Grand Theft Auto VI may not be releasing until 2025‚ but the hype has already been unprecedented. The trailer was released seven days ago and already has 143‚000‚000 views on YouTube‚ which has absolutely destroyed all previous trailer launch records. Lauren Chen‚ among others‚ is wondering whether or not the game will follow the recent trend toward being “woke” in AAA gaming. Chen notes that “distrust” and “skepticism” have been growing in the gaming community since so many other games have begun to cater to the easily offended. “There are just a lot of gamers out there who I think are rightfully pretty tired of politics being injected into their games‚” Chen says‚ adding‚ “the hard truth of the matter is that they are probably right. Just based off of history‚ this game will likely have some woke elements.” One of those “woke elements” gamers have pointed out is the “high number of POC” that were featured in the trailer. Other gamers have pointed out that the game is based in Miami‚ which is an incredibly diverse city in the first place. “Considering that the non-white people are being depicted as criminals‚ I’m pretty sure that actual woke people would not like those depictions‚ that they would say it’s racist to have all these criminals being black in a video game‚” Chen says. Elon Musk has joined the conversation‚ saying that when he tried to play GTA V‚ he “couldn’t do it” as the opening scene required shooting police officers. “I think not wanting to play GTA because you don’t like doing crime is perfectly legitimate‚” Chen says‚ noting that GTA is however just “a game.” The game is also featuring its first playable female main character named Lucia‚ a fact which Chen says some feminists are using to “take a victory lap.” However‚ Chen has noticed that there haven’t actually been many complaints about Lucia‚ and the feminist victory laps may be for no reason. “I actually saw way more people complaining about people complaining about Lucia than I actually saw complaining about Lucia‚” Chen says. Want more from Lauren Chen?To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty‚ pro-logic‚ and pro-market commentary on social and political issues‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Sports Illustrated CEO Ross Levinsohn was fired by the publication's parent company just two weeks after allegations circulated that the sports website was publishing articles generated by artificial intelligence from authors who didn't appear to exist.Levinsohn was fired by parent company the Arena Group; he reportedly made the move to "improve the operational efficiency and revenue of the company‚" the group said‚ according to The Hill.Sports Illustrated was accused of publishing articles by "fake‚ AI-generated writers" whose profile images were found for sale on a website that sells AI-generated profiles and photos.An article published by outlet Futurism pointed to two allegedly fake writers. The first was a man purported to be Drew Ortiz‚ whose profile photo was allegedly found by the outlet for sale on an AI face generator website.This was also true for Sora Tanaka‚ whose Sports Illustrated profile allegedly said she "has always been a fitness guru‚ and loves to try different foods and drinks."Tanaka's photo was also reportedly found for sale on the same website. Sports Illustrated has been publishing fake articles written by writers that don\u2019t exist‚ complete with AI generated headshots. When asked about it‚ Sports Illustrated deleted everything. (Futurism) — (@) The Arena Group published a statement alleging that a third-party contractor was to blame for any discrepancies."An article was published alleging that Sports Illustrated published AI-generated articles. According to our initial investigation‚ this is not accurate‚" the statement began. "The articles in question were product reviews and were licensed content from an external‚ third-party company‚ AdVon Commerce. A number of AdVon's e-commerce articles ran on certain Arena websites."The company then claimed that although it takes steps to "continually monitor" its partners‚ the company was "in the midst of a review when these allegations were raised.""AdVon has assured us that all of the articles in question were written and edited by humans. According to AdVon‚ their writers‚ editors‚ and researchers create and curate content and follow a policy that involves using both counter-plagiarism and counter-AI software on all content. However‚ we have learned that AdVon had writers use a pen or pseudo name in certain articles to protect author privacy — actions we don't condone — and we are removing the content while our internal investigation continues and have since ended the partnership." Today‚ an article was published alleging that Sports Illustrated published AI-generated articles. According to our initial investigation‚ this is not accurate.\n\nThe articles in question were product reviews and were licensed content from an external‚ third-party company‚ AdVon\u2026 — (@) Futurism also alleged that the AI-generated authors disappeared from Sports Illustrated's website without explanation. The outlet claimed that other websites operated by the Arena Group‚ such as the Street‚ routinely rotate in new AI-generated authors.Taking Levinsohn's place is Manoj Bhargava‚ an Indian-American businessman and founder of 5-Hour Energy. Bhargava reportedly has majority ownership of the Arena Group‚ as well as a vast portfolio of TV stations and media outlets.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In late October‚ the speaker spectacle paralyzing the House of Representatives ended with the selection of Mike Johnson (R-La.) as the 56th speaker of the House. He was then a relatively unknown figure to the public. The media immediately sought ways to sound an alarm at Johnson’s election. Among other lines of attack‚ critics pegged Johnson as a “Christian nationalist.” Since his election‚ the attack has only intensified. His orthodox Christian views on same-sex marriage are anathema. He said the separation of church and state is “a misnomer.” (In fact‚ he merely pointed out that the phrase comes from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote and appears nowhere in the Constitution.) He displayed a Revolutionary War-era “Appeal to Heaven” flag outside his office‚ which is supposedly a Christian nationalist signifier. Ultimately‚ we’re told we must recoil from Johnson’s religious beliefs and regard his speakership as part of an existential threat to our republic. Now‚ Rob Reiner has a documentary on the way preaching the dangers of this movement and these persons. But we should take such breathless heralds of doom with a grain‚ if not a block‚ of salt. First‚ before assessing this claim about Johnson‚ we must come to some conclusion about the meaning of the phrase itself. Thomas Kidd‚ one of our best historians of American Christianity‚ recently noted that in online discourse‚ people use the term “Christian nationalist” against those Christians with differing political viewpoints from their own. Usually‚ the designation comes when a believer asserts a greater role than his accuser for Christian theology or the Bible in the public sphere‚ especially in discerning justice or assessing candidates for office or bills seeking to become laws. We should not let the media smear Mike Johnson for merely living out his religious faith in the public sphere. Few things are more American‚ historically and in principle‚ than that. Here‚ the critics seem to think Johnson is a “Christian nationalist” simply because he sees his faith as informing his political beliefs and that so doing is consistent with American principles. He has consistently taken this line since before his entry into the political scene. If that makes him a Christian nationalist‚ then most Christians in American and world history have fallen into the same camp. In his speech accepting the speakership‚ Johnson made several references to Christianity. They all show a man serious about his faith but far from the theocratic monster the media continues to try to make him out to be. Johnson mentioned looking up at and being moved by the relief portrait plaque of Moses found the House chamber. Johnson did not hang the portrait. It has been part of the chamber since the space was remodeled more than 70 years ago. It holds this prestigious place because the laws relayed by Moses‚ especially the Ten Commandments‚ have formed a foundation for law across Western civilization. This point was commonly held until recent times. Thus‚ Moses’ role as a lawgiver seems entirely appropriate to acknowledge in the nation’s legislative branch. These are not the schemes of a marginalized religious zealot. Later in the speech‚ Johnson said‚ “I believe that scripture‚ the Bible‚ is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority. He raised up each of you. All of us.” In American and Western history‚ this statement is about as vanilla as it gets. Romans 13‚ among other passages‚ clearly states that God establishes political rule and particular rulers. That claim does not endorse a particular form of government or condone the actions of individual rulers. (Scripture says God can intend rulers for blessing or judgment.) Johnson’s statement does not question the legitimacy of anyone holding a seat in the House‚ regardless of political or religious views. Instead‚ he explicitly affirmed the propriety of their holding office. Again‚ this is hardly a cause for alarm. Finally‚ Johnson noted how our documents‚ from the Declaration of Independence to the motto‚ “In God We Trust‚” explain fundamental principles we hold as a country. He sees the Declaration‚ in particular‚ as both our “birth certificate” and our “creed.” That starting charter declared us a nation committed to the idea that all men are created equal by God and possess inalienable rights to life‚ liberty‚ and the pursuit of happiness. Some Christians may balk at the word “creed‚” though Martin Luther King‚ Jr. used the same word to describe the Declaration. And I’m not seeing too many people accuse King of Christian nationalism. Instead‚ Johnson merely showed knowledge of the logic of America’s founding principles. He articulated them succinctly and accurately. American history has consistently seen our equality and rights as originating in a divine Creator‚ and that origin‚ as well as those rights‚ helps to order our political system. If these are the words of a “Christian nationalist‚” then the accusation is all bark‚ no bite. If how he has acted as House speaker regarding religious matters is all we will see from him‚ then the accusations continue to prove risible. The attacks should only frighten persons who see no role for religious faith in the public sphere or who only see it contrary to men like Johnson. But they are outliers to American history and our fundamental commitments. For those of us situated within that history‚ we should join Speaker Johnson in his affirmations‚ not as the words of some monster but as the unexceptionable commitment to American Exceptionalism. None of that affirmation means Johnson will be a good‚ much less great‚ speaker. The jury remains out‚ more than two months later‚ as Johnson faces some of the challenges his predecessors faced without clearly better results — at least not yet. It does not mean we will agree on the application of his religious principles in all instances‚ either. But we should not let the media smear him for merely living out his religious faith in the public sphere. Few things are more American‚ historically and in principle‚ than that.

One in five voters who cast mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election admit to participating in at least one kind of voter fraud‚ according to a new poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports and the Heartland Institute.Specifically‚ 21% of mail-in voters admitted they filled out a ballot for a friend or family member; 19% of mail-in voters admitted that a friend or family member filled out a ballot on their behalf; 17% of mail-in voters admitted they voted in a state where they were no longer a permanent resident; and 17% of mail-in voters said they signed a ballot for a friend or family member with or without his or her permission.Each of these instances constitutes voter fraud.Taking only the first instance‚ this means that 21% of all mail-in ballots were fraudulent in 2020. It is important to note this number was likely much higher because the survey questions were not mutually exclusive. Though there is certainly some crossover between categories‚ some voters committed fraud by filling out a ballot for a friend or family member‚ while an entirely different subset of voters committed fraud by casting mail-in ballots in a state in which they were no longer permanent residents.The national poll of 1‚085 likely voters was conducted between November 30 and December 6‚ with a margin of error of +/-3 percentage points and a 95% level of confidence.Using only the most conservative estimate (21%)‚ the number of fraudulent ballots is still astronomical. According to election data‚ 43% of 2020 voters cast ballots by mail — by far the largest percentage in U.S. history. Twenty-one percent of that 43% mail-in figure yields approximately 9%.Only 0.80% of all absentee and mail-in ballots were rejected in 2020. Clearly‚ nearly all fraudulent ballots made it through our country’s gaping sieve of an electoral system.According to the Cook Political Report‚ 158‚397‚726 votes were cast for Joe Biden‚ Donald Trump‚ or another candidate in 2020. Taking 9% of this total‚ that means more than 14 million ballots cast in 2020 were fraudulent. Again‚ this is just the most conservative estimate — the total number of fraudulent ballots was likely much higher.Moreover‚ the survey reveals that fraudulent voting may not have been purely limited to mail-in ballots. Eight percent of all survey respondents — not only those who cast mail-in ballots — admitted that a friend‚ family member‚ or organization (such as a political party) offered to pay or reward them for voting.The survey indicates that the percentages of voter fraud among Republicans‚ Democrats‚ and unaligned voters were largely similar. It is vital to note‚ however‚ that this does not mean these fraudulent ballots simply canceled each other out.While the percentages were similar‚ the overall numbers were not. According to the survey‚ 38% of Biden voters submitted mail-in ballots‚ compared to only 23% of Trump voters. As such‚ Biden received a much larger overall share of likely fraudulent ballots.The 2020 election was an outlier for mail-in voting‚ largely due to executive overreach throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In the lead-up to the November election‚ several governors declared states of emergency in response to the pandemic and arbitrarily changed their states' voting laws to allow mass mail-in voting. For example‚ California mailed unsolicited ballots to all registered voters‚ while many other states expanded absentee ballot eligibility requirements.In 2020‚ several states also allowed ballot harvesting‚ which allows third-party individuals to collect and submit mail-in ballots on behalf of voters‚ although evidence shows ballot harvesting is “ripe for voter fraud and abuse.”All of this occurred despite the fact that the Constitution explicitly designates that only state legislatures have the power to make or change election laws. Under Article I‚ Section 4‚ “The Times‚ Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives‚ shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof.”There are many reasons why mail-in voting is less reliable than in-person voting.For starters‚ state voter rolls are notoriously inaccurate. In 2012‚ the Pew Center on the States analyzed state voter registration rolls and found that “approximately 24 million — one of every eight — voter registrations in the United States are no longer valid or are significantly inaccurate. More than 1.8 million deceased individuals are listed as voters. Approximately 2.75 million people have registrations in more than one state.”Mail-in ballots are also rejected at an astounding rate.In New York‚ which used mail-in ballots during its primary elections in 2020‚ 21% of ballots were rejected due to errors. In Pennsylvania‚ the same scenario played out with more than 20% of mail-in ballots rejected due to voter errors.Even NPR raised concerns about mass mail-in voting in the months before the 2020 general election. “An extraordinarily high number of ballots — more than 550‚000 — have been rejected in this year’s presidential primaries. … That’s far more than the 318‚728 ballots rejected in the 2016 general election and has raised alarms about what might happen in November when tens of millions of more voters are expected to cast their ballots by mail‚ many for the first time‚” NPR reported.In 2012‚ the New York Times ran an article headlined‚ “Error and Fraud at Issue as Absentee Voting Rises‚” which similarly concluded that “votes cast by mail are less likely to be counted‚ more likely to be compromised and more likely to be contested than those cast in a voting booth.” Despite all of these concerns‚ only 0.80% of all absentee and mail-in ballots were rejected in 2020‚ according to Ballotpedia. Clearly‚ nearly all fraudulent ballots made it through our country’s gaping sieve of an electoral system.Though some people need to vote by mail‚ the practice should be the exception‚ not the rule. Considering most states offer early voting — allowing voters to cast ballots in-person weeks before Election Day — there is little excuse for voters who do not show up to a physical polling location. Plus‚ as this poll indicates‚ only 2% of voters would choose not to vote if their state banned mail-in voting.With the 2024 general election less than one year away‚ it is vital that state officials do everything in their power to shore up the integrity of their states’ voting systems and ensure that voting procedures are as dependable and accurate as possible. Our republic cannot survive in the absence of strong electoral laws that prevent widespread fraud.

Two parents in Pennsylvania now face criminal charges after their 4-year-old son shot himself in the head earlier this year.On July 6‚ 4-year-old Ronnie Lynn had been sent to his room in a mobile home in Rostraver Township‚ Pennsylvania‚ about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. A few hours later‚ his parents — 32-year-old Laura Steele and 37-year-old Michael Lynn— heard a "pop" and rushed to his room‚ according to a statement from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. There‚ they found Ronnie bleeding profusely with a handgun by his side.Medics quickly flew Ronnie to UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh‚ and thankfully‚ Ronnie survived his injuries. In the ensuing months‚ he returned home and began physical therapy. He has since relearned to speak and walk‚ though he still has difficulty using his right arm‚ his grandfather Wally Lynn claimed.While little Ronnie focused on recuperating and rehabilitating‚ investigators focused on how this horrible tragedy happened in the first place. They have since concluded that Steele and Lynn are to blame.According to the statement from the district attorney's office‚ the family kept the handgun "on the floor in a bedroom of the home‚ unsecured and loaded." Steele reportedly admitted to police that she knew that the gun was underneath a bed but had forgotten about it. She even added that Ronnie often reached under that same bed to grab a paint set which was stored there as well‚ the New York Post reported‚ citing CBS Pittsburgh.Michael Lynn initially insisted to police that the gun had been kept in a holster with the safety feature on‚ WTAE reported‚ though whether he meant that it was kept in a holster underneath the bed is unclear.On Monday‚ Steele and Lynn were charged with endangering the welfare of children by a parent/guardian‚ a second-degree felony‚ and recklessly endangering another person‚ a second-degree misdemeanor. They have since been released on $25‚000 unsecured bail. Both have preliminary hearings scheduled for January 5‚ PennLive reported.Steele does apparently blame herself for the incident. In the criminal complaint‚ police summarized her statements as saying that "out of anyone she should be the one at fault. She says she did not communicate properly and was too tired to pay attention to her own child."District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli appears to agree‚ at least in part. "This was a tragic and unacceptable shooting that ultimately could have and should have been prevented‚" Ziccarelli said in a statement regarding the charges. "There is one simple solution to prevent these types of incidents from happening‚ and it is to store your firearms in a safe and secure location."Despite seemingly strong evidence of parental negligence‚ Grandfather Lynn cautions the public not to rush to judgment in this case. "Don't believe everything you read‚" Wally Lynn told WTAE. "There's more to this story than meets the eye."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Ford Motor Company is dramatically slashing production of its marquee electric vehicle‚ the F-150 Lightning.When Ford debuted the electric truck last January‚ the automaker planned to build 150‚000 per year‚ citing high customer demand that began with 200‚000 initial reservations for the vehicle. But Ford is now telling dealers it will cut production in half starting next month‚ Automotive News reported. Currently‚ the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn‚ Michigan‚ is producing about 3‚200 F-150 Lightning trucks per week. After the cut‚ the plant will make only 1‚600 weekly. Auto news website Jalopnik described the move as "an ominous sign" for the EV industry."We will continue to match Lightning production to customer demand‚" a Ford spokesperson said.Ford declined to offer additional details behind its decision to slash production‚ but the issues plaguing the electric vehicle market are not a secret.The customer market for electric vehicles‚ compared to the gas-powered vehicle market‚ remains underwhelming‚ leading to a surplus of inventory. EVs‚ moreover‚ are often impractical for road trips because the charging infrastructure is unreliable‚ and the F-150 Lightning is challenged by unique issues. They are also more expensive on average than gas-powered vehicles. A brand new F-150 Lightning‚ for example‚ costs $49‚955 — more than $13‚000 than the cheapest gas-powered F-150.Ford‚ meanwhile‚ is hemorrhaging money. The automaker has lost more than $3 billion on EVs this year‚ and projects to lose about $4 billion in total on EVs by the end of the year.The sour state of the EV market has led Ford to delay or cancel $12 billion of planned investments in the EV industry. General Motors and Honda have also scaled back investments. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

With classic tracks like "Stir It Up" and "Slave Driver‚" this 50th anniversary release is an essential component of any reggae collection. The post Bob Marley &; the Wailers’ ‘Catch a Fire’ Revisited: Review appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

Unsatisfied with the state of her burrito bowl‚ 39-year-old Rosemary Hayne responded by throwing it in the face of a 26-year-old Chipotle employee. The post Ohio Woman Sentenced To Work A Fast Food Job After Throwing A Burrito Bowl At A Chipotle Employee appeared first on All That's Interesting.

The baby alligator was born with leucism‚ a condition similar to albinism that causes a loss of pigmentation. The post A ‘Beyond Rare’ White Alligator Was Just Born At A Florida Reptile Park — And You Can Help Name Her appeared first on All That's Interesting.

The optimism of the Fed and markets seems to be at odds with historical experience.