The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police will no longer send officers to respond to some 911 calls‚ WPXI-TV reported Friday.The news outlet stated that Pittsburgh officers will not respond to calls involving criminal mischief‚ theft‚ harassment‚ and burglary alarms. Instead‚ those calls and other similar emergencies will be handled by the Telephone Reporting Unit or online reporting. According to a recent press release from the department‚ "Dispatch will assign reports to the TRU for calls that do not require an in-person response by officers."It noted that "TRU will NOT be assigned to any 'In Progress' call where a suspect may be on scene‚ any crime where a person may need medical aid‚ any domestic dispute‚ calls with evidence‚ or where the Mobile Crime Unit will be requested to process a scene."Chief Larry Scirotto stated that the department receives approximately 200‚000 calls yearly but hopes the changes will bring the total down to roughly 50‚000.Currently‚ the department's top complaint usually involves parking violations. Scirotto said that he is developing a plan to allow the Pittsburgh Parking Authority to handle all parking complaints in the future to free up officers."That allows our officers to be engaged in community in a way‚ now they're at the YMCA instead of sitting on the 10th Street bypass with a bike complaint‚" he told WPXI.Beginning Monday‚ officers transitioned from a five-day‚ eight-hour work week to a four-day‚ 10-hour week with three consecutive days off. The department stated that the schedule change will "enhance officer wellness." Additionally‚ officers will be allowed one hour per week of "wellness time" to "use at their discretion.""An additional day away from work each week to focus on family‚ friends‚ or outside pursuits is key to creating a healthy workforce and contributes to the Bureau's goal of not only recruiting new officers‚ but retaining them for the long haul‚" Scirotto said.The department also announced that there will not be a desk officer at any of the department's six police zones from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. Instead‚ they will install "blue phones with a direct line to 9-1-1."Scirotto claimed‚ "There is not any data to supports us having our zones manned by personnel from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. For the very one off instance I can't make an exception."The department's changes also mean that on some overnights‚ it will only have 22 officers on duty‚ which Scirotto stated is "enough to cover the entire city at those hours.""Following thorough audits of how police resources were being allocated‚ these improvements are backed by data to ensure that the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is serving the city in the most efficient and responsible manner‚ placing the primary focus on areas of concern to enhance quality of life in our neighborhoods‚ improve community/police partnerships‚ and prioritize officer wellness. These are my key priorities for the Bureau‚ which will only serve to strengthen public safety in the city‚" Scirotto stated.Bob Swartzwelder‚ the president of Pittsburgh's Fraternal Order of Police‚ explained the department's new strategy was "a direct response to a seriously understaffed police department.""Only time will tell if the plan works or the Chief will need to pivot and modify his plan quickly. The FOP will be watching carefully for any contract violations that develop especially when non-emergency events come up such as St. Patrick's Day‚ parades‚ large concerts‚ July 4th etc. In short‚ the FOP believes that the police department is seriously over-committed and under-resourced‚" Swartzwelder added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

LGBT activists and profit-incentivized medical professionals have long claimed that so-called "gender-affirming care" is lifesaving. By this‚ they mean that confused or mentally ill individuals who forgo or are denied genital mutilation‚ cross-sex hormones‚ or ruinous puberty-blocking drugs may alternatively kill themselves. In various instances‚ advocates for these medical interventions have told the parents of confused children that they have a choice between a "dead son or a live daughter" or between a "living son or a dead daughter." A new peer-reviewed study published earlier this month in BMJ Mental Health — the esteemed quarterly journal co-owned by the BMJ Group‚ the Royal College of Psychiatrists‚ and the British Psychological Society — put this myth to bed‚ concluding that "medical gender reassignment does not have an impact on suicide risk." Days after Blaze News detailed the findings in the study‚ Benjamin Ryan‚ a gay health and science reporter with bylines in numerous publications‚ did likewise in the pages of the of the New York Post. However‚ Ryan drew the ire of radical LGBT activists‚ GLAAD's New York-based senior communications director Anthony Morrison in particular. Although Ryan has long written sensitively on issues of concern to GLAAD and helped people with Morrison's condition‚ that apparently did little to secure a modicum of civility from his top critic Monday. Ryan noted in a thread‚ "A major new Finnish study found: Cross-sex hormones and gender-transition surgeries for adolescents and young adults had no significant independent link to suicide deaths‚ nor did gender distress severe enough to send young people to a gender clinic." "What was independently tied to a greater chance of suicide in adolescents and young adults with gender-related distress? A high number of appointments with mental-health specialists — meaning‚ severe mental health challenges‚" added the Post contributor. These and other narrative-killing insights from the Finnish study evidently enraged GLAAD communications director Anthony Morrison‚ who wrote‚ "It's awful to hate yourself so much to write about junk science just to make yourself feel good. And as if writing for the Post is 'journalism.' Bye Felicia." — (@) Morrison‚ a spokesman for a group that initially developed a reputation for supposedly shielding gay people from defamation‚ elicited scorn from various critics over his remarks. Journalist Jesse Singal responded‚ "Tony‚ do you really think Benjamin Ryan's reporting on youth gender medicine can be attributed to internalized homophobia on his part? Isn't that a pretty big claim to publicly launch from your perch as a senior comms person at an international activist organization?" Singal added‚ "This organization's attacks on journalists‚ many of them quite personal‚ are absolutely relentless. They are not going to age well. If a right-leaning group acted in this manner it would be a 10-day MSNBC story." Dennis Noel Kavanagh‚ director of the Gay Men's Network‚ noted‚ "This is somewhat telling. Benjamin is reporting on a respected study that gives lie to the suggestion radical medical interventions are required to stave off suicidal ideation." "Rather than be happy about that‚ a GLAAD spokesman is most displeased and resorts to unwarranted personal abuse‚" continued Kavanagh. "This suggests a rather tactical approach to the extremely serious questions being raised by adults and it's disappointing to observe the especial level of toxicity in the venom reserved for gay men stepping out of line." Leor Sapir‚ a fellow at the Manhattan Institute‚ noted that GLAAD "responded to Ben Ryan's coverage of the latest Finnish study that undermines the 'transition or suicide' narrative ... by attacking Ben himself. Flak is always heaviest over the target." Another user took issue with Morrison's mischaracterization of the study‚ writing‚ "'Junk Science' is the Finish National Institutes of Health study confirming the literature review done by Sweden and England showing no causal link between trans ideation and suicide? Or is it the organizations promoting the sterilization and mutilation of gay kids to 'fix' them?" "The study he is calling 'junk science' is incomparably more robust than the rest of the literature on this subject combined‚" wrote Tablet columnist Wesley Yang. "448 young people tracked over 25 years. His resort to ad hominem is a frank confession of intellectual and moral bankruptcy." Faced with significant backlash‚ Morrison turned off his replies. When Ryan indicated as much‚ the GLAAD communications director responded‚ "Lolololol 'journalism.'" GLAAD has made abundantly clear what it expects from journalists: to accept and promote its preferred narrative. In concert with Equality Michigan‚ the LGBT activist group released guidance on Feb. 27 telling journalists what to "know and report‚" indicating precisely what and what not to write as well as how to write it. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In 1860‚ Benjamin Tyler Henry patented the Henry repeating lever-action rifle. A breakthrough in firepower‚ the Henry's use by some Union soldiers in the Civil War made an impression on Confederate officer John Mosby‚ who called it “that damn Yankee rifle that can be loaded on Sunday and fired all week.” In 1996 in Brooklyn‚ New York‚ Louis Imperato and his son Anthony resurrected the Henry name for their own line of lever-action firearms. Twenty-eight years later‚ Henry Repeating Arms is the largest domestic manufacturer of this iconic American design. With factories in New Jersey and Wisconsin‚ Henry serves the hunting‚ home defense‚ and sporting needs of its customers while honoring its motto‚ “Made in America‚ or Not Made at All.” It's fitting‚ then‚ that Henry should pay tribute to the men and women who keep our borders secure‚ especially at a time when incoherent immigration policy has made their jobs that much harder. For the U.S. Border Patrol's 100th anniversary‚ Henry has issued two different‚ officially licensed tribute edition rifles‚ available to active-duty‚ retired‚ and former Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection employees at a factory-direct discount. A part of each sale goes to support the the Border Patrol Museum and Memorial Library Foundation‚ which relies exclusively on donations for its funding. "Our company has been a longtime supporter of law enforcement going back to when our founders worked behind the the counter of a gun shop in Little Italy selling firearms to NYPD officers‚" company spokesman Daniel Clayton-Luce tells Align. That would be downtown New York City's storied John Jovino Gun Shop. Opened in 1911‚ Jovino's was the oldest gun shop in the country before it closed in 2020‚ a casualty of the lockdowns and rising rents. The Imperato family bought the business in the 1920s. Both Louis‚ who died in 2007‚ and his son Anthony worked for the family business‚ which also included a gun factory in Brooklyn. William Bell According to Clayton-Luce‚ the response from consumers has been enthusiastic. He cited a retired Border Patrol chief who bought both rifles and sent a photograph displaying them with his Border Patrol hat and patch. For those not affiliated with the Border Patrol‚ Henry offers a wide range of other fine lever-action rifles‚ shotguns‚ and pistols. In Clayton-Luce's opinion‚ one of the strengths of a lever-action rifle is its versatility: "We have this theme called 'Protect and Provide‚' meaning that [with a Henry lever-action firearm] you can protect your family and property and provide food for your table."

In the aftermath of the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley by an illegal immigrant‚ the media is doing its best to completely ignore the real issue: illegal immigration. However‚ Blaze News senior editor Daniel Horowitz has the real stats‚ warning that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is essentially emptying out his prisons and sending the criminals to America. Many of those criminals are part of the brutal gang Tren de Aragua. “You can’t blame him. He knew that our door was open‚ so he figured he’d get rid of his problems‚” Horowitz tells Glenn Beck. After speaking to agents and reporters down at the Darién Gap in Panama‚ Horowitz has gathered that no one’s ever seen so many young men‚ covered in tattoos‚ crossing the border. “What I’m hearing is that the Venezuelans have the highest concentration of criminal elements simply because it’s not by accident. It’s not natural selection that‚ you know‚ you’re going to have a lot of ruffians coming over a border because that’s what a lot of them do‚” he explains‚ adding‚ “this is a concerted effort on the part of Maduro to send his prison gangs up here.” Regarding the stats‚ 2‚000 of the 14‚000 homicide arrests in a given year are accounted for among the jurisdiction of ICE illegal aliens. “Some of them are legal‚ but‚ you know‚ criminal elements that are deportable‚” Horowitz tells Glenn‚ noting that this is even before Biden was in office. Horowitz reports that in 2023‚ 335‚000 Venezuelans came into the country. “Now‚ you have all these Venezuelans coming in‚ committing crimes‚ often three or four crimes‚ and they get released every time‚” Horowitz explains. “This is a chaos operation‚” Glenn says‚ disturbed. To hear more‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

The city of San Francisco issued a formal apology to black residents on Tuesday for racism.The San Francisco Board of Supervisors — which is officially nonpartisan but is composed of 11 Democrats — unanimously passed a resolution apologizing to black residents for racism.The apology reads:On behalf of the City and County of San Francisco‚ the San Francisco Board of Supervisors offers its deepest apologies to all African Americans and their descendants who came to San Francisco and were victims of systemic and structural discrimination‚ institutionalize (sic) racism‚ targeted acts of violence‚ and atrocities.Specifically‚ the resolution apologizes for redlining policies‚ razing black neighborhoods‚ and enacting policies that "systematically robbed Black San Franciscans of opportunities to build generational wealth‚" among other discriminatory policies that bolstered "structural racism."Supervisor Shamann Walton‚ who introduced the resolution‚ celebrated its "long overdue" passage — but said it's not enough."We still have a long way to go‚ however this is a first step to commit to the restoration of the ways racism has caused insult to Black humanity including San Francisco making a commitment to substantial ongoing‚ systemic‚ and programmatic investments in Black communities to address historical and present harms‚" she said.San Francisco now joins Boston in having issued a formal apology for racism. The apology is the first step in San Francisco's reparations process‚ which is directed by the city's African American Reparations Advisory Committee. That committee has proposed that every eligible black resident should receive a $5 million‚ one-time‚ lump-sum cash payment as redress for racism. The head of the committee‚ however‚ has admitted there is no math justifying the eye-popping figure."There wasn't a math formula. ... It was a journey for the committee towards what could represent a significant enough investment in families to put them on this path to economic well-being‚ growth and vitality that chattel slavery and all the policies that flowed from it destroyed‚" chairman Eric McDonnell admitted last year.San Francisco leaders‚ meanwhile‚ have not apologized for the city's open drug markets‚ homelessness crisis‚ and crime epidemic.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A homeowner in Saline County‚ Arkansas‚ told police that as he was arriving home Tuesday‚ he spotted a man exiting his residence — and with that‚ the man pointed a gun at him.Turns out the homeowner was well prepared for the confrontation‚ as he had a gun on him as well — and was quite quick on the draw.What are the details?Saline County Sheriff’s officials told KARK-TV deputies responded to a call of shots fired at the home in the 10000 block of East Sardis Road. When they arrived‚ deputies said they found the homeowner‚ who told them he had called 911‚ the station said.The homeowner explained that he saw the suspect come out of his house and point a firearm at him‚ KARK reported‚ adding that the homeowner said he drew his own gun and fired at the suspect in self-defense.Deputies told the station the suspect — whom authorities identified as John Nutt of Little Rock — ran away from the home. Teams searching the nearby area found Nutt with stolen property on him and took him into custody‚ KARK said. The sheriff's office also said the suspect was found with a gunshot wound which was not life-threatening‚ according to MySaline.com.Authorities said Nutt was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment‚ the station said‚ adding that deputies said Nutt is expected to face charges‚ including residential burglary and aggravated assault.Officials added to KARK that while the investigation into the shooting is ongoing‚ they don't expect the homeowner to face any charges.How are folks reacting?Commenters on a MySaline Facebook post about the incident were pleased with the outcome:"The outcome most likely would have been much different had the homeowner not been carrying‚" one user noted. "Now the judicial system needs to do [its] part to punish this criminal‚ not just a slap [on] the wrist.""Good for the home owner!" another commenter declared. "This is the way it should be.""Good reason to be armed‚ trained‚ and ready‚" another user advised."Good for that homeowner glad he was carrying‚" another commenter stated.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Carrie Gress is a fellow at the Washington‚ D.C.-based think tank Ethics and Public Policy Center and a scholar at the Institute for Human Ecology at the Catholic University of America. She has a doctorate in philosophy from the Catholic University of America and is the editor at the online women’s magazine Theology of Home. In her most recent book‚ "The End of Woman: How Smashing The Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us‚" she takes aim at sacred cows‚ attempting to get to the bottom of the animosity and confusion that defines the ever-intense gender debates. It was a joy to interview Carrie in the most recent episode of "Girlboss‚ Interrupted" in order to learn more about her ongoing project and to hear her answer some of the hard questions at the heart of the feminist debate. To provide even more clarity‚ she graciously agreed to go deeper on the some of the harder questions at the heart of the feminist debate for Align. Align: It seems that from every corner‚ people are desperately confused and unable to talk about the reality of womanhood — be it physical or spiritual — without mentally short-circuiting. In your recent book‚ "The End of Woman‚" you made the bold choice of attempting to define womanhood. What does it mean to be a good woman? Carrie Gress: This has been an issue that has a lot of people talking‚ but in my book‚ I wanted to go deeper than just to say “a woman is an adult female human.” Part of that discussion has to include the notion of motherhood. Motherhood has had very little positive press for the last fifty years‚ but most people have the sense of what a good mother looks like‚ even if they didn’t have a good mother. Motherhood is also not limited to biological birth or even adopting children‚ but is a general attitude that women used to understand implicitly — it involves psychological and spiritual aspects as well‚ for example‚ in nuns. Motherhood as a general concept applicable to all women isn’t exclusive to the home but has elastic enough principles that can be applied to any workplace. The beauty of using the notion of motherhood to define womanhood is that implicit in it is what we can think of as a good woman — serving others‚ wise‚ thoughtful‚ anticipating others' needs‚ nurishing and nurturing — basically the general concepts that have been drained from our understanding of woman because we have replaced woman as mother with woman as worker under feminism. "Christianity has been the greatest champion of the dignity of women in all of history. The way that Jesus treated women was the starting point‚ with the understanding of women’s distinct but equal dignity populating Christian theology and philosophy for millennia." Align: How do you define human flourishing? Can you separate your flourishing as a human from your flourishing as a female? What is‚ to you‚ the proper notion of equality‚ and what does it have to do with human flourishing? CG: Human flourishing is one of those fantastic and ancient concepts that go back to the Greeks. Our happiness is found when we use our gifts and faculties in accord with our nature and in the expression of the virtues‚ having conquered our vices. The basic concept of flourishing has to be built upon an understanding of what human nature is. One of the main things feminism has done is tried to rewire or reinvent the idea of human nature into something plastic and changeable. And this is why we are seeing so many women who are not flourishing‚ who are not happy‚ because they have spent their energies chasing something that isn’t in accord with their human nature — an isolated‚ independent‚ successful woman. This is what feminism and the culture have held up as the ideal: a woman unencumbered by children or a husband. But women are made for rich relationships; we are made to live in community; and we are made to bear life. Getting back to an understanding of womanhood that is in accord with who we are‚ and not just mimicking the lives of not very good men‚ is the only way to return to true flourishing for woman once again. Align: It seems to me that the most common critique of the book is that you argue that feminism has been a philosophical monolith‚ united in its sometimes articulated‚ sometimes unarticulated purpose to eliminate hierarchy‚ as well as its emotional motivation being female envy of men‚ all of this from its earliest instantiation‚ including of course the first wave. Are your critics misunderstanding your thesis‚ and if so‚ how? If not misunderstood‚ why do you think this claim is upsetting to people? CG: I’ve heard various versions of this‚ and frankly‚ if this is the best criticism of the book‚ that’s great. I have a doctorate in philosophy‚ and what I tried to do with "The End of Woman" was write it in a format that is readable but also explains how many of feminism’s problems didn’t show up in the 1960s but were there from the beginning. Now‚ of course‚ feminism has changed and evolved as society and political elements have shifted. My goal was not to chronicle all these shifts but to explain that there were real issues with feminism from the beginning. I think for years‚ conservatives have been led to believe that the first wave of feminism was good but that it was later hijacked‚ and it was the second wave and beyond that were the problem. I expected to find exactly this when I went back to look at the first wave. I found that the elements that animate the second wave — specifically the occult‚ the restructuring of society‚ and free love‚ or the end of monogamy — were already in the first wave as early as 1820s. Of course‚ not every woman who called herself a feminist believed these things. History is complicated. But the known leaders of the movement‚ women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony‚ were involved in these elements in one degree or another. My goal wasn’t to read what every first-wave feminist wrote but to look at the leadership of the movement and to see what was really movtivating them and what ideas “stuck” and were passed along to the next generations. Align: Clearly for you‚ women’s rationality is assumed‚ which is really a shorthand for their humanity if we take Aristotle’s definition of human as “rational animal.” I think many people are under the impression that female rationality‚ in other words‚ their humanity‚ was not taken for granted before first-wave feminism. Was it? If so‚ by whom? CG: Christianity has been the greatest champion of the dignity of women in all of history. The rationality of women wasn’t somehow discovered by the first wave. The way that Jesus treated women was the starting point‚ with the understanding of women’s distinct but equal dignity populating Christian theology and philosophy for millennia. Perhaps more important has been the example of the women who have been declared by the Catholic Church to be saints‚ women like St. Hildegard of Bingen‚ St. Catherine of Siena‚ St. Teresa of Avila‚ or more recently‚ St. Edith Stein‚ a Jewish convert and philosopher who became a Carmelite nun martyred at Auschwitz. And of course‚ the significant devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary has played a role‚ with even National Geographic calling her the world’s most powerful woman. Align: What do you think has been the most damaging message about womanhood popularized by mainstream culture in the past century? How has it affected the way that women live? CG: I think the most damaging message — and there are many‚ so it is hard to land on just one — is that women are inherently victims or oppressed and that men are inherently oppressors. This status‚ which has been stirred up by socialists who saw an opportunity to get women to come to their side of the issue since at least 1897‚ has been reiterated for decades. Women viewing themselves as victims has been the wedge between men and women and driven women to believe that they must live independently from men and pour themselves into (or lean into) their careers. Under this lie of victimhood‚ men and children are not just a distraction or an obstacle to our happiness but further ways in which women are victimized. Tragically‚ women have bought into it deeply‚ driving us deeper into the myth that our work will be our salvation. Meanwhile‚ abortion has become the greatest cause of death worldwide‚ outnumbering all the other causes of death combined. That most tender and fundamental relationship between mother and child has been severed by this lie. As psych analyst Erica Komisar says that women have lost the instinct to feel empathy toward their children‚ now viewing children as just another competing element for their time and attention. Our instincts are turned toward our own sense of self-preservation as victims instead of to a mature and healthy regard for those around us. Align: What are some concrete ways that women can reject that philosophy in their real life? CG: I think the first thing we have to do is be aware of the ways in which we are being manipulated. Neo-Marxism has been very insidious and now permeates the bulk of Western culture: politics‚ academia‚ Hollywood‚ the fashion industry‚ magazines‚ pop music‚ and so on. It is really important for us to figure out our blind spots and those ways in which we have adopted a victimhood mentality and stop using this as a weapon in our work and in our relationships with men. We need to start prioritizing our relationships again and figuring out what that deepest call is‚ whatever it may be‚ in our own lives. Finding ways in which we can mentor‚ shelter‚ instruct‚ nourish‚ and love those around us can also happen in any sphere of life and be incredible preparation (or instruction) for becoming a better woman. Align: In your book‚ you essentially define feminism as a philosophy of total fungibility. In other words‚ the thing that unites sexual liberators and the girlbosses is the notion that male and female are interchangeable. This philosophy is a lie‚ as you rightly explain. But I tend to think that the most effective lies in our world are wrapped around a kernel of truth. Otherwise‚ they wouldn’t be plausible. So what is‚ if any‚ the kernel of truth in the philosophy of total fungibility that you identify as feminism? CG: I think there are two things motivating this. The first is that fundamental desire we have to make things equal that are not the same. By this‚ I mean‚ women and men are not the same‚ but both should be treated with equal dignity. It is easier to try to make men and women the same than it is to try to navigate around our inherent differences. It is easier to tinker with fertility and tell women to be like men than it is to tell women how to be better mothers and provide the resources needed to mother many children. It also requires less in terms of relationships for a woman not to be dependent upon a man. It is important to accept that relationships and people are not something we can control. It is much easier to focus on things we can control‚ like our education‚ our resume‚ even where we live‚ than to concern ourselves with elements that are out of our control‚ but it is precisely these elements we can’t control that are vital to our flourishing. Align: How does the work that you do at Theology of Home help women be better women? CG: Theology of Home is a project I work on with my colleague and co-author Noelle Mering‚ who is also a prolific writer and author of the book "Awake‚ Not Woke." We have published four books‚ we have a daily blog and an online store‚ and we are both fellows at the Ethics &; Public Policy Center in Washington‚ D.C. The idea for these efforts really came from the realization that our culture and women in particular have been co-opted through the use of liberal media. Fashion magazines‚ for example‚ are an everyday way in which women absorb content‚ but nearly every magazine leans left. Leftist ideas are suffused into the content that women regularly absorb. Our idea has been to make beautiful products and content but have it filled with our ideas; we use the tools that have been used against us. We aren’t trying to go back to the 1950s‚ but we are trying to articulate a contemporary vision of womanhood that feels fresh‚ interesting‚ and resonates with the way in which women live today. Very few projects like this exist among conservatives. Ours is a humble effort but growing every day‚ and we are seeing and hearing almost daily about how it is touching women’s lives. Align: What do you make of Andrew Tate and the ascendance of certain meninist movements that are becoming increasingly vocal about the desire to sexually dominate and politically disenfranchise women? How did that movement come about‚ and how do sensible conservative voices like you distinguish themselves from it‚ especially as the left is so intent on grouping conservatives together with these other elements — and these other elements are happy to fly under the cover of the false grouping? CG: This has been an odd thing for me to consider because‚ of course‚ I have nothing in common with Andrew Tate. Even if we both say‚ “Feminism is bad‚” we mean very different things by it. Connecting us feels like just another effort to undermine my work‚ instead of actually having to do the work of reading it and taking it seriously. But I do find it interesting that men are drawn to him as an influencer. I don’t think women who call themselves feminists really understand the amount of frustration men feel about it as an ideology. Feminism has effectively silenced men. They have a sense that even if they make well-argued points against it‚ they can easily be trumped by being called “sexist.” Connecting me with Tate is a similar effort‚ because they can’t call me sexist‚ but they can associate me with someone who is. Understandably‚ this has created a lot of resentment for women by men. One of the things I have seen my books do is to help men understand why women think the way they do‚ to help them see that this has been foisted upon us instead of freely chosen. It has led many men to a kind of compassion instead of resentment toward women. Feminists of any stripe could be well served by actually engaging in discussions about what they believe rather than just stifling dissent. But this is what ideologies have to do‚ because they don’t have the fullness of truth on their side. Align: As the gender wars rage on‚ do you think harmony is possible between men and women? If so‚ what does it look like? CG: I think ultimately the problems between men and women have been deeply exacerbated by feminism. While I don’t think any kind of utopian perfection is possible‚ there are a lot of things we could do to improve and heal the current rift between men and women. The major piece is to get back to truly understanding our human nature and working with it instead of against it‚ both ideologically and through technology. Men and women are made to be complementary. So much could be healed if we could recover that basic truth instead of erasing it.

The execution of Idaho's longest-serving death row inmate has been canceled after officials were unable to access a vein into which they could inject the prescribed lethal drugs.Thomas Creech‚ 73‚ has been on death row since 1981‚ when he pled guilty to killing a fellow prisoner. He has also been convicted a total of four other murders in Idaho‚ California‚ and Oregon. While in custody‚ he told investigators that he may have murdered as many as 42 people by the time he was 24‚ though that number remains in doubt.Over the years‚ Creech's execution has been authorized on 12 separate occasions‚ most recently in January. Though Idaho technically permits executions by lethal injection and firing squad‚ the state does not have the facilities for a firing squad‚ so lethal injection remains the de facto option for death row inmates.At 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning‚ officials at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna began the process to execute Creech via lethal injection. Witnesses were brought into the proper chamber while a handful of protestors‚ many of them identifying as Christians‚ stood outside to demonstrate against the proceedings.It seems their prayers may have been answered as officials tried in vain for 45 minutes to "establish an IV line‚" said Department of Corrections Director Josh Tewalt. By 11 a.m.‚ the procedure was canceled‚ Creech was returned to his cell‚ and his death warrant will be allowed to "expire" as the state now considers its "next steps‚" Tewalt's statement added.A statement from Creech's attorneys‚ members of the legal nonprofit Federal Defender Services of Idaho‚ slammed the "botched" execution of such a "harmless old man." "This is what happens when unknown individuals with unknown training are assigned to carry out an execution‚" the statement read in part. Earlier this month‚ Creech was granted a hearing before a state parole board‚ asking the six-person panel to override his death sentence and allow him to die of natural causes in prison. During the hearing‚ some of his supporters — including former and current prison employees and the Ada County judge who gave him the death penalty — claimed that he was a changed man."For me‚ Tom has become a living symbol for the problems with the death penalty‚" wrote former state Rep. Donna Boe‚ a Democrat. "I have no doubt that he has changed and grown as a person‚ that he has true care and concern for others including the staff who work at the prison‚ and that an execution would be a tragic waste of life."According to reports‚ Creech has developed relationships with prison staff. He also got married 25 years ago. Creech and his wife‚ LeAnn Creech‚ shared what they believed would be his last meal on Tuesday night.Despite his pleas for "grace‚" the parole board deadlocked 3-3‚ thereby denying his motion. SCOTUS likewise declined his final appeals on Wednesday morning.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

When Age of Wonders 4 came out last year‚ we awarded it a 9/10 score and called the sequel to the long-running strategy series "a marvel of customization" and one of 2023's "must-play games." Created by Triumph Studios and published by Paradox Interactive‚ the company behind strategy heavyweights like Crusader Kings 3‚ Stellaris‚ and Victoria 3‚ Age of Wonders 4 continues to introduce clever new design elements to its fantasy take on 4X games. Fortunately‚ its creators are still working hard on the game‚ having now launched the huge new Wolf Update and Primal Fury DLC. Continue reading 9/10 strategy game from Stellaris publisher gets big update‚ discount MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best 4X games‚ Age of Wonders 4 review‚ Best games like Civ

Some games never leave your mind‚ even years after you first played them. One of them is Pathologic 2‚ a re-imagining of creator Ice-Pick Lodge's 2005 debut‚ Pathologic. Set within a rural society wracked by plague and descending into chaos as its citizens embrace either an industrial future or a return to the traditions of their past‚ Pathologic 2 is packed full of not just haunting imagery and constant tension‚ but sharp dialog that illuminates a mysterious and ultimately harrowing plot. Best of all‚ it's currently available on a steep Steam discount that makes it less than $10 USD to pick up. Continue reading Grab one of the best PC games ever for under $10 on Steam right now