BREAKING: Here We Go Again; UPDATE: First Ballot-ish Win

DEI Dying on the Vine in Florida

With the political news having largely died down over the holidays in favor of travel, Jimmy Carter remembrances, and the New Orleans terror attack, talk of the second Trump transition has subsided, leaving Friday’s Good Morning America to bring it back to the forefront as ABC boasted to viewers they still plan to try and sink Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth. Co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos pivoted from President Biden blocking the sale of U.S. Steel and the speakership fight in the House to confirmations with this comment to ABC’s lead Biden apple polisher, Mary Bruce: “Many of President-Elect Trump’s picks for cabinet positions also facing controversy. Pete Hegseth, the choice for defense secretary, the Senate committee is now digging deeper into his background.”     Bruce shared the network had “learned exclusively that the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee has quietly been reaching out to that veterans organization that Pete Hegseth used to run, appearing to request additional information about those recently reported allegations of a 2017 sexual assault, also those accusations that Hegseth financially mismanaged the group.” Cue to the dark, scary music! Bruce had more ominous tunes: “So, you know, no charges were ever filed. Pete Hegseth has denied these claims, but it is a reminder that he certainly still faces a real uphill climb to confirmation.” Oh, no! A Senate committee wants documents on someone’s employment history! As one can sniff out here, ABC was trying to make fetch happen, which wasn’t surprising given the 96 percent negative network evening news coverage our Bill D’Agostino found last month in a study of Trump picks Hegseth as well as those for FBI Director (Kash Patel), and Director of National Intelligence (Tulsi Gabbard). To see the relevant ABC transcript from January 3, click “expand.” ABC’s Good Morning America January 3, 2025 7:11 a.m. Eastern GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Many of President-Elect Trump’s picks for cabinet positions also facing controversy. Pete Hegseth, the choice for defense secretary, the Senate committee is now digging deeper into his background. [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Senate Seeks More Information Before Hegseth Confirmation Hearings] MARY BRUCE: Yeah, ABC News this morning has learned exclusively that the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee has quietly been reaching out to that veterans organization that Pete Hegseth used to run, appearing to request additional information about those recently reported allegations of a 2017 sexual assault, also those accusations that Hegseth financially mismanaged the group. So, you know, no charges were ever filed. Pete Hegseth has denied these claims, but it is a reminder that he certainly still faces a real uphill climb to confirmation.

The Biden administration's Department of Justice reportedly wasted more than $100 million on woke school initiatives.A Thursday report from Parents Defending Education revealed that from 2021 to 2024, the DOJ granted $100,113,942 in grants to hundreds of school districts in 36 states to support programs promoting restorative justice, social-emotional learning, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.'Federal bureaucrats made a deliberate choice to prioritize ideology and pet projects over protecting American schoolchildren.'The report explained that the information was "based on available data and not exact," noting that the number of school districts that received funding was "likely much higher."PDE estimated that the DOJ awarded over $45 million for promoting restorative practices or SEL; more than $32 million to support DEI initiatives; nearly $20 million to hire consultants who often promoted critical race theory, gender theory, and queer theory; and another $10 million for hiring new administrators for positions related to restorative justice, SEL, and DEI.The report provided examples of specific programs the DOJ funded, including $2 million to "create safe learning environments where practices of anti-racism and anti-oppression are embedded," and nearly $2 million to develop mental health programs that included "mindfulness meditation, yoga, and knitting circles."The report also noted the DOJ's STOP School Violence Program, which provides grants to support projects that "increase school safety by implementing solutions that will improve school climate.""More often than not, when schools mention 'improving school climate,' they mean replacing exclusionary discipline with restorative practices and social emotional learning. Exclusionary discipline removes the disruptor from the classroom, allowing the rest of the class to continue learning. Restorative practices, on the other hand, often disrupts class time for more students, as both the offender(s) and victim(s) in an incident are brought together to discuss what happened and 'repair harm,'" the report read.It added, "Social emotional learning (SEL) is more insidious than it may sound. While SEL was originally intended to teach children skills like self-awareness, self-management, and goal setting, the definitional shift to 'Transformative SEL' prioritizes equity and 'the collective' — it has become another avenue to bring DEI into the classroom."PDE founder and president Nicole Neily told Fox News Digital, "Although the Biden administration claimed they cared about 'student safety,' these grants highlight that at the end of the day, federal bureaucrats made a deliberate choice to prioritize ideology and pet projects over protecting American schoolchildren, using the tax dollars of hardworking citizens."The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Students at a Catholic college in Massachusetts used a popular dating app to lure a man to the campus for a "To Catch a Predator" TikTok social media trend, according to police. A mob of as many as 30 beat up the victim, court documents say. Five students from Assumption University were arrested and hit with charges related to the alleged assault.'This got out of hand and went bad.'Joaquin Smith, Isabella Trudeau, Kevin Carroll, Kelsy Brainard, and Easton Randall each were charged with kidnapping and conspiracy. Carroll also faces a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Brainard was hit with an additional charge of witness intimidation.Brainard — an 18-year-old student at the school — befriended a 22-year-old man on the Tinder dating app. Police said conversations became sexual, and Brainard invited the unnamed man to the Assumption campus, according to WCVB-TV.On Oct. 1, the man arrived at the campus to meet Brainard. Surveillance video shows Brainard letting the man into Alumni Hall — the video shows him running out minutes later, according to charging documents. The alleged victim was reportedly seen on video fleeing from a mob of students chasing him with their phones out and recording the incident. “It appears that the group chasing (the alleged victim) was staged and/or awaiting his arrival,” police said, according to Boston.com. “A few minutes later, you see the group coming back in, laughing and high-fiving with each other; Ms. Brainard is included in the group.”Between 25 to 30 people people “came out of nowhere and started calling him a pedophile and accusing that he liked having sex with 17-year-old girls,” according to the police report filed in Worcester District Court."The subject reported that he was able to break free and ran up the stairs being chased by the group of 25 or more," police said.The man fled to his car, but the mob caught up to him and allegedly punched him and kicked him and repeatedly slammed the driver's side door on his head.The Worcester Police Department later received a report from the alleged victim who said he was on campus to meet a girl and was subsequently attacked by a "mob."Brainard initially told police that a “creepy” guy came to campus uninvited, and she told a resident assistant that the man was looking to meet an underage girl, according to police. Officers said they reviewed the conversations on the Tinder dating app and showed no evidence that the man was looking to meet underage girls.'The goal of the Tinder invite was to simulate the TikTok fad of luring a sexual predator to a location and subsequently physically assaulting him or calling the police.'Campus surveillance video shows Brainard leading the man to a basement lounge and then watching TV with him, court documents say. Investigators said Brainard can be seen on video laughing and smiling and "does not appear to be in fear or even slightly uncomfortable" when the victim arrived at the hall."Upon obtaining [video] footage it is determined that the report filed by Ms. Brainard was false and fabricated and her victimization was fraudulently reported to mislead police in believing a sexual predator was on campus to conceal that the subject was lured to campus to be caught as a sexual predator by a group of students lacking legal authority to do so," according to the police report. Police added, "The goal of the Tinder invite was to simulate the TikTok fad of luring a sexual predator to a location and subsequently physically assaulting him or calling the police."Police interviewed another student who made a reference to the pedophile-catching reality show “To Catch a Predator,” hosted by Chris Hansen.Randall — another charged student — allegedly informed police that the group was attempting to mimic the TikTok social media trend that recreates the premise of the show, but "this got out of hand and went bad."The six students are "directly responsible for the intentional and systematic mistreatment, false imprisonment, physical assault and battery, and potential character assassination” of the alleged victim, police said.Assumption University released a statement that called the students' alleged behavior "abhorrent and antithetical to Assumption University's mission and values.""This incident highlights the very real harm that social media can inflict when it promotes dangerous and irresponsible behavior," the university also said.The students are scheduled for a Jan. 16 arraignment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The new year signifies a fresh start and a time to focus on your goals and the future. Tony Robbins, who has found the time to run 114 companies that have generated $8 billion in business, knows just what keeps so many people from turning their own goals into reality. “I think the thing that stops people, whether it’s in their relationship or whether it’s their business or their career or their body, is the disappointments of the past,” Robbins tells Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report.” “So what really shows up is fear. The fear of failure, the fear of success, the fear of rejection, the fear of the unknown,” he says. “The deepest fear is that ‘If I’m not enough, I won’t be loved.’ And love is the oxygen of life.” “Most people have so much fear still, because of so many disappointments, that they’re afraid to get their hopes up,” he continues. “Of course, if you don’t get your hopes up, if you don’t commit to something, if you don’t give your all every time because you’re afraid of failing, you’re not going to follow through.” When people focus on fear, they form what Robbins calls a “limiting identity.” “I believe the strongest force in anybody’s personality, in the human personality, is the need to stay consistent with how you’ve defined yourself. We all have an identity for ourselves. So you’ll hear people say something like, ‘Is there a difference between somebody who feels depressed and somebody who is clinically depressed?’” Robbins believes that those who have been diagnosed with depression are less likely to accept happy moments or success because it’s not a part of their identity. “Our need to meet that definition — if you don’t know who you are, you can’t make a decision. It’s like when people talk about somebody turning 40 and, you know, having this midlife crisis. What there really is, it’s an identity crisis,” he says. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Leaf Trading Cards announced it has entered a partnership with Kai Trump, Donald Trump's granddaughter, to sell exclusive trading cards with her likeness.The card company posted on X about its "Kai Trump Autograph Pack Featuring ultra-low parallels and rare inscriptions," showcasing six different cards for the soon-to-be NCAA athlete.The new cards were described as eventual "collectors' treasures," noting that Trump has had a significant rise in popularity over the year."[Her rise] has made this drop highly sought after—don’t miss out!" the card description read.The six-pack of cards, which includes one "random autograph card," comes with a whopping $199.99 price tag.The cost had many readers reacting negatively."$200 for an auto[graph] of a politician's daughter is one of the craziest things I've ever seen," one man replied."199.99 is crazy," another wrote.$200 for an auto of a politician’s daughter is one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen— Ryan (@BrewPack8) December 31, 2024 The 17-year-old, who is Donald Trump Jr.'s daughter, committed to the University of Miami in August on a golf scholarship.Her name, image, and likeness deal was first reported by deal-tracking website On3, which explained her NIL valuation could be significant given online following. Kai Trump has around 1.3 million TikTok followers, over 630,000 YouTube subscribers, and almost 850,000 followers on Instagram."Leaf Trading Cards is proud to announce one of Kai Trump's first-ever NIL deals, cementing her place in our lineup of prestigious products and exclusive online releases," CJ Breen, director of marketing for Leaf stated. Breen added, "This partnership reflects our confidence in Kai's bright future as she embarks on her golf journey with the University of Miami Hurricanes. We're thrilled to bring her incredible talent to the trading card hobby and can't wait for fans to start collecting her cards." GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Miami commit previously spoke about her intent to become a Hurricane, announcing her next step on her Instagram page. She thanked her parents, Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump (now divorced), along with Trump Sr. for the access they have provided."I would like to thank my mom, Vanessa, and my dad, Don, for always supporting me through my journey. I would also like to thank my great team for getting me to this point. I would like to thank my Grandpa for giving me access to great courses and tremendous support."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

LeBron James says he could still be one of the NBA's top players for another five to seven years ... if he wanted to.James boasted about his skill level after recovering from an unknown illness, calling it "laughable" to see the "high level" he is playing the game at, despite being "such a young man but old" in terms of time spent in the NBA."I had a decade of the 30s, so to just wake up and just be like, 'Oh shoot, oh damn, you're 40?'" James said, per ESPN.James is the NBA's all-time leader in minutes played, field goal attempts, points, and turnovers, while still putting up shockingly good numbers at 40 years old.The forward recently became the 32nd player in NBA history to play a game in his 40s, as well, and is the second player after Vince Carter to play 22 seasons"To be honest, if I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level probably for about another — it's weird that I might say this — but probably about another five to seven years, if I wanted to," James added. "But I'm not going to do that."The Ohio native added that he would love for his career to end in Los Angeles with the Lakers and said he didn't have any other goals left to achieve after sharing the court with his son LeBron "Bronny" James Jr. on opening night of the 2024-2025 season. LeBron James (left) and son Bronny James (right).Photo by Harry How/Getty Images'I came here to play the last stage of my career.'James admitted he didn't think his Lakers could win an NBA championship but stated that a championship-caliber team likely wouldn't change his plan, either."I don't know if that determines if I stick around longer because it doesn't change my career in any sense or fashion," James continued."I would love for [my career] to end here. That would be the plan. I came [to Los Angeles] to play the last stage of my career and to finish it off here," James clarified.Despite saying he didn't plan on extending his career that half decade, in 2024, James is still averaging 23.5 points on 49.6% shooting, along with 9 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game. He is also just two years removed from putting up 28.9 points per game in 2022-2023 and 30.3 the season prior.As for his recent illness, Lakers coach JJ Redick said it was "no concern," adding LeBron was "just a little under the weather."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The House narrowly elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for a second term in the first round of votes on Friday. In the final tally, Johnson received 218 votes, the bare minimum to secure the speakership. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) received 215 votes. Seven Republicans, including Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, initially skipped out on the election, later changing their vote to Johnson. Three Republicans initially voted for other members entirely. Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina voted for Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Rep. Keith Self of Texasa voted for Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, although they both eventually changed their votes to Johnson. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the only member in the final tally who voted against Johnson, opting instead for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.). Given the Republicans' narrow, four-seat majority, Johnson could afford only one "no" vote, which Massie claimed leading up to Friday. In addition to Massie, several Republicans like Roy expressed hesitancy about supporting Johnson, citing fiscal concerns. 'Republicans have a mandate to implement the America First Agenda, and as Speaker, this will be my priority.'"We saw this movie in 2023, and everyone knows the sequel always sucks," Republican Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia said in an X post following the vote. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) hold a press conference at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on April 12, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesJust minutes before the House was set to vote for a speaker, Johnson released a lengthy commitment to "return to fiscal sanity" in a last-ditch attempt to appeal to the potential defectors and secure his second term."Republicans have a real opportunity in the next two years to make meaningful spending reforms to eliminate trillions in waste, fraud, and abuse, and end the weaponization of government," Johnson said. "Along with advancing President Trump’s America First agenda, I will lead the House Republicans to reduce the size and scope of the federal government, hold the bureaucracy accountable, and move the United States to a more sustainable fiscal trajectory." "If we want to restore fiscal responsibility, we must start by being transparent about the dollars that are spent, address the issues we find, and then hold those accountable who have misspent funds," Johnson continued. "Republicans have a mandate to implement the America First Agenda, and as Speaker, this will be my priority."Despite the tumultuous end-of-year spending fight, Johnson also secured President-elect Donald Trump's endorsement on Monday, as well as a last-minute boost of "good luck" on Friday just hours before the 119th Congress was gaveled in. "Good luck today for Speaker Mike Johnson, a fine man of great ability, who is very close to having 100% support," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party, and yet another acknowledgment of our 129 year most consequential Presidential Election!! - A BIG AFFIRMATION, INDEED. MAGA!"Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

SERIOUSLY?! Biden Brags Judicial Appointments Will 'Uphold the Constitution' Despite Evidence to Contrary