If there were one state in the country that one would expect to be governed conservatively, it would be Oklahoma. But despite the fact that Republicans control every lever of power in the Sooner State, members of the Oklahoma Freedom Caucus, formed in 2024, claim the state’s politicians are more Republican on paper than they are conservative in practice. “We are a supermajority red state on paper. All 77 counties of Oklahoma voted for Trump,” Oklahoma state Rep. Gabe Woolley told The Daily Signal at a recent State Freedom Caucus summit in Irving, Texas. “The problem is, in the legislature, specifically, we have a lot of registered Republicans, but not conservatives.” Assembled at the summit were lawmakers from across the country who are working to move Republicans in their respective state capitols in a more fiscally and socially conservative direction. Woolley told The Daily Signal that he is often in legislative fights with fellow Republicans. “When we put their feet to the fire with a bill, they just don’t let it into committee or on the floor,” he said. He continued, “When we try to run a bill or file an amendment simply to track how many tax dollars are going towards illegal immigration and education, the Republicans stand up and fight it and get it killed, or when I try to run a bill that requires the history and reality of communism to be taught in grades six through 12 … it was the Republicans that got it killed.” Oklahoma Republican state Reps. Gabe Woolley (left) and Jim Shaw (www.okhouse.gov) Joining Woolley was state Rep. Jim Shaw, who ousted longtime Republican state Rep. Kevin Wallace in a primary campaign in which he focused on green energy projects—a major issue in an oil-dependent state such as Oklahoma. “In my primary race, I launched into it primarily because there was a wind project being proposed near my home property,” he told The Daily Signal. “The guy I went up against was the chair of the Appropriations and Budget Committee in the House and had been there for 10 years … which obviously led to a whole lot of money pouring into that race to try to keep his seat.” Shaw is encouraging cutting off taxpayer funding of the green energy industry. “There was about a 10-year state subsidy program that’s set to run out at the end of next year, but we’re still paying about $14 million per year in state-level subsidies,” he said. “The wind lobby has been very, very powerful for a long time … . I believe there’s probably some consensus that that’s not going to get extended, but they have done everything in their power to kill any kind of resistance or regulation on that industry. We virtually had zero regulation in place for industrial solar.” An oil well and wind turbines on the Osage Indian Reservation of Oklahoma (Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Shaw explained that he is working on forcing Republicans in the Oklahoma Capitol to make promises on priorities he considers to be important to conservatives. “I just launched what I branded the Save Oklahoma plan. It’s a list of seven policy items that are extremely important to everybody in Oklahoma,” he said. “If we win the issues—and I believe we win the issues on these seven items—we can honestly change the culture in the building and across the state.” Shaw has gotten a number of Oklahoma conservative organizations to sign on to the plan, which calls on Republicans to fight taxpayer-funded green energy projects, criminalize foreign ownership of land, require E-Verify for businesses for hiring in order to forbid illegal immigrant labor, and prevent discrimination based on vaccination status. Shaw and Woolley acknowledge they are in the minority as members of the Freedom Caucus faction of the House, but say their power is growing. “What’s wrong with our political landscape in Oklahoma at the moment is the bad guys are not afraid of grassroots pressure, but we’re seeing that start to change, and grassroots is starting to assimilate and get more powerful,” Shaw said. The post Conservative Duo in Oklahoma Blazes Trail to GOP’s Right Frontier appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Live: The Charlie Kirk Memorial Service

Leftists insist that “words are violence.” They also claim that “silence is violence.” Curious. They wield the term “hate speech” as a weapon, though it has no legal definition. It’s a political tool designed for abuse, much like the tactics of China’s Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution.Recent debates over free speech have shown how few Americans — left, right, powerful, or powerless — actually understand what the First Amendment protects. That ignorance is unnerving.Every silence either defends or betrays liberty. Kirk lived and taught that truth. Now, in his absence, we carry that responsibility.To honor Charlie’s legacy, we must defend free speech boldly, graciously, and without compromise.Free speech flows from God’s gift of free will, enshrined by the founders in our nation’s founding documents. As Charlie Kirk once said, “Without free speech, there is no such thing as truth. The moment you silence opposing voices, you destroy the foundation of democracy.”Scripture underscores the responsibility that comes with this freedom. Colossians 4:6 reminds us to speak graciously, with words “seasoned with salt.” Matthew 12:36 warns that we will give an account “for every careless word.” Proverbs 18:21 drives the point home: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”We are free to speak, but we will be held accountable.Bondi’s blunderThat accountability is central to the recent firestorm over Attorney General Pam Bondi. Appearing on Katie Miller’s podcast last week, Bondi said, “Hate speech that crosses the line into threats of violence is not protected by the First Amendment. It’s a crime.”Bondi later cited federal statutes criminalizing threats, doxxing, and swatting, promising full prosecution. She framed her argument as a defense of families, freedoms, and Charlie Kirk’s legacy.But Bondi blurred a crucial line. Threats of violence have been crimes for centuries. “Hate speech” doesn’t legally exist. By conflating the two, Bondi gives more ammunition to those who want to criminalize speech they dislike.Kirk himself once wrote: “There’s ugly speech. There’s gross speech. There’s evil speech. And all of it is protected by the First Amendment. Keep America free.” He warned that once “hate speech” becomes a category, it will be used against conservatives first.Consequences, not censorshipFree speech carries consequences, both spiritual and legal. It also carries social consequences, often borne disproportionately by conservatives. Kirk frequently noted that conservatives are branded “bigots” and accused of “hate speech” simply for defending traditional values.The media’s distortion of his words proves the point. Misquotations, half-truths, and selective edits continue to shape his legacy. Not long ago, speaking ill of the dead — especially the innocent — was taboo. Today, it is routine.Government-sanctioned propagandaThe erosion of free speech didn’t happen overnight. In 2012, Congress passed the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act, allowing government propaganda once restricted to foreign audiences to target Americans directly.Since then, administrations — especially Joe Biden’s — have funneled taxpayer-funded messaging into “news” outlets indistinguishable from government press releases. That’s what Trump meant when he labeled the media “fake news.” It’s not just bias. It’s legalized propaganda.The results are obvious: riots over George Floyd but prayer vigils after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Manufactured outrage for causes the left elevates, silence for causes it despises.The algorithmic censorCorporate media is only half the machine. Social media algorithms do the rest. Conservatives (myself included) face shadow bans and throttling for speaking truth. Posts about Iryna Zarutska’s stabbing death get sanitized into euphemisms like “poked” or “unalived” to avoid suppression. Kirk’s assassination was reduced online to being “pew pewed.”RELATED: The market fired Jimmy Kimmel Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesLanguage itself has been contorted. Political correctness has turned serious matters into absurdist code words. Kirk once warned: “Political correctness is the most deadly of political weaponry.” He was right. If this continues, truth itself will become unspeakable.Cancel culture vs. accountabilityThe left wants to erase the difference between cancel culture and accountability. Cancel culture punishes thought, speech, or belief without moral or legal justification. Accountability punishes advocacy of violence. When employees cheer assassination or call for murder, employers have every right to fire them. That is not tyranny. That is justice.Failing to distinguish between the two plays into the left’s hands. It allows them to conflate legitimate accountability with censorship, further eroding free speech.The duty to speakTo honor Charlie’s legacy, we must defend free speech boldly, graciously, and without compromise. Free speech is not merely a constitutional right; it is a moral duty.Every silence either defends or betrays liberty. Kirk lived and taught that truth. Now, in his absence, we carry that responsibility. Speak now — bravely, responsibly, and without fear — so that the freedoms Charlie cherished endure for generations.

Massive crowds have already formed ahead of Charlie Kirk's memorial in Glendale, Arizona.Almost seven hours before the service was scheduled to start at State Farm Stadium, tens of thousands were already gathered outside the venue.New videos from the parking lot showed seemingly never-ending crowds of Kirk supporters, with a sea of people formed as early as 4 a.m. local time.'America is turning out for Charlie!'"It's just 4am here in Arizona, and the line for Charlie Kirk’s memorial is now a SEA of TENS OF THOUSANDS of patriots," reporter Nick Sortor wrote on X. "This is HISTORIC! America is turning out for Charlie!"The colossal turnout has already bumped the estimated crowd of 100,000 to more than 300,000, according to on-the-ground reports."The true scope of the crowd for Charlie Kirk in Arizona — WOW," Eric Daugherty, assistant news director for Florida's Voice, wrote on X. Daugherty showed an enormous group of supporters, but what was perhaps more impressive was how orderly and calm the crowd was, even with five hours or so before the event starts."Original estimates of 100K bumped to up to *300,000.* This is going to be one of the most remembered days in modern US history," Daugherty added.RELATED: WATCH LIVE: Charlie Kirk memorial service with President Trump, JD Vance, and Erika Kirk Charlie Kirk Memorial: LIVE at State Farm Stadium | Glendale, AZ The passion and support for Kirk could be felt even on the way to the venue, as many social media users posted about the positive atmosphere as they traveled on Saturday night and Sunday morning."Entire airplanes full of passengers are singing 'Amazing Grace' as they touch down in Phoenix for Charlie Kirk's funeral!" South Carolina candidate Mark Lynch wrote, sharing a video from inside an airplane."Lots of people on my flight discussing Charlie Kirk. The energy in Phoenix tomorrow is going to be unbelievable," conservative commentator John Doyle wrote on X.RELATED: Free speech is more than a slogan. It’s a duty. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images Traffic and crowds have filled the streets en route to the stadium with what seems like an limitless line of people and cars.Supporters were camped out on the street since Sunday night in front of Desert Diamond Arena, which is a 15-minute drive from State Farm Stadium.Other reporters showed lines wrapped around the fence line of the football stadium since the break of dawn.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Remember when the cable channel played music? Billboard's first video editor saw all the early videos and selects the significant clips. The post 12 Influential Early MTV Videos appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

WE DO NOT CARE! Megyn Kelly Decimates Whiny Bulwarker in Straight-Fire Back and Forth and WHOOOA NELLY

'All Skin Folks AIN'T Kinfolk': VA Democrat LEADER Goes on Racist Rant About Winsome Earle-Sears (Watch)

TPUSA Spokesperson Reveals 'Miracle' That May Have Saved Lives During Kirk Assassination

New: Suspect in NH Country Club Shooting ID'd, Charged With Murder