Former Mississippi political candidate and naval officer Michael Cassidy is facing felony hate crime charges for decapitating a satanic statue in Iowa. The co-founder of the Satanic Temple that put the statue up claimed putting the statue in a public forum was an expression of religious freedom. Cassidy drove to Iowa to see it for himself and felt so strongly that it shouldn’t be there that he proceeded to destroy the statue. In the charges against Cassidy‚ prosecutors cited a violation of individual rights under Iowa’s hate crime statute. In addition‚ they say evidence suggests Cassidy destroyed the statue due to the victim’s religion. “I fail to see the victim here‚” Sara Gonzales says. “Is the victim the statue? The victim is the person who created this beautiful statue that nobody wanted?” The creators of the statue are claiming the cost to replace it is between $750 and $1‚500. “Our dark gods are cheap these days‚” Chad Prather jokes. Though he’s facing legal repercussions‚ Cassidy is now being hailed as a hero by many on the right — and the proof is in the GiveSendGo campaign that has raised over $105‚000 for his legal defense. While Gonzales is happy he’s being helped‚ she doesn’t find it comforting that Cassidy now has to take on the law. “It’s just depressing because it’s like‚ well‚ they finally stood up and did something and what are the thanks? That they get thrown into prison? Who the hell is going to stand up next time?” Gonzales says.Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) admitted on Wednesday that he once asked for a Target employee's manager because that employee blamed him for the shoplifting epidemic.Speaking on a Zoom meeting with California mayors‚ Newsom recounted what he called "my Target story." One time while in a Target checkout line‚ Newsom said he witnessed a man leave the store without paying for merchandise. When he confronted a Target employee about the incident‚ that employee blamed him."I said‚ 'Why didn't you stop him?' She goes‚ 'Oh‚ the governor.' Swear to God‚ true story‚ on my mom's grave. 'The governor lowered the threshold‚ there's no accountability‚'" Newsom recalled. "I said that's just not true. I said we have the tenth-toughest — $950 — the tenth-toughest in America‚" he continued. "She said‚ 'Well‚ we don't stop them because of the governor.'"The employee‚ Newsom explained‚ eventually realized she was speaking with the very person whom she had blamed. Newsom alleged the employee then asked him for a photograph‚ but he denied the request. He explained:I’m like‚ "No‚ I'm not taking a photo‚ we’re having a conversation. Where's your manager? How are you blaming the governor?" And it was‚ you know‚ $380 later‚ and I was like‚ “Why am I spending $380 when everyone can walk the hell right out?" — (@) It's true that Newsom isn't directly to blame for California's epidemic of organized retail theft.But Newsom‚ as recently as December 2021‚ publicly defended Proposition 47‚ a law passed in 2014 that reduced some non-violent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. For shoplifting specifically‚ stealing goods with a property value below $950 was recategorized as a misdemeanor. After Prop 47 passed‚ California experienced an increase in non-violent crimes like shoplifting and larceny. And when California cities began electing far-left prosecutors with aversions to prosecuting low-level offenders‚ shoplifting went relatively unchecked and allowed organized retail theft to flourish.To his credit‚ Newom is now trying to mitigate some of the problems Prop 47 has caused‚ but he has stopped short of asking voters to reconsider the law.Still‚ the irony is rich. California Democrats for years supported lowering the penalties for low-level crimes likes shoplifting. But when they witness such crimes or become victims of crime themselves‚ suddenly it becomes a real-life problem for them."Shoutout to this store clerk for saying to the governor’s face what every Californian has wanted to say: that he and his radical @CA_Dem buddies are to blame for CA’s surging crime‚" said California Republican Party Chair Jessica Millan Patterson."Sadly‚ Newsom still didn’t seem to take the hint‚" she added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

How’s your Trump? I bet you can do a passable “big‚ beautiful wall” or manage a halfway decent “you’re fired.” But can you do mid-’80s Trump talking about his real estate projects? Ryan Katsu Rivera can‚ as regular listeners of Gavin McInnes’ “ Get Off My Lawn” podcast can attest. Young Trump reveals a more subdued‚ businesslike Donald. The bravado is there‚ naturally‚ but it has yet to coalesce into the larger-than-life persona he honed on reality TV and the campaign trail. Trump’s more important Swiftian quality is his unerring knack for connecting with his audience. Rivera’s performance is clearly the work of a connoisseur. It’s a deep cut that only true fans will appreciate. (He also does an excellent Jordan Peterson and Tony Soprano.) The Japarican Rich Little applies the same attention and care as the Man of a Thousand Voices to his portrayal of the probable Republican nominee. Not for Rivera is the cartoonish‚ superficial obviousness of mainstream renditions. Instead‚ he tends to find the candidate’s impregnable self-regard in the quiet‚ self-reflective moments. Alec Baldwin’s Trump is the Trump everybody knows. Baldwin as Trump is at once ubiquitous and utterly unmemorable. This is no surprise‚ as it’s essentially a caricature of a caricature. Baldwin draws from the same lazy‚ regime-approved sketch of Trump that has guided purported “satire” about 45 since he began his first campaign. See also cartoonist Barry Blitt’s recent New Yorker cover of Trump as a goose-stepping combination of Mussolini and Hitler. It didn’t have to be this way. Long before Baldwin ever donned the wig‚ “Saturday Night Live” regularly featured Darrell Hammond’s transcendent Trump impression. At the time‚ Trump was merely an obnoxious reality show host and tabloid fixture. After the 2016 election‚ “SNL” boss Lorne Michaels invited his former cast member to return and reprise the role‚ much as Tina Fey occasionally swooped in to play Sarah Palin back in 2008. Dana Edelson/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images But then Lorne read the room — and the apocalyptic hysteria that was in the air. The new “threat to our democracy” Trump required a different set of skills from those involved in portraying the harmless “Celebrity Apprentice” host. Enter Alec Baldwin. Why is Baldwin’s Trump so tediously unfunny? One reason is that it’s driven by ideology. We know exactly how Baldwin feels about Trump; the degree to which you agree with him is the foundation of its appeal. On the other hand‚ Hammond's personal views don't matter; he creates his Trump through empathy. That's empathy‚ not sympathy‚ despite our culture's tendency to conflate the two‚ thus pre-emptively shutting down any honest attempt to understand or contextualize the controversial. Hammond is no one-trick pony; his Trump is but one of his many best-in-class impersonations‚ ranging from Bill Clinton and Al Gore to Johnny Cash and Phil Donahue. Watch these — or any of the other 107 celebrities he portrayed over fourteen seasons — and it's clear that Hammond is a master technician. It's also clear that none of them would work without his vast capacity to imagine what it's like to be in somebody else's shoes. Where did he get this capacity? His 2011 memoir offers a clue. In the book‚ Hammond links his lifelong struggles with mental illness‚ addiction‚ and self-harm with the horrific abuse his mother inflicted on him as a very young child. A crucial part of his recovery was the ability to forgive his long-dead tormentor‚ which seems to have come to him in a dream. Hammond saw his mother “as a little girl standing in the snow‚ shivering and helpless‚ a pure human being before someone did to her what she had done to me. I had this inescapable sensation that someone had hurt her and continued to hurt her for a long time. More importantly‚ she had once been innocent.” Can Donald Trump and his supporters ever expect such understanding from those they have supposedly harmed? Let’s not hold our breath: Forgiving grievous injury is one thing; admitting that it was entirely self-inflicted requires far more extensive soul-searching. Still‚ signs from Davos seem to indicate a general thawing toward the MAGA movement. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon urged us to look at Trump through the eyes of his adoring deplorables. “I don't think they're voting for Trump because of his family values. He's kind of right about NATO. Kind of right about immigration. He grew the economy quite well.” Of course‚ Trump’s appeal doesn’t begin and end with policy. Tax reform is not how you get the most passionate fan base this side of Taylor Swift’s. Like Swift‚ Trump is a consummate entertainer; when it comes to the performative side of the presidency — the rallies‚ the photo ops‚ the tweets — there’s no one better. Trump’s more important Swiftian quality is his unerring knack for connecting with his audience. Taylor may sing about breaking up with Jake Gyllenhaal and beefing with Kanye West‚ but the Swifties see these rarified struggles as no different from their own. Likewise Trump‚ who rarely debases himself with the working-class cosplay most other politicians affect‚ improbably exudes everyman conviviality‚ even from behind his ubiquitous red power tie. Haters will say it’s fake‚ that Trump only cares about himself‚ and that his voters are poorly informed dupes at best. But all politics‚ which is to say all human interaction‚ requires some degree of artifice. Trump reflects his public back to themselves with rare depth and accuracy. It may be an act‚ but pulling it off requires paying enough attention to get all the details right. For many forgotten Americans‚ that’s more than enough to make Trump the real deal.

A deranged Brooklyn man was caught on film last week hacking at NYPD officers with a machete. Although wounded in the attack‚ the officers nevertheless managed to subdue the suspect. This bloodletting was apparently not enough to convince a New York City grand jury to hold 40-year-old Jean Blain accountable for his alleged actions. While willing to hit Blain with some lesser charges‚ the jury decided not to indict him with attempted murder. NYPD officers were called to an apartment on New York Avenue near Beverley Road around 3:20 p.m. on Jan. 22‚ following reports of a man acting erratically‚ reported the New York Daily News. Officers reportedly spoke to Blain's family prior to engaging him. The New York Post indicated that Blain has been arrested on at least three other occasions and has a history of emotional disturbances. In 2015‚ he was arrested for reportedly exposing his genitals to women in Times Square. On another occasion‚ he was arrested for allegedly stealing his neighbor's car. Footage of the incident shows Blain‚ who reportedly also goes by "Insane Blain‚" beginning to freak out as officers calmly attempt to make the arrest. "No! No! No!" roars Blain‚ still seated on his bed. "Please be cooperative‚" responds one of the officers. "You know what?" shouts Blain‚ sliding a hand under the sheets and grabbing a hidden machete. "F*** that." The deranged man stands on the bed and raises the machete. Someone off-camera yells‚ "Oh sh**‚ look out!" as Blain begins hacking repeatedly at the officers. — (@) Police indicated that Blain slashed a 40-year-old sergeant on the right side of the head. Another was slashed on the wrist while attempting to subdue the attacker. The third officer was reportedly struck by the machete on the shoulder. The officers were taken to Kings County Hospital and have since been discharged. Sources told the Post that Blain‚ who was ordered held without bail Wednesday‚ had allegedly slashed another victim two weeks earlier‚ cutting the victim's ear and hand just three blocks away in an unrelated‚ unprovoked attack. The victim‚ Giovanty Guinea‚ told the Post‚ "I just went to get my coffee and he came out of the store." "He asked me‚ 'What do you want?'" continued Guinea. "I didn't say anything and he just attacked me. I didn't know what to do. I just ran." "I just want justice‚" added Guinea. "He tried to kill me. That's never happened to me before. And he tried to kill me." Blain has not yet been charged in connection to Guinea's attack. Despite his alleged history of violence and the distinct possibility that any machete stroke could have been life-ending‚ a grand jury decided during Blain's appearance in Brooklyn Criminal Court that he should be spared from attempted murder charges largely due to his supposed mental instability. The Daily News noted he was‚ however‚ ultimately charged with assault‚ menacing‚ and weapon possession. Vincent Vallelong‚ president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association‚ indicated in a letter to members that the grand jury "refused to indict him for Attempted Murder and were undecided on charges of Assault in the First Degree." "This unbalanced justice system has created an unprecedented dangerous environment‚" wrote Vallelong. "Had the machete not been dull‚ we would have been attending at least one police funeral‚ possibly more. Why is this case not eligible for remand? Who takes responsibility if this deranged man harms or kills others while he is free awaiting trial?" Vallelong stressed that New York City officials "have proven that they are clueless in how to address real-life daily dangers that so many New Yorkers are needlessly facing." Blain is currently being held in psychiatric ward as investigators look into his alleged attack on Guinea. Blain's apparent machete attack came just days before a mob of illegal aliens viciously assaulted NYPD officers. The migrant mob was released without bail shortly thereafter. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Americans have lost trust in some of the most important roles in a society‚ including those in the medical industry‚ teaching‚ and especially positions of institutional power.A Gallup poll in Honesty and Ethics conducted at the end of 2023 asked 800 respondents to rate the ethical standards of and their overall trust in a series of professions."How you would rate the honesty and ethical standards of people in these different fields?" the survey asked. In terms of "very high" trust‚ all professions but one took a hit compared to previous years.The poll measured the downward trends dating back to 2019‚ showing that medical doctors‚ pharmacists‚ bankers‚ and journalists have lost the most trust.Medical doctors went from 65% in 2019 down to 56% in 2023‚ while pharmacists dropped from 64% to 55%.Bankers' and journalists' ethics decreased in the public eye from 28% in 2019 to 19% in 2023‚ as well.Chiropractors‚ clergy‚ and business executives took eight-point hits in the survey‚ tied for the second-highest decreases.Dentists (-2)‚ stockbrokers (-2)‚ insurance people (-1)‚ and car salespeople (-1) fared among the best on the survey over the same period of time. However‚ dentists were the only profession of the top gainers that did not already have an abysmal rating for the "very high" trust category.Dentists had 59%‚ while insurance salesman and stockbrokers were trusted at a rate of just 12%. Car salespeople were near the bottom at only 8%.Completely bottoming out on the list in terms of high levels of trust were senators‚ at just 8%‚ and members of Congress‚ who were rated as having "very high" ethical standards by just 6% of respondents.The only profession to see an increase in perceived ethics standards were labor union leaders‚ who saw a 1% increase up to 25%. Super proud that my profession (#engineering) ranks among the top in #ethics ratings. @Gallup — (@) Gallup also reported record-low ethics ratings for five of the American professions.The data‚ dating back to 1976‚ showed that pharmacists‚ clergy‚ journalists‚ senators‚ and members of Congress all hit their lowest ratings in nearly 50 years.As noted by America's New Majority Project‚ opinions of some of the top professions also varied drastically when comparing the views of Democrats versus Republicans.Just 22% of Republicans rated college teachers highly‚ while nearly two-thirds of Democrats did at 62%. As well‚ Democrats rated journalists more favorably than Republicans by more than four times; 32% to 7%‚ respectively.The numbers flipped‚ however‚ for police officers‚ where 55% of Republicans rated them highly‚ with 37% of Democrats agreeing. in interesting info of the day: Americans\u2019 ratings of nearly all 23 professions measured in @Gallup's 2023 Honesty and Ethics poll are LOW. % of high/ v high ethics ratings for: members of Congress (6%)‚ senators (8%)‚ journalists (19%)‚ clergy (32%) and pharmacists (55%). — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

What could be more demonic than parents abusing their children? A close second might be when a state government wrongly accuses parents of child abuse‚ seizes the child without due process‚ and subjects the child to “treatment” that involves chemical castration and genital mutilation. Given the imbalance of power between the state and parents‚ the pendulum has swung too far in favor of the state. If ever red-state legislatures needed to reform “child welfare” laws‚ now would be a good time. The severity of a removal should be treated like a criminal proceeding in terms of evidentiary standards and due process. Krista and Todd Kolstad‚ a couple in Glasgow‚ Montana‚ accuse Montana Child and Family Services of medically kidnapping their mentally ill 14-year-old daughter and placing her in a facility giving her transgender “transitioning therapy” against the will of her legal parents. The Kolstads’ nightmare began in August 2023‚ when their daughter came home from school expressing suicidal thoughts. A visit from CFS stewarded them through a process of hospitalization at a Montana facility. Todd and Krista now accuse the hospital’s staff of purposely encouraging their daughter to embrace her mental illness and addressing her by the name of “Leo.” In September‚ CFS officials moved the girl to a facility in Wyoming and prevented her parents from seeing her. She was then returned to Montana under their auspices‚ but on January 19 a judge ruled the daughter would remain in CFS custody for six months with the goal of sending her to Canada to live with her biological mother. Stepmom Krista claims the biological mother from Todd’s first marriage had been out of the picture “for years.” These are grave accusations — and not the sort of scenario you would imagine playing out in a rural red state. If even a fraction of the Kolstads’ account is true‚ it raises serious questions about the usefulness of Montana’s executive branch. When national conservatives reacted to the story with outrage earlier this week‚ Republican Governor Greg Gianforte responded on X (formerly Twitter) that his lieutenant governor looked into the case and concluded‚ “DPHHS and the court have followed state policy and law in their handling of this tragic case.” In a later statement‚ Gianforte spokeswoman Kaitlin Price didn’t directly rebut the Koldstads’ specific allegations. Instead‚ she clarified that “broadly speaking‚ the state does not remove minors from homes to provide gender transition services or use taxpayer funds to pay for those services while a minor is in the custody of the state.” Because child removal cases are confidential‚ we are only getting one side of the story. But what we can say for sure‚ as we delve into the facts of this case‚ is that the balance of power has swung too far in favor of the state’s authority to remove children and that Gianforte has a record of weakness on this issue.Gianforte last year vetoed HB 37‚ which would have required CFS case workers to obtain a judicial warrant before removing a child‚ ensured that substance use and disorderly living conditions do not equate to physical or psychological harm‚ and required courts to schedule initial hearings more quickly. Gianforte vetoed the bill. Though it had passed with overwhelming bipartisan support‚ legislators could not muster enough votes for an override. In this era of woke and weaponized medical and education professions‚ we cannot afford a “guilty until proven innocent” standard that allows state officials to remove a child if the parents don’t subscribe to a political or social agenda. We already saw how Maine tried to allow the state to remove children if parents don’t go along with their ephemeral gender dysphoria. One of the core problems in family court is that child removal is treated like a divorce proceeding. The process is different from a criminal trial. Most parents would rather spend a few months in jail than lose a child to the authorities. So the severity of a removal should be treated like a criminal proceeding in terms of evidentiary standards and due process. To rectify this‚ we need every red state to ensure its laws accommodate the following: Require a judicial warrant before removal except in extraordinary cases; Questioning medical treatment or seeking a second opinion should not be grounds for removing a child. The parent should have the final say when it comes to medical decisions; Only a known instance of abuse or neglect can trigger an investigation or removal; A parent’s medical‚ political‚ or religious beliefs or decisions cannot be grounds for removing a child; All state agencies should be barred from supporting or fostering transgender “medical care‚” counseling‚ or the use of preferred pronouns; Impose civil penalties on anyone — public employee or private citizen — who files false claims of abuse; Require that reports to abuse hotlines include the name and address of the accuser. Additionally‚ Texas last year passed HB 730‚ which requires child protective case workers to notify parents of their right to refuse searches‚ drug tests‚ and interviews with children. That idea needs to go viral. Montana’s legislature is out of session until next year with no recourse to reform CFS. Gianforte owes conservatives a special session anyway to address skyrocketing property taxes. While ensuring that the state doesn’t confiscate land with confiscatory taxes‚ lawmakers should also convene a session to ensure the state cannot confiscate children so easily. If the government must intervene‚ let’s make sure kids don’t wind up suffering the ultimate form of physical abuse at the hands of the state.

Is Stephen A. Smith race-baiting? According to Jason Whitlock‚ that’s exactly what the ESPN host is doing. When Joel Embiid dropped 70 points in a game‚ Smith and his colleagues were glowing. When the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic dropped 73 points in a game‚ Smith claimed it was just due to poor defense and a bad opponent. The difference? A little over a week in timing and the color of the player’s skin. “This brother is phenomenal‚ arguably the best big man in the game‚” Smith told his colleagues about Embiid. “The message he sent is that he’s going for the championship. He’s not trying to mess around. He already got the league MVP.” When it came to covering Doncic‚ Smith was much less impressed. “The Atlanta Hawks‚ no wonder why y’all stink. Did you see how they played defense last night? I mean this is not Joel Embiid‚” Smith says. “What transpired last night in Atlanta was disgraceful.” While Smith doesn’t care much for Doncic’s performance‚ Whitlock doesn’t care for Smith’s. “Anybody that’s paid attention to the NBA knows that what Luca Doncic did and how the Atlanta Hawks played‚ that’s par for the course in this new NBA‚” Whitlock explains. “For Stephen A. to single out this Atlanta Hawks game and Luca Doncic‚” he continues‚ “it’s a joke.” “Stephen A.’s contradictory messages here can only be defined and described in one way accurately: racist‚” he adds. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture‚ faith‚ sports‚ and comedy with Jason Whitlock‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

The enhanced original 'It's Too Late to Stop Now' and the added three discs and DVD are a treasure trove of live in-concert gems The post Van Morrison: His Finest Live Album @ 50 appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

The Poppy Playtime series has so far consisted of short‚ snappy‚ and fairly easy horror games. Based in the Playcare Co. toy factory‚ the story revolves around a mysterious event in which countless members of staff were killed‚ but all we really learned in the first two chapters is that deadly toys have come to life seeking blood. Poppy Playtime Chapter 3‚ however‚ begins to answer our burning questions‚ even if it’s an occasionally rough ride to get there. Continue reading Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 review – a nightmare and a dream MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Horror games‚ Poppy Playtime Chapter 3 release date‚ Puzzle games

We have been watching the player count on The Finals like a hawk lately‚ and just two months after its initial release‚ we have to say it's not looking good for this FPS. Despite being free‚ the player count on the game has tanked in the last 30 days‚ with a drastic 126‚425 gamers moving on already. Continue reading This FPS may be free‚ but it’s lost 126‚000 players in the last month MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The Finals settings‚ The Finals servers‚ The Finals classes