Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican widely expected to make another bid for the White House in 2028, was reportedly caught on tape tarring Vice President JD Vance with the same brush he uses on Tucker Carlson and criticizing President Donald Trump's tariff policies.Unlike politicos keen to fault Vance for his enduring friendship with Carlson, Cruz has avoided publicly broadening his critique of the podcaster to the vice president. Behind closed doors, however, Cruz has apparently exercised no such restraint.'JD is Tucker's protégé, and they are one and the same.'In secret recordings provided to Axios by an unnamed Republican source, which were apparently taken during a pair of private meetings with donors last year, Cruz allegedly characterized the vice president as a non-interventionist puppet of Carlson."Tucker created JD," Cruz reportedly says in the recordings. "JD is Tucker's protégé, and they are one and the same."Cruz and Carlson have long appeared at odds on matters both foreign and domestic. Carlson, for instance, castigated the senator in 2022 for calling the Jan. 6, 2021, melee a "violent terrorist attack."The enmity between them reached an apparent high, however, in June, when the two clashed on Carlson's show over whether the U.S. should militarily back Israeli actions against Iran.In the immediate wake of the combative interview, Cruz accused the host of engaging in "gotcha" journalism, attacking Trump, defending terrorists, demonizing Israel, and "running interference" for the Iranian regime.RELATED: Which way after Trump? 'Strong Gods' may offer the solution. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesWhile both men have traded barbs in the months since, Cruz appears increasingly fixated on Carlson, accusing him of being anti-Semitic, an Islamist, and — in response to Carlson's criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — "#AmericaLast."In the recordings, Cruz also allegedly accused Vance of working with Carlson to oust former national security adviser Mike Waltz over his support for U.S. strikes on Iran.Waltz "supported being vigorous against Iran and bombing Iran — and Tucker and JD took Mike out," Cruz allegedly told donors.While Waltz's hawkish stance on Iran and alleged behind-the-scenes coordination with Netanyahu reportedly angered Trump, the straw that broke the camel's back may have been Waltz's accidental invitation of an anti-Trump polemicist to a private high-level group chat on Signal where senior administration officials were discussing sensitive military plans.On the recordings, Cruz allegedly also claimed that Vance worked in concert with Carlson to help Daniel Davis, an Army veteran critical of Israel's actions in Gaza, secure a senior national intelligence position — a post that Davis was ultimately denied.Carlson told Axios that he "didn't have anything to do" with the ousting of Waltz or attempted onboarding of Davis.The Texas senator appears in recent months to have been laying the groundwork for a 2028 bid in which he would run as the kind of Republican Trump crushed in the 2016 and 2024 Republican primaries. According to Axios, this has involved courting powerful pro-Israel donors and "positioning himself as a traditional free-trade, pro-interventionist Republican."Whereas early pulling suggests that Vance is poised to sweep the GOP 2028 primary, Cruz presently has a 2% chance of becoming the 2028 GOP nominee, according to Polymarket, and proved unable to capture 1% in an October poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire.Blaze News has reached out for comment to the offices of Vance and Cruz.A spokesperson for Cruz told Axios that the senator is "the president's greatest ally in the Senate and battles every day in the trenches to advance his agenda" and that "those battles include fights over staffers who try to enter the administration despite disagreeing with the president and seeking to undermine his foreign policy."The spokesperson added, "Sen. Cruz is proud of those fights, his accomplishments, and his close relationship with the president. These attempts at sowing division are pathetic and getting boring."'They will be terminated on the spot.'The Texas senator allegedly also attacked Trump's tariff policy on the recordings from his private meetings with donors.Cruz allegedly regaled donors with the tale of a call that he and other senators made to Trump that "did not go well" after the president introduced his Liberation Day tariffs."Trump was in a bad mood," Cruz allegedly told the donors. "I've been in conversations where he was very happy. This was not one of them.""Mr. President, if we get to November of [2026] and people's 401(k)s are down 30% and prices are up 10%-20% at the supermarket, we're going to go into Election Day, face a bloodbath," Cruz allegedly recalled telling Trump. "You're going to lose the House, you're going to lose the Senate, you're going to spend the next two years being impeached every single week."Cruz allegedly told donors that Trump's response was, "F**k you, Ted."At the mention of "Liberation Day" in reference to the tariffs, Cruz allegedly joked with donors in the meeting, "I've told my team if anyone uses those words, they will be terminated on the spot. That is not language we use."Blaze News has reached out to the White House for comment.According to the Texas Politics Project, Cruz's job approval rating is presently 35% overall and 69% among Republicans.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”Man’s relationship with animals has been complicated for thousands of years. From the beginning of time, they have been ours to rule over — for better or worse. Their care has been a sacred responsibility.What once would have warranted a CPS call is now accepted, even encouraged. Young children crawl where animal feces and urine collect.Our ancestors offered the best animals as burnt sacrifices. Those who forgot God worshipped the animals instead. We worked alongside them, traveled with them, and fought wars on their backs. We domesticated them for food and clothing. The decent among us treated them kindly and with gratitude.We have loved animals. We have also misused them for our own needs and amusement.Friend-zonedAnimals have long been man’s companions. But the idea that an animal is “man’s best friend” did not emerge until the 18th century — and even then, those loyal hunting companions only loosely resembled the modern leashed house pet.There has always been a role for animals alongside the impaired, the grieving, the lonely, or the emotionally suffering. But such arrangements were not the norm. Animals lived near men because they were valuable. Children played with them outdoors. Sometimes barns were attached to houses. But no decent family would have subjected their children to living in the same space as animals — except in rare cases when an animal was sick and required special care.What once would have warranted a CPS call is now accepted, even encouraged. Young children crawl where animal feces and urine collect, and no one blinks. Disabilities are suddenly ubiquitous, and everyone feels entitled to an emotional-support companion, regardless of whether it is good for the animal — or their children.Bred for comfortThese animals we call man’s “best friends” are hardly recognizable as anything God created. We have bred them to suit our desires. We have domesticated wild creatures and enslaved them. They depend on us completely, even as we use them to satisfy our own emotional needs. We have fashioned a kind of Frankenstein for our own comfort, without counting the cost: the animals we have tampered with and overbred, now wandering the streets, feral and forgotten.As Christians called to be good stewards of all God has given us, we must ask whether we have gone too far. Have we taken advantage of animals under the guise of love?We excuse this abuse with self-serving justifications. They like it, we say of pets locked inside, barking or scratching at doors—as if anything enjoys being caged, leashed, or confined for another’s benefit. Sometimes we hoard them and claim it is love. We argue, My pet teaches me responsibility and routine. But pets for the sake of learning responsibility are for children. Adults should turn to prayer for discipline. We say, My pet is the only thing that loves me unconditionally.RELATED: Beloved elderly fire department member mauled to death by pack of pit bull-mix dogs; owner charged with murder, animal abuse Image source: Davidson County (N.C.) Sheriff's OfficeTied downPet ownership is a sign of mental illness. Instead of seeking help, we entrap animals.We claim pets make us responsible adults, yet they prevent us from serving others. We cannot travel, volunteer, or do missionary work because of them. They keep us from weddings, baby showers, and funerals. They make us less generous, less available, less free.The gospel goes unpreached for the sake of man’s best friend.But what has been done cannot easily be undone. We cannot simply turn pets loose. If taking them was a mistake, abandoning them would be another.This is not the first time humanity has abused its authority over animals. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors domesticated pigeons — first for food, then as messengers. When technology made them unnecessary, those loyal companions became pests. What we created, we came to despise once it no longer served us.No easy answersRather than continuing this cycle of domesticating and discarding animals, we should pause and ask what we are doing. Are we abusing our God-given authority? How can we make amends without causing further harm? I have no easy answers — only a denunciation of the modern pet industry.In the meantime, we should not condone animal hoarding. We should reach out to the lonely in our communities instead of outsourcing compassion to pets. And those with unruly animals should make them tolerable, rather than subjecting the rest of us to their filth, noise, and danger. Just as a young man becomes obnoxious without purpose, so do animals confined without work.We must find a humane way to let pets return to being animals. It would be better for them — and for us.

As the situation in Minnesota continues to become more unruly, President Trump made several announcements in a Truth Social post in anticipation of the week ahead. Trump suggested in part that border czar Tom Homan will be heading north to assess the rapidly evolving situation. 'A major investigation is going on with respect to the massive 20 Billion Dollar, Plus, Welfare Fraud that has taken place in Minnesota.'On Monday morning, Trump announced, "I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota tonight. He has not been involved in that area, but knows and likes many of the people there.""Tom is tough but fair, and will report directly to me," Trump added.RELATED: Democrats threaten to shut down government over ICE funding: 'We are not powerless' Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty ImagesPress secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified Homan's role in Minnesota on social media shortly after the post from Trump: "Tom Homan will be managing ICE Operations on the ground in Minnesota to continue arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens. In addition, Tom will coordinate with those leading investigations into the massive, widespread fraud that has resulted in billions of taxpayer dollars being stolen from law-abiding citizens in Minnesota."Trump added that "a major investigation is going on with respect to the massive 20 Billion Dollar, Plus, Welfare Fraud that has taken place in Minnesota."He suggested that the welfare fraud is "at least partially responsible for the violent organized protests going on in the streets."Trump also attacked Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) in the post. "Additionally, the DOJ and Congress are looking at 'Congresswoman' Illhan Omar, who left Somalia with NOTHING, and is now reportedly worth more than 44 Million Dollars. Time will tell all. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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Getting a wi-fi signal that covers your entire area with enough speed for your needs isn't always easy. These common mistakes may be hampering your internet.

With this handy and inexpensive USB gadget, you can make your smartphone even more versatile and say goodbye to carting a laptop around with you.

Nearly five years after the original AirTag debuted, Apple has finally launched its second-generation Bluetooth tracker at the same price as the original.

The U.S. and China have long engaged in trade wars. America will now allow the sale of Nvidia H200 chips to China, pending a set of regulations.

Even some 200 years after his death, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's scientific curiosity continues to yield new insights. This has now been demonstrated by biologists at Friedrich Schiller University Jena while closely examining the amber collection of the Weimar poet and polymath. In one of the pieces, they discovered a fossilized ant approximately 40 million years old which, thanks to its excellent state of preservation and extensive analyses, provides valuable information about the insect species. The researchers report their findings in the journal Scientific Reports.