MSNBC’s Joy Reid closed out the Tuesday edition of The ReidOut by welcoming Damario Solomon-Simmons‚ an attorney representing survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre who are seeking reparations. During the interview‚ Reid claimed‚ without any evidence‚ that Oklahoma is seeking to ban teaching about the massacre. Reid claimed that “Oklahoma is a state that is not exactly in favor of telling all of the history‚ as that justice made it clear‚ they don't do that.” She then asked‚ “What do you make of the fact that even now you have some Oklahoma officials who are trying to ban history that would include the history of the Tulsa massacre‚ even as your case is going on?”     The Tulsa Race Massacre has been part of Oklahoma education standards since 2002. In 2019‚ the state made those requirements even more specific. What Reid is probably trying to say‚ in her usual dishonest way‚ is that anti-Critical Race Theory laws that ensure that today’s students are not made to feel responsible for yesterday’s crimes are somehow stifling teachers‚ which makes no sense given the standards explicit mention of the massacre. For his part‚ Solomon-Simmons tried to portray this fake controversy about history in schools to real struggles for civil rights in previous decades: You know‚ Joy‚ I remember 20‚ 25 years ago‚ when I was in college‚ a freshman‚ myself in college‚ I was thinking man‚ I wish I was born‚ you know‚ during the 60s and fight those fights. I never thought I'd be fighting the same type of things today and that’s what we are actually doing and it's sad and‚ you know‚ I speak to my 88-year-old father-in-law‚ who just turned 88 a couple of weeks ago‚ Aubrey Winston and I was saying ‘man‚ can you believe we are still dealing with the stuff you were dealing with growing up in the 40s and 50s’ and‚ you know‚ it’s‚ kind of‚ disheartening but‚ at the same time‚ I'm blessed to stand on the shoulders of the ancestors who have gone through so much more.  The comparison was crazy enough that Solomon-Simmons implied that he didn’t actually believe it‚ “I mean‚ your great new book Medgar Evers and the love with his beautiful wife‚ Mrs. Evers‚ I’ve reading that just thinking about this man with fighting in Mississippi in the 50s and the 60s when houses were being bombed‚ people were getting shot at‚ he was assassinated‚ so as hard as it is right now for us‚ it really pales in comparison of our ancestors.” The duo deciding to lament non-existent history bans suggests they missed the day when their teachers went over the importance of citing your sources. Here is a transcript for the April 2 show: MSNBC The ReidOut 4/2/2024 7:59 PM ET JOY REID: You obviously‚ Oklahoma is a state that is not exactly in favor of telling all of the history‚ as that justice made it clear‚ they don't do that. What do you make of the fact that even now you have some Oklahoma officials who are trying to ban history that would include the history of the Tulsa massacre‚ even as your case is going on? DAMARIO SOLOMON-SIMMONS: You know‚ Joy‚ I remember 20‚ 25 years ago‚ when I was in college‚ a freshman‚ myself in college‚ I was thinking man‚ I wish I was born‚ you know‚ during the 60s and fight those fights. I never thought I'd be fighting the same type of things today and that’s what we are actually doing and it's sad and‚ you know‚ I speak to my 88-year-old father-in-law‚ who just turned 88 a couple of weeks ago‚ Aubrey Winston and I was saying “man‚ can you believe we are still dealing with the stuff you were dealing with growing up in the 40s and 50s” and‚ you know‚ it’s‚ kind of‚ disheartening but‚ at the same time‚ I'm blessed to stand on the shoulders of the ancestors who have gone through so much more.  I mean‚ your great new book Medgar Evers and the love with his beautiful wife‚ Mrs. Evers‚ I’ve reading that just thinking about this man with fighting in Mississippi in the 50s and the 60s when houses were being bombed‚ people were getting shot at‚ he was assassinated‚ so as hard as it is right now for us‚ it really pales in comparison of our ancestors and I’m glad to stand on their shoulders to try to make life better for African-Americans and for this entire country.

Two men with decidedly different political outlooks have been my go-to sources on race in America. They are Dr. Thomas Sowell of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.‚ professor and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Dr. Gates has just published his latest book‚ “The Black Box.” The title is a reference to a box on hospital forms for newborns which one must check to confirm their race. Gates rightly calls this an “absurdity‚” largely because there are no racial “purebreds‚” and regardless of how we look on the outside‚ we are all equal on the inside. My first reaction upon reading his book was surprise that I didn’t learn much of what he writes about in high school or college. My second reaction was anger because I didn’t. One reason‚ I think‚ is that all of my teachers were white and textbooks sanitized the past in order to promote a “my country right or wrong” patriotic narrative. Dr. Gates uses the black box as a metaphor for how African Americans were once “locked in” when it came to expressing themselves in writings and‚ in some instances‚ locked themselves in by accepting this type of racial censorship as “the way it is.” As with his other books and PBS films‚ Dr. Gates exposes not only the thoughts and beliefs of some of the nation’s Founders‚ but of equal importance he uncovers the works of African American slaves and other Black people who were often censored by white society. It is hard to believe in today’s world that the writings of some Black authors had to be validated by committees made up of white people‚ the rationale being that many believed “Negroes” too dumb to be able to express themselves. The opposite‚ of course‚ is true as the author brilliantly shows us. Practically everyone knows about Thomas Jefferson’s flaming phrase in the Declaration of Independence: “… all men are created equal‚ that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” but how many know Jefferson’s beliefs about Black people? In his “Notes on the State of Virginia” (1785)‚ Jefferson claimed their racial features‚ intellect and morals were “fixed in human nature” and so must necessarily be ruled over “by the fine mixtures of red and white.” There’s more from that work and it’s even worse. “Consider this paradox‚” Dr. Gates writes: “Blackness was an arbitrary category invented by Europeans and Americans in the Enlightenment to justify the horror show of Black subjugation … the very concept of race is the child of racism.” Thanks to advances in DNA research‚ “what we popularly call ‘race’ is a social construct.” As has been said by others‚ the only true race is the human race. About “The Philosophy of History‚” published in 1837‚ Dr. Gates writes‚ “G.W.F. Hegel wrote that Africa ‘is no historical part of the World; it has no movement or development to exhibit.’” Hegel claimed – falsely – “that Africa lacked a tradition of writing‚ either in European languages or indigenous African languages … (like others) He ignored the Black written tradition in Arabic at the University of Timbuktu. It didn’t fit his thesis.” It didn’t fit his thesis could be said about supporters and practitioners of the slave trade and Jim Crow laws that kept Blacks from voting in the South. “The Black Box‚” along with the writings of Thomas Sowell‚ ought to be mandatory reading in every high school and American University‚ in large part to make up for the suppressed writings of talented and intelligent Black people of the past. They deserve the attention and praise most were denied in their time.

The Vermont Senate voted 21-5 on Friday to advance the Climate Superfund Act‚ which would force fossil fuel companies to pay into a fund covering weather event-related damages.If passed into law‚ Senate Bill 259 would create a "Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program" to finance "climate change adaptive or resilience infrastructure projects" in Vermont. "Under the Program‚ an entity or a successor in interest to an entity that was engaged in the trade or business of extracting fossil fuel or refining crude oil between January 1‚ 2000 and December 31‚ 2019 would be assessed a cost recovery demand for the entity's share of fossil fuel extraction or refinement contributing to greenhouse gas-related costs in Vermont. An entity would only be assessed a cost recovery demand if the Agency determined that the entity's products were responsible for more than one billion metric tons of covered greenhouse gas emissions‚" the bill read.The fund would be used to "avoid‚ moderate‚ repair‚ or adapt to negative impacts caused by climate change‚" such as "implementing nature-based solutions and flood protections; upgrading stormwater drainage systems; making defensive upgrades to roads‚ bridges‚ railroads‚ and transit systems; preparing for and recovering from extreme weather events; undertaking preventive health care programs and providing medical care to treat illness or injury caused by the effects of climate change."Additionally‚ the program would cover the costs of relocating sewage treatment plants‚ installing cooling systems in public and private buildings‚ upgrading that state's electrical grid‚ addressing toxic algae blooms‚ and managing the loss of topsoil.The legislation is sponsored by Sens. Anne Watson (D)‚ Dick Sears Jr. (D)‚ Christopher Bray (D)‚ and 17 other Democratic senators.According to Sears‚ the legislation is "built on the long-standing principle that the polluter pays‚" Mountain Times reported."The damage that fossil fuels are causing in our communities continues to grow‚ with flooding in the last year alone resulting in massive costs to our state‚" Sears claimed.Sen. Nader Hashim (D) told lawmakers on Friday‚ "In order to remedy the problems created by washed out roads‚ downed electrical wires‚ damaged crops and repeated flooding‚ the largest fossil fuel entities that have contributed to climate change should also contribute to fixing the problem that they caused.""We can place the burden on Vermont taxpayers or we can keep our fingers crossed that the federal government will help us or we can have fossil fuel companies pay their fair share‚" Hashim said.Under the legislation‚ the Vermont state treasurer would provide a report detailing the cost imposed on residents as a result of the "emission of greenhouse gases for the period that began on January 1‚ 2000 and ended on December 31‚ 2019." The report would assess the impact of fossil fuels on public health‚ natural resources‚ agriculture‚ economic development‚ and flood preparedness.The American Petroleum Institute stated that it opposes the bill and shared objections to the legislation in a letter to the state Senate last week‚ the Associated Press reported.The group is concerned that the bill "retroactively imposes costs and liability on prior activities that were legal‚ violates equal protection and due process rights by holding companies responsible for the actions of society at large; and is preempted by federal law.""Additionally‚ the bill does not provide potentially impacted parties with notice as to the magnitude of potential fees that can result from its passage‚" the API added.Similar bills have also been introduced in Maryland‚ Massachusetts‚ and New York.ExxonMobil did not respond to the AP'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!

A former polling manager who was recently caught on camera hauling dozens of blank ballots into an Ohio bar and leaving them unattended is a Democrat former city official with a long history of DUIs and other alcohol-related convictions. On Tuesday‚ Blaze News reported that on March 18‚ the day before the Ohio 2024 primary election‚ Mark Provenza was caught bringing in at least 40 unmarked provisional ballots into the MAHD House Bar and Grille in Elyria‚ Ohio‚ about 30 miles from Cleveland. During his visit to the bar‚ Provenza walked away from his booth‚ leaving the ballots unattended‚ security video showed. When word of his actions spread‚ Provenza was fired from his voluntary position as the manager of the polling station at Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church in Lorain‚ Ohio. It turns out‚ however‚ that Provenza was also once a Democrat public official with a powerful position in the City of Lorain. From 2000 until 2009‚ Provenza worked as the law director of the City of Lorain. According to the city's website‚ the Lorain law director: serves as legal counsel for all "for all elected officials‚ directors and council-persons" in Lorain; prepares "all contracts‚ bonds‚ ordinances and written instruments" in which Lorain is involved; prosecutes or defends the city in "all complaints‚ suits‚ and controversies" affiliated with it; reviews all ordinances under consideration by the city council; and serves as the prosecuting attorney for Lorain Municipal Court and likewise prosecutes cases for the City of Lorain and Sheffield Township. Though he was prosecuting cases on behalf of the city‚ Provenza had already found himself on the wrong side of the law by the time he entered office. Court records from nearby Lakewood‚ Ohio‚ indicate that in August 2000‚ Provenza was arrested for driving under the influence and driving on a suspended or restricted license. In August 2008‚ Provenza was arrested for driving under the influence once again after he smashed his vehicle into a Lakewood home‚ causing damage to property. Reports at the time indicated it was his fourth DUI arrest. For that incident‚ Provenza was sentenced to serve 12 months in jail but was given conditional release in March 2009 after serving 90 days. One of the conditions of his release was that he abstain from alcohol for five years while he remained on probation. However‚ he admitted that he had violated that condition almost immediately and was subsequently carted back to jail just one day after his release‚ prompting local leaders and outlets to begin calling for his resignation as city law director. In fact‚ then-Assistant Law Director R.J. Budway and then-Lorain Democratic Party Chairman Anthony Giardini drove to the jail with a resignation letter and pen practically in hand. They then met with Provenza‚ who signed the resignation letter from his jail cell‚ Cleveland.com reported at the time. Sadly‚ Provenza's troubles with alcohol did not end there. He has since been convicted of at least two other alcohol-related infractions. In August 2016‚ he was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence and later pled guilty‚ and in September 2021‚ he was arrested for disorderly conduct related to intoxication and pled no contest. During his visit to the MAHD House bar last month‚ while he had dozens of ballots in tow‚ Provenza ordered and consumed at least one alcoholic beverage. He left the premises in a rideshare vehicle. Provenza did not respond to Blaze News' requests for comment‚ but Blaze News did speak with Lorain County Board of Elections Director Paul Adams‚ who called Provenza's actions with the ballots "a failure" that should not have happened. However‚ he wanted to reassure the public that the county has strict‚ bipartisan rules in place to keep elections honest. He noted that all ballots are affixed with "official seals with numbers that can be verified by teams of Democrats and Republicans." Any ballots and supplies with a doubtful seal or chain of custody are "not used‚" he said. He also claimed that each polling station has a Republican and Democrat manager. So whatever Provenza may or may not have been doing as poll manager‚ he would have had at least one Republican monitoring him and the station in general. Adams claimed he knew of no other accusations of election-related improprieties against Provenza. He also stated that‚ like all county election volunteers‚ Provenza would have had to undergo training and testing prior to the most recent election. When asked how Provenza came to be in charge of a county polling station despite his well-documented struggles with alcohol and his public fall from grace‚ Adams‚ a Democrat‚ claimed that he was unaware of Provenza's most recent arrests. Adams claimed he knew only about the 2008 incident and that Provenza had once worked as a city law director. He said he had not seen Provenza involved in any local "political" activities‚ Democrat or otherwise‚ since about the time of his resignation. Adams added that while felons are barred from becoming Ohio poll workers‚ few polling workers undergo extensive background checks because the system is in such desperate need of volunteers. "There's been a lot of individuals that have quite frankly been scared to step up and serve as poll workers‚ particularly right now in the environment that we're in‚" Adams explained to Blaze News. "This last election we had‚ I would say probably a good 15% of our poll workers called off and canceled within the last week before the election for one reason or another." Adams claimed that the emotionally charged "atmosphere" from both parties these days keeps people from getting involved. However‚ he wants to encourage people to overcome that initial hesitation and become a volunteer. "Because we need them‚" he said. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Video game developer BioWare came out in support of Transgender Day of Visibility‚ a day declared by President Biden to support specific sexualities.Adding to the list of developers that have injected themselves into identity politics‚ Canada's BioWare ensured it was not forgotten when in the diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion realm.Founded in 1995‚ the company is a subsidiary of gaming giant Electronic Arts‚ which acquired the company in 2007 for approximately $860 million.Much to the surprise of some fans‚ BioWare declared on Transgender Day of Visibility that transgender people have actually always been a part of the company's "worlds.""Today is #TransgenderDayOfVisibility‚" the company wrote on X. "Trans people have always been a part of our worlds; we're proud to support them both within our games and in real life." Today is #TransgenderDayOfVisibility. Trans people have always been a part of our worlds; we're proud to support them both within our games and in real life. — (@) Despite the obvious fact that the topic was seldom spoken about for the first 20 years of the company's existence‚ BioWare has indeed injected itself into the conversation of obscure sexual preferences in recent years.As That Park Place noted‚ BioWare began declaring its support for "trans rights" as early as June 2022‚ while championing DEI as a "cornerstone" for the company."BioWare supports trans rights‚ women's rights‚ and bodily autonomy. Diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion are a cornerstone for our studio and games. We don't consider these human rights up for debate. Gary McKay‚ BioWare General Manager‚" the company wrote on X.The company added that its support was "unwavering‚" with an aim to "provide the care‚ support and services for the health and well-being of our people."Our support is unwavering for our people. We are committed to expanding our benefits for U.S. employees and their eligible dependents – our aim is to provide the care‚ support and services for the health and well-being of our people.— BioWare (@bioware) June 24‚ 2022 Later that same year‚ BioWare announced it would be donating to the Trans Empowerment Project‚ a nonprofit that vaguely states it empowers "the Trans‚ Intersex‚ &; Gender-Expansive community through action‚ advocacy‚ and resource building.""We are proud to be part of a community that is devoted to helping everyone thrive and live their best lives‚" BioWare stated. BioWare is thrilled to announce that we have donated to Trans Empowerment Project (@trans_empowered)‚ this year\u2019s #DragonAgeDay charity. We are proud to be part of a community that is devoted to helping everyone thrive and live their best lives.\n#DragonAge — (@) In 2023‚ BioWare announced it would be donating to two different sexuality-based organizations‚ including Trans Lifeline‚ a "crisis hotline" for transgender people."Today and every day‚ we celebrate and cherish our LGBTQIA+ fans‚ friends‚ family members and coworkers‚" the company announced. Today and every day‚ we celebrate and cherish our LGBTQIA+ fans‚ friends‚ family members and coworkers.\nIn support of #PrideMonth‚ our employees and our studio have made donations to Trans Lifeline and Rainbow Railroad.\nFrom our family to yours‚ Happy #PrideMonth! \ud83c\udf08 — (@) DEI-driven companies have faced immense backlash as gamers have become increasingly aware of the sheer amount of diversity being forced into video games. It has even drawn the ire of UFC fighters and X owner Elon Musk‚ who have expressed their disdain for DEI ideology. Typically‚ much of the backlash has been brushed off by game developers who have called consumer complaints "far right" harassment campaigns.Gaming developers even took part in an organized scream to vent their frustration with the criticisms‚ which were of course whittled down by some as simply the harassment of "marginalized individuals." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An intruder with previous aggravated battery charges against him refused to leave the doorway of an Illinois home last week despite the homeowner's repeated requests.When the intruder opened the home's storm door‚ he said the homeowner would have to shoot him. With that‚ the homeowner fatally shot 31-year-old Jonathan J. Gagen‚ KDSK-TV reported‚ citing Collinsville police. Collinsville is about 20 minutes northeast of St. Louis.What are the details?Police responded to the 500 block of St. Louis Road just after 6 p.m. last Tuesday‚ the station said‚ adding that officers found a male lying wounded on the home's porch. Officers gave him aid until a local EMS took over‚ but the male — identified a day later as Gagen — was pronounced dead at the scene‚ KDSK said. The Madison County Sheriff's Office — which took over the investigation because a family member of the homeowner is a part-time Collinsville police employee‚ the station said — determined that the homeowner asked Gagen leave the residence's front porch‚ but Gagen refused.The homeowner feared for his safety and got a gun from inside the home while making "numerous" requests for Gagen to leave‚ KDSK noted.The homeowner also told Gagen to not enter the home‚ but Gagen opened the storm door and said the homeowner would have to shoot him‚ the station reported‚ citing the sheriff's office.With that‚ the homeowner fired one shot‚ KDSK said‚ adding that it struck Gagen in the chest.Another resident called 911 immediately and requested police assistance‚ the station reported‚ adding that all residents at the home were cooperating with the investigation.What else do we know about Gagen?KDSK‚ citing the Madison County Prosecuting Attorney's Office‚ reported that there are two county cases involving Gagen with aggravated battery charges.Gagen is accused in a 2020 case of grabbing a Granite City police officer's face and scratching his eyeball‚ the station said‚ adding that Gagen also is accused of fighting a private security officer at a hospital and causing the officer to fall and break his leg and ankle in June 2023.KDSK reported that both cases were still pending last Wednesday‚ and there have been a number of pleadings and orders in both cases. The station added that Gagen had to complete a mental health court screening as part of a bond condition in September 2023.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Seattle Public Schools is effectively killing off its gifted and talented program‚ caving to leftists in and outside the district who have long complained about the racial demographics of the Highly Capable Cohort program‚ which evidently failed to satisfy their utopian expectations. Forsaking quality and meritocracy‚ SPS has indicated it will instead pursue an alternative that will supposedly be "more inclusive‚ equitable‚ and culturally sensitive." Background State law has long required that Washington schools provide and maintain programs "for highly capable students." Qualifying students are those "who perform or show potential for performing at significantly advanced academic levels when compared with others of their age‚ experiences‚ or environments. Outstanding abilities are seen within students' general intellectual aptitudes‚ specific academic abilities‚ and/or creative productivities within a specific domain." By virtue of highly capable students of any race being academically superior to other students‚ they are necessarily unequal. The Seattle Times reported that as of last year‚ the HCC comprised roughly 5‚700 students. This cohort is made up of those who scored in the top 2% on standardized exams. Unsurprisingly‚ recognition of this inequality has been a sore point for leftists who figure that education ought not only to standardize generations of children by their low standards but also to produce so-called equitable outcomes. Former SPS superintendent Denis Juneau called for dismantling the HCC program in 2019‚ claiming‚ "It is very [racially] disproportionate." The identitarian NAACP Youth Council and other leftist groups have championed the elimination of the program in the years since‚ claiming it was "built upon a foundation of white supremacy and constructed with the intent to perpetuate the segregation of schools on the basis of race and socioeconomic status." The NAACP Youth Council noted that in the 2020-2021 school year‚ only 1.8% of the district's 8‚130 black students‚ then amounting to 15% of the student body‚ were eligible for the HCC. 13.4% of Asian students and 63.2% of white students‚ who altogether accounted for 13.1% and 45.6% of the overall student body‚ respectively‚ were eligible. 16.2% of mixed-race students and 5.25% of Hispanics were eligible. In the 2022-2023 school year‚ the Seattle Times indicated that 52% of HCC students at SPS were white‚ 16% were Asian‚ and 3.4% were black. "We‚ the NAACP Youth Council‚ want the HCC program abolished from SPS‚" wrote the identitarians. "Every student deserves an equitable and anti-racist education that recognizes their brilliance. A program built to discriminate against students has no room for fixing." Indistinction SPS began phasing out HCC schools in 2021. All will apparently be eliminated by 2027. In the way of HCC institutions affiliated with the district‚ there are presently three elementary schools‚ five middle schools‚ and three high schools. The next step in the war on excellence and distinction will be the implementation of the so-called "Highly Capable Neighborhood School Model" in every school beginning in September 2024. Under this model‚ students of all abilities will be lumped into the same classroom. Teachers will then reportedly be tasked with creating individualized learning plans for each of their 20 to 30 students. According to SPS‚ "All teachers will provide teaching and learning that is delivered with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and differentiated to meet the needs of students within their grade level. The approach includes three tiers of service for students depending on individual needs‚ delivered in a way that honors individual cultures and backgrounds." While all students will participate in Tier 1 learning‚ individuals flagged as needing more advanced or involved learning will be awarded Tier 2 services. After participating in Tier 1 and Tier 2 services‚ students‚ now assessed yearly‚ found still needing "something in addition to meet their complex needs‚" will receive Tier 3 services. Critics suspect that SPS will ultimately bungle the implementation of its new scheme‚ especially because its $105 million deficit means it lacks the funds to train teachers on how to help highly capable students‚ reported the Seattle Times. Teachers have complained anonymously to KOMO-TV that the district has provided teachers with no extra time‚ aid in the classroom‚ curricular help‚ or compensation to meet the unique needs of every student in a single classroom. "I was a classroom teacher for 14 years. It's really hard to provide services to students when you have a group of kindergartners learning phonics and then you have a kindergarten[er] that's like fluently reading Harry Potter‚" said Reby Parsley‚ a gifted education specialist with the Washington Association of Educators of the Talented and Gifted. "It seems to me that kids on maybe both extremes are going to be underserved‚" Erika Ruberry‚ a parent of a second-grader at a HCC elementary‚ told the Times. Karen Stukovsky‚ a mother who has three kids at HCC schools‚ said‚ "You have some kids who can barely read and some kids who are reading 'Harry Potter' in first grade or kindergarten. How are you going to not only get those kids up to grade level and also challenge those kids who are already way above grade level?" Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A federal judge on Monday blocked the Biden administration's new emissions rule that would have required states to set greenhouse gas reduction targets to receive federal highway funding‚ the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.What's the background?The day before Thanksgiving‚ the Biden administration's Federal Highway Administration announced new regulations forcing state departments of transportation to "establish declining carbon dioxide" goals‚ Blaze News previously reported. The White House and the rule's supporters touted the measure as having "flexibility" because it did "not mandate how low targets must be." According to the new rule‚ the targets and the progress made toward those targets would "be used to inform the future investment decisions of the Federal Government."Critics argued that the Biden administration was using the rule to force Americans to switch to electric vehicles or public transportation. Republican North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer released a statement in November accusing the "Biden bureaucracy" of "returning to their stale playbook of inventing illegal‚ punitive regulatory schemes.""This final rule is contrary to congressional intent‚ usurps state authority by putting the federal government in the driver's seat‚ and is fundamentally unworkable in rural states like North Dakota‚" Cramer added.Emissions rule faces legal challengeA coalition of 21 states filed a lawsuit in December against the president‚ the United States Department of Transportation‚ and the Federal Highway Administration‚ claiming the agencies lacked the authority to regulate emissions or force states to follow the new measures‚ Courthouse News Service reported.The plaintiff states in the case included Kentucky‚ South Dakota‚ Alabama‚ Alaska‚ Arkansas‚ Florida‚ Idaho‚ Indiana‚ Iowa‚ Kansas‚ Mississippi‚ Montana‚ Nebraska‚ North Dakota‚ Ohio‚ Oklahoma‚ South Carolina‚ Utah‚ Virginia‚ West Virginia‚ and Wyoming.Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) argued that the rule would impact "the American economy" by requiring states to "make choices about projects‚ contracts‚ and regulations in order to meet the declining targets.""Any mandated decline in on-road CO2 emissions will disproportionately affect states with more rural areas‚" Cameron wrote in the suit."States with fewer metropolitan areas have fewer options available to them to reduce CO2. Many of the ideas for how states can decrease GHG emissions — congestion pricing‚ road pricing‚ ramp metering‚ increased coordination with transit and non motorized improvements‚ paying fees to scrap low mileage heavy duty vehicles — are options more conducive to metropolitan areas‚ not rural ones‚" he continued. "Low population densities limit the efficacy of public transit and congestion pricing as options that would reduce vehicle miles traveled and‚ consequently‚ CO2 emissions."United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky Judge Benjamin Beaton‚ appointed by former President Trump‚ blocked the Biden administration's rule on Monday.In his opinion‚ Beaton declared‚ "Even assuming Congress gave the Administrator authority to set environmental performance standards that embrace CO2‚ the Administrator exercised that authority in an arbitrary and capricious manner."Beaton agreed that the rule lacked a statutory basis. However‚ he did not enjoin the regulation's enforcement or vacate it. A spokesperson for the Federal Highway Administration told the DCNF‚ "The Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration remain committed to supporting the Biden-Harris Administration's climate goals of cutting carbon pollution in half by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.""We are reviewing the court's decision and determining next steps‚" the spokesperson added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

While the NFL has gotten its panties in a twist over tackling‚ it don’t seem to mind if the players commit legitimate crimes off the field. In 2007‚ Roger Goodell was pressured into becoming the law and order commissioner in order to address the bad behavior of NFL players. 17 years later‚ it’s quite clear it isn’t working out. Most recently‚ Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice and former Lions defensive back Cam Sutton were wanted fugitives for serious crimes. Rice was involved in a car chase that led to an accident that put lives at risk. Sutton had been wanted for several weeks in Florida for his involvement in a domestic violence issue before turning himself in. “The only thing that has changed since 2007 is corporate media and Mike Florio were incentivized to pick new topics‚” Jason Whitlock says‚ disappointed. “NFL player conduct policy‚ a complete and total failure. Nothing’s changed.” Steve Kim agrees‚ saying that the media has given NFL players “not just kid-gloves treatment‚ but hands-off treatment of those who break the law.” “We’re not talking about speeding tickets or just moving violations or parking tickets‚ we’re talking about putting other lives in danger‚” Kim says. Kim believes this is reflective of the social justice obsession that’s plagued the NFL over the past five or six years. “Crime is now about the past‚ it is not about individual responsibility. It’s about generational trauma and all these other terms that they’re going to jin up to basically excuse the behavior and place no accountability on the individuals‚” he explains. 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.

A Texas National Guard soldier admitted that he demonstrated a serious lapse in judgment after officials reportedly caught him attempting to smuggle an illegal alien across the southern border in a government-issued SUV that also had a weapon inside.Just before 4 p.m. last Sunday‚ an unidentified Texas National Guard soldier was arrested in or near Kinney County‚ Texas‚ after the government vehicle he had been driving at some point also carried a passenger suspected of being an illegal immigrant‚ according to reporting from Ali Bradley‚ a NewsNation journalist covering the southern border.Law enforcement became suspicious after the soldier quickly "turned around when he approached a pop-up tactical Border Patrol checkpoint off 674 in Kinney County that had only been operational for a few days‚" Bradley wrote‚ citing Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe. Agents with the Texas Department of Public Safety then began pursuing the vehicle and ultimately brought it to a stop using spike strips.After the driver‚ who was wearing street clothes‚ had been extricated from the vehicle‚ the officers on the scene seemed to sense immediately that they'd stumbled upon a sensitive case involving one of their own. When examining various cards ostensibly removed from the driver's wallet‚ several officials try to determine the driver's military affiliation."National Guard? State Guard?" one officer asks."He said Army‚" another replies.The officer whose bodycam footage Bradley shared sighs heavily throughout the video. When the driver alerts him that there is a weapon inside the vehicle‚ the officer exclaims‚ "Oh‚ you got a weapon in the vehicle‚ too? Jesus Christ‚ man!" The presence of the weapon "escalated the smuggling charge‚" Bradley reported‚ though the exact charges against the driver remain unclear.When asked why he had attempted to evade police‚ the driver states that he was "very scared." As he is placed in handcuffs‚ he adds‚ "Man‚ I am so stupid." "Yeah‚ you are f***ing stupid‚ man‚" another officer quickly retorts. — (@) No other individual appears to have been in the vehicle at the time the driver was arrested. However‚ multiple officers reported having seen at least one person "bail[] out‚" likely from the vehicle in question. "I saw the one on the fence‚" one officer stated. Another brief exchange caught on the video indicated that a "Hispanic male" had been spotted in connection with the vehicle‚ but most of the details of that conversation are inaudible. According to Bradley‚ the driver had allegedly been "promised" somewhere between $5‚000 and $6‚000 to smuggle the alleged illegal alien. The driver was reportedly deployed to Eagle Pass‚ Texas‚ from McAllen as part of Operation Lone Star‚ an initiative from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to deter illegal border crossings. The incident remains under investigation by the Texas DPS.Both Bradley and Newsweek reached out to Abbott's office and the Texas DPS for comment‚ and Newsweek made an additional request for comment from the Kinney County Sheriff's Office as well. It appears that none of these offices or agencies have yet replied.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!