This week‚ Vladimir Putin finally — allegedly — murdered his chief political rival and critic Alexei Navalny. Navalny’s death followed an attempt by Putin’s operatives in 2020 to kill him by poisoning; Navalny survived the attempt‚ worked with online specialists to unmask the actual agents responsible for the poisoning and then returned to Russia‚ where he was promptly arrested on trumped-up charges and sent to a Gulag in the far north. Now‚ Navalny is dead. And Putin isn’t stopping there. This week‚ the Russian government announced an arrest warrant for Navalny’s brother‚ Oleg‚ on unspecified charges; Putin’s agents likely murdered a Russia defector to the Ukrainian side‚ who was found riddled with bullets in Spain; Putin’s government arrested a Russian-American dual citizen on treason charges for giving some $50 to a group called Razom for Ukraine‚ which sends medical and hospital equipment to the beleaguered country. Meanwhile‚ Putin is stepping up his international outreach efforts. This week‚ Putin invited the terror group Hamas to Moscow to talk‚ along with fellow terrorist leaders from Islamic Jihad and the Palestinian Authority. He also received plaudits from far-left corrupt Brazilian president Lula Da Silva‚ who refused to condemn Russia for Navalny’s death but found time to accuse Israel of perpetrating a new Holocaust in the Gaza Strip. And‚ of course‚ last week he hosted Tucker Carlson for an interview‚ in which he laid out his historic grievances against NATO and Ukraine; Carlson then followed suit by issuing a series of videos praising Russian metro stations and supermarkets‚ claiming that Russian food prices should “radicalize” Americans into despising their leaders. Putin feels unbound. And he should. Joe Biden is a weak leader with no centralizing principles. He has slow-walked aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the war; he has insisted on continued funding for the war while refusing to articulate what an end to the war would look like; he has refused to even justify the war to Americans beyond simply repeating the word “democracy” over and over — empty rhetoric that no longer tugs at the heartstrings in a complex world where the U.S. has non-democratic allies of its own. Biden refuses to take serious action on the southern border in order to achieve the Ukraine aid package he insists he desires; he even refuses to negotiate with the speaker of the House‚ Mike Johnson‚ on the issue. He seems to prefer tearing into Republicans for their insufficient zeal in funding Ukraine. All of this focus on Republicans allows Biden to elide the split in his own party — a split between Wilsonian interventionists and Noam Chomsky anti-Americans‚ who believe the United States to be a malevolent force in the world. Meanwhile‚ Republicans are split‚ too. There are essentially four camps into which the Republican Party has split: neo-conservative interventionists‚ a remaining rump from the Bush years‚ who have historically supported nation-building efforts in far-flung regions with the goal of cultivating democratic allies even in inhospitable places; realpolitik devotees‚ who seek to assess each foreign conflict and all foreign aid with an eye toward hard American interests‚ ranging from the economic to the military; isolationists‚ who oppose all American interventions‚ both economic and military‚ on principle‚ believing that foreign policy generally represents a betrayal of priorities closer to home; and anti-Americans‚ who meet with the Chomsky-ite left in a perfect example of horseshoe theory made real. Putin sees all of these splits. He sees the fact that Americans are distracted by domestic concerns‚ pried apart by competing narratives of the country‚ at each others’ throats over everything from the definition of sex to the role of the government in everyday life — and split even on the question of whether America is a force for good or ill in the world. Vladimir Lenin once supposedly said‚ “Probe with bayonets. If you find mush‚ you push. If you find steel‚ you withdraw.” Putin is probing. And he’s finding nothing but mush. Ben Shapiro‚ 39‚ is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School‚ host of “The Ben Shapiro Show‚” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is “The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.” To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists‚ visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

President Joe Biden made a point Friday of trying to get an Abraham Lincoln quote right when addressing members of the National Governors Association at the White House. Despite his best efforts and having the notes at his fingertips‚ the 81-year-old Democrat bungled his reference to the Republican president's first inaugural address‚ once again providing fodder to those critical of his advanced age. Governors from over 40 states and territories joined Biden‚ Vice President Kamala Harris‚ and various cabinet members Friday for the NGA Winter Meeting. The NGA indicated that those assembled discussed possible bipartisan solutions to some of the various issues now confronting the American people‚ including housing affordability‚ AI risks‚ and disaster response. After kicking off his brief remarks with an ethnic jibe‚ suggesting‚ "I may be the only Irishman you ever met that's never had a drink‚" Biden noted the portrait of President Abraham Lincoln looming behind him. "You know‚ standing here in front of this portrait of the man behind me here‚ he — he said — and I want to make sure I get the quote exactly right‚" said Biden. "He said‚ ''The better angel.' He said‚ 'We must address the counsel — and adjust the better angels of our nature.'" "And we do well to remember what else he said‚" continued Biden. "He said‚ 'We're not enemies‚ but we're friends.' This is the middle of‚ in the part of the Civil War. He said‚ 'We're not enemies‚ we're friends. We must not be enemies.'" Contrary to Biden's suggestion‚ Lincoln issued his first inaugural address prior to the Civil War on March 4‚ 1861‚ stating‚ "We are not enemies‚ but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained‚ it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory‚ stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land‚ will yet swell the chorus of the Union‚ when again touched‚ as surely they will be‚ by the better angels of our nature." After struggling with the quote‚ Biden quipped about his advanced age‚ saying‚ "Folks‚ I've been around‚ I know I don't look it‚ I've been around a long while." Biden went on to bemoan the bitterness of politics‚ claiming that "politics has gotten too personally [sic]." Just days earlier‚ the Democratic president indicated that he prefers his segregationist mentors to present-day House Republicans whom he stressed are worse than "real racists." Biden completely malfunctions as he tries \u2014 and fails miserably \u2014 to read a quote from "the man behind me here" — (@) Unable to turn back time‚ Biden and his campaign have repeatedly appealed to humor in hopes of defusing concerns about his advanced age. Those concerns have not‚ however‚ gone away. A Quinnipiac University poll revealed last week that 67% of likely voters think Biden is too old to effectively serve another term as president. By way of contrast‚ 57% of voters said that former President Donald Trump‚ only four years Biden's junior‚ is not too old to effectively serve again as president. If re-elected‚ Biden would start his second term at the age of 82 and conclude his term at the age of 86 — roughly twelve years higher than the average life expectancy for the American man. 62% of voters told Quinnipiac that Biden lacks the necessary physical fitness; 64% said the Democratic president lacks the mental acuity. Blaze News previously reported that Biden will not take a cognitive test as part of his upcoming annual physical. Between the new polling numbers and Biden's latest gaffe‚ Democrats appear keen to once again paint a happy picture. California Gov. Gavin Newsom‚ 56‚ told NBC News' "Meet the Press" on Sunday that Biden's advanced age is an asset. After suggesting Biden's first three years in office were a "master class‚" Newsom claimed that "it is because of his age that he's been so successful." Newsom further credited "the wisdom and the character" that Biden has developed over his many decades in politics for the various policies Democrats have been able to drive through in Washington since 2021. The California governor was not the only Democrat to defend Biden in the face of concerns over his age in recent days. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre blasted the New York Times Wednesday for daring to ask questions about Biden's mental and physical fitness. During a press gaggle aboard Air Force One on Wednesday‚ Jean-Pierre quoted a leftist blogger's sense that "'the Times and other major media outlets ought to look in the mirror.'" Quoting Margaret Sullivan's Substack post further‚ Jean-Pierre added‚ "'Self-scrutiny and course correction are not among big media's core strengths.'" Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

There is reportedly a loophole in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that allows Texas students with non-citizen parents to apply for financial aid to colleges and universities before the March deadline‚ according to the New York Post.The issue has lingered since the latest version of the online federal financial aid form was first made available in December. Parents who did not have a Social Security number would not have been able to add their financial information to complete the form. However‚ that has changed. The U.S. Department of Education has made a temporary way for students to fill out the financial aid application without a parent's signature. The report noted that the students who do this will be notified via email that their FAFSA form was completed. They will be able to send out their applications to colleges and universities before the deadline hits.KSAT reported that students who decide to go this route will need to insert the missing information after the loophole is closed‚ which the Department of Education said would happen before March 15. The report mentioned that it will be critical for students to get their parent's signatures‚ as their applications will be rejected if they do not do so. The Department of Education also noted that students who do not have pressing deadlines can wait until the form is officially fixed before filling it out. College counselors are reportedly checking each student's situation before recommending whether they should wait or go ahead and fill out the form.The New York Post reported that Every Texan — a left-leaning think tank — has estimated that one in four children in Texas has at least one parent who is not a legal citizen of the U.S. And those parents often do not have Social Security numbers.The FAFSA is generally considered the best option for around 1.6 million Texan college students to access government funding for college or university study.The federal government's decision to roll out the temporary loophole marks the first time the Department of Education has acknowledged the glitch and its potential impact on immigrant households. However‚ some immigration advocates have suggested that the process is confusing.It is not clear how many Texas families will take advantage of the temporary loophole. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A frustrated mother decided to take action after her 3-year-old daughter came home from school and complained that her teacher made comments about how she ate her lunch‚ according to the New York Post.Caroline — who posts on TikTok under the username @pezzi.shop — posted to the social media platform about her how 3-year-old daughter came home and said that her teacher told her to eat the "good" parts of her lunch before the "bad" parts.The "good" parts of the girl's food were apparently a sandwich and cucumbers‚ and the "bad" part was the cookie Caroline packed for her daughter. The mother went on to say that the teacher's comments go against what she has tried to teach her child about food neutrality‚ suggesting that there are no "good" or "bad" foods. @pezzi.shop Here’s the story: My three-year-old came home from school yesterday‚ telling me that her teacher told her that she had to eat all of her “good” foods before she ate her “bad” foods. She couldn’t have her cookie before eating her sandwich and cucumbers. In this moment‚ I felt a little frustrated by the antiquated instruction from the teacher‚ but I responded saying‚ “Well that’s silly. There are no good foods or bad foods. Food is just food!“ I will say‚ this was not my internal dialogue growing up‚ but because of the information that I have from so many great accounts created by moms and experts‚ in the field of childhood and nutrition‚ I am armed with better responses‚ knowledge and practices for my kids. Three years old. At three years old someone has told her that foods are good or bad. I am so proud that she had sensed something was off - to know that was not right enough to tell me about it. We talk about it all the time at home… If you only eat carrots or broccoli your body won’t have protein it needs to grow strong muscles. If you only eat chicken‚ your body won’t have enough energy to do things like run and play all day long. We need little bits of everything to make sure that we are able to learn and play and grow all day long. So to the accounts that make sure we have the words‚ knowledge and confidence to write the note and practice it at home‚ I thank you‚ thank you‚ thank you. It has changed our family for the better. What you do and what you share is so important to young families. #kidsnutrition #kidseatincolor #solidstarts #kidfood #babyledweaning toddlers moms babies family @Jennifer Anderson‚ MSPH RD @Feeding Littles @Kacie Barnes‚ MCN‚ RDN @Food Science Babe In the description of the video‚ Caroline wrote: "In this moment‚ I felt a little frustrated by the antiquated instruction from the teacher‚ but I responded saying‚ ‘Well that’s silly. There are no good foods or bad foods. Food is just food.'"The mother decided that the best way to address the issue was to leave a letter in her daughter's lunchbox for the teacher‚ which read: "Hi! Evelyn has permission to eat lunch in any order she chooses. None of her foods are 'good' or 'bad' — they are just food!"However‚ some TikTokers thought the mother was being passive-aggressive with the note. One user responded: "I’m sure the teacher wasn’t trying to be cruel … maybe you could have talked to the teacher instead of a passive aggressive note on your three-year-old’s lunch."A second user commented: “As a teacher‚ your response is 100 per cent right. The narrative of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food can actually encourage harmful eating habits to develop.”Another user suggested that what the teacher said was "way too controlling. No one should tell anyone in what order to eat their food. That’s their meal to enjoy."Caroline went on to say that the idea of food being neutral — neither "good" nor "bad" — is something she realized after she was an adult. And learning this has allowed her to make more informed choices about her own daughter. Another user seemed to agree with Caroline‚ writing‚ “As long as my daughter is full enough to concentrate I don’t care what part of her lunch she eats first. It’s usually mostly fruit and deli turkey anyway … but she could start with Oreos for all I care.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

We got a new portal that has some serious improvements over the ones you find on other ghost hunting equipment sites. Check it out after the jump! Introducing The Merle Portal MerlePortal ITC Device Description The MerlePortal is a portal‚ which means you connect a spirit box‚ and the portal cleans up the static and amplifies the voices you hear. These are common ghost-hunting devices that you’ve seen on ghost hunting TV shows like Paranormal Lockdown and Portals To Hell. In this case‚ it comes with upgraded noise-cancelling switch as well as a better reverb unit. These components make sure the voices it captures sound crisp and clear: There’s no guessing what was said. Mike Merle‚ the engineer‚ made it for Our Haunted Heritage‚ the documentary part of Ghostly Activities. He’s made other ghost hunting gadgets like a REM pod and spirit box. I’m excited to use this new ITC device for our upcoming ghost hunt at a ghost town in Oregon this April. The post NEW Custom-Made Portal For April Ghost Hunt appeared first on Ghostly Activities.

Pro-Palestine 'Death Cult' CELEBRATES US Airmen Aaron Bushnell's Suicide After He Succumbs to Injuries

After tvOS 17.4 hinted that a HomePod with a screen could have its release date revealed sooner‚ Bloomberg's journalist Mark Gurman says this device won't be released "until 2025 at the earliest‚" meaning this upcoming operating system update for Apple TV only shows that Cupertino has something being cooked up for the long run. Gurman was the first to report that Apple was working on a HomePod with a screen‚ as the company has been planning to combine the Apple TV‚ FaceTime‚ and HomePod in one system. The journalist says Cupertino wants to create a "HomePod with a screen that swivels like a robotic arm." The release date of this HomePod with an iPad-like display is unclear‚ but a version that could be magnetically attached to a wall was also possible. Still‚ Bloomberg's journalist believes that Apple hasn't made enough advance to consider the release date of a HomePod with a screen imminent. Gurman's sources tell him that Apple "continues to pursue this idea and has begun early work on it with overseas suppliers‚ including China’s BYD‚ which makes some iPad models." That said‚ at the earliest‚ a product launch wouldn't come until 2025. Apple could build the perfect Amazon Echo Show competitor with a HomePod with a screen. Image source: Amazon Image source: Amazon Interestingly‚ in 2023‚ analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was readying a HomePod with a screen for the first half of 2024. The analyst believed it could feature a 7-inch display with Tianma manufacturing it. “The HomePod‚ which equips a panel‚ could enable tighter integration with Apple’s other hardware products‚ marking a significant shift in the company’s smart home strategy‚” Kuo wrote. In addition‚ X leaker KosutamiSan has posted a new HomePod prototype with a circular display several times. Unlike reports from Gurman and Kuo‚ Kosutami shows that Apple could be planning to modify the current display that only shows waves with a proper screen that adds information. However‚ that seems like a different product. Wrap up While the ultimate goal would be for Apple to expand its HomePod lineup with more than small and bigger versions‚ I feel like a HomePod with a circular display could be a nice addition. However‚ a HomePod with an iPad-like screen could be the ultimate combo. Imagine creating perfect recipes in the kitchen by watching a video on this product‚ talking to someone over FaceTime‚ or even watching your favorite video clip with better audio than on your iPhone. This device could also be handy for controlling your home‚ such as seeing who’s in your front door‚ controlling the thermostat‚ performing automation‚ etc. Lastly‚ this HomePod with a screen could complement the sound experience with a pair of other HomePod models. BGR will keep following the latest reports about this product. Don't Miss: There’s only one way Apple could make the perfect HomePod with a screen The post Apple’s first HomePod with a screen is launching in 2025‚ but I want it now appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals This $16 clip-on lens kit fits the iPhone or any Android phone‚ and it’s awesome Amazon deal offers a 7-inch Android tablet for under $43 Save 61% on a 6-port USB rapid charger on Amazon Save 75% on a Canon black and white multifunction laser printer on Amazon

A former FBI informant charged with fabricating a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden's family will appear in a California federal court on Monday as a judge considers whether he must remain behind bars while he awaits trial.

Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap at the time of his death‚ a close ally said on Monday‚ repeating an allegation by his family and supporters that President Vladimir Putin had him killed.

The Supreme Court is taking up challenges to state laws Monday that could affect how Facebook‚ TikTok‚ X and other social media platforms regulate content posted by their users.