American families have long made the commonsense argument that we must know the price of health care before we receive it. Nowhere is the lack of price transparency more evident than in childbirth, and the months leading up to it, where millions of women and families make life-altering medical decisions without any clear understanding of what those decisions will cost them.  Today, expecting mothers routinely enter hospitals blind. They may know their due date, their doctor, and their birth plan, but not whether delivering their child will cost $5,000 or $50,000. Even women with insurance often learn the true price only weeks or months after giving birth, when the bills arrive and financial stress replaces what should be a moment of joy.   President Donald Trump has consistently argued that Americans deserve to better understand health care costs and the Transparency in Coverage Rule was meant to fix this. The rule requires insurers to disclose negotiated rates so families can compare prices and plan. But in practice, the system still isn’t working. Price files that are posted are often massive, inconsistent, difficult to locate, and nearly impossible for ordinary consumers to use.   The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has taken an important step by proposing updates to the Transparency in Coverage rule. The agency has acknowledged what parents already know, that the current approach fails real people. Increasing enforcement, standardizing files, eliminating junk data, and improving usability are meaningful improvements. But these fixes will not help mothers if they arrive too late.  Under the proposed rule, insurers would not be fully accountable until 2028. That delay is unacceptable for families today, especially as insurers have been expected to publish data since 2022. They should not be building new systems from scratch, but rather refining existing ones. There is no justification for forcing American families to wait another two years for information they need now.  Accelerating implementation would send a clear message: transparency is not optional, and it is not theoretical. It is a real tool for families trying to budget, save, and avoid medical debt–especially at childbirth, a vulnerable moment for both mom and baby.  Accountability must also be strengthened. While compliance still needs much improvement, hospitals are already required to attest to the accuracy of their price transparency files. Insurers should be held to the same standard. Without an executive attestation, no one is responsible for whether the data is accurate, complete, or meaningful. Transparency without accountability is merely paperwork.  Most importantly, price information must reflect reality. Mothers don’t need abstract numbers. They need prices that actually determine what they will pay. That means including payment mechanics like bundled maternity fees, lactation consultants, in-hospital pediatric visits, NICU services, exclusions, and network definitions. Without this context, so-called “prices” cannot help families make informed decisions.  Trump has made clear his commitment to health care price transparency.  His administration has made transparency a pillar of their Great Healthcare Plan and they’ve often spoken about restoring fairness, lowering health care costs, and standing up for families. Delivering faster, stronger Transparency in Coverage advances all three goals. When mothers can compare prices before giving birth, stress diminishes, costs come down, and families regain control.  American parents are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for clarity. They are asking to know the cost of welcoming a child into the world before the bill arrives.  The Trump administration can deliver transparency that works for real people. By telling the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to accelerate implementation and strengthen accountability, Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy can help give mothers the honest prices, real choices, and peace of mind they deserve, when it matters most. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Transparency in Coverage Can Help American Mothers Now, Not Later appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The mother of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old Georgia nursing student killed by an illegal immigrant in 2024, thanked President Donald Trump for honoring her daughter. “You have said, from the beginning, literally the day after this happened, that you would not forget about Laken,” Allyson Phillips said on Monday at the White House. “You weren’t president at that time, and you have not forgotten. You have fought a fight that most people would not want to have to fight.” Must watch: Laken Riley’s mother praises President Trump for remembering her daughter, who was killed by an illegal immigrant. “Laken was the most responsible, hardworking, kind, selfless, beautiful Christian.” “She's not the only one, so thank you for honoring all of them.”… pic.twitter.com/UMkuQTrMgF— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) February 23, 2026 Laken Riley was murdered by an illegal immigrant while on a run at the University of Georgia on Feb. 22, 2024. Her killing spurred the passage of the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants. Trump held an Angel Families Remembrance Ceremony Monday at the White House on the two-year anniversary of Riley’s death. Phillips said Trump has been doing a “thankless job” in getting justice for Angel Families, or families who are victims of crimes by illegal immigrants. “There are just not enough words to say, because if you lived the nightmare that we have lived, you understand the importance of the job that he’s doing and securing our nation and fighting for our families because this could be any family,” she said. “This happened to my family. This could be any one of your families.” Phillips said her daughter was “the most responsible, hard-working, kind, selfless, beautiful Christian.” “She didn’t make bad choices,” Phillips said. “She was just a good girl, and she just wanted to go for a run that morning after she’d gotten up at four o’clock the morning before to decorate her roommate’s door for her birthday, and she did everything for everyone else.” “She expected nothing in return,” she continued. “She just wanted to be a good friend and a good sister and a good daughter and a hard working nurse, she was working so hard, and I’m beyond blessed and thankful that you’re honoring not just Laken, because she’s one of a ton of people that have suffered at the hands of illegal immigrants.” Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law last year, the very first bill signing of his second term. The post Laken Riley’s Mother Gives Emotional Message to Trump appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Xbox’s mandatory age verification rollout in the UK was a disaster almost immediately, locking thousands of players out of games, voice chat, and apps like Discord with no clear path back in. The failures started overnight. Players report being ejected mid-session to complete age verification checks that then took hours, stalled indefinitely, or simply refused to work regardless of what identification they submitted. Government ID, mobile numbers, and live video age estimation; the system rejected them all for many users. Others made it through verification only to find their accounts still restricted with no explanation and no recourse beyond contacting Xbox support. Microsoft’s support page now carries a notice confirming it is “aware of the issue and working to fix it.” That’s the extent of the official guidance. The verification requirement exists to comply with the UK’s new censorship law, the Online Safety Act, legislation mandating that platforms facilitating online communication verify user ages. The actual system XBox built to deliver that compliance forcibly disconnected players from games in progress, stripped away chat functionality with anyone outside their friends list, and blocked access to third-party services. Users who have held Xbox accounts for over 18 years found themselves flagged for verification anyway. The system doesn’t consider account age, history, or any contextual signal that might indicate an adult user. Everyone gets treated as potentially underage until they hand over documentation. “The amount of times I’ve tried to do any method of the verification tonight is stupid,” wrote one user. “Can’t change privacy settings on my Xbox to allow me to see mods on games too. Can’t chat on Discord. Utterly broken.” “Been trying to verify my ID for the past few hours,” added another. “It finally worked but I can’t access anything still. No Discord access at all.” The collateral damage extends to third-party apps. Discord access is blocked for unverified accounts, meaning players face restrictions that extend well beyond Xbox’s own ecosystem into platforms Microsoft doesn’t control. One user on Reddit described being removed from an Overwatch match mid-game, locked out of their account, forced through the verification process, and then handed an hour-long ban by Overwatch for abandoning the game. The compliance system punished him twice: once by interrupting their session, once by the game’s own penalty system. UK users had the option to opt in to age verification over the past several months before it became mandatory. Microsoft issued console warnings flagging the impending requirement. The voluntary period apparently didn’t smooth out the rollout. When mandatory enforcement arrived, the system failed at scale. Xbox’s verification chaos is a preview of where UK internet policy is heading. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has set a “months” timeline for mandatory age verification across social media platforms, wants powers to restrict VPN access for anyone who might use one to sidestep age checks, and has already announced plans for a national digital ID scheme. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Xbox UK Age Verification Launch Locks Out Thousands of Players appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

This Post is for Paid Supporters Reclaim your digital freedom. Get the latest on censorship and surveillance, and learn how to fight back. SUBSCRIBE Already a supporter? Sign In. (If you’re already logged in but still seeing this, refresh this page to show the post.) The post From Private Conversation to Police Report in the Age of AI appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

LA County Judge Blocks Plan to Clear Out Homeless RVs

Mamdani Speaks at Mosque, Then Imam Called for Killing All Infidels

The Internet has been buzzing over controversial advertising by infant-care brand Frida Baby, which uses sexual double entendres in their product marketing and packaging for babies. Sold at Target, CVS, Walmart, and other major retailers, the innuendoes have sparked outrage, especially amid recent Epstein-files discussions, prompting boycott calls. We happened to uncover yet another disturbing ad in our own research that raises alarm bells even further.   Founded in 2014 by CEO Chelsea Hirschhorn, Frida Baby gained fame with its NoseFrida nasal aspirator. Soon, other products followed but it’s the sexual connotations used to market the products that’s gained attention. These are slogans written directly on Frida Baby’s product packaging: NoseFrida box: “I’m a [power] sucker.” Rectal thermometer box: “How about a quickie?” Humidifier package: “I get turned on easily.” Gas-reliever product: “Tap that gas.” Screenshots of reportedly deleted Instagram/X posts include: Baby with liquid on face: “What happens when you pull out too early.” Rectal thermometer beside naked illustrated baby bottom: “This is the closest your husband’s gonna get to a threesome.” Dad watching mom use NoseFrida: “Pull Out Game,” urging tags for partners to improve “snot sucking pull out game.” NoseFrida filter post: “And remember suck, don’t swallow. Please don’t Google that.” Post that reads: “Peekaboo bear needs all 6 of those AAs,” with meme: “You know you’re a good Mom when you sacrifice your vibrator batteries for your kid’s toys.” Phallic XL humidifier: “Size matters,” caption with water/squirting emojis. “We’ve got that big mist energy… We’ve been making it rain in nurseries for like ever.” Mystery product: “It’s getting hot in here,” asking what’s “nightstand top drawer worthy, battery operated,” with winners to “get lucky tonight.” Battery-operated NoseFrida: “…helps baby breathe and sleep. Now that gives more pleasure than any other battery powered device.” Toddler in parents' bed: “Threesome (noun) When your toddler invades the bed and takes up 70 percent,” captioned “Nothing like waking up with tiny feet in your face.” Dirty diaper next to Windi gas reliever: “…tap that (g)ass,” with tips: “Massage it real good. Lube that ish up. Wear a poncho.” They also requested users to “slide into their DMs” with unblurred “success photos” of soiled diapers. In our research, we happened upon a YouTube video not included in any of the online reports that is so disturbing, we were convinced it was a horrible April Fool’s Joke. Until we saw it was dated December 2025: The video links to a Frida Baby web page for the jar that no longer exists, but we found a copy of it via the Wayback Machine. You can sense the joke, as the video caption reads in part: "Featuring our proprietary Flatulence Acquisition & Retainment Technology (F.A.R.T.), Fart Jar pairs with the Windi to capture and preserve your baby’s explosive gas. Soon you'll be able to free the farts and remember the sweet smell of gas-passing victory forever." Apparently, the product was never sold. Whatever this was, joke or actual product in the works, it’s an obvious wink at women who’ve collected gas in jars to sell to men with an eproctophilia fetish/kink. It would explain their request for photos of soiled diapers. Associating such a kink with babies is wildly inappropriate. Not surprisingly, Frida Baby closed comments on social media after angry floods on X . They also received criticism on Instagram, however, all comments on every post there have been deleted. The company issued a lengthy statement on the controversy that you can read here. A Change.org petition for investigation into their advertising has garnered thousands of signatures. No normal parent finds this funny. It's cringeworthy at best, deeply disturbing at worst, raising questions about approval processes and team judgment. At this point, an investigation into their marketing team wouldn’t be uncalled for.

Chatbot-user selfies are reportedly being analyzed and not only checked for suspiciousness, but to see if they match the faces of any public figures.Video gamers staged a collective rebellion when they discovered that Discord, the dominant gamer chat platform, had slipped a pilot program into the U.K. user experience that could route personal information to the government via a company called Persona, linked to OpenAI. Discord quickly backtracked, frustrated that new age verification laws in the Anglosphere have made it difficult to find partners that pass user muster. But the controversy rages on. A group of researchers say they stumbled upon publicly available code in OpenAI that shows an in-depth system meant for analyzing user facial data while also checking to see if the user has hijacked a dead person's identity.'269 checks. for wanting to use a chatbot in 2026.'Researchers from website Vmfunc recently revealed they came across 53 megabytes of "unprotected source maps" that are set up for government use. The researchers also stated that any suspicious user activity would be filed with federal authorities, while user selfies are analyzed and screened using facial recognition.The data being collected is reportedly through Persona's Know Your Customer service. Simply put, it is an identity verification program.Not only does OpenAI publicly state that it uses Persona as a "trusted third-party company" to "help verify age," but Persona itself announced it is authorized to "serve federal agencies where the loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of processed data could result in limited adverse effects."It was Persona that the researchers poked fun at, revealing a complex verification system that checks user selfie data.RELATED: Sam Altman slams ICE in message to OpenAI employees: 'What's happening ... is going too far' "So you uploaded a selfie to use a chatbot. Congratulations!!!" the report joked. "It's now being compared against a database of every politician, head of state, and their extended family tree on Earth. Similarity scored. Low, medium, high. The machine looked at your face and asked itself: 'Does this person resemble the deputy finance minister of Moldova?' And it answered. And it wrote the answer down."The report then described 269 verification checks that perform acts like comparing a user's selfie to their ID or other existing accounts.Other checks like "public figure detection" allegedly seek to check if the user looks like someone famous, while "suspicious entity detection" reportedly is checking to see if the user looks "suspicious."In total, there are an alleged 43 government ID checks and 27 database checks that cross-reference social security numbers, phone carriers, and death databases."269 checks. For wanting to use a chatbot in 2026," researchers wrote.RELATED: ChatGPT says it is not sharing your conversations with advertisers, but there's a catch Photo by David Burnett/Newsmakers via Getty Images Neither OpenAI nor Persona responded to Return's request for comment. However, Persona founder Rick Song has publicly stated he would cooperate with the researchers and answer their questions.After stating he had an "online crashout" in response to misinformation, Song said his dialogue with Vmfunc is ongoing and shared several emails he has exchanged with the company. One of the emails stated that OpenAI does not use Persona's "biometrics for Watchlists" or products related to identifying politically exposed persons. He also noted that Persona's max retention for data is three years, while OpenAI's policy is just one year.For additional information on how OpenAI treats user data, please visit its website.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A married employee of an Indiana high school was arrested after allegedly sexually abusing a student, according to police. Authorities were tipped off to the damning child sex crime accusations after her husband found his wife with a second student, police said. The Union City Police Department — located in Western Ohio near the border of neighboring Indiana — announced in a statement the arrest of Alicia Hughes "following an investigation into allegations involving inappropriate conduct with a minor." 'It will be interesting to see the school’s policies, how this individual was screened and trained, and what "red flags" were overlooked or ignored.'Hughes — a 31-year-old employee of the Randolph Eastern School Corporation in Indiana — was caught with a student by her husband on Feb. 14, police said. "During the course of the investigation, officers learned that Hughes’ husband had discovered her with an 18-year-old student of Randolph Eastern School Corporation and confronted the individuals," police stated.The press release revealed, "It is alleged that Hughes was battered during that altercation. The alleged battery is being investigated by the Randolph County Sheriff's Department."Police did not reveal the husband's name.Investigators said they "uncovered evidence that Alicia Hughes had also engaged in a sexual relationship with a separate high school student who was 17 years old at the time."The Union City Police Department noted that Hughes and the student "engaged in sexual intercourse on at least five occasions."Hughes was arrested and charged with five counts of child seduction related to the sexual relationship with the minor student, according to police.Police said Hughes was being detained at the Randolph County Jail on a $25,000 cash-only bond.According to Indiana law, child seduction is when a "person used or exerted the person's professional relationship with the child to engage in sexual intercourse, other sexual conduct, or any fondling or touching with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of the child or the person under this section."Those in a position of power include employees of a school corporation. RELATED: Teacher of the year arrested for alleged child sex crimes — then she's arrested on similar charges just days later Cleveland.com reported that Randolph Eastern School Corporation Superintendent Neal Adams said that Hughes "has been removed from all duties with students pending the outcome of the legal process." The outlet added that Hughes is a high school secretary.The staff directory for the Union City Jr/Sr High School does not show the name of the suspect; however, an archived version of the school's website shows an attendance secretary named "Alicia Hughes."Adams did not specify if Hughes had been terminated."We recognize that situations of this nature are deeply concerning for our families, staff, and the broader community,” Adams added. "Please know that we share those concerns and are taking this matter with the utmost seriousness, care, and urgency."Tom Blessing, an attorney for survivors of sexual abuse, said of the accusations, "Usually, we see abuse claims involving teachers and coaches, but any school staff with access to children could use their position of authority and trust to take advantage of them: custodial and maintenance staff, counselors, office staff, even administrators."Blessing continued, "It will be interesting to see the school’s policies, how this individual was screened and trained, and what ‘red flags’ were overlooked or ignored."Blessing noted that many times "institutional failures enabled the abuse" in sexual misconduct cases by school employees.The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment. The Union City Police Department did not have any updates on the case.Those with information about the case are urged to contact the Union City Police Department at 937-968-7744.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Department of Homeland Security set the record straight on Immigration and Customs Enforcement training, debunking claims from the media that agents are receiving less training.A DHS press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News counters falsehoods about ICE’s training programs amid a significant increase in new hires.'Despite false claims from the media and sanctuary politicians, no training hours have been cut.'Leftist outlets have claimed that the Trump administration reduced the length of its training course from roughly five months to just 42 days, as reported by the Atlantic in January.The DHS released further details on Monday about ICE’s training program, discrediting those claims. The agency explained that ICE recruits receive 56 days of training and an average of 28 days of on-the-job training. Under the prior administration, agents trained eight hours a day, five days a week. Under President Donald Trump, new hires are being trained 12 hours a day, six days a week. “No training requirements have been removed,” DHS stated, adding that it is the “same hours of training officers have always received.”RELATED: 'Quite literally insane': DHS responds to new scheme from LA activists to warn illegal aliens about ICE Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty ImagesFederal Law Enforcement Training Centers are prepared to accommodate 12,000 new hires in 2026, with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act providing these centers with $750 million to boost the training and readiness of ICE agents, as well as Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection officers. “DHS has streamlined training to cut redundancy and incorporate technology advancements, without sacrificing basic subject matter content. Under these new improvements, candidates still learn the same elements and meet the same high standards ICE has always required. No subject matter has been cut,” the press release read.Further, the DHS noted that most new ICE hires are experienced law enforcement officers who have previously completed a law enforcement academy. Leftist outlets have accused the Trump administration of eliminating Spanish-language courses for ICE personnel. The DHS responded to this claim as well, explaining that the agency terminated the language classes, which covered only one dialect of Spanish, to instead provide officers with robust translation and interpretation services for multiple languages. The agency stated that ICE training courses focus on enhancing several skills, including arrest techniques, defensive tactics, conflict management and de-escalation, firearms and marksmanship, and proper use of force.According to the DHS, new hires who join ICE’s Special Response Teams undergo more intensive training, including 30 hours of tryouts, an SRT Basic Operator Course, ongoing marksmanship training for all issued firearms, and continuous training for specialized skills, such as breaching techniques, perimeter control, hostage rescue, and more. Further, the DHS described education on the Fourth and Fifth Amendments as an “integral component” of ICE officers’ basic training at FLETC.“The overarching objective is to ensure that, prior to assuming field duties, every ICE officer has been repeatedly trained, tested, and held to clear standards that require consistent respect for constitutional rights in all enforcement activities,” the DHS said. RELATED: 'Large human smuggling operation' uncovered in Texas? ICE makes alarming claim about 'alien from India.' Photo by Jim Watson - Pool/Getty ImagesDHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis stated, “We have ensured our law enforcement officers get the best of the best training to arrest and remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from our communities.”“Despite false claims from the media and sanctuary politicians, no training hours have been cut,” Bis continued. “Our officers receive extensive firearm training, are taught de-escalation tactics, and receive Fourth and Fifth Amendment comprehensive instruction. The training does not stop after graduation from the academy — recruits are put on a rigorous on-the-job training program that is tracked and monitored.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!