Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed on Sunday that the immigrant arrested for allegedly murdering a Georgia college student was arrested — then quickly released — in New York City last fall.On Friday‚ police arrested Jose Ibarra‚ a 26-year-old Venezuelan immigrant‚ and charged him with murdering 22-year-old Laken Riley‚ a nursing student at Augusta University. Riley was attacked Thursday while she was running on the University of Georgia's campus in Athens. Police do not believe Ibarra knew Riley; rather‚ they believe the attack was a "crime of opportunity."The shocking incident has ignited nationwide outrage and questions about whether it could have been prevented.Now we know that Ibarra was no stranger to law enforcement or immigration officials.In a statement‚ ICE confirmed that U.S. Customs and Border Protection first arrested Ibarra on Sept. 8‚ 2022‚ after he illegally entered the U.S. near El Paso. But he "was paroled and released for further processing."One year later on Sept. 14‚ 2023‚ police in New York City arrested Ibarra and charged him with "acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation." Despite the nature of the charges‚ New York City — a "sanctuary city" — quickly released Ibarra back onto the streets."He was released by the NYPD before a detainer could be issued‚" ICE said.Eventually‚ ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Atlanta was able to lodge a detainer for Ibarra — but only after his arrest for Riley's murder.Police have charged Ibarra with malice murder‚ felony murder‚ aggravated battery‚ aggravated assault‚ false imprisonment‚ kidnapping‚ hindering a 911 call‚ and concealing the death of another.The atrocious incident‚ meanwhile‚ is drawing more attention to the border crisis and President Joe Biden's failures to address the problem.When police were searching for Ibarra‚ they located his brother‚ Diego Ibarra‚ who allegedly presented authorities with a fake green card. He was then arrested. It turns out that Diego Ibarra‚ who entered the U.S. after his brother‚ has already been arrested multiple times in the U.S.‚ including for driving under the influence‚ shoplifting‚ and failing to appear in court‚ WSB-TV reported."Every state is now a border state because of Joe Biden's inaction‚" Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The progressives have set their sights on talk radio‚ which could dismantle the world of radio and absolutely crush free speech. Soros Fund Management‚ which is run by George Soros and his billionaire son‚ is on the verge of taking control of Audacy‚ the second-largest broadcaster in America. Last year‚ Soros bought around fifty radio stations that all happened to be Spanish-speaking. Glenn Beck finds this “gravely concerning‚” as Audacy currently owns 220 stations — and 80% of people still listen to the radio. In addition‚ an investor based in Singapore is trying to take over Cumulus Media‚ which is the third-largest broadcaster. “How does this bid for America? You have George Soros‚ and a Singapore company‚ and then iHeart all alone‚” Glenn says. But it gets worse. The FCC is now ordering all broadcasters to start posting a race and gender scorecard that breaks down the demographics of their workforce. “We have to start hiring based on gender and everything else‚” Glenn says‚ adding‚ “I don’t care what you know‚ male‚ female. I don’t care who you sleep with. I don’t care what color you are. Really don’t. I want to know what’s inside your head.” In the wake of these new rules‚ Glenn believes now is a more important time than ever to take a stand‚ especially for your small‚ local radio stations. “I want you to support your local radio station‚” he says. “Local radio is critical. You’ve got to have a local radio station that is not controlled by the Borg.” 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.

Republicans in the Georgia Senate stand a good chance of passing legislation aimed at shielding Americans from government efforts to trample their religious liberty. Although the proposed legislation largely mirrors the federal Religious Freedom and Restoration Act‚ LGBT activist groups and other radical outfits openly hostile to orthodox religious beliefs — particularly those concerning marriage and sexual morality — have raised the alarm‚ claiming that Senate Bill 180 is a "license to discriminate." The bill Republican state Sen. Ed Setzler's SB 180‚ titled the "Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act‚" is a legislative effort to ensure that the First Amendment right of free exercise is on the same level as the freedoms of speech‚ assembly‚ and the press. "In 2017 the Georgia Attorney General confirmed that without a state religious freedom law‚ Georgia did not have full religious protections‚ allowing the state and local governments to infringe on people's basic right to practice their faith‚ for any rational basis‚" Setzler told the Georgia Recorder. To rectify the imbalance‚ SB 180 would have Georgia adopt the compelling interest test provided for in the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act in a "manner that applies it to the actions of state and local governments in Georgia." Accordingly‚ state law would be amended to preclude the government — defined as "any branch‚ department‚ agency‚ instrumentality‚ and official or other person acting under color of law of this state" — from substantially burdening "a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability." The government could substantially burden a person's religious exercise only if it can demonstrate that such a burden is in "furtherance of a compelling governmental interest" and the "least restrictive means of furthering such compelling governmental interest." The bill also allows for a person whose religious rights have been burdened without such a demonstration of exception to take legal action and obtain relief against the government. SB 180 successfully passed the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee in a 6-3 vote along party lines. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution indicated that supporters are hopeful that SB 180 will pas and ultimately be ratified because it does not veer from federal religious liberty law. This‚ after all‚ is apparently a sticking point for Gov. Brian Kemp (R)‚ who vowed when running for governor in 2018 that he would only accept a "mirror image" of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act‚ which became law in 1993. National context and backlash Setzler suggested that extra to the federal government‚ 34 other states have such laws on the books‚ including Montana and South Dakota‚ which joined the protection party in 2021. In recent weeks‚ Republicans in other states have taken steps to strengthen their religous liberty protections. The Iowa Senate‚ for instance‚ passed Senate File 2095 last week‚ which includes much of the same language found in Georgia's SB 180. Kentucky Republicans are likely to pass House Bill 47‚ which would reinforce the state's existing religious liberty law and ensure that Kentuckians get a "fair day in court" in the event that their religious freedoms are infringed by governmental actions or forces. Just as with the restorative efforts in Kentucky and Iowa‚ SB 180 has been met with leftist outrage and condemnation in Georgia. The ACLU of Georgia claims that SB 180 is "not about protecting religious freedom‚ it's about creating a license to discriminate against LGBTQ communities." "I prefer that the government indeed has a compelling interest in protecting the rights of LGBTQ+ people who could otherwise be discriminated against under the guise of religious freedom‚" said Sarah Hunt-Blackwell of the ACLU of Georgia. The Georgia Recorder highlighted Hunt-Blackwell's criticism that the bill is not a perfect mirror of federal law‚ omitting a clause prohibiting the government from establishing a religion. "The Establishment clause is not optional‚" said Hunt-Blackwell. "It is quite literally written into the fabric of our country's Constitution. The text verbatim says that the government quote shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion‚ or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Georgia Equality‚ an LGBT activist group‚ has parroted the ACLU of Georgia's talking point‚ alleging‚ "SB 180 would create a broad license to discriminate on the basis of faith with no necessary protections against discrimination on the basis of race‚ gender identity‚ sexual orientation‚ religion‚ country of origin‚ etc." Oliver Clyde Allen III‚ the leftist bishop who oversees the Vision Cathedral of Atlanta‚ and Rabbi Michael Rothbaum‚ a pronoun-providing gay activist‚ penned an op-ed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution Sunday‚ painting those behind SB 180 as "extremists" engaging in a "chauvinist agenda masquerading as religious values." The leftist faith leaders claimed both that religious liberty "is not under threat" and that "your free expression stops at the infringement upon our dignity." When SB 180 was first introduced last year‚ there was a similar rash of leftist apoplexy. Democratic state Sen. Nan Ornock‚ for instance‚ complained that the bill might enable religious health care professionals to refuse to fill prescriptions or provide medical services if doing so would violate their religious beliefs. Setzler underscored that there is "a lot of histrionics and claims about what this bill does‚ but in fact‚ RFRA has a 30-plus year history of applying legitimate interests on both sides of the question and applying them in a fair and balanced way." "Governmental interests can be accomplished‚ but they're done in ways that the right of the individual can be accommodated in every way possible‚" added Setzler. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown managed to prevent an all-ages‚ Disney-themed drag show from being held at one of its former churches thanks to "restrictive covenants" included in the bill of sale.Last weekend‚ Kelsey Theater in Saint Clair‚ Pennsylvania‚ about 50 miles west of Allentown‚ had planned to host "A Night at Disney All Age Drag Show" to support the Actors Guild of Schuylkill County and to raise money to repair the theater's roof. However‚ just days before it was supposed to take place‚ the actors' guild had to cancel after the diocese threatened to sue for a possible contract violation. Back in 2019‚ the diocese sold Sts. Peter and Paul Church on N. Mill St. to the actors' guild‚ which then turned the building into the Kelsey Theater. As part of the sale‚ the new owners agreed to certain "restrictive covenants" regarding the way the building would be used. To wit‚ the diocese did not want the former sacred space used for events or performances that go against church teaching. Such performances include topless dancing — and drag shows."Drag shows‚ particularly those including minors‚ contradict the teachings of the Church and our understanding of the dignity of the human person‚" the diocese said in a statement. "The Diocese of Allentown relied on the good will of the Actors Guild of Schuylkill County and the promises they undertook when taking ownership of the church property."Last Wednesday‚ the diocese stepped in and warned the actors' guild not to go forward with the Disney drag show or face possible litigation. The threat worked. By Thursday‚ the guild had canceled the event."We don’t have big bucks to go up against the diocese‚" said Amy Mills‚ treasurer and spokesperson for the theater. "We don’t have the money for a legal fight."The drag queens have already rescheduled the event for a different venue at a later date. Meanwhile‚ the guild is working with the diocese to get better clarity on the "current restrictive covenants" associated with the theater since the guild did not believe the drag show violated them. "We would also like to state that we have no ill will towards the church‚" a Facebook post from the guild read in part. "The Guild is trying to build a community theater location that is inclusive to everyone."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The authorities and others in the community are searching for a 3-year-old boy who has been reported missing in Wisconsin. Elijah Vue was last seen on February 20‚ according to the Kansas City Star.Katrina Baur — Elijah's mother — has been arrested and faces a charge of party to a crime of child neglect. The authorities claim that Baur sent her son to a man named Jesse Vang so that he could use disciplinary "tactics" on the child. Vang has also been arrested and has been accused of child neglect.Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said the mother "intentionally sent that child for disciplinary reasons for [more] than a week to the residence. She was aware of the tactics used and the lack of care provided. This was an intentional thing by her.”The 3-year-old was reported missing by his caretaker on February 20. He was last seen at 8:00 a.m.‚ and the police were contacted at 10:59 a.m.As of February 24‚ Elijah had still not been located. The authorities took to Facebook to update the community: “Elijah has not been located. We are aware of at least one fake video circulating social media that shows the recovery of a minor by officers.""We are aware of numerous coordinated citizen search efforts all over Manitowoc County. Thank you for those continued efforts. Please continue to respect other’s private property and be cautious when conducting those searches as your safety is important‚" the post continued. "We appreciate everyone’s joint concern and dedication in locating Elijah. We continue to work day and night following up on all tips and leads. Thank you to Two Rivers School District for allowing us to utilize Magee Elementary School to accommodate our expanding operational needs. No students or incidents at that school are under investigation‚ nor are any others endangered.""With the assistance of Wings of Hope and NorthStar‚ advanced searches of our rivers and other waters are underway with a variety of boats‚ drones‚ and dogs in the area. You may also see extensive teams of officers and agents out on foot speaking with people door to door."The community has been asked to search anywhere that a child could hide‚ fall‚ or climb to. The area also held a candlelight vigil for Elijah on Wednesday at a local Catholic parish in Two Rivers‚ according to the Herald Times Reporter. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A female high school senior won her second straight state wrestling title‚ defeating multiple opponents on her way to the Maine championship.Maddie Ripley‚ a 17-year-old from Oceanside High School in Rockland‚ Maine‚ beat three opponents en route to another state wrestling championship against male competitors. The feat was even more impressive when considering that she won the inaugural women's title just days earlier at a different weight class. Ripley won the 107-pound girl's state championship‚ then‚ just days later‚ defeated males in their 113-pound division."I didn’t really hear too much that it was a fluke. Now that I’ve won a second‚ then it just proves that it wasn’t‚" Ripley said confidently‚ according to ABC News."Girls are working hard‚" Ripley continued. "Last year when I won I was like really excited. It was the first time I won. And then this year‚ I was still super excited."Ripley's coach and stepfather said that more and more colleges are starting up female wrestling programs‚ and the sport is in a time of a lot of talented female athletes."I think girls' wrestling is just exploding right now‚" he said. "The more athletes we get‚ the better they’re going to do."Ripley is not the only female wrestler to take on males in a time when male athletes are often invading female athletics. An Arizona high school senior named Audrey Jimenez won the Division I state wrestling title against boys just days earlier. "Why not?" Jimenez said about her decision to first wrestle boys. The 18-year-old actually needed special permission from the state athletic body to compete against males and capitalized on the decision.In 2022‚ Bella Mir‚ daughter of UFC legend Frank Mir‚ was among a group of Nevada teenage girls who started competing in wrestling matches against males. Mir‚ along with Jenavi Alejandro and Juliana Alejandro‚ wrestled males‚ with Alejandro becoming the first girl to win a match against a boy at the state level in 2019.Mir expressed sympathy for the boys and said they are in a lose-lose situation."I feel bad for the boys. If you win‚ you look bad because you beat up on a girl. But if you lose‚ it sucks because you got beat by a girl‚" she explained.Mir is now a professional mixed martial arts fighter and was even signed to a representation deal with the UFC while in college for her name‚ image‚ and likeness.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Just a few days ago‚ El Salvador President Nayib Bukele delivered a bold speech at America’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference. His warning against global elites‚ including George Soros‚ and other “dark forces” was welcomed with applause and cheers from a highly receptive audience. “If [elites] want a seat at the table‚ they should run for office. Let the people vote. It will not be a pretty sight for them – if the elections are free and fair‚” he said. “Who elected Soros to dictate public policy and laws? Why does he feel entitled to impose his agenda?” “Soros and his cronies hit a brick wall in El Salvador‚” he continued. “Thank God‚ another glory be to Him‚ Salvadorans are now immune to his influence. No one believes his lies any more.” “In the span of less than a decade‚ gangs took control of all the country and our society. They evolved into a parallel government controlling elections and even political parties. ... Murder capital of the world – it’s a tragic title to hold.” “Jumping out of the water when it's already boiling is an almost impossible feat. You are not there yet‚” Bukele said in reference to America. “And believe me‚ you don’t want to be.” After El Salvador “arrested terrorists” and began “removing corrupt judges‚ attorneys‚ and prosecutors‚” it finally was able to begin the process of “cleansing” itself‚ Bukele told the audience. The country also was forced to acknowledge the hard truth: “The corrupt system works in tandem with the so-called international community‚ the NGOs‚ and … the fake news.” “Just like it happens here in the United States‚” Bukele warned. “El Salvador and a lot of places in South America are on their way out of that kind of corruption while [Americans] are stepping headlong into it‚” says Keith Malinak‚ reiterating Bukele’s main point. “Can you imagine back in the '80s and '90s us pointing to El Salvador's leader for inspiration on any topic?” asks Pat Gray. To hear more‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A Catholic organization is accusing a group of trans activists of committing a "hate crime" after they allegedly tricked a New York City cathedral into hosting a funeral service for a trans-identifying atheist‚ the New York Post reported.CatholicVote‚ a nonprofit group‚ penned a letter last week to New York State Attorney General Letitia James urging her to investigate the circumstances surrounding a funeral that was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral earlier this month.The church came under fire after it hosted a funeral service for Cecilia Gentili‚ a 52-year-old trans-identifying activist and former sex worker‚ Blaze News previously reported. More than 1‚000 people attended the service‚ which featured a performance of "This Day" by actor Billy Porter. Gentili's family referred to the activist as "St. Cecilia‚ mother of all whores” and a photograph of the deceased included the words "transvestite” and "whore." Some of those in attendance used the funeral service as an opportunity to advocate for so-called gender-affirming health care services. Attendees reportedly sang "Ave Maria" but changed the lyrics to "Ave Cecilia" and danced through the cathedral's aisles.Brian Burch‚ the president of CatholicVote‚ wrote in the letter to James that the activists "deceptively" gained access to the cathedral to "advance ideas and beliefs hostile to doctrines of the Catholic Church.""Importantly‚ according to both media reports and video footage readily available online‚ activists admit to withholding from cathedral administrators the full intent and purpose of their gathering‚" the letter continued. "The deception employed to gain access to St. Patrick's Cathedral in order to hold a ceremony that profaned that holy place and mocked the Catholic religion cries out for justice."According to the organization‚ the funeral service was an "outrageous sacrilege" and "a hate crime.""I urge you to defend the rights and dignity of Catholic New Yorkers and the tens of thousand of Catholics from throughout this great nation who visit St. Patrick's to honor the saint and practice their faith each year‚" the letter concluded.In a statement following the controversial funeral service‚ Rev. Enrique Salvo said‚ "The Cathedral only knew that family and friends were requesting a funeral Mass for a Catholic‚ and had no idea our welcome and prayer would be degraded in such a sacrilegious and deceptive way‚" he added.Ceyenne Doroshow‚ the event's organizer‚ previously told the New York Times that she intentionally did not inform the church that Gentili was a man who identified as a woman‚ stating she "kept it under wraps." Gentili's family demanded an apology from the archdiocese for cutting the service short‚ claiming that they never tricked the cathedral into hosting the gathering‚ Blaze News previously reported. The funeral ended an hour early after priests made the determination to forgo a Mass‚ a decision supported by Cardinal Timothy Dolan‚ the archbishop of New York.Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society also argued that it is "simply not true" that the church's leadership was manipulated into hosting the service."Funeral organizers advised cathedral staff to look up Cecilia Gentili‚ her work‚ and the community she served. To now place responsibility on the funeral organizers to have affirmatively disclosed the gender identity of their loved one is imposing a burden upon the mourners that would not be expected of a non-transgender person‚" the organization contended.According to Burch‚ the controversy surrounding the event was regarding the disrespectful behavior of the attendees and not that the church held a funeral service for a trans-identifying individual."It's pretty clear here they chose St. Patrick's not because it's big and beautiful and on Fifth Avenue — they singled it out explicitly because of the Church's position on human sexuality‚" Burch told the Post. "If they would have had the funeral service and not put on the blasphemous circus‚ then no one would have said anything."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Another Ivy League school announced Thursday that it plans to reinstate standardized testing requirements for undergraduate applicants‚ the College Fix reported.Yale recently declared that its fall 2025 applicants must submit scores from at least one of four standardized tests. According to Yale News‚ the university has recently adopted a new test-flexible policy incorporating more testing options. In addition to SAT and ACT scores‚ undergraduates can now submit Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate scores.Yale allowed undergraduate applicants to opt out of submitting test scores for four years. Several other schools‚ including Columbia University‚ Dartmouth College‚ Harvard University‚ New York University‚ and Stanford University‚ dropped admissions testing requirements during the 2021-2022 application cycle. The College Fix reported that over 1‚900 colleges and universities had test-optional admissions policies in 2023.Yale’s dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid‚ Jeremiah Quinlan‚ told Yale News that the new policy could help increase diversity.“The entire admissions office staff is keenly aware of the research on the correlations between standardized test scores and household income as well as the persistent gaps by race. Our experience‚ however‚ is that including test scores as one component of a thoughtful whole-person review process can help increase the diversity of the student body rather than decrease it‚” Quinlan stated. “If I thought this policy was likely to set any of those efforts back‚ we would not adopt it‚” Quinlan added.While Yale had a test-optional policy‚ the university found that some applicants omitted scores that would have improved their chances of acceptance.Quinlan explained‚ “We found that by inviting students to apply without any scores‚ some applicants unwittingly hurt their chances of admission by withholding scores that would have been useful to the admissions committee‚ even though they were below the median range of our enrolling students.”More than 1‚000 undergraduates who did not submit test scores have been admitted to Yale. “Our analyses have found that applicants without test scores have been less likely to be admitted; concerningly‚ this was especially true for applicants from lower-income backgrounds and those attending high schools with fewer college-preparatory courses‚” Quinlan noted.Dartmouth College‚ a private Ivy League university in New Hampshire‚ announced earlier this month that standardized testing scores would once again be required for admission beginning with the class of 2029‚ Blaze News previously reported.The college similarly argued that the change would “improve — not detract from — our ability to bring the most promising and diverse students to our campus.”Dartmouth College economics professor Bruce Sacerdote also noted that some applicants previously opted not to share test scores when it could have “helped that student tremendously‚ maybe tripling their chance of admissions.”According to Quinlan‚ standardized testing scores remain “the single greatest predictor of a student’s performance in Yale courses in every model we have constructed.”“Our process is‚ of course‚ very selective‚ but it is also holistic and contextual. Each applicant is considered as an individual‚ and officers conduct a whole-person review of each file‚” Quinlan added.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

When is The Mobius Machine release date? Stop us if you've heard this concept before: you are a space explorer traversing across an alien moon‚ using powers you find inside abandoned bases to fight the local fauna and corrupted machines as you attempt to escape. Yes‚ it sounds a lot like Nintendo's Metroid series‚ but there's a bit more to The Mobius Machine than meets the eye. This Metroidvania game centers around a mysterious contraption hidden inside an abandoned base that could be the key to getting home. Join us as we uncover The Mobius Machine release date‚ examine the trailer for clues‚ and fil you in on everything else that's known so far. Continue reading The Mobius Machine release date‚ trailer‚ and latest news