From the beginning of the federal government shutdown, Democrats have been messaging on health care, an issue that has yielded midterm success for the party in the past. But House Republicans on the front line are already hitting back. As Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters shortly before the shutdown began, Democrats are “making this debate a debate on health care.” There’s historical justification for that strategy. In the 2018 midterms, which followed a Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare, for instance, Democrats gained 40 additional seats in the House of Representatives, handing Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a second turn at wielding the speaker’s gavel. But Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., who chairs the House’s Main Street Caucus—a group made up predominantly of Republicans from purple districts—told The Daily Signal on a press call that Democrats’ messaging won’t work in 2026.  Flood contends Democrats have lost any purported high ground on the matter with their shutdown strategy. “We were in shutdown situations under Joe Biden’s presidency, where the question was, ‘Do we fund the government, or do we not fund the government?’ Almost every single member of the Main Street Caucus was always voting to fund the government,” said Flood. “So, our caucus has always been the wing of the Republican Party that was there to fund it under Joe Biden.” Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., speaks to a constituent in Lincoln, Neb. (Rebecca S. Gratz/The Washington Post via Getty Images) One of the Democrats’ main demands throughout the shutdown has been an extension of COVID-era Obamacare premium tax credits. Those credits, if they expire at the end of the year, would revert to pre-COVID-19 levels. Main Street Caucus Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., is cosponsoring a bill to extend the credits for one year. Flood argues that the members of his caucus have an edge over Democrats, since they are forwarding legislation to be passed in regular order, rather than holding the government hostage. “We have 13 members that have introduced legislation that extends the [Affordable Care Act] tax-credit program, and so a good number of our members are very invested in that, but we can’t get to the table until the Senate does its job,” Flood told The Daily Signal. “We did our job. We set [funding] up for November 21, which gives us plenty of time for us to deal with that.” Flood did, however, clarify that his caucus does want to address issues of fraud within the Affordable Care Act. “We see value in extending the ACA. We understand there’s a lot of fraud there, and we want to root that out. And we’re the ones at the table in a bipartisan manner that are ready to tackle that issue, but we can’t tackle it when the government’s not open,” he said. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images) Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., who represents all of Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, said on the press call that she was going on the offensive when it comes to the health care issue in her home district.  She noted the fact that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both D-N.Y., are practically her neighbors in New York City. Schumer “was willing to see women and infants and children go hungry, and he’s willing to strip, by the way, $1.4 billion from the state of New York … in critical funding … . The irony here, he wants to talk about health care, and [he is cutting] $1.4 billion, with a ‘B,’ for New York safety net hospitals that are being stalled right now because of Senator Chuck Schumer not voting for the same bill that he helped negotiate.” Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., who was elected by fewer than 3,000-vote margin in 2024, also showed eagerness to combat Democrats on the health care issue. “Folks in Colorado [are] sick and tired of taking their taxpayer money and giving it to illegal immigrants. We know it’s happening. We know the Republicans are putting an end to that through the legislation that we passed, and we know that the Democrats have offered their counterproposal to open the government if we repeal all of those protections and continue to fund illegal immigrant health care via taxpayer money,” said Evans. “It’s a nonstarter. It’s a non-serious position for the Democrats, and as we’ve discussed on this call, it’s hurting real American folks,” he said. The post Swing-District Republicans Counter Dems’ Health Care Arguments in Shutdown appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A tiny kitten with a curled ear is overjoyed to have found a safe place. He seeks affection from everyone, including other cats and even dogs. FlipAprilAn orange tabby kitten arrived alone at the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, longing for a friend.One of his ears was permanently curled, an endearing trait he was likely born with. Volunteers named him Flip, inspired by his distinctive ear tip. Even in the shelter, Flip radiated joy, winning hearts the instant he met people.The shelter environment can be overwhelming and challenging for kittens. When volunteers at Thrifted Kittens Animal Rescue heard Flip needed placement, they didn't hesitate to bring him into their care. They named him Flip, inspired by his curled ear tipThrifted Kittens Animal RescueThe moment Flip stepped into his foster home, his eyes lit up with curiosity. He explored every nook and cranny like a detective, peeking under furniture and announcing his presence with a happy purr. His oversized ears and signature curl made him impossible to miss."Flip is the cutest, sweetest little guy," shared April, a volunteer with Thrifted Kittens Animal Rescue. Thrifted Kittens Animal RescueThough small in stature, Flip's personality was far too big to be contained by a kennel. Once free to roam, he bounded across the living room like he owned the place, leaping onto furniture and claiming the couch as his throne.After playing to his heart's content, he loved nothing more than curling up in his fosterer's arms, purring in total contentment. AprilFlip's sunny spirit quickly won over the resident animals. He batted playfully at his feline foster sister's tail, and she graciously indulged his antics. Fearless and full of joy, Flip filled the house with his rumbling purrs."We found he gets along with other cats, dogs, and even tolerates toddlers. Flip will play with anyone." He turned his feline foster sister's tail into a toyAprilSince leaving the shelter, Flip has been a ray of sunshine, making people laugh with his mischief and warming hearts with his quirky charm. His curled ear is like a reflection of his personality: whimsical, unique, and carefree.He seems especially drawn to dogs. Though much smaller in size, Flip approaches them with confidence as if they were his equals. Thrifted Kittens Animal Rescue"Flip absolutely adores dogs. He was getting cozy with his canine foster sister (Mable) over the weekend, and it melted our hearts," Thrifted Kittens Animal Rescue said.Within hours of meeting, Flip showered Mable with hugs, nose boops, and playful love nips. Mable, a gentle soul, was smitten with the little orange bundle of love and took him under her wing. He quickly took to his canine friend, MableThrifted Kittens Animal RescueThe kitten would hop onto the couch, press against Mable, and settle in for a nap as if she were his personal pillow. "They became best friends, and he didn't want to leave her side."Flip has a special way of winning over everyone he meets. "We love when our foster animals form friendships with different species." They became best friendsThrifted Kittens Animal RescueThanks to the dedication of volunteers and loving foster homes, kittens like Flip get the second chance they deserve.Today, Flip shines like a little sunbeam, surrounded by humans and furry friends who adore him and his goofy, heart-melting antics. AprilShare this story with your friends. More on Flip and Thrifted Kittens Animal Rescue on Instagram@thriftedkittensrescue and Facebook. Thanks to April @aprilskittens.Related story: Tiny Kitten Shows the Strong Will of a House Panther, Refusing to Give Up, When She's Found Outside

Maine's Mamdami Called Himself a Communist and Said White People Were Racist and Stupid

Brandon Johnson Will Call for a Tax that Rises For Each Employee

Vulgar messages insulting President Donald Trump and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu were broadcast to travelers at Pennsylvania’s Harrisburg International Airport (HIA) Tuesday night, as a hacker took control of the P.A. system and display screens to promote pro-Palestine propaganda. The hacks, which preempted flight information displays and public address system broadcasts for approximately 10 minutes, repeated messages such as “F**k Netanyahu and Trump,” “Free, free Palestine,” and “Turkish hacker, cyber-Islam was here.” Because of the hack, one plane that was about to depart the airport was delayed and searched, but authorities found no threats. The incident was reportedly recorded and posted online by TikTok user Larissa Dean in the video embedded below. [Strong Content Warning]. "Our IT department discovered it, they took it down, we referred it to the police department, and they're doing an investigation," Harrisburg International Airport spokesman Scott Miller told local station WGAL. “This is absolutely unacceptable and understandably scared travelers. The @FAANews and I are coordinating with @FlyHIA to help get to the bottom of this hack,” U.S. Transportation Department Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on social media, replying to a post by WGAL. The hack was most likely accomplished by accessing a third-party, cloud-based system commonly used by airports to manage public address systems and flight-time displays, a security consultant suggested to The New York Times. @lalalalarissaaa currently at Harrisburg airport in PA, system has been hacked, saying fk rump, free Palestine. will update when I know more. can't quite hear what they say because my anxiety is a million #airporthack #harrisburgairport #freepalenstine #mdthack #Netanyahu ♬ original sound - LalaLarissaaa  

An award-winning nurse in Texas has been fired after she was caught on police bodycam video telling officers she would let them die if they needed medical treatment at the hospital where she worked.Officers with the Magnolia Police Department pulled over a female driver just after midnight Saturday on suspicion of erratic driving. 'I'm a f**king nurse, and when you come through my hospital, don't worry, I'll let you die.'Citing the arrest report, KTRK-TV reported that police observed 35-year-old Crystal Tadlock speeding and running a red light. Police said it took Tadlock 40 seconds to pull over and that while doing so, she hit a piece of concrete. Police noted that Tadlock had "bloodshot, glassy eyes and slurred speech" and added that Tadlock admitted to having two alcoholic beverages — a beer and a wine mixer — at a concert before the traffic stop.Police also said Tadlock refused to undergo a breathalyzer test at the traffic stop, so officers administered a field sobriety test. According to officers, Tadlock "almost fell over backwards" during the field sobriety test, which she blamed on a recent eye injection.Police bodycam footage shows Tadlock yelling at officers: "I couldn't walk straight because I had a f**king eye injection yesterday! Because my perception is permanently off!" Tadlock was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.While being transported to the Montgomery County Jail, police video shows Tadlock appearing to verbally attack an officer over his heritage: "You can't speak straight because you have an accent from another country," Additionally, police footage indicates that an officer attempts to inform Tadlock of her rights, but she interrupts and says, "That's because ICE hasn't picked you up yet" — a reference to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.Tadlock told the officer she had worked at the Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital for the last seven years, according to police. Police said in a Facebook statement that "the female, who is a nurse, stated that if any of us came to her hospital, that she would make sure we died.""Greater Heights, bitch. Don't go there," she is heard saying on video. "I'm a f**king nurse, and when you come through my hospital, don't worry, I'll let you die," Tadlock also is heard telling the officers on video.The nurse adds, "All your family members." She then asks if she is being recorded.The officer is heard telling the nurse, "You really just said you don't want me there 'cause you're gonna let me die.'"Tadlock is heard replying, "Well, yeah. I mean, you're not that great of a person. You think you can just treat me like this?"Tadlock is heard on police video saying, "You're going to be so embarrassed. Ha. And I'm white. Yeah." RELATED: Bizarre bodycam video shows Florida cops arresting Chuck E. Cheese mascot as kids, parents watch in shock Tadlock has been bonded out of jail. Police added in the Facebook post, "Unfortunately we couldn’t charge her with not being a very nice person."Police said they're still waiting for the results of a blood draw.Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital reportedly fired Tadlock, releasing the following statement to KTRK:Immediately upon learning of this incident on Saturday, we took swift action to suspend the employee, pending investigation. She has subsequently been terminated. The safety and privacy of our patients, visitors, and workforce are our top priority, and we take such matters very seriously.Tadlock previously won a nursing award. In 2021, Tadlock was the recipient of the DAISY Award for "Extraordinary Nurses" for being "compassionate" and going "above and beyond" during the coronavirus pandemic."Crystal is an exceptional ICU nurse who always goes above and beyond when providing care for patients as well as assisting the healthcare team," the DAISY Foundation stated. "Crystal always demonstrates a compassionate, caring, positive attitude towards patients, family, colleagues, and all healthcare disciplinary teams."The DAISY Foundation has a mission to "meaningfully celebrate extraordinary, compassionate nurses, capturing those moments unique to nursing that make a profound difference in the lives of people around the world."Police did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A recent Wall Street Journal article has exposed the real culprit behind the incessant threatening text messages Americans all over the country have been receiving as of late — which include threats over late toll payments, U.S. postal service fees, and unpaid traffic violations.According to the Wall Street Journal, these texts are always “poised to get unsuspecting victims to fork over their credit card details,” and those behind it “take advantage of this information to buy iPhones, gift cards, clothing, and cosmetics.”And behind the messages are criminal organizations operating out of China — who have made more than $1 billion over the past three years off the scam.“Wow,” BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler comments, shocked. “I think we can all speak to this personally. I know, for me at least, I’m receiving just dozens and dozens of these things — way more than I used to.”These criminal gangs use “SIM farms” — which are rooms jammed with boxes of networking devices — to flood people with text messages.“You know, you neglected to pay a toll, and now you better watch out or your credit score is going to get hacked, and you’re going to be thrown in jail, and your car is going to be taken away unless you click this really shady-looking URL and give us your credit card number, and then we’re going to steal from you,” Wheeler says.At these SIM farms — which have been found in shared offices, crack houses, and auto repair shops — the servers are “stuffed with little white cards,” the Wall Street Journal writes, “that mobile customers put in their new phones to begin making calls or sending texts.”And Wheeler explains that it’s the Chinese communists behind it.“The Chinese communists are stealing from us to the tune of $1 billion, just by that particular text message scam alone over the course of the past three years — $1 billion. And this, I am sad to say, is just another example of a crime committed against us by the crafty Chinese communists,” she says.“They are not merely adversarial trading partners in a globalist economy. The Chinese Communists actively, desperately want to depose the United States and destroy us, and they’re doing so by disrupting our society socially and culturally,” Wheeler continues.“They are attempting to destroy our economy. They are sowing civil unrest,” she says. “For goodness sake, they created a virus that spiraled us into tyranny.”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.

According to a Cygnal poll, a sizable group of liberals supports breaking the law regarding ICE when simply protesting does not get the job done. According to the poll, 42% of liberals overall and a whopping 60% of liberals under 30 consider it appropriate to "go beyond peaceful protest" in response to ICE, even if that means "breaking the law." For Democrats ages 18-44, breaking the law to oppose ICE is a +15 issue, but a -42 issue among Democrats ages 45 and above, highlighting the increasing radicalization of younger voters.An overwhelming 76% of general voters agreed that 'politics has gotten more confrontational, and they wish it could return to being more civil.'The poll, which was conducted October 7-8 of this year and surveyed 1,500 likely general election voters, showed a number of striking trends and top voter issues. The top issue for voters is now "threats to democracy," up to 21% from 17% in April. It replaced "inflation and the economy," which fell from 35% to 17% across the same period. Other top issues include illegal immigration and border security and health care. An overwhelming 76% of general voters agreed that "politics has gotten more confrontational, and they wish it could return to being more civil." However, 57% believe that political conflict and violence will continue to escalate. A telling detail is that voters under 30 are three times more likely "to accept the current tone and style of politics today as necessary or preferable," 34% versus 12%.RELATED: DOJ files first terrorism-related charges against alleged 'Antifa Cell' after ICE attack: 'Get to the rifles' Photo by NurPhoto / Contributor via Getty ImagesAnother interesting data point is the breakdown of where voters get their news. For Democrat voters, the main source is national TV at 45%. GOP voters favor cable at 44%. Among voters under 30, however, YouTube is the dominant news source, favored by 52% of Republican voters and 51% of independents. Among Democrats, the number sinks to 35%.Popular figures on both sides of the aisle experienced slight increases in negative perception over the last few months. Cygnal has President Trump currently at 54% unfavorable and RFK Jr. at 52%. Support for the MAHA movement, however, remains very strong at 74%. On the other side, Chuck Schumer is at 51% unfavorable, while Hakeem Jeffries fares better at only 38% unfavorable, but with 15% having no opinion. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Harvard has stated that it had an “extraordinarily challenging” fiscal year amid its ongoing feud with the Trump administration.President Donald Trump withheld over $2 million in federal research funding after he accused Harvard of “repeatedly” failing to confront anti-Semitic harassment on its campuses, arguing that the university was violating federal civil rights law.'Even by the standards of our centuries-long history, fiscal year 2025 was extraordinarily challenging, with political and economic disruption affecting many sectors, including higher education.'Harvard responded to the funding freeze by suing the administration. While most of those awards have been reinstated, according to Harvard, President Donald Trump’s actions against the university appear to have made an impact.“The reinstatements of those grants do not erase the disruption the terminations sparked, nor do they negate the uncertainty ahead. That means we can’t simply return to ‘business as usual,’” Harvard chief financial officer Ritu Kalra told Bloomberg.A financial report released Thursday by the Ivy League school showed a $113 million deficit for fiscal year 2025, which ended on September 30. This marks Harvard’s first operating loss since 2020 and its largest deficit since 2011. In contrast, for fiscal year 2024, Harvard reported a $45 million gain.Harvard’s financial difficulties prompted it to make “difficult but necessary choices,” according to Alan Garber, the university’s president. It reportedly implemented a hiring freeze, initiated layoffs, scaled back projects, and withheld salary increases from exempt employees.RELATED: Harvard’s hypocrisy hits the courtroom Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images“Even by the standards of our centuries-long history, fiscal year 2025 was extraordinarily challenging, with political and economic disruption affecting many sectors, including higher education,” Garber wrote.He also blamed President Donald Trump’s termination of federal research funding, noting that a federal judge found the move to be unlawful. The administration reportedly has plans to appeal the judge’s decision.RELATED: Why Trump’s war with Harvard hits closer to home than you think Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images“We closed [the fiscal year] confronting the abrupt termination of nearly all of Harvard’s federal research grants, facing potential constraints on the exchange of international scholars, and considering how we will absorb the enactment of a substantial increase to the federal tax on endowment income, scheduled to take effect in fiscal 2027,” the report read.Despite its reported challenges, Harvard recorded the largest current-use gifts in its history, totaling $629 million — a 19% increase over the previous fiscal year. However, the university's endowment gifts, which are more restricted in their use, have declined over the last two years. In fiscal year 2023, Harvard collected $561 million in endowment gifts, while the amounts dropped to $368 million in 2024 and $364 million in 2025.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested one of El Salvador’s “most wanted” who stands accused of murder, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.'These are the types of criminal illegal aliens that sanctuary politicians across Virginia are protecting as they demonize law enforcement.'On October 2 in Virginia, ICE agents captured Ismael Enrique Mendoza Flores, also known as “El Calaco,” believed to be an MS-13 gang leader. Mendoza Flores was wanted in El Salvador for aggravated homicide and illicit associations. According to Fairfax County case records, he was arrested in Virginia on August 23 for unauthorized use of a vehicle, a criminal felony. The alleged crime was reportedly committed on July 28. Mendoza Flores made bail and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 31.The DHS reported that ICE arrested Mendoza Flores due to an active warrant for murder. He was listed as part of the Salvadoran National Police’s “Most Wanted Gang Members” Program.Mendoza Flores told U.S. authorities that he entered the country as a child in 2015.RELATED: DOJ files first terrorism-related charges against alleged 'Antifa Cell' after ICE attack: 'Get to the rifles' Ismael Enrique Mendoza Flores, “El Calaco.” Image source: Department of Homeland Security “Our brave men and women of ICE arrested one of El Salvador’s most wanted fugitives off of the streets of Virginia. This MS-13 gang member was wanted for murder,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.“These are the types of criminal illegal aliens that sanctuary politicians across Virginia are protecting as they demonize law enforcement,” McLaughlin continued. “President Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem are not going to allow gang members to terrorize American citizens.” RELATED: ICE accuses LA officials of giving 'a middle finger to the law' after county paves way for illegal aliens to receive funding Photographer: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe DHS vowed to continue the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown despite the ongoing government shutdown.The department stated that it “will not let the Democrats’ government shutdown prevent our law enforcement officers from executing the critical mission of securing our nation from the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!