Rapper Killer Mike refused on Friday to endorse President Joe Biden despite pleas from Bill Maher.During an interview on HBO's "Real Time‚" Maher pressed the legendary rapper‚ whose real name is Michael Render‚ for his perspective about the upcoming election. At first‚ Render responded with wise advice."My feeling is: Pick your policy‚ not your person. This is not the Dallas Cowboys versus your favorite team. This is the policies that will affect our generations for the next 20‚ 30‚ 40 years to come. So close your eyes and listen to the policies that are being pushed‚" he said. "Make it policy-based."But that answer wasn't sufficient for Maher‚ who pushed Render to choose between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump."This time‚ I'm gonna keep my mouth closed‚" Render responded."You can't get yourself to say 'vote for Biden over Trump'?'" Maher pleaded.The answer to that question‚ Render made clear‚ is a resounding‚ "No." Instead‚ Render listed multiple reasons why he doesn't support Biden."Can he get himself to apologize for the [1994] crime bill? Can he get himself to get his head out of his ass and say 'black people‚ you are black regardless? I need you to tell me what I need to do‚'" the rapper responded. "Can he pick a coalition of former people who were affected by drug law‚ street gangs‚ recidivism‚ and crime and say‚ 'I need you as a board to advise me how to fix federal prisons'? If he can do that‚ absolutely I can. So my challenge is out." — (@) In the 2020 election‚ Biden infamously declared that black Americans aren't black if they don't vote for him. Four years later‚ a growing number of black voters are moving away from Biden and toward the Republican Party — and even Trump. But make no mistake about it: Donald Trump will not win the majority of black voters in the 2024 election.But the poll data prove the Democratic Party's assumptions about black voters — as demonstrated by Biden's comment in 2020 — are creating more disillusionment than ever among black voters‚ pushing them away from the party that promises to help them but never actually does. Killer Mike on "Michael" | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) www.youtube.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A 17-year-old male was extradited to and charged in Florida after he was arrested for an alleged swatting incident that saw 30 law enforcement officers respond to a mass shooting threat at a mosque.Alan Filion from Lancaster‚ California‚ has allegedly been responsible for hundreds of swatting incidents and bomb threats throughout the United States‚ ABC 7 reported. Swatting is making a false report to police with the intention of getting a SWAT team to show up at a particular location.The teen is now facing four felony charges over a call he allegedly made to law enforcement about a Florida mosque.Filion allegedly called police about Masjid Al Havy Mosque in Sanford‚ Florida‚ and stated he was entering the house of worship to conduct a mass shooting. The call made references to satanism and claimed a gun and explosive devices were involved‚ the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.The young male also played audio of gunfire in the background‚ the police document stated. The incident garnered a response from 30 law enforcement officers who arrived on the scene to find that the mosque staff were actually safe.Filion was accused of creating accounts on different websites that offered swatting services and was eventually found out through various IP addresses connected to the accounts. The Californian also allegedly targeted high schools‚ historically black colleges and universities‚ FBI offices‚ and FBI agents and made bomb threats against military bases and the Pentagon‚ CNN reported.Four felonies are on the table in Florida‚ including making a false report that involved furthering the act of terrorism while showcasing prejudice. Officially‚ the lengthy charge read:"False Report Concerning Planting of Bomb‚ Explosive or Use of a Weapon of Mass Destruction or Concerning the Use of Firearms in a Violent Manner While Facilitating or Furthering an Act of Terrorism and While Evidencing Prejudice based on the Race‚ Color‚ Ancestry‚ Ethnicity‚ Religion‚ Sexual Orientation‚ National Origin‚ Homeless Status or Advanced Age of the Victim"Other felonies — which also involved alleged hate crimes — included "Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device‚" "False Report to Law Enforcement Concerning Commission of a Capital Felony While Facilitating or Furthering an Act of Terrorism‚" and "False Report to Law Enforcement Causing Public Safety Agency Response (Swatting) While Facilitating or Furthering an Act of Terrorism."Documents stated that Filion has a "no-bond status‚" while CNN reported that he had entered a plea of not guilty."Swatting is a perilous and senseless crime‚ which puts innocent lives in dangerous situations and drains valuable resources‚" said Sheriff Dennis Lemma. "The substantial law enforcement response in this swatting case underscores our unwavering dedication to community safety and holding offenders accountable‚" the sheriff added.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

It appears that two "Squad" members could see their time in the House of Representatives comes to an end in the upcoming election cycle. Representatives Cori Bush of Missouri and Jamaal Bowman of New York have both been financially outraised by their more moderate Democratic challengers‚ according to a report by Fox News Digital.Bush has been under investigation by the Justice Department for handing out tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds to a security firm. And now she has been outraised by attorney Wesley Bell‚ who is running a more moderate Democratic campaign."Missouri’s 1st District deserves a representative who shows up‚ does the work and gets things done‚" Bell said in a statement. "I’m honored by our fast-growing list of endorsements from community members and local officials and energized by the incredible momentum of support driving our campaign."Bowman is also a controversial figure who pleaded guilty to pulling a fire alarm in the House to delay a vote during the government shutdown debate. While he still raised $724‚000 in the last quarter of 2023‚ he was outraised by George Latimer‚ who brought in $1.4 million in campaign donations.Bowman has also come under fire after making conspiratorial comments about 9/11 while working as a school principal in the Bronx. A report noted that Bowman gave a platform to a multitude of false theories about the terrorist attacks. “Well over a decade ago‚ as I was debating diving into a doctoral degree‚ I explored a wide range of books‚ films‚ and articles across a wide swath of the political spectrum and processed my thoughts in a personal blog that few people ever read‚” Bowman said in a statement to the Daily Beast.Mark Mellman — a veteran Democratic pollster and leader of the Democratic Majority for Israel — told The Hill on Friday that "it's a very small group to begin with‚" referencing the Squad members. “It would be good for the party and good for the country if it got smaller.”Bill Neidhardt‚ a spokesperson for Bowman's re-election effort‚ told The Hill that there is a "fundamental weakness" to Latimer's fundraising strategy‚ adding that "his connection to Republican Trump mega-donors" could spell disaster for the moderate Democrat."His money won’t go as far in a Democratic primary where the electorate wants to hold Donald Trump accountable‚" he added.Despite their struggle to raise money and their anti-Israel rhetoric amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East‚ Bush and Bowman are still considered tough to defeat.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Without a doubt‚ we are losing Texas. Our values and our very way of life are threatened by a federal government obsessed with punishing law-abiding citizens while importing millions of people into the country illegally. The largest slave trade in the world is in our state‚ and yet the FBI is more interested in investigating moms protesting porn in schools than finding the cartel members who rape and kill little girls. No matter how many Republicans we send to Austin‚ we don’t get solutions. Instead‚ we get the impeachment of the most conservative attorney general our state has seen in a long time. We get half-measures (at best) for securing the border. We don’t get school choice‚ we don’t get secure elections‚ and we don’t get pushback of any kind against the federal government. Texas must recognize that we are at war with the federal government‚ and we must take action to protect our citizens. The Constitution is a contract between the states and a contract between the states and the federal government. It gives three main objectives for the federal government: to provide for a stable currency‚ to protect the citizens from foreign enemies‚ and to make sure that the states do not unfairly tax each other. The federal government has broken its contract in all three instances. It continues to print money‚ causing runaway inflation; encourages the border invasion; and uses the interstate commerce clause to control every aspect of our lives. The interstate commerce clause has been completely abused and stretched far beyond its original intent. It’s now the basis for the EPA regulating the puddle in front of my house‚ for the Bureau of Alcohol‚ Tobacco‚ and Firearms making felons out of millions of Texans based on a bureaucratic rule change‚ and for the government dictating your choice of home appliances. We are being regulated into authoritarianism. Everyone remembers exactly where they were on September 11‚ 2001. The federal government formed a commission to get to the bottom of why our intelligence‚ law enforcement‚ and military agencies did not prevent the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The main takeaway from the 9/11 Commission’s report was that the terrorists were at war with us while we were not at war with them. I fear we may have forgotten our hard-learned lesson. The federal government has broken its contract with us‚ instead declaring war on us. This must be stopped. Texas must recognize that we are at war with the federal government‚ and we must take action to protect our citizens. We need Republicans in Austin who will recognize the reality of our situation and act accordingly. But how do we accomplish this? We can’t just keep hoping that things will turn around. As we found out during the Trump years‚ the federal bureaucracy has grown beyond the ability of Congress or the president to manage. Though President Trump was easily the best president in my lifetime‚ our government and federal debt still grew under his administration. We must first consider legislation to curb the federal government’s power‚ including preventing it from owning or renting property in our state and requiring federal police officers to either obtain permission from the local sheriff or face being arrested themselves. The border should be completely secured by the Texas National Guard. While I support the intent and sentiment of the Convention of States movement‚ there are two fundamental flaws in its approach. First‚ the timing won’t work. Texas is under assault now and can’t endure another decade‚ perhaps not even a few years more. It will take at least a few years before the Convention of the States has enough states signed on. Second‚ the problem with our federal government is that it is not following the Constitution. While the proposed amendments would be improvements to the Constitution‚ improving a document already not being followed seems as effective as telling a mass murderer that he is in a gun-free zone. The only way to save our state is “Texit‚” which would remove the federal government completely from our state. We will have the chance to save ourselves by protecting against the ongoing foreign invasion and providing our own gold-backed stable currency. We do not need bureaucrats in Washington‚ D.C.‚ telling us that our schools don’t have enough diversity or that our corporations must play along with the pronoun mafia. While the U.S. Constitution does not provide for any mechanism to exit this union‚ it also doesn’t expressly prohibit it. And there has never been a greater need to protect ourselves from our own federal government. If we are to save America‚ we must save Texas.

Legendary singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman performed her iconic 1988 tune "Fast Car" with country star Luke Combs at Sunday's Grammy Awards. It was Chapman's first public performance in nearly a decade‚ and the duet has been getting a ton of attention — and for all the right reasons. — (@) What's the background? You might recall that Combs' cover of "Fast Car" hit the top of the charts last year‚ and alongside the adulation was quite a bit of controversy. See‚ Combs is a white‚ straight male‚ and Chapman is a black‚ queer woman — and the success of Combs' version rubbed certain folks the wrong way. Holly G‚ founder of the Black Opry — a group for black country music singers and fans — told the Washington Post that "it’s hard to really lean into [the Combs' "Fast Car"] excitement knowing that Tracy Chapman would not be celebrated in the industry without that kind of middleman being a white man.” Tanner Davenport‚ co-director of the Black Opry‚ added to the Post that Combs' rapid success covering Chapman "kind of just proves that when you put a white face on black art‚ it seems to be consumed a lot easier.” Holly G added to the Post — speaking hypothetically to Combs — that “you used her art to enrich your career‚ and that opens you up to a little bit of responsibility giving back to the community.” Today said one commenter on the Post article remarked that people of color "and women rarely get any play on country stations. I was listening to OKQ this morning‚ and they played 5 male artists before they played a female artist. It grinds my gears that Luke Combs remade a song that was near-perfect‚ and now it’s getting a ton of play. Every time I hear the remake‚ I wish I were hearing the original.” As it happens‚ there was no controversy coming from the two most important people involved: Chapman and Combs. "I never expected to find myself on the country charts‚ but I’m honored to be there‚" Chapman told Billboard in the wake of the success of Combs' cover. "I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’” Combs' "Fast Car" rendition in November won two Country Music Association awards: Single of the Year and Song of the Year‚ Today said‚ adding that Combs in acceptance remarks said‚ "First and foremost‚ I want to thank Tracy Chapman for writing one of the best songs of all time." He added to Billboard that his "Fast Car" cover "has surprised me more than you can imagine. Tracy Chapman wrote this perfect song that I first heard with my dad and it has stayed with me since I have played it in my live show now for six-plus years and everyone — I mean everyone — across all these stadiums relates to this song and sings along. That’s the gift of a supernatural songwriter. The success of my cover is unreal‚ and I think it’s so cool that Tracy is getting recognized and has reached new milestones. I love that she is out there feeling all the love and that she gave me a shout-out! Thank you‚ Tracy!”In addition‚ Billboard noted last July that Combs’ rendition generated at least $500‚000 in global publishing royalties — the bulk of which goes to Chapman since she owns the writer’s and publisher’s share of the song. What's more‚ the Daily Beast said that less than an hour after her Sunday duet with Combs‚ Chapman’s original version of "Fast Car" hit the top of the U.S. iTunes charts "for the first time ever."How are folks reacting to the Chapman-Combs duet?Reactions to Chapman's duet with Combs at the Grammys seemed overwhelmingly positive. Here's a sampling:"It looked like she was tearing up at the beginning when everyone was cheering... it was so dang beautiful and filled my heart with joy‚" one commenter said."I loved that he let her lead (I know it’s her song)‚" another user observed. "He worked off her the entire song. Very respectful!""The VIBE between these two!!" another commenter exclaimed."I’m not crying you’re crying‚" another user wrote."This makes me feel like maybe this world can work after all‚" another commenter concluded. GRAMMYs: Tracy Chapman Makes RARE Appearance to Sing Fast Car With Luke Combs youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A senior BBC employee who posted a series of anti-Semitic Facebook posts has been given the boot by the media organization. The posts included referring to Jewish people as "Nazi apartheid parasites" who financially funded a "holohoax‚" according to the New York Post. Dawn Queva was previously the BBC's senior scheduling coordinator and playout planner‚ but she was fired after it was discovered she harbored anti-Semitic views that manifested through Facebook posts. Queva also garnered attention for describing white people as a "virus." The posts were shared with her employer last week amid calls for the media giant to fire her. Her dismissal from the company was announced on Monday. “The individual concerned is no longer employed by the BBC‚” a BBC spokesperson said.Queva's Facebook profile has since been deleted‚ but Deadline obtained screenshots of the horrifying posts. In one anti-Semitic Facebook rant‚ Queva said Jewish people were "Nazi apartheid parasites" who orchestrated a "holohoax‚" seeming to suggest that the Holocaust was a hoax.In another post‚ she wrote: "The Zionist genocidal land squatting so called Jew’ irrespective of the fact that The UKKK and Amerikkka gave away land they had no god given right to a people who have no god given right to."Queva also appears to have had a problem with white people‚ once referring to them as a "mutant invader species." The report mentioned she previously worked at A+E Networks‚ UKTV‚ and even Disney. She also said white people were a “barbaric bloodthirsty rapacious murderous genocidal thieving parasitical deviant breed.”Deadline reported that the Campaign Against Antisemitism has considered reporting the now-deleted posts to the authorities. The group said‚ "Barely a week goes by now without some figure at the BBC publishing some inflammatory remark relating to Jews."“Something is terribly rotten at the BBC.”The revelations upset Jewish staff members at the media outlet‚ but it is uncertain if legal action will be taken against Queva. Anti-Semitism exploded around the world after Hamas' surprise attack against the Jewish state on October 7‚ when 1‚200 Israelis were slaughtered and 240 were abducted and taken back into Gaza. Since then‚ Israel has launched military operations in the region‚ vowing to obliterate Hamas terrorists.Anti-Semitism has reared its head throughout U.S. colleges‚ universities‚ and even media organizations. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Bank of America appears to be reversing course on its pledge to end the financing of coal and arctic drilling projects‚ the New York Times reported Saturday.In December 2021‚ the financial services company committed to stopping its direct financing of new coal-fired power plants‚ thermal coal mines‚ and arctic drilling. It also noted that it would no longer directly finance the expansion of existing projects.In its “Environmental and Social Risk Policy Framework‚” the company stated‚ “By 2025‚ we will phase out all financing (including facilitating capital markets transactions and advising on mergers and acquisitions) of companies deriving ≥ 25% of their revenue from thermal coal mining‚ unless the company has a public commitment to align its business (across Scope 1‚ 2 and 3 emissions) with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and the transaction would be facilitating the diversification of the company’s business away from thermal coal.”“We will not directly finance petroleum exploration or production activities in the Arctic‚” the framework added.A December 2023 updated version of Bank of America’s “Environmental and Social Risk Policy Framework” appears to backtrack on those promises by stating it will exercise “due diligence” with the projects.“Any client or transaction involving direct financing of oil and gas exploration or production activities in the Arctic must be escalated to the Senior-level Risk Committee for decisioning‚” the most recent framework explained.“As part of the enhanced due diligence process‚ we give consideration to whether a company has a public commitment to align its business… with goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and the transaction would be facilitating the diversification of the company’s business away from thermal coal‚” it added.Any initiatives involving new coal extraction or the expansion of existing coal extraction would also be escalated to the bank’s risk committee.The latest framework walks back the bank’s pledge to “phase out all financing” of new coal projects by 2025 and instead states that the company is “on a trajectory to phase out such financing by 2025.”Lucie Pinson with Reclaim Finance told the Times that Bank of America’s decision to backpedal on its previous commitments “sends a very bad signal” that “it’s OK to take up new fossil-fuel assets.”In a statement to the Times‚ Bank of America explained that projects “that carry heightened risks will continue to go through an enhanced due diligence process involving senior level risk review.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Dozens of landlords are accused of price-fixing their rent rates through the use of the online software RealPage‚ a group of tenants alleged.RealPage is a property management software that uses data to recommend pricing on millions of properties in the United States.Tenants in Jersey City‚ New Jersey‚ have taken RealPage and 34 landlords to court in a class-action lawsuit regarding rent prices for a 527-unit building. The popular water-adjacent properties are located approximately 20 minutes from the World Trade Center.Separately‚ the Department of Justice has also filed a statement of interest that alleges landlords shared non-public information with RealPage‚ including vacancy data‚ and relied on that information to inflate rental prices.The automations must be "subject to the same condemnation" as price-fixing schemes‚ the DOJ said. "Long-standing legal principles apply with equal force to this new machinery‚" the department added‚ according to Reuters. In November 2023‚ the attorney general of Washington‚ D.C.‚ submitted a different complaint against RealPage and 14 other landlords.These were not typical landlords. They operate more than a whopping 50‚000 rental units in D.C. With that many units entered into an automated system‚ that can mean thousands of tenants simultaneously have their rent increased should the landlord choose to follow the recommendations."Effectively‚ RealPage is facilitating a housing cartel‚" Attorney General of the District of Columbia Brian Schwalb reportedly said. "Rather than making independent decisions on what the market here in D.C. calls for in terms of filling vacant units‚ landlords are compelled‚ under the terms of their agreement with RealPage‚ to charge what RealPage tells them‚" he continued."Defendants’ coordinated and anticompetitive conduct amounted to a district-wide housing cartel‚" Schwalb added.Particularly‚ one of the tools used on the website is called YieldStar‚ which balances lease lengths‚ occupancy‚ and pricing data to optimize revenue. "Just turning the system on will outperform your manual analyst. There’s almost no way it can’t‚" said Jeffrey Roper‚ a former RealPage employee and inventor of YieldStar.RealPage told CNBC that its revenue management products use anonymized‚ aggregated data to deliver the pricing recommendations and can increase a landlord's revenue between 2% and 7%. The company also told the outlet‚ however‚ that customers are not obligated to take its price suggestions.The company was acquired by firm Thoma Bravo in 2021 for $10.2 billion; however‚ the parent company has reportedly claimed it is not liable for RealPage's alleged actions.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 Spine release date? If you're a fan of John Woo films that mix kung fu with pistols‚ then it's likely that Spine is on your wishlist. In the cyberpunk dystopian streets‚ the Tensor AI has taken over the city and is behind the authority's power via drones to suppress rebellions. Spine puts us in the role of Redline‚ who has a vendetta against the AI and its ruling elite and will stop at nothing to make them pay. Gun Fu fans will likely have to wait a long time to play Spine‚ which is a shame since it has an appealing cyberpunk game aesthetic. This story-based action-adventure game promises a tense "movie-like experience‚" that takes advantage of choreography and camera techniques. That said‚ this is the first non-mobile project from Cypriot developer Nekki‚ and it's far from the only game it has revealed in recent months. With that in mind‚ here's everything we know about the Spine release date‚ trailers‚ and more. Continue reading Spine release date estimate‚ trailers‚ gameplay‚ and latest news

We're patiently waiting for more information on the next Call of Duty game‚ expected to arrive at some point later this year. Currently‚ it's believed the latest entry will be another installment in the Black Ops series developed by Raven Software and Treyarch Games‚ and reports are circulating about some ambitious changes. Continue reading New Call of Duty campaign might be more Far Cry‚ less CoD MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Call of Duty 2023‚ Modern Warfare 2 system requirements‚ Best FPS games