The final game of the Professional Women's Hockey League championship is seeing tickets resell for thousands of dollars for the sold-out game.Not only is game four of the PWHL's final between Minnesota and Boston packing the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts, but it's proving that there is a high demand with the purported resale value of tickets.Fans will have to pay a pretty penny to get a ticket in the 6,500-seat arena; the New England Sports Network reported resales between $1,665-$3,746, with the higher prices marked for the lower section."PWHL Finals tickets are going for up to $3,746," NESN wrote on Facebook. "An incredible testament to the growth of women’s hockey."However, at the time of this writing a trio of tickets were available on StubHub for an astronomical $4,903 each, with other tickets ranging from $1,000-$2,000.A local restauranteur told Blaze News that not only has there been an obvious increase in demand, but the games have had a great financial impact on the location with fanfare spilling into the streets.'Weeknight and Sunday games increase our revenue by more than 100%.'"I was told today they have sold out again so, demand clearly exists," said bar owner Scott Plath. "Meanwhile every sell out fills the streets, city garages, and restaurants with mostly unique visitors and incredible morale! Go women's hockey!" he continued.Plath is the founder of Cobblestones of Lowell, which opened in 1994. The owner said that over his 30 years of operation, he's seen fan reactions to every minor league affiliate, including the Red Sox Single A Lowell Spinners and former New Jersey Devils AHL affiliate the Lowell Lock Monsters (now Lowell Devils)."We have been there since 1994 and for every professional team that has played here over 30 years!" Plath remarked. He added that the game will certainly be on his TVs for the deciding game on Wednesday night. — (@) As for the local economic impact, Plath said he can only speak on his own business, but the recent games have significantly increased revenue in addition to the aforementioned sellouts causing pandemonium in the streets."I can only speak on a micro level — weeknight and Sunday games increase our revenue by more than 100%" he shared.The New England area wasn't the only region to see a big show of support. Game five in Minnesota reportedly saw around double the amount of fans pack the arena, as well.Boston.com reported about 13,000 fans filed into the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

If you’re not worried about the values of up and coming generations, you probably should be. A recent survey on attitudes about key religious and values statements from Baby Boomers vs. Generation Z shows that Gen Z — and thus America — may be in trouble. When those participating in the survey were asked whether or not they believed patriotism was “very important,” 76% of Baby Boomers said it was, while only 32% of Gen Zers had the same sentiment. Belief in God for Gen Z was even less important to them, with only 26% calling it “very important,” while 65% of Baby Boomers voted that it was. Having children was the least important to Gen Z and Baby Boomers, with only 23% of the former calling it “very important" and 52% of the latter. While the Baby Boomers’ seem to have better values, Steve Deace believes the stats aren’t promising for either one of the groups. “That’s a sad stat, frankly,” Steve Deace says. “How belief in God and religion has produced in your generation a 13-point deficit in thinking children are important — I have to question what God do you believe in and what’s your religion?” “If you think patriotism is more important than having children by 25 points, well, I mean, for goodness' sake, what’s a more patriotic act other than to have children and pass on to them your values and legacies and heritage?” Deace asks again, adding, “The amount of confusion even on the Boomer side here is paramount.” When asked if they believed America was the best place to live, 66% of Baby Boomers voted yes, while only 33% of Gen Zers voted the same. “I’m going to tell you right now, these numbers are unrecoverable without great awakening levels of revival. These numbers are unrecoverable. These trend lines will not be altered. We don’t have the power within us to alter these things,” Deace warns. Want more from Steve Deace?To enjoy more of Steve's take on national politics, Christian worldview, and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

United States Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York) filed a misconduct complaint on Tuesday against acting Justice Juan Merchan over his "repeated assignment" to cases involving or related to former President Donald Trump, the New York Post reported.Stefanik argued that his selection in the New York criminal case against Trump and other cases involving Trump's allies was "not random at all."'Whoever made the assignment intentionally selected Acting Justice Merchan.'"I just filed an official misconduct complaint with the New York State Unified Court System related to the 'random' assignment of Acting Manhattan Justice Juan Merchan, a Biden donor whose daughter is fundraising millions off his unprecedented work, to criminal cases against President Donald J. Trump, his companies, and his allies," Stefanik wrote on X Tuesday. — (@) In a letter to the inspector general of the New York State Unified Court System, Stefanik noted that in addition to overseeing the ongoing New York criminal case against the former president, Merchan also "presided over the criminal trial against the Trump Organization and will be presiding over the criminal trial of Steve Bannon, a senior advisor in President Trump's White House and a prominent advocate for President Trump."She noted that there are at least 24 other sitting justices on the court."If justices were indeed being randomly assigned in the Criminal Term, the probability of two specific criminal cases being assigned to the same justice is quite low, and the probability of three specific criminal cases being assigned to the same justice is infinitesimally small," she continued. Stefanik contended that Merchan's selection was "not random at all." The acting justice donated to President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign and other left-leaning groups, she added. Stefanik commented that Merchan's daughter works for a progressive political consulting firm.According to Federal Election Commission records, the Post reported, Merchan contributed $15 to the "Biden for President" campaign, $10 to the Progressive Turnout Project, and another $10 to Stop Republicans."The simple answer to why Acting Justice Merchan has been assigned to these cases would seem to be that whoever made the assignment intentionally selected Acting Justice Merchan to handle them to increase the chance that Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, and Steven Bannon would ultimately be convicted," Stefanik declared.The lawmaker requested an investigation into Merchan's selection "to determine whether the required random selection process was in fact followed."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Biden isn’t known for his excellent decision making, which is why it’s not surprising his administration would hold a press conference outside Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan. Not only was the choice a strange one, but the press conference was held while closing arguments were set to begin — and featured actor Robert De Niro. The press conference also featured two police officers who were at the Capitol on January 6, Harry Dunn, who Sara Gonzales notes is a “known perjurer,” and Michael Fanone. “Under Trump this kind of government will perish from the earth. I don’t mean to scare you, no, no, wait. Maybe I do mean to scare you. If Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all take for granted,” De Niro warned. “And elections? Forget about it. That’s over, that’s done. If he gets in I can tell you right now, he will never leave. He will never leave,” he continued. “That’s why I’ve joined the Biden-Harris campaign, because the only way to preserve our freedoms and hold on to our humanity is to vote for Joe Biden for president.” “You’re a liar,” Gonzales says, disturbed. Harry Dunn also used the opportunity to spread fear, telling the audience, “The fight for a lot of us didn’t end on January 6. That evening when we went home, the fight still continues now. What happened that day was an attempt to overthrow an election.” “Donald Trump is the greatest threat to our democracy, and the safety of communities across the country today. He has encouraged and continued to encourage political violence. We’ve been called traitors just today, we were all called traitors on January 6 for doing our job.” Gonzales and Jaco Booyens are shocked by the display. “Of course they’ll pull Robert De Niro. It’s the true deplorables that will stand there, and that press conference was about as dismal as a Joe Biden campaign trail,” Booyens says. “These grandiose terms, ‘He’ll never leave,’ it’s scare tactics. And unfortunately, some Americans buy it,” he adds. 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.

President Joe Biden is very excited for the potential conviction of his political opponent, former President Donald Trump. The White House is pulling out all the stops, preparing a speech to "break [the president’s] silence” on the topic. The speech is planned from the White House itself, “to show,” Politico reports, “his statement isn’t political.” The window dressing is of course absurd. You’d have to be a member of the D.C. or New York press corps to think anything about this is apolitical. Meanwhile, the president’s social media team is thinking about changing the former president and current Republican nominee’s title to “Convicted Felon Donald Trump” in its TikTok posts. As the trial concludes, we’re still left wondering what secret crime Trump committed that turns an out-of-date misdemeanor into a felony case with dire implications for American democracy. It all hinges on a so-called “object crime” (or crime the first misdemeanor was committed in the service of), which would upgrade falsifying an accounting entry into 34 felonies and the potential for over a century in prison. The prosecution has been vague on what this object crime was — and appears to have successfully persuaded a judge that the jury doesn’t need to specify either — but spent four hours Tuesday trying to convince the jury to convict anyway. ‘As Democrats’ Jan. 6 and ‘democracy under attack’ messaging falls flat just over five months from Election Day, the party's panic is growing more public.’ Meanwhile, outside the courtroom, Robert De Niro took off his COVID mask to read prepared remarks for a bizarre presser reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s 2012 Republican National Convention address. Flanked by Harry Dunn (the Capitol Police officer who invented a tale of his heroism and lost a congressional primary earlier in May) and his former colleague, Michael Fanone, De Niro claimed Trump “wants to destroy not only [New York City], but the country, and eventually, he can destroy the world.” “And that's why I've joined the Biden-Harris campaign,” the actor explained. “Because the only way to preserve our freedoms and hold on to our humanity is to vote for Joe Biden for president. Really. We don't have a choice.” If the actor had any thoughts on the actual trial, he kept them to himself. The important thing was keeping Trump from returning to the White House. The trial is essential to that effort. As Democrats’ Jan. 6 and “democracy under attack” messaging falls flat just over five months from Election Day, the party's panic is growing more public. “A pervasive sense of fear has settled in at the highest levels of the Democratic Party over President Joe Biden’s reelection prospects,” Politico reported the morning of the trial’s closing arguments, “even among officeholders and strategists who had previously expressed confidence about the coming battle with Donald Trump.” While some experts are predicting a hung jury, much will come down to the instructions the judge ends up giving at the end of closing arguments. While the many indignities and insanities of the trial will make a strong case for overturning any conviction, that wouldn’t take place until after November — and the damage Team Biden is hoping for will be done. The prosecution of Donald J. Trump is all about politics. The White House and media Democrats can deny it all they like — but they’re counting on it. Blaze News: The slow death of DC Democrats’ Jan. 6 politics Politico: Dems in full-blown ‘freakout’ over Biden Sign up for the Christopher Bedford newsletter Sign up to get Blaze Media senior politics editor Christopher Bedford's newsletter. IN OTHER NEWS Trump endorses against Freedom Caucus chairman Trump surprised conservative activists Tuesday morning, endorsing Virginia state legislator John McGuire in his primary against House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good. “It’s awful,” one longtime activist told Blaze News. “I don’t think Trump has made a single good endorsement in a race between a conservative and a RINO.” But was it so unexpected? Trump endorsements fall largely into three categories: Has the candidate shown loyalty to Trump (Trump prizes loyalty), does he think the candidate is “a winner” (Trump loves winners), and does the candidate have business dealings with one of Trump’s close advisers (who can sway the decision)? For all his popularity with the conservative activist class, Good failed on two of these counts. First, he endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican primary (and then was late to endorse Trump), and second, he’s far from pals with longtime Virginia Republican operative and top Trump adviser Chris LaCivita. It’s fine to make enemies with LaCivita; few conservatives trust him. But he is a political animal and is the type to get you back with a head wound on a slow Capitol Hill news week when Congress is in recess. And the reality is it’s hard to say for certain whether it was LaCivita (though that’s the word on the street). Players like him, Susie Wiles, Brian Jack, Corey Lewandowski, and others thrive in the somewhat nebulous environment of the Trump Swamp. Any one of Trump’s advisers could have pushed the needle, or it could have been Trump's call alone. Contrary to the conventional wisdom of Washington and its reporters, the Freedom Caucus is far from Trump’s loyal palace guard. While two of its members — Reps. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) — served as chiefs of staff in his first term, and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has been a close ally, it’s worth remembering the Freedom Caucus routinely opposed the president’s spending bills and troubled his doomed health care reform. At one point, Trump even called for a primary against Jordan. Finally, McGuire is a retired Navy SEAL. Trump loves military men. Maybe he just liked that. His personal affection for Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), for example, helped override the intense dislike former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has for his old rival. Despite leaving Congress, McCarthy has remained a close and trusted adviser to the Republican nominee. On the other end of the spectrum, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who also crossed McCarthy, is protected by virtue of employing the right consultants in Trump world. So there’s that. All that is to say you can make guesses and predictions and anything else you want, but Trump’s court is a complicated court. If you’re looking for an endorsement, mark the formula — and stick close to it. The fire rises: Washington Examiner: Anti-abortion activist Mark Houck sues DOJ over ‘retaliatory’ arrest Remember Mark Houck? He’s the father of seven who defended one of his kids from a rabid pro-abortion activist screaming in his face. The far-left Philadelphia DA declined to bring charges, but our “devoutly Catholic” president’s Department of Justice though differently. For his troubles, Houck’s home was raided at dawn by suited-up tactical police. Having been acquitted of the bogus charges, he’s fighting back. The Examiner’s Kaelan Deese reports: Mark Houck‘s life was changed forever in the fall of 2022 after he was arrested at gunpoint in front of his family following an investigation into his anti-abortion activism outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia. After the Pennsylvania-based Catholic father’s acquittal by a jury in January 2023, Houck is demanding accountability for the Department of Justice in a new lawsuit filed this week. The complaint names six police officers, including four unknown officers, that aided the FBI’s investigation and execution of the “needless” raid of Houck’s home, his attorney Matt Britton told the Washington Examiner. The suit was brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, accusing the DOJ under the Biden administration of “malicious prosecution, retaliatory prosecution, abuse of process, false arrest, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress committed by federal employees and agents against Mr. Houck, Mrs. Houck, and their children,” according to the 79-page lawsuit.

Jonathan Turley: Judge Merchan Just Gave the Jury a 'Coup de Grace Instruction' Against Trump

Former President Donald Trump is favored to return to the White House, according to a forecast model released more than five months before November's election.

Record heat seared parts of the Indian capital for a second day on Wednesday, reaching a temperature of 52.3 degrees Celsius (126.14 degrees Fahrenheit), while an unprecedented heat wave continued to parch some northwestern regions.

House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has filed a misconduct complaint against Judge Juan Merchan, whom she says was not "randomly" selected to preside over former President Donald Trump's legal expense trial in New York City.

Icelandic authorities said residents and emergency responders should be ready to evacuate Grindavík at short notice after a new and ongoing eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula.