Watching a certain Morning Joe segment today was like being a fly on the wall at a meeting of the DNC/liberal-media industrial complex‚ as they strategized over the best media approach for defeating Donald Trump in 2024. The consensus was that whereas some—including the Biden campaign itself—had in the past felt that the best way to defeat Trump was to generally ignore him‚ now it's believed that there should be as much MSM [negative] coverage of Trump as possible. They all whine and worry about voter "torpor‚" that anti-Trump voters aren't agitated enough‚ that the "stakes" are too high to do anything but panic people in the present.  Scarborough read from a New York Times article entitled‚ "Ignore Trump? Democrats Now Want Him Plastered All Over the News." And you can be sure that the MSM will carry out their new marching orders from the DNC! The segment served up two moments of unintentional humor. First‚ that Times article quoted by Scarborough included a line about the Democrats "quietly pining" for the TV networks to again start providing live coverage of Trump's rallies. You know‚ the glory days when Trump came on Morning Joe to be fawned over as a fresh alternative to the Republican establishment. Riight! Because nothing says pining "quietly" to the liberal media like feeding it to the New York Times: the liberal media's secular bible! Don't worry‚ Democrats: the networks will follow up on your oh-so-subtle suggestion! Later‚ Mika Brzezinski‚ in urging Democrats to "pound" against the dangers of Trump‚ said that Democrats need to overcome their aversion to going "negative" or "ugly." She insisted "Democrats need to pound away at the dangers of Donald Trump‚ using Donald Trump's own words against him. And actions." Don't fret‚ Mika. Somehow‚ those overly-nice Dems have a history of somehow managing to overcome their aversion to going negative‚ as when: Their NAACP ally ran a commercial accusing George W. Bush of the dragging death of a black man. The ad from a Dem interest group of Paul Ryan pushing granny in a wheelchair off a cliff. And that kindly‚ negative-averse Joe Biden himself‚ telling a largely black audience that Mitt Romney -- Mitt Romney! -- will "put y'all back in chains." Morning Joe's skull session advising the Biden campaign to go hard against Trump was sponsored in part by Sleep Number‚ Abbvie‚ maker of Rinvoq‚ and Amazon. Here's the transcript. MSNBC Morning Joe 11/22/23 6:36 am ET JOE SCARBOROUGH: You know‚ this show got criticized a great deal‚ especially through 2015‚ for saying that Donald Trump could win the Republican nomination‚ and for us having him on the show. There has also‚ of course‚ been great criticism of other networks that have allowed him to have townhall meetings. And it's interesting‚ I'm saying this‚ it's leading up to an interesting conundrum‚ John Heilemann. New York Times today: "Democrats Want Trump Plastered All Over The News." Things have changed. Let me read from it very briefly here and have you respond: "Three years later‚ after Trump left the White House‚ Mr. Biden's reelection campaign and Democratic officials across theparty spectrum have landed on a new solution. Instead of ignoring Donald Trump‚ more Trump! Criticizing the news media for giving Mr. Trump a platform is out! Quietly pining for major networks again to broadcast live coverage of Trump rallies is in!" . . .  We had National Review‚ had a line that I thought summarized it succinctly. When Americans are talking about Joe Biden‚ Republicans win. When Americans are talking about Donald Trump‚ Democrats win. And Democrats want America talking about Donald Trump now more than ever. JOHN HEILEMANN: Right‚ Joe. Of course‚ as you said a second ago‚ there's a kind of grim irony of it for those of us who have been told over the course of the last seven years‚ just don't talk about him. Don't talk about him: it will go away.  I can't‚ I know you and Mika and everyone who's ever had any reason to talk about Donald Trump on this show have heard this endlessly from people over the course of the last seven years. He only thrives because we give him attention. If the media didn't cover him‚ somehow he wouldn't be a powerful force. Of course‚ a ludicrous argument‚ given the kind of alternative media ecosystem that exists‚ where Trump gets his message out. That entire sphere of right wing‚ far right wing‚ moderate right wing‚ all of the ecosystem that has given him the biggest platform he has‚ and is connected to tens of millions of Americans. People have finally woken up to the notion‚ as this piece suggests‚ that ignoring him doesn't make him go away. And to Mike Bender's‚ the important part of Mike Bender's piece‚ which is that the Democrats understand now that they need to break through a kind of torpor among a lot of potential and past Trump‚ people who voted against Donald Trump‚ people who voted for Democrats‚ who now assume‚ somehow‚ trump will not be the nominee. They're not focused on the election. He won't eventually get there. He'll be in jail. Whatever it is‚ they have to make clear that Trump is here‚ he's almost certainly going to be here to stay at least until next November. And that as Bender's piece shows‚ his rhetoric is‚ amazingly‚ getting worse‚ more dangerous‚ more inciting‚ more inciteful‚ I say inciteful‚ not insightful as in full of insight‚ but that all of that is getting worse‚ and that voters need to understand as early as possible the stakes of the election‚ or Democrats are going to be in trouble a year from now. . . .  MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Molly Jong-Fast‚ the option for Democrats here it seems to me‚ there's always the issue‚ we don't want to go negative. We don't want to go ugly. When you're running against Donald Trump‚ just go real! Just use what material Donald Trump has provided‚ and put it in proper context‚ and give people information about what will be happening if he gets another term. I think that would be enough‚ and I think Democrats need to pound away at the dangers of Donald Trump‚ using Donald Trump's own words against him. And actions. MOLLY JONG-FAST: Oh‚ no question‚ and I think that‚ look‚ there's a vacuum‚ when mainstream media does not cover a subject‚ there becomes a vacuum‚ and Trump and his people get into social media‚ and they spread stuff. And if there isn't a fair amount of debunking‚ you will see these lies go again and again and again. . . .  SCARBOROUGH: And now we go into '24‚ and the Biden White House‚ tell me about your reporting about how much do they recognize that '24 needs to be a referendum on Trump once again. His words on abortion‚ his words on violence‚ his words on terminating the Constitution‚ etc‚ etc. How big is that going to play? JONATHAN LEMIRE: Oh‚ it's going to play a significant role. That's been the game plan all along. They spent a few months trying to make the positive case for Biden‚ particularly on the economy--the Bidenomics pitch. We know it hasn't really worked‚ hasn't translated yet in the polls‚ anyway. And a lot of Democrats are getting really antsy about it. And are urging them to draw sharper contrasts with Donald Trump. And as we wrote right after the election‚ they have begun to do that.

The phone rang in my parents’ Park Avenue apartment. Not a phone. The phone.It was the late 1980s or early 1990s; I forget exactly when. Mobile phones were an unheard-of luxury‚ even for a double-income household on the Upper East Side. When the narrator of Will Smith’s breakout hit pretended to talk on his parents’ car phone‚ rap fans understood why: He was flaunting his wealth. Smith specified “car phone” because back then‚ a phone was normally something plugged into a wall. Technically‚ my family had three phones: in the kitchen‚ living room‚ and my parents’ bedroom. They were all connected to the same landline‚ were reachable at the same number‚ and rang at the same time. Effectively‚ they were the same phone. If I called a friend from the kitchen‚ my mom or dad could listen to both sides of the conversation from their room (although the click of a receiver or drawing of a breath would give away eavesdropping). Long before caller ID was commonplace‚ a ringing phone sparked mystery‚ excitement‚ and trepidation. The call could have been for my dad‚ for my mom‚ or for me. The caller could have been Blockbuster warning us a videotape was overdue‚ my mom’s hairdresser rescheduling an appointment‚ or a classmate pranking me. We had no way of finding out without answering (or letting “the machine” pick up and listening to the caller record a message‚ something sneaky people often did).Either a high school senior or a college freshman home on break‚ I was closest to the ringing phone in the living room. I picked it up. A woman asked for my dad. “May I ask who’s calling?”His co-worker at the advertising firm gave her name and‚ in the same breath‚ contritely acknowledged‚ “He’s going to scream.” He probably will‚ I thought and knew better than to say aloud. I told my father who it was. He grabbed the receiver from my hand and‚ as expected‚ laid into her for bothering him about a work matter on an evening or weekend‚ whichever it was. Then he hung up.Eroding boundariesImagine how that interaction would play out for the three parties today‚ in the age of ubiquitous smartphones‚ when each family member likely has a personal device and number.The caller: That poor account executive (or copywriter‚ or whatever she did for the ad firm) sounded embarrassed to be calling our home outside working hours. I may even have detected a hint of empathy in her voice‚ as if she knew my father well enough to sense he might take out his frustration on me and my mom. (He often did so verbally‚ almost never physically‚ for the record.) Whatever she was calling about‚ maybe it really couldn’t wait until the next business day. Nowadays‚ if Alice needs to reach her co-worker Bob on Saturday‚ she doesn’t have to risk having to talk to his family member who picks up the landline. She can call Bob directly on his mobile. Only Bob will answer. It’s his phone‚ with its own number‚ not the family phone. What’s more‚ Alice doesn’t even need to call Bob and risk the indignity of getting yelled at and hung up on. She can just text. Maybe she’ll get a reply. Maybe not. Maybe the reply will answer her question. Maybe it’ll be all-caps invective. Even then‚ insults displayed on a screen might not sting as much as insults shouted in her ear. (Besides‚ in 2023‚ Bob risks getting in trouble with HR if he leaves a paper trail of abuse‚ so chances are that no matter the medium of communication‚ he’ll behave more diplomatically than my dad did‚ if only out of self-interest.)The callee: Caller ID will warn Bob it’s Alice. If he doesn’t want to talk to her‚ he can decline the call or let it go to voicemail (and maybe later concoct some story about how he was out jogging or doing “deep work”). Whatever the outcome‚ Alice is less likely to feel ashamed for disturbing Bob’s “work-life balance” if she texts instead of calling‚ or if she calls a personal cell instead of a landline shared among household members. Less risk of shame means less compunction about pushing boundaries.The rise of smartphones overlapped with and likely accelerated the erosion of any clear and common definition of “business hours.” For many white-collar workers now‚ they might well include the weekend. Bob has less leverage to push back on co-workers’ intrusions than my dad did. If Bob can’t be bothered to answer a question on Saturday‚ he can be replaced with a team player who will.The intermediary: Unlike teenage me‚ Bob Jr. does not get caught in the middle. He’s in his room glued to his own phone‚ probably watching unspeakable filth or addictive viral sludge. To be fair‚ maybe he’s texting with friends or minting NFTs.His loss either way. While it was never fun when my dad threw a fit‚ the unpleasantness was educational for me. It showed me he had a demanding employer and gave me a preview of the pressures I would face as an adult in the workforce of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Yes‚ my father could have handled the situation more gracefully. That‚ too‚ was a life lesson.Atomized? Always have been Steven Gottlieb via Getty Images I am not claiming my parents and I were some paragon of familial cohesion. A quarter-century before the first iPhone debuted‚ we were well on the road to atomization. There was no television in the living room. I watched Johnny Carson with mom and dad at the foot of their bed and "120 Minutes" alone in my room. When my parents played show tunes on the car stereo‚ I drowned them out on my Walkman with Hüsker Dü. (Truthfully‚ I still can’t blame myself for that.) And full disclosure: I had my own landline with a different number (which became my dad’s business number after I moved out) in my bedroom (which became his office). Even so‚ “answer the phone” meant “pick up the main line‚” distinct from “answer your phone.”The web made the distractions of my adolescence available 24-7 and at least nominally free (often with unseen costs). The smartphone consolidated them onto a handheld device you could take anywhere‚ even the bathroom. It also displaced an unsung source of domestic bonding. When family members answered a shared landline‚ their lives were‚ in some small way‚ more intertwined. As long as one member of the household was on a call‚ others had to wait to make a call‚ forcing the former to be considerate about hogging the phone and the latter to be patient. Anyone calling us got a busy signal‚ so they’d have to be patient too. Answering the phone took less effort than washing dishes or taking out the garbage‚ but it was a kind of family chore. When the phone rang‚ someone had to pick it up.“It’s for you‚” we used to say. But while the phone was ringing‚ it was for all of us.Marc Hochstein‚ aka Salty K. Pickles‚ is a writer in New York. Find him at Substack‚ Urbit (~fodrex-malmev)‚ his day job‚ or‚ if you must‚ the hellsite.

An all-female Catholic college in Notre Dame‚ Indiana‚ announced that it will begin admitting male students who "identify as women" starting in the fall of 2024‚ according to a recent email obtained by the Observer and the Daily Signal.President of Saint Mary's College Katie Conboy sent a letter to students and faculty Tuesday explaining that the Catholic college would enroll undergraduate applicants "whose sex is female or who consistently live and identify as women."The policy change was approved by the Board of Trustees earlier this year‚ reported the Observer‚ a student-run newspaper serving Indiana's Notre Dame‚ Saint Mary's‚ and Holy Cross. Conboy's email noted that the board "fully supports" the new policy decision."This confidence from our Board underscores their commitment that as an employer‚ Saint Mary's must stand firm in its position as an inclusive community leader‚ and that as educators‚ we should continue to create an environment where all women belong and thrive‚" Conboy stated in the recent email to students and staff.Conboy previously created a President's Task Force for Gender Identity and Expression to provide recommendations for housing considerations and education on behalf of the community."We are by no means the first Catholic women's college to adopt a policy with this scope‚" Conboy wrote. "In drafting the language for this update‚ I have relied on the guidance of the Executive Team and others to ensure that our message is not only in line with best practices for today's college students‚ but that it also encompasses our commitment to operate as a Catholic women's college."Saint Mary's non-discrimination policy states that the college aims to "empower women" and remains "inherently tied to the vision and values of our founders and sponsors‚ the Sisters of the Holy Cross.""Essential to this mission is fostering a diverse‚ equitable and inclusive campus experience‚" the policy continues. In a post on X‚ Saint Mary's alumna Clare Anne Ath called the move "blasphemous" and "a complete rejection of the Church and it's [sic] teachings on gender and sexuality."Former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines told the Daily Signal that Saint Mary's had "abandoned women" with its new policy."It would be comical if there weren't real consequences women have to endure. Men would not put up with this mistreatment and gaslighting for a second. It's time women take back our spaces‚ our opportunities‚ and our language‚" she added.Saint Mary's did not respond to a request for comment from the Observer.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Democratic Rep. Colin Allred is running to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz in Texas. While the race leans "likely Republican‚" the LGBT activist and former Tennessee Titan figures he'll be able to succeed where Beto O'Rourke failed‚ in part because he was able to defeat incumbent Republican Rep. Pete Sessions in 2018 and has demonstrated a knack for collecting donations. Since Allred's leftist influence and efforts to help Democrats further curtail the Second Amendment would likely be more impactful in the Senate‚ at least numerically‚ critics have recently begun to give his past remarks and associations greater scrutiny‚ particularly his historic support for a radical imam who has trafficked in anti-Israel propaganda. In 2019‚ Allred lauded New Orleans native Omar Suleiman for his "message of peace‚ unity‚ and support for our fellow Americans‚" stressing he "always represent[s] the best of North Texas." — (@) Beyond demanding that Israel suspend its war with Hamas‚ Suleiman has in recent days called Israel "an ethnosupremacist state" that advances "global white supremacy" and referred to Israel's war against Hamas as a "genocide." He has previously called Israel a "terrorist regime‚" likened Palestinian treatment to "liv[ing] under Nazis‚" and reportedly said‚ "We ask Allah to humiliate this Israel." Suleiman‚ now based in Texas‚ reportedly said at the outset of the 2014 Gaza War‚ "God willing on this blessed night as the 3rd Intifada begins‚ the beginning of the end of Zionism is here. May Allah help us overcome this monster‚ protect the innocent of the world‚ and accept the murdered as martyrs. ameen." This supposed representative of North Texas wrote in 2018 that Palestinian rioters were "fearless and steadfast. They will not be discouraged by those who betray them. They will continue to resist. They will continue to march. They will continue to demand their freedom. And so will we. By any means necessary." The Daily Mail noted that Suleiman‚ a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations‚ was photographed last year meeting with jihadists in Malaysia‚ one of whom previously declared that "every Muslim should be a terrorist" and signaled common cause with Osama bin Laden. The other jihadist suggested that non-Muslims are the "worst of Allah's creations‚ even lower than animals." Following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks‚ which claimed the lives of thousands of Israeli civilians and dozens of Americans‚ Suleiman circulated Hamas propaganda‚ claiming in one instance that Israel hit a Gazan hospital with an airstrike‚ when in reality an Islamist rocket had misfired. He has yet to take down his initial claim on X. Weeks later‚ the Texas-based imam accused the U.S. of genocide on account of its support for Israel's security action against Hamas terrorists. Rep. Allred clearly stated twice on Oct. 7 that he condemned "the unprovoked terrorist attacks against innocent Israeli civilians" and reiterated his "support for Israel and its right to defend itself." Allred's messaging prompted interest in whether he'd changed his mind about Suleiman‚ given the imam's anti-Israeli vitriol. Sen. Ted Cruz wrote in a Oct. 23 post‚ "Colin Allred embraced &; welcomed this antisemite cleric to the House. Today‚ [Suleiman is] accusing BOTH Israael and America of 'genocide'? That is utterly false and a blood libel. Does Allred agree?" "Does Allred still think that this antisemite represents (to use his words) 'the best of North Texas'?" added Cruz. — (@) It appears that Cruz was not the only person interested in Allred's opinion of Suleiman. After all‚ the congressman has set a low bar for those whom he considers "extremists‚" using this term in reference to law-abiding U.S. senators who've taken a stand against the Pentagon's legally dubious abortion initiatives. A journalist recently confronted Allred about his support of Suleiman. Your browser does not support the video tag. Blaze News reached out to Allred for comment‚ but he did not respond by deadline. It's unclear whether a condemnation of Suleiman might jeopardize Allred's ability to continue fundraising from groups critical of Israel‚ such as the George Soros-funded outfit J Street‚ which dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Democrat's Senate campaign early this year. "Anti-Israel J Street’s endorsement of Texas Democrat Colin Allred comes as no surprise‚ because Allred aligns with J Street’s radicalism‚" Sam Markstein‚ national political director for the Republican Jewish Coalition‚ told the Washington Free Beacon. "Allred fancies himself a moderate‚ but he voted to keep anti-Semite Ilhan Omar on the House Foreign Affairs Committee‚ supported the disastrous [Iran] nuclear deal." A spokesman for Allred's campaign noted at the time that he had managed to swing the support of "both AIPAC and J Street." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The woke Marvel machine shows no signs of stopping after outlets have reported that the iconic Silver Surfer character may soon be a woman in an upcoming film.Fresh off a disastrous showing for "The Marvels‚" along with a trouncing of parent company Disney at the hands of "South Park‚" the comic book creators are rumored to have gone full speed ahead with a remake of the "Fantastic Four‚" slated for a 2025 release.As reported by Bounding into Comics‚ industry insider Jeff Sneider recently dropped the hammer that the Silver Surfer character would now be a woman‚ replacing the male character with an existing Marvel female who would for some reason drop her original superhero story arc in exchange for the surfer."So you know Galactus is going to be part of 'Fantastic Four.' The idea is that one of his four heralds is going to be female – I have heard that the Silver Surfer is going to be female‚" Sneider said.The reporter reiterated this claim on his podcast a week later when he said‚ "Yes‚ you can expect to see a female Silver Surfer‚ as I noted on last week’s 'Hot Mic' podcast."Sneider wasn't the only one to predict the change‚ and with multiple sources for the alleged storyline‚ the veracity of the claim becomes far more likely.Weeks prior‚ a noted industry scoop-finder who goes by the moniker "My Time to Shine Hello" told his 150‚000 followers that "Galactus' herald in the [Marvel Cinematic Universe] Fantastic Four reboot will be a woman."Galactus is an incredibly powerful character in the Marvel universe‚ and his heralds are characters he endows with some of his powers. Silver Surfer has been one of those heralds. Galactus' herald in the MCU Fantastic Four reboot will be a woman — (@) The rumor even goes back to 2019‚ when reporter Mikey Sutton claimed that a new "Fantastic Four" movie would open with a transfer of power from the Silver Surfer to female character Frankie Raye‚ who was previously played by actress Beau Garrett.Marvel Studios was also reportedly looking to make the female character as powerful as the recently flopped Captain Marvel.In the 2007 film "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer‚" the title character was played by Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne; neither of whom are women.Of course‚ Marvel is not afraid to terraform its characters' race or gender even if they've been around for over 80 years.In a 2015 reboot‚ the series replaced the typically blond-haired‚ white male character named Johnny Storm (previous played by Chris Evans) with actor Michael B. Jordan. The character was created in 1939.Marvel Studios did not respond to 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!

Tom Brady isn’t impressed with the current state of the NFL‚ but he’s not the only one. “I think there’s a lot of mediocrity in today’s NFL. I don’t see the excellence that I saw in the past‚” Brady tells Stephen A. Smith. “I think the coaching isn’t as good as it was; I don’t think the development of young players is as good as it was; I don’t think the schemes are as good as they were‚” he explains. “I think the rules have allowed a lot of bad habits to get into the actual performance of the game.” Not only that‚ but the rules have allowed a lot of players to go soft. “You hear coaches complaining about their own player being tackled and not necessarily why don’t they talk to their player about how to protect himself‚ how to get rid of the ball‚ how to throw‚ how to run out of bounds‚ how to get down‚ how to lower your pad level‚” he continued. “That is awesome‚” Jason Whitlock comments‚ grateful to hear it. Brady hasn’t changed his tune since he was on the field‚ either‚ as Whitlock notes that he was saying all of this while he was still in the league. “He said this stuff previously with Jim Gray. He doesn’t have that kind of influence; he’s one voice‚” Whitlock explains to a skeptical Steve Kim. Whitlock believes “Tom Brady needs to be applauded” because “this is the most accomplished‚ the most celebrated‚ arguably the greatest NFL player of all time saying the product’s no good.” “That takes a big set‚ and hats off to Tom Brady‚” he adds. 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.

Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) reportedly left the Congressional Progressive Caucus after some of her liberal colleagues refused to support Israel.Frankel left the caucus several weeks ago over an "internal split" regarding the caucus' view on the Israel-Hamas war‚ the Intercept reported. Neither Frankel nor the caucus has spoken about Frankel's departure‚ and her name was quietly scrubbed from the caucus' website.Frankel's decision to leave the caucus is not surprising because despite being politically progressive‚ she is Jewish and a fierce defender of Israel. After the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas‚ Frankel reaffirmed her "unwavering support" for Israel by supporting a GOP-led support package to Israel that a majority of Democrats opposed. And importantly‚ Frankel was one of the few Democrats to support then-President Donald Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. "Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel‚" she said at the time. Frankel also opposed Barack Obama's infamous nuclear deal with Iran.Sources confirmed Frankel's departure to Axios‚ explaining she left because of how some members of the caucus have reacted to the Israel-Hamas war.Most notably‚ all eight members of the "Squad" are part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus‚ and they have been the most outspoken lawmakers in Congress against Israel.Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)‚ for example‚ has refused to condemn unequivocally Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel‚ while repeatedly heaping criticism on Israel. She has disseminated Hamas propaganda and even spoken positively about a Hamas rallying cry that celebrates the extermination of Israel. Her actions resulted in a bipartisan censure — which Frankel supported.Additionally‚ many members of the progressive caucus are pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza‚ a move that would only reward Hamas and harm Israel. Supporters of Israel generally oppose a ceasefire.Blaze News reached out to Rep. Frankel's office for comment. A representative‚ however‚ did not respond.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Destructive "super pigs" from Canada are beginning to invade the U.S.‚ threatening to add to the billions of dollars in damage already inflicted annually upon the nation by feral swine. Canadian bacon Dr. Ryan Brook‚ lead on the University of Saskatchewan's Canadian Wild Pig Research Project‚ told Field and Stream earlier this year‚ "The U.S. has a 400-plus year history with invasive wild pigs‚ but we didn't have any here until the early 1980s." "There was a big push to diversify agriculture with species like wild [boars] and ostriches. Wild boars were brought in from Europe to be raised on farms across Canada‚" said Brook. The swinish imports from Eurasia‚ kept both on meat farms and in hunting preserves‚ were crossbred with domestic pigs‚ resulting in "super pigs." These monstrosities were not only larger‚ but hardier and capable of surviving in cold climates. "For surviving in cold winters‚ one of the rules of ecology is the bigger the better‚" said Brook. "Larger-body animals survive the cold better and have better reproduction in those conditions." After decades of farmers supersizing their bacon‚ the market for farmed boars crashed in Canada. In the aftermath‚ some farmers freed their unprofitable hybrids. Other hogs simply escaped. It didn't take long for the population of feral pigs to skyrocket. After all‚ they have a short gestation period of only 114 days‚ an average litter of 4-12 piglets‚ and their females can get pregnant at 6 months of age. The wild pigs spread like locusts across the Canadian prairie provinces‚ covering some 620‚000 square miles of territory. The University of Saskatchewan indicated a male hybrid wild pig's territory can be as large as 115.8 square miles in the summer. These creatures usually weigh between 120 and 250 pounds but can grow up to 400 pounds. They can also run 30 mph. Brutal Canadian winters toughened up the pigs‚ which Brook stressed will "feed on anything. They gobble up tons and tons of goslings and ducklings in the spring. They can take down a whitetail deer‚ even an adult." "Originally‚ it was like 'wow‚ this is something we can hunt.' But it's become clear that they're threatening our whitetail deer‚ elk‚ and especially waterfowl. Not to mention the crop damage." Brook said in a university report‚ "Wild pigs are so widespread that they are a major challenge to control in Canada‚ and eradication is only possible with a comprehensive plan to deal with this highly efficient invasive species. In Saskatchewan they are already posing significant risks to agriculture and livestock production. Our mapping of their expanding territory shows just how quickly they are spreading. This is a rapidly emerging crisis." Extra to devouring crops and anything with a pulse‚ the wild pigs are also known to carry diseases like African swine fever. In January‚ Brook said the hybrid pigs were about to become an American problem‚ noting pigs had been sighted less than 10 miles away from the border‚ along which there was nothing to stop them from stampeding in. A meaty invasion The Associated Press reported that aerial surveys recently spotted the hybrid pigs on both sides of the Canada-North Dakota border and more making their way from Manitoba to Minnesota. Gary Nohrenberg‚ the Minnesota director of Wildlife Services‚ indicated that he is not yet aware of any wild pigs stealing into Minnesota. Brook indicated Canada missed its window to eradicate the beasts. For starters‚ officials would have had to slaughter at least 65% of the population every year just to prevent the population from growing. Even then‚ there are indications from previous American efforts that such culling efforts simply prompt the hybrid pigs to adapt and hunt at night. "Nobody should be surprised when pigs start walking across that border if they haven't already‚" said Brook. "The question is: What will be done about it?" The U.S. doesn't need more feral hogs‚ given that it has an estimated 9 million roaming about 36 states already. They reportedly cause $2.5 billion in agricultural losses every year‚ with a sounder of pigs capable of devouring 10 acres of corn in a single night. The pigs also release more greenhouse gases than 1 million cars a year‚ meaning they pose a threat to climate alarmists' anxiety levels as well. The East Bay Times reported that the Minnesota legislature has asked the state's Department of Natural Resources to prepare to a plan to tackle the invading forces. It's unclear what this plan will ultimately entail. There are multiple approaches Minnesota could take. The Duluth News Tribune noted that in Missouri‚ hunters once were able to go hog wild‚ shooting as many feral pigs as they could. Now the practice is prohibited. In Wisconsin‚ residents are asked to report sightings to the state Department of Natural Resources. Texas allows hunters to turn hogs into furry confetti from hot air balloons. "The only path forward is you have to be really aggressive and you have to use all the tools in the toolbox‚" said Brook. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

It’s about time the public hears the truth about what happened on January 6‚ 2021‚ and according to House Speaker Mike Johnson‚ that time is nearing. Investigative journalist Steve Baker‚ who has seen and analyzed the tapes himself‚ joins Steve Deace to explain how this process will likely play out. “How much footage is the speaker vowing to release‚ and under what kind of a timetable are we talking about here?” Deace inquires. “He's talking about releasing about 95% of [the footage]‚” says Baker. “Now what's the other 5%‚ and what makes that nefarious? Nothing – it's the secure areas of the Capitol‚” such as the hidden staircases‚ doors‚ and passageways where “members under threat of an emergency would … escape.” As for the timeline‚ Baker says that “there's a lot of misconceptions “ about an “early release” floating around. As of last Friday‚ “only 90 hours” of footage were posted on the House Administration Committee's website‚ and the reason for that is because “that is the 90 hours that have already been cleared by security review.” As for the rest of the 40‚000 hours of footage‚ it will be a “monumental task on behalf of these congressional staffers and aides‚” says Baker. According to one senior aide Baker spoke to‚ “they're thinking about hiring a company to come in and handle this for them.” “So this is going to take many months for the speaker's promise to release this to the public to finally be fulfilled.” “How confident are you that they're going to follow through with this to the end?” asks Deace. “I am confident because‚ as you know‚ I've had direct communications with Speaker Johnson” and other “congressional contacts‚” says Baker‚ “and we know that this is going to happen.” To hear their full conversation‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Steve Deace?To enjoy more of Steve's take on national politics‚ Christian worldview‚ and principled conservatism with a snarky twist‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

A secretive White House surveillance program has allowed law enforcement agencies to track Americans’ phone records for over a decade‚ according to a letter recently obtained by Wired.The letter‚ written by U.S. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon and addressed to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland‚ explained that a program called Data Analytical‚ formerly known as Hemisphere‚ allows federal‚ state‚ and local law enforcement agencies to retrieve the phone records of Americans — even those who are not suspected of being involved in a crime.Law enforcement agencies are permitted to collect the phone record data of individuals suspected of a crime or anyone who has been in contact with someone suspected of a crime. Phone records turned over by AT&;T to law enforcement agencies can include the name of the caller and recipient‚ phone numbers‚ and the dates and times of those calls. In some cases‚ it can also include location information‚ Wired reported. The data collected is not wiretapping‚ which would require a warrant. In the letter‚ Wyden urged Garland to allow the public release of information tied to the former Hemisphere Project. He described it as “a long-running dragnet surveillance program in which the White House pays AT&;T to provide all federal‚ state‚ local‚ and Tribal law enforcement agencies the ability to request often-warrantless searches of trillions of domestic phone records.”The New York Times exposed the existence of the Hemisphere Project in September 2013. That same year‚ the program was renamed. Funding for the project was suspended in 2013 by former President Barack Obama. However‚ a White House memo obtained by Wired revealed that the local law enforcement agencies were still permitted to directly contract with AT&;T to collect phone record data.Funding for the program was briefly resumed under former President Donald Trump in 2017 and paused in 2021. The Biden administration again resumed funding last year.According to Wyden‚ AT&;T has held on to Hemisphere Project queries dating back to 1987. He called the program “stunning in its scope” and questioned its legality.“Although the Hemisphere Project is paid for with federal funds‚ they are delivered to AT&;T through an obscure grant program‚ enabling the program to skip an otherwise mandatory federal privacy review‚” Wyden claimed.“I have serious concerns about the legality of this surveillance program‚ and the materials provided by the DOJ contain troubling information that would justifiably outrage many Americans and other members of Congress‚” he added.Kim Hart Jonson‚ a spokesperson for AT&;T‚ declined a request for comment from Wired but noted that the company is legally required to comply with lawful subpoenas. The outlet noted that no law requires companies like AT&;T to hold onto decades of Americans’ phone records.The White House has not provided a comment to Wired.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!