Cat litter is a necessity for those who live with feline companions. However‚ the litter box is not the only thing that kitty litter is good for. There happen to be several different ways that it can be used around the house (and outdoors) to enhance your own quality of life in one way or another. Here are interesting cat litter hacks that you should know. The 13 Secret Uses for Cat Litter 1. Freshen Your Shoes Just like kitty litter helps keep the litter box fresh‚ it can freshen up your shoes. The litter absorbs moisture and helps remove odors that are less than pleasant to the nose. To freshen your shoes‚ grab a knee-high nylon‚ or cut a foot off an old pair of pantyhose. Then‚ fill the nylon with about 1 cup of cat litter‚ and tie the end to keep the litter from falling out. Once you have created two “shoe inserts‚” place one in each shoe that you want to freshen up. Leave the litter in the shoes overnight‚ and you should be left with dry shoes that don’t offend the nose when they’re being put on or taken off. Image Credit: AJSTUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY‚ Shutterstock 2. Keep Pests Away While the smell of kitty litter does not generally offend people or household pets‚ it does deter pests like mice and moles. They hate both the texture and smell of kitty litter‚ so it can be used to keep them out of your home. Just pour litter into the tunnels and holes that mice and moles use. Lay down a large amount of litter along the walls in the basement too. This should help ensure that these pests do not take up permanent residence indoors. 3. Save Your Smartphone You have probably heard that submerging a smartphone in rice after it’s been dropped in water can help dry out the insides so it will work again. The process seems to work well for many people! It turns out that cat litter can be even more effective at soaking up moisture that has infiltrated a smartphone. To save your mobile after it’s been submerged in water‚ protect it with an old sock (so litter won’t get inside of it)‚ and then place the sock in a bag of kitty litter. Leave the phone in there for at least 2 days. Once it seems that all the moisture has been absorbed‚ turn it on and test it. Image Credit: Nitiphonphat‚ Shutterstock 4. Give New Life to Used Items Old clothes‚ books‚ stuffed animals‚ and other items can get musty after being stored in the garage or a self-storage unit. It can be tough to sell these things at a garage sale or resale store. Luckily‚ you can freshen up those old things and prepare them for sale with the help of kitty litter. To do so‚ fill the bottom of a large plastic storage bin with kitty litter (at least 2 inches worth)‚ and place the items that you want to freshen up in a single layer on top of the litter. Put the lid on the storage bin‚ and leave everything inside for at least 24 hours. Everything should smell fresh and new when you take it out of the bin afterward. 5. Maintain Seasonal Items You can use kitty litter to keep your seasonal clothes and accessories fresh throughout the year so you don’t have to wash or replace them when you’re ready to use them again. This is made possible by creating “kitty litter sachets.” Just put about 1 cup of cat litter in an old sock‚ then tie the end‚ and you’ve got yourself a sachet. Place one or two sachets in with the tents‚ the packed winter sweaters‚ the coolers‚ and the suitcases full of bathing suits. Image Credit: Larysa Dubinska‚ Shutterstock 6. Safely Dispose of Unused Paint It’s not safe—and often‚ not legal—to pour unused paint onto the ground or down the drain. You cannot throw unused paint away as-is because it can leak and become a hazard. Fortunately‚ you can turn your unused paint into solid waste by mixing it with cat litter. Stir a handful or two of litter into the paint‚ and let it sit uncovered overnight until all the liquid is absorbed‚ adding more litter as necessary throughout the day. At this point‚ you can either throw it away or recycle it‚ depending on your county guidelines. 7. Keep Your Trash Cans Fresh Easily keep your home’s trash cans smelling fresh by sprinkling a small amount of cat litter (a couple of tablespoons should do the trick) onto the bottom of each can. You can put a garbage bag right over it and leave the litter in the bottom for several changes before it should be replaced. Image Credit: Ysbrand Cosijn_Shutterstock 8. Soak Up Nasty Spills Kitty litter is good for getting rid of nasty spills that are almost impossible to clean up with soap and water‚ like oil and grease spills. About 10 pounds of cat litter can sop up 1 gallon of spilled liquid! The fresher the spill‚ the better the kitty litter will work. Just sprinkle a generous amount of your preferred litter on the spill‚ and let it soak up everything for a few hours. Then‚ just clean up the litter. 9. Get Your Vehicle Unstuck If you’re extremely lucky‚ you’ve never been stuck in mud‚ ice‚ or snow while trying to travel in your vehicle. Unfortunately‚ many people have‚ and if they didn’t know about this cat litter trick‚ the experience would be awful. Cat litter is an awesome way to create traction for tires so they can get out of “sticky” situations. So‚ if you know that you’ll be driving in the snow after everything has iced over or in muddy conditions‚ it’s a good idea to keep a bag of kitty litter in the trunk of your vehicle. If you get stuck‚ just put a handful or two of litter under the stuck tire(s)‚ and you should be able to work your way out and get back on the road in no time. Image Credit: fotolyubitel‚ Shutterstock 10. Keep Gardening Soil Moist When the soil in your garden stays moist‚ you don’t have to water it as often. The drier the soil‚ the more often the garden must be watered. Whether you maintain an in-ground or potted garden and whether you manage flower or food plants‚ you can utilize cat litter to help keep the soil moist between waterings. For this to work‚ the litter must be clump-free. Otherwise‚ it will inhibit the ability of water to permeate the soil. Just toss equal parts clay cat litter and gardening soil together to create your base. You can fill new pots and gardens with the mixture‚ or start incorporating it into an already established garden before each planting cycle until you achieve an approximate 50/50 soil mixture. 11. Use It for Crafts Cat litter is the perfect filler for craft projects because it’s cost-effective and holds up well. You can use clay kitty litter to fill the bottoms of vases before putting flowers in them to reduce the chance of the vase falling over. You can refill a stuffed toy or fill up a child’s bean bag with natural litter. You can even use litter as a sand alternative for projects like a boat in a bottle or a Zen garden. The options are only limited to your imagination! Image Credit: Op pakpian‚ Shutterstock 12. Reduce Ashtray Odor If you have ashtrays around the house‚ you know just how stinky they can be. They can also be offensive to visitors who don’t use ashtrays themselves. You can cut down on odors by simply placing a thin layer of cat litter on the base of the ashtray. The litter will absorb odors as the ashtrays are being used and long afterward to help keep your house smelling fresher overall. 13. Fill In Small Holes Whether your gravel driveway is developing small holes or you notice divots in your beautifully manicured backyard‚ you can economically fix the problems by filling them in natural clay cat litter. If you are filling in holes and divots in a part of the yard that is not frequented by people often‚ you can even unload used kitty litter to fill in said inconsistencies. Cat litter is a great filler for areas that are uneven before they are seeded with new grass. Image Credit: Kristi Blokhin‚ Shutterstock Conclusion There are so many great uses for kitty litter other than being a filler for cat restrooms. It’s a good idea to stock up on kitty litter‚ whether you own a cat or not‚ when you see it on sale. You never know when you are going to need it! Featured Image Credit: Seika Chujo‚ Shutterstock The post 13 Secret Uses for Cat Litter: Thinking Outside the Box appeared first on Pet Keen.

A poll manager in Ohio has been "removed" from his position after he was caught on camera bringing dozens of blank provisional ballots into a bar and then leaving them unattended.On March 18‚ the day before Ohio held its 2024 primary election‚ former area law director Mark Provenza and an unidentified male walked into the MAHD House Bar and Grille in Elyria‚ Ohio‚ about 30 miles west of Cleveland. The unidentified male was carrying several large‚ colorful bags that he then placed in a booth. After doing so‚ he shook Provenza's hand and walked back out of the establishment‚ leaving the bags in Provenza's care.Provenza then ordered a beer and some lunch and waited for his rideshare vehicle. At one point during his visit to the bar‚ Provenza walked away from the table‚ leaving the bags unattended. After he returned‚ he placed the large bags inside garbage bags. He then walked out of the bar and climbed into a rideshare car‚ video footage from inside and outside the bar showed. Under normal circumstances‚ Provenza's actions that day would be unremarkable. However‚ James Tucker‚ who owns MAHD House‚ claimed he became "nervous" when he noticed the label on the outside of one of Provenza's bags."After he ordered his dinner‚ he went over and started stuffing these bags‚ which we could see in them‚" Tucker said on a recent podcast. "They said 'ballot' on it‚ and I’m like‚ 'That don’t look right.'""It says right on the side of it that it’s ballots‚" Tucker continued. "We’re right across the street from the Lorain County Board of Elections. I’ve been here seven years — ain’t never seen nobody bring no ballot bags in." Screenshot of 19 News YouTube videoMultiple officials later confirmed to WJW that the man on the video is Provenza‚ who managed the polling station at Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church on a voluntary basis. Director of Lorain County Board of Elections Paul Adams‚ a Democrat‚ claimed that Provenza has since lost his job."That person is no longer in that role and has been replaced and been removed from his position‚" Adams stated.Adams also claimed that Provenza had been working as a polling volunteer "for a handful of years" and "certainly" should have known "better than to do something of this nature."The county board of elections and the sheriff's office as well as the Ohio secretary of state opened investigations into the incident. According to reports‚ all 40 or so provisional ballots in Provenza's bags that day were later found unmolested. "The seals were intact‚" said Lorain County Sheriff’s Capt. Robert Vansant. "Nothing was tampered with. Nothing was missing.""A team of Democrats and Republicans can look at those seals‚ make sure that none of them were open‚ and confirm that all the seal numbers are the proper seal numbers‚" BOE Director Adams added.Vansant said that investigators have not yet seen evidence of any criminal activity‚ but the case has still been handed over to local prosecutors as a precaution. "We always want all cases to be reviewed by a prosecutor just to get a second set of eyes on it‚" he said. "More of a checks and balances to have them look at it."According to reports‚ Provenza acknowledged that he left the ballots briefly unattended but claimed they always remained in his line of vision. He also explained that he put the bags into garbage bags to protect the ballots from the weather. He did not respond to WJW's request for comment.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Biden declaring Easter “Trans Day of Visibility” probably just sank his already sinking ship. The inevitable outrage that ensued was instant and furious. One conservative commentator who paused his Easter celebrations to rip into Biden’s blasphemous remarks was Patrick Bet-David. “The White House chose to celebrate transgenders – the 0.1% of America‚” Bet ranted‚ adding that Easter is a day for “celebrating resurrection.” “The level of disgrace that this brings to us as a country and to the rest of the world that our president wrote this and announced this yesterday … is a spit in the face to many Christians around the nation.” “You shouldn't be okay with this‚ and you ought to stand up for yourself and realize that this is not acceptable. It's time for Christians to stop being so tolerant with this type of behavior‚” Bet-David continued‚ noting that “this isn't a left‚ right‚ [or] center thing” but rather a “Christian” thing. “If you're a Christian and your life – God – comes before your political party‚ you ought to stand up. If your political party comes before your faith‚ don't do anything about it. You decide what you value more – how you vote or how you pray.” “If we get those orders right‚ the future looks bright‚ but if we stop fearing God and no longer want the favor of God‚ the future doesn't look as bright‚” he concluded. Dave Rubin applauds his friend’s words. “Karl Popper's paradox of tolerance” claims that “if you are tolerant of intolerance‚ then eventually that intolerance will eat you‚” he says. “That is what the woke did to the liberals. The liberals were all tolerant‚ and tolerance is good until a point – but the liberals could not figure out what that point was. Thus now the Democrat Party has burst forth in all of this insanity.” But Bet-David’s second point is what Dave finds most important. “We have God-given rights; that's what the founders intended‚” says Dave. “Now you may be an atheist or purely secular … so if you don't want to call them God-given‚ then they're innately human [rights] ... but the point is‚ the government did not give us these rights‚ meaning if the government fell tomorrow … you don't lose your rights. The government is set up to protect your rights.” To watch Patrick Bet-David’s social media video and hear more of Dave’s commentary‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations‚ free speech‚ and big ideas with Dave Rubin‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A federal judge issued Hunter Biden a decisive legal defeat on Monday.Earlier this year‚ Hunter's attorneys filed eight motions to dismiss criminal tax charges against him. Among other reasons‚ they argued the nine-count indictment should be tossed because:Hunter has immunity stemming from a pretrial diversion agreement that was part of a controversial plea deal that eventually fell through last summer;Special counsel David Weiss was unlawfully appointed and his appointment violates the Appropriations Clause;Hunter is the victim of selective and vindictive prosecution;Hunter has suffered due process violations because of "outrageous government conduct." But United States District Judge Mark Scarsi bought none of Hunter's arguments.In an extensive 82-page ruling that was handed down weeks before his self-imposed deadline of April 17‚ Judge Scarsi decimated each argument that Hunter's attorneys made in their motions to dismiss.1. ImmunityLeaning on standard interpretive rules for contracts‚ Scarsi determined that Biden's pretrial diversion agreement is not in effect‚ and thus Hunter does not have immunity."Having found that the Diversion Agreement is a contract that binds the parties but that the parties made the Probation Officer’s signature a condition precedent to its performance‚ the Court turns to Defendant’s theory of immunity: that the United States’ obligation to refrain from prosecuting Defendant ... is currently in force. It is not‚" Scarsi ruled.2. Weiss' appointmentScarsi found that Hunter's argument regarding Weiss' appointment — and specifically his appointment as a special counsel — "clearly places form over substance." That's because Hunter's attorneys conceded multiple times in their filings that Attorney General Merrick Garland has the statutory authority "to appoint a prosecutor.""Following Defendant’s logic‚ the Attorney General could have appointed Mr. Weiss 'Designated Counsel' pursuant to the Attorney General’s statutory authority and the issue Defendant complains of would disappear. That the Attorney General used the term 'Special Counsel' instead of some other term similarly indicative of an independent counsel is a distinction without a difference‚" Scarsi explained.Moreover‚ Scarsi determined that "Weiss is lawfully funded through the indefinite appropriation‚ and the Appropriations Clause has not been violated."3. Selective and vindictive prosecutionScarsi not only ruled against Hunter‚ but the judge scolded Hunter's argument and evidence — or lack thereof."As the Court stated at the hearing‚ Defendant filed his motion without any evidence‚" Scarsi wrote."The motion is remarkable in that it fails to include a single declaration‚ exhibit‚ or request for judicial notice. Instead‚ Defendant cites portions of various Internet news sources‚ social media posts‚ and legal blogs. These citations‚ however‚ are not evidence‚" he continued. "To that end‚ the Court may deny the motion without further discussion."Still‚ Scarsi gave Hunter's argument some discussion.The evidence Hunter's attorneys provided to support their allegations are "only conjecture‚" Scarsi said. And even then‚ the judge found those circumstantial allegations to be "thin" — at best.4. Due process violationsHunter's attorneys argued that Hunter's due process rights were violated by the actions of the two IRS whistleblowers‚ claiming they leaked confidential information about Hunter's taxes.Not only did Scarsi disagree‚ but he explained that it would not be appropriate for the court to exercise its "supervisory powers" on the motion."Aside from failing to substantiate his allegations that the agents influenced the prosecutorial decision with anything but speculation‚ Defendant offers no case in which a court exercised supervisory powers to dismiss an indictment due to conduct that impacts the fundamental decision to prosecute‚" Scarsi wrote."Defendant offers no facts to suggest that the information Shapley and Ziegler shared publicly had any prejudicial effect on the grand jury’s decision to return an indictment‚" he explained. "That Shapley and Ziegler’s public statements brought notoriety to Defendant’s case is not enough to show prejudice."What's next?Abbe Lowell‚ Hunter's lead attorney‚ suggested in a statement on Monday that Hunter may appeal Scarsi's ruling."We strongly disagree with the Court’s decision and will continue to vigorously pursue Mr. Biden’s challenges to the abnormal way the Special Counsel handled this investigation and charged this case‚" Lowell said.Unless Scarsi's ruling is overturned‚ Monday's decision means the first son is headed to trial‚ which is scheduled to begin on June 20.Meanwhile‚ U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika has not yet ruled on Hunter's motions to dismiss his federal gun crimes. Many of his arguments in that case mirror those that Scarsi rejected. If Noreika takes the same views as Scarsi‚ Hunter will begin trial for that case on June 3.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Oregon's Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek ratified legislation Monday re-criminalizing the possession of small amounts of drugs‚ bringing a fatal leftist experiment to an end. Narco state In 2020‚ radicals in the Beaver State figured that the best way to tackle addiction and perceived "systems of oppression" would be to enable addicts to openly carry illicit drugs such as heroin‚ cocaine‚ and methamphetamin without legal consequence. This decriminalization initiative took on the form of Measure 110‚ which reclassified possession of a controlled substance in Schedule I-IV from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E violation. The Democratic Party of Oregon‚ Multnomah Democrats‚ several medical unions‚ the ACLU of Oregon‚ NAACP Portland‚ NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon‚ and various other leftist outfits championed the measure. The Oregon Association Chiefs of Police‚ various recovery groups‚ the Oregon Catholic Conference‚ and the Washington County Republican Party were among those who understood the decriminalization scheme was a recipe for disaster‚ reported Ballotpedia. Naomi Schaefer Riley‚ a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute‚ warned that "such measures lower the risk and the cost of doing business for drug dealers and increase the supply of these drugs on streets across the country. Drugs will be cheaper and easier to get for adults already suffering from untreated mental illness‚ poverty or abuse. And the effects will be felt most severely by children." Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton underscored‚ "This is a terrible idea. It's disconnected to what's best for Oregonians. It will lead to increased crime and increased drug use." Measure 110 went to a vote in November 2020 and 58.5% of voters indicated they were on board. Kassandra Frederique‚ the executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance‚ touted the result as a "paradigm-shifting win and arguably the biggest blow to the war on drugs to date‚" adding‚ "Oregon showed the world that a more humane‚ compassionate approach is possible." The law took effect in February 2021. Fatal failure It turns out normalizing the use of hard drugs was indeed "a terrible idea." After all‚ earlier this year‚ Gov. Kotek‚ Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler‚ and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson each declared a 90-day state of emergency to address the out-of-control overdoses in the state. Newsweek reported that between 2020 and 2022‚ overdose deaths in Oregon skyrocketed by 75%. By way of comparison‚ overdose death increased by only 18% nationally during the same two-year stretch. Opioid overdoses in the Beaver State during this period increased by 101% and meth-involved overdoses increased by 112%. Violent crime increased by 17% after Measure 110 passed‚ while public drug use and homeless camps full of junkies became ubiquitous. Portland remains one of America's seedier cities‚ ranking 1 on Neighborhood Scout's crime index where 100 is safest. To make matters worse‚ as drugs were freely flowing through the streets of Oregon and crime was on the rise‚ the state also saw one of the largest increases in homelessness in the nation. The Oregonian reported that between 2020 and 2022‚ the state saw an increase in its homeless population from 3‚304 homeless persons to roughly 18‚000. The public quickly soured on the decriminalization scheme‚ with even radicals like Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland seeking some return to sanity. Correcting a 'huge mistake' Kotek ratified House Bill 4002 on Monday‚ effectively reversing Measure 110. Under the law‚ which had bipartisan support‚ a court can lock up an individual found in possession of illegal drugs for up to 180 days or sentence them to 18 months of probation. Jail sentences can be reduced "for any day the defendant is on release to a treatment program or previously served in-custody." The law‚ which prevents courts from imposing fines or fees for a drug possession conviction‚ won't go into effect until Sept. 1. The Statesman Journal reported that during testimony at the state legislature‚ the Oregon Public Defense Commission indicated it would have to hire 39 new full-time public defenders just to accommodate the glut of incoming suspects charged for drug offenses under the bill. "We must acknowledge that Oregon's number of unrepresented persons will likely increase due to House Bill 4002‚" Kotek wrote in a letter to the speaker of the state House and the president of the state Senate. While critical of Measure 110 and its fallout‚ Wheeler still appears unwilling to condemn the idea animating the decriminalization movement‚ telling the New York Times that "the state botched the implementation. ... To decriminalize the use of drugs before you actually had the treatment services in place was obviously a huge mistake." "The truth is that addiction rates and overdose rates skyrocketed. I personally do not attribute all of that to the passage of Measure 110‚" added Wheeler. "It was very easy for the public to draw a line between the passage of Measure 110‚ the decriminalization of hard drugs‚ the increase in addiction and the increase in overdoses — and criminal activity associated with drugs." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An Alaska Airlines flight that was on its way from Hawaii to Alaska turned around after a bathroom on the flight flooded the aisles of the Boeing 737 Max 9 jet with water‚ according to Alaska News Source. The incident is the most recent in a slew of issues with Boeing flights over the last few months.The flight from Honolulu to Anchorage departed after 10:00 p.m. Friday night and was in the air for just 90 minutes when the front bathroom suddenly began to malfunction‚ ultimately leading to flooding in the aisle of the aircraft.Instead of continuing the six-hour flight to Alaska‚ the captain of Alaska Airlines flight 828 decided to turn back to Hawaii to have the problem resolved. Footage of the incident was posted to YouTube‚ where flight attendants can be seen trying to soak up as much water as possible with paper towels and blankets. Dustin Parker — a passenger on the flight — said that "there was probably two to four inches of standing water that swooshed out as soon as you opened that front door of the lavatory.""I would say an hour and a half into the flight is when we noticed the water and it was significant. The entire floorboards of that airplane were completely wet."The issue is believed to have originated from the bathroom sink‚ not the toilet‚ according to the Daily Mail. A flight map revealed that the flight was in the air for almost two-and-a-half hours before safely landing back in Hawaii at 12:30 a.m.Reports stated that the passengers were rebooked on other flights because there was no other plane at the airport to take them back to Anchorage.The airline said the following in a statement: "We apologize to our guests for the inconvenience this caused and commend the crew for their actions to ensure the well-being and comfort of our guests."Alaska Airlines made headlines at the beginning of the year after a door plug blew out on a Boeing 737 Max 9 — the same model of plane that the flooding occurred in. The Department of Justice opened an investigation into Boeing following the door issue.Boeing has been at the center of scandals over the past few years‚ including the mysterious death of John Barnett‚ who was in the process of giving testimony about quality checks for Boeing's aircraft earlier this year. While Barnett's death has been ruled a suicide‚ some are skeptical of this conclusion.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A 22-year-old from New Jersey was found dead in his fraternity house at Bucknell University‚ just weeks before he was set to graduate with a major in political science‚ according to the New York Post.Christian Samay — from Mountain Lakes‚ New Jersey — was reportedly pronounced dead at 1:50 p.m. Saturday at his Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house. While the cause of death has not been made public‚ the authorities were sure to confirm that Samay's death did not have anything to do with the active shooter alert and campus lockdown Friday night.College President John Bravman published a statement following the revelation of Samay's death‚ writing: “This is an unspeakable loss for the Bucknell community‚ and our hearts go out to Christian’s family and friends."“I wish to note that his death was unrelated to last night’s active shooter alert and campus lockdown and that the circumstances are not suspicious‚” he wrote. “I call upon all Bucknellians to support each other in this difficult time‚ and to keep Christian’s family in your prayers.”PennLive.com reported that Union County Coroner Dominick Adamo said the investigation into the nature of Samay's death is still ongoing and that an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.“Please know that the safety and security of our students are our utmost priorities‚” Bravman wrote to college community members.“I want to reassure you that we are taking every step possible to support our students during this difficult time. Counseling services are available for any student who may need support‚ and our staff and faculty are here to provide guidance and assistance as needed‚” he continued.Reports stated that an alert was issued around 1:47 p.m. on Saturday concerning an investigation at 78 University Avenue‚ which is the address of Samay's fraternity house. The school has not yet provided details about where Samay's body was found in the house or how officials believe he died.Amaya Becker‚ who is a student at the college‚ posted to Facebook: “Our student body is really shaken from the last 24 hours. Nothing is currently set in stone‚ but the students are currently organizing to have their own vigil on the campus quad in remembrance.”The active shooter alert on campus less than 24 hours before Samay's body was found was reported to be a hoax originating out of Virginia‚ according to Pennsylvania State Police‚ per USA Today.No details are available about how the authorities concluded the alert was a hoax or who may have been behind it. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Oakland Police Department announced that it recently arrested three suspected "East Bay Pirates" who allegedly raided houseboats and yachts along Oakland's waterfront‚ KRON reported.On Thursday‚ authorities detained three individuals believed to be connected to a March 13 robbery that targeted a maritime business on the 1300 block of Embarcadero‚ a San Francisco waterfront. The break-in prompted a joint investigation between the Oakland Police Department Marine Unit and the Criminal Investigation Division Burglary Unit.Police officers used security footage provided by the business to identify the suspects‚ who they recognized as individuals residing on boats in the Oakland Estuary‚ KPIX-TV reported. Law enforcement officials recovered items stolen from the business on two ships associated with the detained individuals. Authorities will present the case to Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price's office for charging. George Soros-backed Price is currently facing a recall effort over her soft-on-crime policies‚ which critics argue have led to a significant uptick in crime in Oakland.Residents living in houseboats and yachts along the waterfront have reported an increase in theft and physical confrontations with the "East Bay Pirates‚" according to Fox News Digital. The thieves use small stolen or abandoned boats to reach and break into larger ships docked in the area.During an October San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission's enforcement meeting‚ former harbormaster Brock de Lappe stated‚ "The open shoreline of the (Oakland-Alameda) estuary is littered with sunken wrecks and derelict‚ end-of-life vessels‚ and crime has risen to truly intolerable levels.""Multiple vessels have been stolen and ransacked. Victims have had to resort to personally confronting the criminals to recover their property without the benefit of police support. Is this an appropriate activity for a 79-year-old senior?" de Lappe questioned.Alameda Police Chief Nishant Joshi told Fox News Digital‚ "In the waterways‚ it's very difficult to draw a line.""There are no roadways or fence lines‚ so we all have a shared interest‚ much like crime as a whole‚ to deal with this as a regional approach‚" Joshi noted.A Coast Guard spokesperson called the waterfront burglaries "a federal and state problem‚" Fox News Digital reported. "We're all working to protect the best interests of everyone in the estuary‚" the representative told the news outlet.Oakland police are still investigating the thefts. Residents across Oakland have sounded the alarm about the area's out-of-control crime problem. Several San Francisco Bay Area businesses‚ including Denny's‚ In-N-Out‚ Black Bear Diner‚ Subway‚ and Starbucks‚ announced that they would close amid the crime wave. Last month‚ Taco Bell stated that several of its Oakland locations will close their dining rooms following several recent robberies.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

‘TikTok is the CCP’s way to feed America’s youth their propaganda and collect data on all TikTok users‚’ Pence said.

Page Six: Beyoncé Saved Dying Genre Known As COUNTRY MUSIC