In a heartwarming tale of unexpected companionship‚ a Colorado football player’s routine hike transforms into a life-changing adventure. The story unfolds as the athlete named Jaylen stumbles upon two stray animals‚ setting the stage for an emotional journey that intertwines the lives of a man‚ a dog‚ and a kitten. The video begins with Jaylen... The post College football player goes for hike and finds abandoned dog and kitten begging for help appeared first on Animal Channel.

The ocean‚ vast and awe-inspiring‚ holds a sense of exhilaration and a tinge of fear‚ especially when you’re out there on a boat‚ surrounded by endless waves. It’s the fear of the unknown that grips you‚ as you ponder over the mysteries lurking beneath the surface. In the past‚ to quench the curiosity about these... The post Boat captain flies drone over ocean and soon spots thousands of animals in ‘rare event’ appeared first on Animal Channel.

Time magazine barely matters any more‚ but on Monday they did notice something other liberal outlets are aggressively ignoring: "What to Know About Washington’s Scandal Over Sex in a Senate Hearing Room." Singapore-based reporter Chad DeGuzman sent a not-so-subtle signal to readers (and the rest of the liberal media) that any curiosity about this film clip of a former aide to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) naked in the Hart Senate Office Building should be dismissed as a sordid tale being promoted by "right-wing media." If you raise questions about Senate staffer Aidan Maese-Czeropski or who else was involved‚  you can be written off as some sort of right-wing kook. It only took until the second sentence of the Time story to catch the drift:  Capitol Hill was rocked over the weekend by the circulation of an explicit video of two men apparently having sex in a congressional hearing room. The eight-second pornographic clip‚ first posted Friday evening by right-wing media website the Daily Caller‚ was reportedly leaked from a private group chat for gay men in politics. The report‚ which did not name the participants and blurred a face that appeared in the video‚ claimed it was a congressional staffer in the sex tape and identified the setting as Room 216 in the Hart Senate Office Building. Just to make sure that you understand it is the political right that is reporting this story‚ the top of the paragraph immediately below reinforces that shtick. The Spectator‚ a conservative British magazine‚ reported hours earlier that an unnamed staffer for Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) had publicly shared a series of indecent photos and videos of himself engaging in sex acts in the “so-called hallowed Halls of Congress.” The description of one photo in particular bore resemblance to the video shared later by the Daily Caller. And in case you are still too clueless to understand Time's by now completely unsubtle message‚ well third time could be the charm in the paragraph immediately following. The news immediately gained traction in conservative media. While details remain scant‚ outlets including the New York Post and Washington Examiner identified the staffer as Aidan Maese-Czeropski‚ a legislative aide for Cardin. The magazine account noted Capitol Police are investigating‚ and that "Fox News analyst" Jonathan Turley  "speculated on his personal blog that potential criminal charges could include trespass‚ indecent exposure‚ or misuse of public property. In the meantime‚ the incident has elicited a range of mockery and outrage‚ especially among conservatives on social media." The Biden Justice Department has prosecuted grandmas who "entered a restricted building" and were "parading" in the Capitol on January 6. Time didn't wonder: Will these Democrats be treated more like fire-alarm stunt man Rep. Jamaal Bowman? Noting that this was filmed where Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) usually sits‚ DeGuzman added some Republican tweets‚ from just-removed George Santos and from Mike Collins:  Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) posted a photo of cleaning wipes at a grocery store‚ with the caption “Christmas shopping for Senator Klobuchar.” Message sent: Only Republicans think any of this is newsworthy.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall apparently does not like it when white people comment on football games. Mendenhall tried to play the victim on Monday after he received strong criticism for the following post on X: "I’m sick of average white guys commenting on football. Y’all not even good at football. Can we please replace the Pro Bowl with an All-Black vs. All-White bowl so these cats can stop trying to teach me who’s good at football. I’m better than ur goat." — (@) In response to the criticism of his first post‚ Mendenhall followed it up with a second post‚ writing: "Simply tired of being berated by people who arent experts in de game. We jus pretend like I’m the only athlete tired of fans talking trash? You dis upset over a single tweet. What about us? Like me or not‚ I’m a GREAT in football. This proves my point‚ u can’t speak on ball alone." — (@) Mendenhall's social media posts came with a flurry of criticism‚ with NFL fans jabbing at the former running back for fumbling the ball during the 2010 Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers‚ which ultimately led to a Packers touchdown. Mendenhall was on the 2008 Steelers team that went on to win the Super Bowl‚ and his season was cut short due to injury‚ according to Fox News Digital.Despite all the backlash he received from his social media posts‚ Mendenhall decided to specifically target white people. Former Houston Texans star J.J. Watt joked that if there were an All-Black vs. All-White bowl‚ "we'd get cooked at corner‚ not gonna lie‚" adding that "nobody on our squad is covering Tyreek [Hill]."Mendenhall's comments about "average white guys" followed a previous post to X in which he mentioned Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's playoff record‚ which is less than stellar. Mendenhall wrote: "I don’t understand how you can talk about Tomlin’s playoff record‚ without acknowledging that Kenny Pickett has only played one year. Who was the QB for all those playoff loses?!! Literally all of them. Make up your minds. How you arbitrarily separate Mike &; Ben in de W/L column?"Mendenhall appears to have been referring to Ben Roethlisberger‚ who was the quarterback for the Steelers for 18 seasons. Mendenhall played for the Steelers from 2008 to 2012‚ then spent his final year with the Arizona Cardinals.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Ron DeSantis‚ arguably the closest thing to a consensus GOP candidate for president‚ seems to have hit his stride recently. A remarkably effective governor‚ DeSantis had never run a national campaign‚ so it’s perhaps not overly surprising that there was a bit of a learning curve at the beginning — especially since DeSantis focuses more on actually governing effectively than on simply talking about governing. But the Floridian has recently had a strong month-plus of campaigning‚ and he might be quietly positioning himself to make this a genuine two-horse race.You won’t hear this from mainstream reporters‚ who think that Donald Trump would be easier to beat and know that Nikki Haley would be more to their liking. Nor will you hear it from establishment Republicans‚ who see in Haley one of their own. And you won’t hear it from fervent Trump supporters‚ who know that DeSantis is the former president’s only real competition within his own party. Indeed‚ DeSantis has been targeted by all three of these groups throughout the campaign‚ but he now appears — for the first time — to have broken into the open field.Key endorsements and a lively debateIf this were a football game‚ the first block that helped spring DeSantis might have come on November 6. That day‚ Iowa’s popular governor‚ Kim Reynolds‚ who many thought would not endorse anyone in the Republican race‚ announced her support for DeSantis. “Ron is the most effective leader I have seen in a long‚ long time‚” Reynolds said. “He’ll be the best president we’ve seen in decades.” Former President Donald Trump‚ expressing his obvious frustration at failing to secure Reynolds’ endorsement for himself‚ responded‚ “It will be the end of her political career…. Two extremely disloyal people getting together… they can now remain loyal to each other because nobody else wants them!!!”Two days later‚ on November 8‚ DeSantis did well in the third Republican presidential debate‚ a debate in which Haley also had a strong showing. Following that‚ on November 21‚ DeSantis received the endorsement of Bob Vander Plaats‚ a key Iowa evangelical leader who‚ in the past three competitive Republican races in Iowa‚ has supported the eventual winner‚ each of whom was an underdog at some stage in the race. Trump somewhat mysteriously responded‚ “Vander Plaats‚ the former High School Accountant from Iowa‚ will do anything to win‚ something which he hasn’t done in many years.”Then‚ on November 30‚ DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom engaged in a spirted debate that contrasted DeSantis’ Main Street-focused‚ “we’re open for business” approach to governance with Newsom’s fondness for authoritarian lockdowns and mandates. That debate helped highlight for voters that there are other options aside from a rematch between Trump and Joe Biden‚ who‚ as of December 13‚ have matching 40% approval ratings and 56% disapproval ratings in the RealClearPolitics average of recent polling. No wonder the Wall Street Journal’s Holman Jenkins writes that “Mr. Biden’s re-election strategy … requires Mr. Trump to be the GOP nominee.”Charges with meritTwo days later‚ on December 2‚ DeSantis completed his tour of all 99 Iowa counties. Then‚ on December 6 — exactly one month after he received the Reynolds endorsement — the Florida governor had what was widely perceived to be his best performance in a Republican debate thus far‚ as he landed blows against both Trump and Haley. DeSantis — a former college baseball player who says that Trump has “lost the zip on his fastball” — reminded Republican voters that even when Trump wasn’t approaching 80 and was still bringing the heat‚ “He didn’t … fire Dr. Fauci. He didn’t fire Christopher Wray. He didn’t clean up the swamp. … He said he was going to build the wall and have Mexico pay for it. We don’t have the wall.” DeSantis hit Haley‚ too‚ saying she’s someone who “caves any time the left comes after her‚ any time the media comes after her‚” who’s “not going to fight for the people back home.”At an Iowa town hall last week‚ DeSantis opened up a new line of attack‚ blaming Trump in part for the runaway inflation that is voters’ number-one concern‚ saying it isn’t just Biden who’s culpable: “Printing trillions and trillions of dollars was a huge mistake. That set the foundation for the inflation that we see.” The charge has merit. During 2020‚ Trump’s last full year as president‚ the federal government obliterated the all-time deficit record of $1.4 trillion‚ setting a new record of $3.1 trillion. For every $10 that came in‚ $19 went out.“He’s a different Donald Trump than in ’15 and ’16‚” DeSantis added. “Back then he was colorful‚ but it was really America first [and] about the policies. Now‚ a lot of it’s about him.”In short‚ it’s been a good month-plus for Trump’s principal challenger. Big swings still possibleThe polling hasn’t yet registered this — but polling can be a lagging indicator‚ and it has previously been off by wide margins at this stage of the contest (even when there wasn’t a former president in the race with sky-high name recognition). For example‚ on December 13‚ 2011‚ Newt Gingrich was beating Mitt Romney by 13 points in the RCP average of recent polling. Romney‚ of course‚ ultimately won. On that same day in 2007‚ Rudy Giuliani was beating John McCain by 10 points. Just 50 days later‚ Giuliani was out of the race‚ which McCain eventually won.Past Iowa contests have seen similar dramatic movement. On December 13‚ 2011‚ Rick Santorum — another strong pro-life candidate endorsed by Vander Plaats — was trailing Gingrich by 23 points and had barely a fifth as much support as the former House speaker in RCP’s average of Iowa polling (29% to 6%). Santorum eventually won Iowa and beat Gingrich by 11 points in the process — a swing of 34 percentage points in just three weeks.It seems clear that Republican voters will eventually choose either Trump or DeSantis — for while the GOP establishment doesn’t want to face it‚ voters are clearly not in an establishment mood. Haley — who in the last debate revealed just how out of touch she is by calling the libertarian organization Americans for Prosperity “the most conservative grassroots group in the country” — is essentially an establishment candidate‚ which means that she has no realistic hope of prevailing in this cycle.Polling bears this out. Shortly after the first GOP debate‚ the American Main Street Initiative — which I founded and run — commissioned Echelon Insights to ask this poll question: “Which person are you hoping will not win your party’s nomination for president?” The poll also asked the conventional question about which candidate each respondent supports.Among those with more than 1% support‚ only three Republican candidates had a higher percentage of GOP-leaning respondents rooting for them than were rooting against them: Trump‚ DeSantis‚ and Vivek Ramaswamy. Moreover‚ those three each enjoyed at least twice as much support as opposition (55% supported and 27% opposed Trump; 16% supported and 8% opposed DeSantis; and 13% supported and 4% opposed Ramaswamy). Meanwhile‚ the anti-Trump or establishment wings of the party got clobbered. Former Vice President Mike Pence (who has since left the race) had just 6% of respondents supporting him and 20% opposing him‚ while Chris Christie had just 4% supporting him and a whopping 35% opposing him. Haley represented the middle ground‚ with 4% support and 4% opposition. DeSantis is well positionedHaley’s support has risen since then‚ but so has the level of opposition to her. In the Des Moines Register’s polling‚ for example‚ Haley’s favorability rating is now up six percentage points since August‚ while her unfavorability rating is up five points.Here’s further evidence that Haley’s realistic best-case scenario is a second-place finish: The Des Moines Register’s October polling found that DeSantis supporters’ second choice is Trump‚ not Haley. But neither Trump’s nor Haley’s supporters like each other’s candidate second-best. They both prefer DeSantis‚ by wide margins. Under the old convention system‚ which was designed to reflect consensus by requiring that a candidate get majority support — and not just after everyone else had dropped out‚ like now — DeSantis likely would have prevailed. (Jay Cost and I have proposed a new system designed to promote such consensus and empower the GOP’s grassroots.)Today’s system doesn’t so easily produce a consensus candidate. Still‚ the popular Florida governor has been on a roll of late and may be poised for a rise in the polls — or for a huge upset win in Iowa. Such a win could potentially spark Republicans to coalesce around a candidate whom almost the whole party could get behind‚ thereby better positioning the GOP to beat the Democratic nominee. Only time will tell‚ obviously‚ but Ron DeSantis has quietly been positioning himself to make a real move in a race that could be more up for grabs than most people think.

A second drill sergeant at Fort Jackson in South Carolina was reportedly found dead. The two drill sergeants were found deceased just eight days apart from each other. Military officials announced the discovery via Facebook on Monday‚ writing: "Staff Sgt. Zachary L. Melton‚ 30‚ a drill sergeant with the 1st Battalion‚ 34th Infantry Regiment‚ was found deceased in his car on Saturday Dec. 16.""Melton spent more than 10 years in the Army with the last three years as a drill sergeant on Fort Jackson. He had the Parachutist Badge‚ was an Equal Opportunity representative and completed the Marksmanship Master Trainer Course."The cause of death has not yet been revealed. Brig. Gen. Jason E. Kelly‚ the Fort Jackson commanding general‚ said‚ "We are extremely saddened by the loss of Staff Sgt. Melton‚" adding that "our thoughts are with his family and the soldiers of the Always Forward battalion during this very emotional time."Melton had apparently served in the Army for more than a decade. The last three years of his tenure in the military were served as a drill sergeant‚ according to the New York Post.One strange element in Melton's death is that he is the second drill sergeant to be found dead at Fort Jackson in just eight days. Staff Sgt. Allen M. Bertram‚ 34‚ was found dead on December 8 after he did not report for work.The Army told Military.com that there is currently no evidence of foul play in either drill sergeant's death. The Post reported that this is the third death at the Army installation in 2023. Over the summer‚ Sgt. Jaime Contreras was found dead after completing a training exercise. Contreras was apparently a drill sergeant candidate and had been part of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Liberty‚ North Carolina. No cause of death has been provided for Contreras. The Walter Reed Institute of Research conducted a study in 2021‚ surveying 856 drill sergeants to determine how their workload affected their mental health. The study found that "percentages of drill sergeants meeting behavioral health screening criteria were 19% for depression‚ 27% for moderate-to-severe insomnia‚ 14% for generalized anxiety disorder‚ 48% for high burnout‚ 32% for functional impairment‚ 35% for moderate alcohol misuse‚ 32% for off-duty aggression‚ and 25% for low morale."The authorities are still investigating the causes of death.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Michelle Wu‚ mayor of Boston‚ clearly didn’t consider the optics of hosting an “electeds of color’ party – a race-restricted event that excluded … you guessed it ... white people. To make matters worse‚ the staffer who sent the email invitation accidentally sent it to everyone on the council‚ including the Caucasian members. Understandably‚ people are furious. Wu is facing heavy criticism from conservatives and liberals alike‚ and yet somehow‚ she’s decided to defend her actions. Dave Rubin plays the clip of her response to the incident. “Given some of the strife that exists though in this council‚ are you concerned this lends itself at all to further divisiveness?” a reporter asked. “No‚ I mean‚ again‚ this is a group that has been in place for many‚ many years. We want to be a city where everyone's identity is embraced and that there are spaces and communities that we can help support‚” Wu ignorantly responded. “Oh‚ there are spaces and communities that we can help support‚ so we can look at a bunch of people by their skin color and say‚ ‘Don't eat with us; don't come to this dinner party‚”’ mocks Dave. “That's what we used to call racism.” “If a bunch of white people wanted to have dinner with no colored people‚ as you call them‚ you'd call them racist‚ so it's racist whichever way it goes‚” he explains. But Wu clearly doesn’t share Dave’s sentiment. “It was truly just an honest mistake that went out in typing the email field‚ and I look forward to celebrating with everyone at the holiday parties that we will have besides this one. … It is my intention that we can‚ again‚ be a city that lives our values and creates space for all kinds of communities to come together‚” Wu said. “Lady‚ you’re racist‚” Dave says. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations‚ free speech‚ and big ideas with Dave Rubin‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Google has agreed to pay $700 million to consumers in the United States as part of a lawsuit that accused its Play app store of overcharging customers‚ Reuters reported Tuesday.While the settlement's terms were disclosed Monday‚ the technology firm struck the deal in September. It states that $630 million will be used to compensate consumers‚ and $70 million will be funneled into a fund to be used by states. All 50 states‚ the District of Columbia‚ Puerto Rico‚ and the Virgin Islands joined the settlement. The agreement still requires a judge's approval.Consumers eligible for compensation will receive at least $2 based on their Google Play purchases between August 16‚ 2016‚ and September 30‚ 2023.The lawsuit‚ led by Utah‚ accused Google of overcharging consumers by stifling app store competition for Android devices. According to the states‚ users would have spent less on apps if there were more options and Google did not hold an alleged monopoly.Wilson White‚ Google's vice president of government affairs and public policy‚ stated that the settlement "builds on Android's choice and flexibility‚ maintains strong security protections‚ and retains Google's ability to compete with other (operating system) makers‚ and invest in the Android ecosystem for users and developers."As part of the settlement agreement‚ Google will grant greater opportunities for app developers to provide alternative billing options and simplify the ability to download apps directly from developers.In a separate antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games‚ the video game firm that created "Fortnite‚" a California jury unanimously determined last week that Google Play holds an illegal monopoly by using anticompetitive tactics to deter competitors‚ Blaze News previously reported.Epic Games argued that Google uses a "bribe and block" scheme to prevent Android app store competition from entering the marketplace. Additionally‚ U.S. District Judge James Donato‚ who is overseeing the case‚ accused Google of intentionally deleting "disturbing evidence" relevant to the case.Donato claimed that Google led "a frontal assault on the fair administration of justice" by tossing evidence. The judge called it "deeply troubling" and noted that he had "never seen anything so egregious."Epic Games' public policy head‚ Corie Wright‚ stated that the company's lawsuit aims "to truly open up the Android ecosystem‚" noting that the states' legal action "did not address the core of Google's unlawful and anticompetitive behavior."Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said in a statement on X‚ "The State Attorneys General settlement is an injustice to all Android users and developers. It endorses Google's misleading and anticompetitive scare screens‚ which Google intentionally designed to disadvantage competing stores and direct downloads."Google has denied any wrongdoing in these cases. The State Attorneys General settlement is an injustice to all Android users and developers. It endorses Google's misleading and anticompetitive scare screens‚ which Google intentionally designed to disadvantage competing stores and direct downloads. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Stanley Greenberg‚ a premier Democratic pollster‚ shut down CNN anchor Jim Acosta on Monday for pushing the Biden administration's narrative on the economy.Last month‚ the polling group that Greenberg co-founded with James Carville surveyed 2‚500 voters in battleground states and congressional districts. Greenberg told the New York Times of the results‚ "This is grim."Grim‚ Greenberg explained‚ for President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party because the survey found that voter groups conventionally thought to support Democrats — "Blacks‚ Hispanics‚ Asians‚ LGBTQ community‚ Gen Z‚ Millennials‚ unmarried and college women‚" according to Greenberg — gave Donald Trump a higher approval than Biden.On Monday‚ Greenberg explained on CNN what three factors he believes are driving negative voter sentiment: the economy‚ mass migration‚ and politicians doing "nothing about the profiteering."That is when Acosta pushed back and parroted the Biden administration's talking points on the economy. That narrative claims the economy is booming and that if you disagree‚ it's because you don't understand how great Biden has been for the economy or you're too downstream to feel the effects but will — eventually."Inflation is cooling. I mean‚ if you look at gas prices‚ they're going down‚" Acosta said. "People aren't feeling that enough just yet."But Greenberg‚ armed with facts‚ immediately pushed back."It's a bubble. It's a bubble‚" he said. "Look‚ what I have discovered in doing my polling in Europe and the U.K. and here — what matters is how many months people have been struggling to deal with inflation. And each month they get madder and madder about it as long as their wages are trailing prices." 12.18.23 CNN Anchor Jim Acosta @Acosta w/ Democratic Pollster and Strategist Stanley Greenberg @StanGreenberg — (@) Acosta responded that voters who don't believe the Biden narrative are simply "grumpy." But‚ once again‚ Greenberg explained why that's not true."Look‚ get out of the bubble‚" he told Acosta. "[Inflation is] 3% higher than it was when Biden came in. In the last six months‚ there has been a decline in disposable income. So the context is you have to start there. Inflation is like 30 points higher than the next problem‚" Greenberg explained"What the president currently doing is his tweets always start with‚ 'We're making progress‚' and then he mentions prices‚" he continued. "If you look at his ads aimed at black voters‚ it's mainly trying to convince them they're doing a good job. But that's not where they are. They are losing ground every month‚ and anger about it [grows]."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Boston is poised to permit foreign nationals to meddle in American politics. The city council passed a measure last week that would allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in municipal elections. Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu‚ fresh off backing a race-segregated Christmas party‚ will first have to sign off on the petition. With the mayor's mark of approval‚ which is far from guaranteed‚ the measure must then pass in the state legislature before it can take effect. While some supporters are doubtful it will ultimately succeed‚ the state legislature — where Democrats dominate both chambers — is flush with enough leftists that it might stand a chance. The measure was originally put forward by Kendra Lara‚ one of the councilors whose immutable characteristics qualified her for Wu's "Electeds of Color Holiday Party." Lara said at Wednesday's meeting‚ "Voting is an inherent right that this country was founded on." Lara — the councilwoman who reportedly drove an unregistered car into a house in June while holding a revoked license — shared a sob story last week about how her non-citizen father was unable to cast a ballot for her when she ran for city council because he had not yet earned the right‚ reported the Boston Herald. "His story is the story of thousands of legal residents in the city of Boston‚ who work‚ pay taxes‚ raise their children and participate in every way in strengthening the fabric of our city‚ yet cannot cast their ballot for the representatives who are making decisions about their daily lives‚" said Lara. According to a 2022 Boston Planning and Development Agency report‚ there were at least 97‚000 non-citizens living in Boston as of 2020. Fewer than half were estimated to have lawful permanent resident status. Lara's petition alleges that foreign nationals with "legal status" now make up 28% of the city population. Councilor Julia Mejia‚ another participant in Wu's segregated party‚ stressed the importance of letting foreign nationals share in citizens' birthright‚ stating‚ "I want to make sure we are affirming all of us here in the city of Boston." Councilor Gabriela Coletta voted in favor of the measure but expressed uncertainty about whether it would succeed on Beacon Hill. "After checking with members of my community‚ to them a 'yes' vote would show solidarity with those who are here legally‚ pay taxes and are members of‚ not just East Boston‚ but Boston as a whole‚" said Coletta. "I do intend to vote 'yes' for them and for them only." "The population in which we are trying to enfranchise deserves a tangible pathway‚" continued Coletta. "This docket is a starting point. However‚ due to the obstacles ahead‚ passage today serves simply as a symbolic gesture." Michael Flaherty‚ a councilor who apparently was not supposed to receive an invite to the party‚ voted against the measure‚ noting concerns about the legality of letting non-citizens vote and unintended consequences. "Those unintended consequences are that they may mistakenly register to vote and/or vote in federal or state elections‚ which would seriously jeopardize their opportunity to become a legal citizen‚" said Flaherty. "For me‚ that's just too great of a risk to take at this point." While Lara's petition invokes New York City as one among a number of Democrat-run municipalities that have "restored municipal voting rights to non-citizens‚" Flaherty pointed out that the non-citizen voting law passed by the New York City Council in 2021 was struck down last year. The court underscored that "only U.S. citizens have the privilege of voting." Flaherty was joined in opposing the bill by councilors Frank Baker‚ Ed Flynn‚ and Erin Murphy. Councilor Ricardo Arroyo‚ another party guest‚ told councilors that the petition had undergone changes after city election officials noted that state law makes expressly clear that voting rights are contingent on citizenship‚ reported the Boston Globe. The second word in the pertinent Massachusetts law discussing voter qualifications and the word on which all other qualifications hinges is "citizen." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!