pay what you can and get the health care you need," according to the New York Post. "There are going to be people traveling to Chicago from all over the country," Dr. Colleen McNicholas, the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, told the Times. "And I think we should be doing what we can as health care providers to show what the impact of good policy and bad policy is." Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who co-chairs the Pro-Choice Caucus in the House, was similarly effusive that abortion and other anti-reproductive services, including vasectomies and contraception, will play such a central role at this year's convention. "This is one of those moments where we see the results of this marathon being fought by so many," Lee told the Times. "We have a long way to go, but it’s a seminal moment, it’s a defining moment, and it’s part of the trajectory." In addition to the pop-up center provided by Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, Americans for Contraception plans to erect a giant, inflatable intrauterine device named Freeda Womb at or near the DNC. The Times described these efforts by Planned Parenthood and Americans for Contraception as part of "a head-on display of a new, unbridled abortion politics" at the Democratic convention. "There’s a direct through line between what Donald Trump did and loss of access to abortion care," said Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), who previously worked for Planned Parenthood, according to the Times. "That’s one of the reasons why people are seeing this in a kind of completely different frame than they were even just four years ago." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A pair of Good Samaritans thwarted a male motorist's attempted kidnappings of two girls in broad daylight in separate incidents Tuesday, authorities in Michigan said.The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said 23-year-old Endi Bala of Shelby Township around 1:30 p.m. "attempted to unlawfully imprison a 15-year-old girl who was walking along Clinton River Road in Clinton Township. A witness intervened, allowing the victim to escape, and the suspect fled the scene."'As a community, we owe an immense debt of gratitude to the courageous Good Samaritans who stepped in without hesitation, risking their own safety to save these young girls,' Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said.Bala allegedly grabbed the girl around her head and neck, NBC News said, citing a separate statement from the Clinton Township Police Department.Paul Billiter — the bystander who intervened — told NBC News he was doing yard work when he saw a car pull up next to the girl and heard a male ask her if she needed a ride. Billiter added to the news network that the male grabbed the girl “like a sack of potatoes” and pulled her to the side of his car.“I bolted toward the car because something was obviously going wrong,” Billiter recalled to NBC News, adding that he grabbed the male by the neck as he was trying to force the girl into the vehicle, which gave her time to escape. Police told the news network the victim told others about what happened, and they called 911. The suspect fled the scene in his white sedan, police added to NBC News.Billiter told the news network a police officer about 45 minutes later told him Sterling Heights police arrested Bala in connection with another attempted kidnapping.“It never even occurred to me that he would have went down the street and try this again,” Billiter told NBC News, adding that the whole thing makes him “sick to my stomach.”The prosecutor's office said Bala, about an hour after the Clinton Township incident, allegedly approached a 7-year-old girl in Sterling Heights "where he forcibly took her off her bicycle, and placed her in his car, and attempted to leave the park. However, a bystander blocked Bala's vehicle, enabling the young girl to escape." Sterling Heights is about seven miles west of Clinton Township; both municipalities are a little less than an hour north of Detroit.The girl’s aunt, Alecia Swejkoski, told NBC News she “knew exactly what he was doing” when Bala pulled up to her niece in his car and then immediately began screaming for her niece to run. Swejkoski added to the news network that after Bala snatched her niece off her bike, she and Bala both ran toward the car where Bala was trying to shove the girl inside. But Swejkoski told NBC News she “flew” through a car window where she "fought" Bala, who began driving the car back and forth to shake Swejkoski loose and prevent the girl from escaping.A driver in another car blocked Bala’s vehicle so he couldn’t drive away, Swejkoski told the news network, which allowed her niece to open a door and run away.Coryne Childers, the victim’s mom, said her daughter is “hanging in there pretty well” but that “she’ll never be the same.” Childers warned parents to “be aware; don’t let your children go anywhere without eyes on them."What happened next?Bala was charged with attempted unlawful Imprisonment and assault and battery in connection with the Clinton Township incident the prosecutor's office said, adding that he was charged with kidnapping – child enticement, reckless driving, and assault and battery in connection with the Sterling Heights incident.In connection with the Clinton Township incident, a judge set Bala's bond at $2 million cash, the prosecutor's office said, adding that if released Bala must wear a steel cuff tether, be on home confinement, have no contact with the victims or anyone under the age of 18, and have no weapons. In connection with the Sterling Heights incident, a judge denied Bala's bond and remanded him to the Macomb County Jail.“As a community, we owe an immense debt of gratitude to the courageous Good Samaritans who stepped in without hesitation, risking their own safety to save these young girls," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said. "Their quick actions not only thwarted a crime but also ensured that these brave girls were able to return home safely. We will do everything in our power to ensure that the individual responsible for this terrifying act faces justice."You can view an NBC News video report here showing a surveillance clip of one of the alleged attempted kidnappings and interviews with witnesses.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner recently urged acting Judge Juan Merchan to sentence Donald Trump to prison in September in the New York criminal trial, one of four indictments filed against the former president.Trump was found guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Sentencing in the case is scheduled for September 18. On Thursday, Kirschner responded to Trump's legal team's request to delay sentencing until after the November presidential election. He called the request "another pathetic and desperate attempt by Donald Trump to keep from being sentenced."With Trump facing several other indictments, the New York trial has been referred to as the "hush money case;" however, Kirschner claimed the case was actually about election interference. Trump's attorneys, who filed a request to delay sentencing on Thursday, claimed that moving forward with the September sentencing date would amount to election interference.His team wrote to Merchan, "The Court should adjourn any sentencing in this case, though one should not be necessary because dismissal and vacatur of the jury's verdicts are required based on Presidential immunity, until after the 2024 Presidential election."Trump's legal counsel previously filed a motion to overturn the jury's guilty verdict and dismiss the case, citing the United States Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity. His lawyers have also attempted three times to have Merchan recuse himself from the case, claiming his daughter's work for a progressive political consulting firm creates a conflict of interest.Kirschner, a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, slammed Trump's lawyers for attempting to get the case thrown out over an alleged appearance of impropriety, though he did not mention what that conflict of interest allegation entailed."You know friends, this is where sanctioning bad faith lawyers would come in really handy," Kirschner said.Kirschner went on to explain that Merchan will likely reject Trump's request to vacate sentencing based on presidential immunity and announce that he plans to move forward with sentencing as scheduled. He noted that if that happens, Trump's legal team will presumably immediately try to appeal to postpone sentencing until after the election."It could very well be that some appellate court, up to and including the Supreme Court, puts a stop to or stays the sentencing. I hope that doesn't happen," Kirschner continued. "I hope that Judge Merchan not only denies the motion to dismiss but proceeds to sentencing on September 18th, sentences him to prison, which he so richly deserves.""Because if you want to deter tomorrow's aspiring dictator, you've got to punish today's aspiring dictator for the crimes he committed to try to steal the presidency," Kirschner declared. "You know, probation is dead wrong in this case. Prison time is what's required.""As long as he's not elected president, he will not have the opportunity to kill his cases," he added. "He won't have that opportunity to get rid of them. But he will, if God forbid he ever retakes the reins of presidential power." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Here's a Look at the Policy Section of the Harris Campaign's Website As the Dem Convention Kicks Off