I know a little bit about the kinds of speech that are generally welcomed on campus. I've been banned from a few campuses‚ including DePaul University; I've spoken at more than a few campuses at which violence broke out over my speeches‚ including California State University at Los Angeles‚ Penn State and University of California at Berkeley. I also know that were I a student at any of these universities -- and if I said‚ as a student‚ what I routinely say as a speaker -- I'd undoubtedly be dragged before the administration and hit with sanctions. I'd be responsible for "microaggressions" by saying things like "Western culture is superior" and "men are not women." I'd be responsible for "harmful language" for stating that human beings ought to be judged not based on race‚ but on merit. But apparently‚ at the top universities in America‚ all of those sensitivities disappear for one specific group: Jews. This week‚ House Republicans held a hearing at which the heads of major universities were grilled regarding the rise of antisemitism on their campuses. That increase ranges from threats of violence to near-riots‚ from tearing down hostage posters to open Jew-hating slurs. Now‚ imagine that instead of antisemitism‚ there had been a radical uptick in anti-black racism on campus: calls for genocide‚ celebration of terror attacks against black Americans‚ physical threats. Does anyone think the respective university presidents would have sat‚ grinning at the lawmakers quizzing them on their actions? But that's precisely what happened. Here was Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York questioned the presidents University of Pennsylvania‚ Harvard University and MIT about genocidal language chanted on campus. None of the three was willing to say directly that calls for genocide against Jews violated university policy. All three said that context was required to answer the question. One can make the case for free speech on campus -- I can and I do -- but one cannot pretend that universities protect students against harassment and then soft-pedal Holocaust-level rhetoric. It is difficult to imagine that these icons of sensitivity and diversity‚ equity and inclusion would be nearly so sanguine about slurs against any other racial or ethnic minority in America. Simply put‚ they wouldn't. So‚ why are they so sanguine? There are two reasons. First‚ the Left -- and university presidents are almost the Platonic ideal of intellectual Leftists -- believes that Jews are not part of the intersectional coalition of the oppressed. By Leftist logic‚ Jews are part of the superstructure of power‚ since all success is merely a reflection of hierarchies of power‚ and Jews are disproportionately successful. Thus Jews cannot be victims. Then there's the second reason: the hard Left hates Israel. The Left hates Israel because‚ like American Jews‚ Israel is too successful in the region in which it is located. Israel‚ according to the Left‚ is a colonialist outpost of the West‚ and the West is evil because it too is successful -- which means that it is exploitative and oppressive. Hence the Left's rabid attachment to the idea that calls for Israel's destruction are somehow not anti-Semitic‚ but actually a reflection of a more universalistic humanitarian creed. Sure‚ that creed would actually materialize in the death of millions of Jews and the dominance of radical Muslim terrorism. But that doesn't matter. After all‚ Israel is the real problem‚ because the West is the real problem -- and we know that's true because the West and Israel are successful. According to the Left‚ radical Muslim regimes that impoverish their citizens aren't worth one bit of attention. Israel‚ by contrast‚ ought to be destroyed. So‚ what ought to be done? First‚ donors ought to pull their money. Second‚ businesses ought to start hiring directly out of high school and stop treating the bizarre credentialing process of major universities as worthwhile. It isn't. Chances are better that you'll get a great employee by selecting a high school graduate with 1500 SAT and a 4.0 GPA than by selecting a Harvard graduate with the same statistics. Finally‚ parents ought to stop subsidizing this nonsense with their own children. The universities are corrupt through and through. Their endorsement of DEI has been a curse to reason and decency. Their politics are vile‚ and those politics also make the universities corrupt factories of moral depravity. It's time to end the system. Ben Shapiro‚ 39‚ is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School‚ host of "The Ben Shapiro Show‚" and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America's Institutions Against Dissent. To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists‚ visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

A Catholic priest in Nebraska died violently over the weekend after a suspect broke into the church rectory and repeatedly stabbed him.At 5:05 a.m. on Sunday morning‚ deputies with the Washington County Sheriff's Office received a report of an attempted break-in at the rectory of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun‚ a small town of fewer than 1‚000 residents about 20 miles north of Omaha. According to a statement from the sheriff's office‚ deputies arrived on the scene in six minutes.Despite their speed‚ deputies discovered a gruesome scene: Father Stephen Gutgsell — who lived at the rectory — was suffering from multiple stab wounds‚ and a "black male" suspect — later identified as 43-year-old Kierre L. Williams — was still inside the building. Medics rushed Fr. Gutgsell to the University of Nebraska Medical Center‚ where he soon afterward died from his injuries.Meanwhile‚ Williams was arrested and taken to the Washington County jail. He has been charged with homicide and use of a weapon to commit a felony. According to jail records‚ he has already been denied bond.The usual 8:30 a.m. Sunday mass at St. John the Baptist was canceled after the attack‚ and Deacon Tim McNeil told WOWT that the church will remain closed for the time being. The Archdiocese of Omaha also released a statement about the "invasion at the rectory of St. John the Baptist parish":The Archdiocese of Omaha is praying for Father Stephen Gutgsell‚ who was assaulted during an invasion at the rectory of St. John the Baptist parish in Fort Calhoun early Sunday morning. Father Gutgsell was transported to Nebraska Medicine in Omaha‚ where he died of his injuries. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating‚ and there are no further details at this time. Please join Archbishop George Lucas in prayer for the repose of Father Gutgsell‚ for his family and for the St. John the Baptist parish community in this tragic timeAt the time of his death‚ Fr. Gutgsell was an associate pastor with the archdiocese‚ serving at St. John the Baptist and the St. Francis Borgia parish in Blair‚ about nine miles away. Mike Fitzgerald‚ a parishioner at St. John the Baptist‚ called Gutgsell a "very holy man" who "did a lot of things for the community."Other St. John the Baptist parishioners told news outlets that Fr. Gutgsell served the people faithfully for 11 years. However‚ if he did‚ he did so despite a shocking criminal conviction. In 2007‚ Gutgsell pled guilty to charges related to embezzling $127‚000 from another church and was subsequently sentenced to probation and restitution. After church leaders determined that Fr. Gutgsell had demonstrated sufficient contrition‚ he was assigned to a new church. Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson stated that the fatal attack on Fr. Gutgsell is likely unrelated to his prior conviction.Gutgsell's brother‚ Michael — who was also once a priest with the Archdiocese of Omaha — was likewise convicted of stealing from church-related coffers. In 2021‚ Fr. Michael Gutgsell was arrested for allegedly stealing $155‚000 from "an incapacitated retired priest who had willed his estate to the archdiocese‚" WOWT reported. That Fr. Gutgsell‚ who had power of attorney over the unnamed disabled priest‚ claimed at the time that he had given the money to a homeless man. He later pled no contest to two counts of attempted theft and was sentenced last summer to two years' probation. He was also relieved of his parish duties. Catholic priest in Nebraska dies after attack in church | NewsNation Prime www.youtube.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Javier Milei‚ Argentina's new libertarian president‚ has wasted no time amputating various bureaucratic tentacles. Within hours of being sworn into office on Sunday‚ Milei made good on his vow to take a "chainsaw" both to government spending and to what he called his country's "political caste‚" signing an executive order to cut the number of government ministries from 18 to nine. What's the background? Argentina is suffering 143% annual inflation. Four in 10 Argentines are living in poverty. The country has a trade deficit of over $43 billion and a $45 billion debt to the International Monetary Fund‚ reported the Associated Press. Milei‚ keen to stop the bleeding‚ proposed his so-called Chainsaw Plan in June 2022‚ detailing how he would sell off state-owned companies‚ slash public spending‚ reduce and simplify taxes‚ and eliminate the various government agencies seen to be exacerbating the country's financial crisis. Additionally‚ he suggested the country would adopt the U.S. dollar and shut down Argentina's central bank. Milei reiterated part of his plan in a video that went viral ahead of the election. "Ministry of Tourism and Sports — out!" he said‚ tearing a ministry name tag off a whiteboard. "Ministry of Culture — out! Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development — out! Ministry of Women‚ Genders and Diversity — out! Ministry of Public Works — out‚ even if you resist!" Milei also tore off the tags denoting the Ministries of Science‚ Technology‚ and Innovation; Labor‚ Employment‚ and Social Security; Education; Transportation; Health; and Social Development. The president-to-be concluded the video by stressing‚ "The thievery of politics is over. Long live freedom‚ damn it!" — (@) Adios‚ big government While convention dictates the newly elected president give his inaugural speech to an assembly of lawmakers‚ Milei instead addressed supporters outside the National Congress building in Buenos Aires‚ stressing that now is the time for austerity and tough love. "There's no money‚" the economist told the crowd. "We don't have margin for sterile discussions. Our country demands action‚ and immediate action‚" said Milei. "The political class left the country at the brink of its biggest crisis in history. We don't desire the hard decisions that will need to be made in coming weeks‚ but lamentably they didn't leave us any option. "In the last 12 years‚ GDP per capita fell 15% in a context in which we accumulated 5‚000% inflation. As such‚ for more than a decade we have lived in stagflation. This is the last rough patch before starting the reconstruction of Argentina‚" he continued. Milei added‚ "It won't be easy; 100 years of failure aren't undone in a day. But it begins in a day‚ and today is that day." A century of failure might take some time to undo‚ but Milei nevertheless got a decent head start Sunday. Milei issued a presidential decree titled "Decree of Necessity and Urgency‚" which eliminated eight government ministries. DPA International reported that the Ministries of Social Development‚ Health‚ Labor‚ and Education will all be collapsed and rolled into a new Ministry of Human Capital. What remains of the Ministry of Women‚ Genders and Diversity will be subordinated to this new ministry. According to the Buenos Aires Herald‚ a special commission will analyze whether the decree is valid. Afterward‚ it will go to a vote in the Argentine Senate and Chamber of Deputies. For the decree to be annulled‚ both chambers must vote to reject it. The Milei administration characterized the cut as a means "to rationalize the actions of the nation-state and make them more efficient." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) claims he is completely ignorant of Jeffrey Epstein's flight logs.Over the last month‚ there has been a renewed push to obtain the list of passengers who flew on Epstein's infamous private plane‚ the Lolita Express. Epstein and his business partner‚ convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell‚ allegedly used the plane to fly celebrities‚ politicians‚ and underage girls around the world.After Epstein's arrest in July 2019‚ federal authorities were posed to use the passenger manifests to investigate the extent of Epstein's sex trafficking. But that effort apparently died with Epstein's untimely jail demise.Fortunately‚ Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is trying to resurrect it and is pushing for the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena the flight logs. But according to Blackburn‚ Durbin‚ who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee‚ is blocking her effort.Fox News correspondent Hillary Vaughn confronted Durbin last week over the allegations. Durbin‚ however‚ claimed he had no idea what was going on."Chairman Durbin‚ can I ask you a quick question? Why won’t you subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs?" Vaughn asked."I don't know anything about his flight logs‚" Durbin claimed."But why don't you subpoena them? Why don't you want to know?" Vaughn pushed back."I don't know the issue. I know who Epstein was‚ but I certainly don’t know anything about the issue‚" the senator responded."Well‚ he was charged with sex trafficking. So why don't you want to know who was utilizing his private plane?" Vaughn pressed."This has never been raised by anyone‚" Durbin asserted. — (@) When Vaughn fact-checked Durbin — reminding him that Blackburn is pushing to obtain the records — the Illinois Democrat claimed that Blackburn "hasn't said a word to me." He also claimed the interview was the "first time anyone has raised" the issue of the flight logs with him.But that's not true.According to Blackburn‚ Durbin is aware of the issue because he is actively blocking subpoena requests. Blackburn first made the request last month as the Senate Judiciary Committee discussed the possibility of issuing subpoenas related to Democrats' probe of Supreme Court ethics."Since we're in the business of issuing subpoenas now‚ here are a few more that I've filed‚" Blackburn told the committee at the time. "A subpoena to Jeffrey Epstein's estate to provide the flight logs for his private plane. Given the numerous allegations of human trafficking and abuse surrounding Mr. Epstein‚ we've got to identify everyone who could have participated in his horrific conduct." — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

"Saturday Night Live" is supposed to be funny‚ but unfortunately‚ the show's recent satire of the Ivy League congressional hearing that took place last week was anything but. Glenn Beck plays the clip of what is clearly "SNL" “[making] fun of the Republican congresswoman instead of making fun of the fact that [the presidents of the schools] would not say anti-Semitism was bad.” The audience is “trying to figure out how Stefanik is the bad guy here‚” says Glenn Beck in reference to the way the Republican representative is portrayed as an incompetent‚ bumbling idiot. “They were at one point on the cutting edge of comedy‚” sighs Stu‚ who calls the skit downright “unfunny.” “They were‚ yes‚” says Glenn‚ “but that was squashed by political correctness.” To see "SNL’s" cringeworthy skit that makes light of what was clearly unapologetic anti-Semitism displayed by the presidents of MIT‚ Harvard‚ and the University of Pennsylvania‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Navy medics and several members of a volunteer search and rescue team braved steep terrain and frigid temperatures in the middle of the night to rescue a hiker in California trapped by a heavy boulder for hours.On the afternoon of December 5‚ Inyo County Search and Rescue — "an all volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization‚" according to its Facebook page — received a report of a hiker incapacitated by a giant boulder near Santa Rita Flat in the Inyo Mountains‚ not far from Independence‚ California‚ about 150 miles east of Fresno. Two volunteers were dropped into the area via helicopter‚ while four more drove there in vehicles. By the time the rescuers arrived‚ the sun had long since set.Rescuing the hiker proved to be enormously challenging‚ as the man was "in great pain‚" a statement from the search and rescue group said‚ and the boulder weighed between "6‚000 and 10‚000 pounds." Not to be deterred‚ the rescue team put together "a system of ropes‚ pulleys‚ and leverage‚" which allowed them to shift the boulder just enough to move the hiker's left leg out from underneath it.But releasing the hiker's leg from the weight of the boulder solved only one problem. Rescuers then had to determine how to transport him away from the mountain to a hospital for treatment. Despite the dark and the cold‚ a helicopter from U.S. Naval Air Station Lemoore arrived to extricate the badly injured hiker. As there was no suitable landing spot in the area‚ a Naval medic "rappelled from the helicopter to the scene‚" ICSAR's statement said. Together‚ the medic and the hiker were then hoisted back into the helicopter and whisked away to a Fresno hospital.The clock had already struck midnight by the time the hiker was taken to Fresno‚ meaning that the man had languished underneath the boulder for approximately seven grueling hours. The Inyo County Search and Rescue team members then returned to their base and signed out at 4 a.m.‚ the group's Facebook statement said.The name of the hiker and his current condition remain unknown.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Google was accused of intentionally destroying evidence relevant to an antitrust case‚ the New York Post reported Tuesday.United States District Judge James Donato claimed there is “disturbing evidence” that the technology company erased internal chat logs and instructed employees to label some documents as “privileged and confidential.”Donato is presiding over an antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games against Google. According to the video game firm‚ the Google Play app store maintains an unlawful monopoly by using a “bribe and block” scheme to thwart competition.One Google employee was reportedly told to “change the settings of this group [chat] to history off” by the company’s CEO‚ Sundar Pichai‚ who later attempted to delete his instruction. Pichai has stated that the policy to delete messages automatically has since been reversed.Donato called it a “willful and intentional suppression of relevant evidence in this case" that "is deeply troubling to me as an officer of the court.”“This conduct is a frontal assault on the fair administration of justice‚” he continued. “It undercuts due process. It calls into question just resolution of legal disputes. It is antithetical to our system.”“I have never seen anything so egregious‚” Donato stated‚ vowing to “get to the bottom of who is responsible for the suppressed evidence.” He further claimed that Google Play general manager Mrinalini Loew’s testimony “strongly underscored” that the tech firm had intentionally deleted the evidence so that it could not be used in court.On Monday‚ Donato read final jury instructions‚ which stated in part‚ “You have seen evidence that Google Chat communications were deleted with the intent to prevent their use in litigation. You may infer that the deleted Chat messages contained evidence that would have been unfavorable to Google in this case‚” the Verge reported.Donato has encouraged the two parties to reach a settlement.Katherine Van Dyck‚ with the American Economic Liberties Project‚ told the Post that the judge’s comments could cause more trouble for Google in other lawsuits. Currently‚ the Department of Justice is suing Google for its alleged illegal online search monopoly. The company is also facing a wave of other antitrust investigations.Van Dyck stated that Judge Amit Mehta‚ who is slated to decide the DOJ case against Google‚ will likely consider Donato’s comments.“That’s something that the DOJ will‚ I’m sure‚ in their post-trial briefing‚ point out to Judge Mehta again and again. When one judge speaks first‚ other judges take note of that‚” Van Dyck said. “If Judge Mehta looks at what Judge Donato has said about Google’s behavior and decides he agrees with it‚ that’s going to be a problem for Google. … This is very bad for Google to have this out there in the world.”“We’re talking about a very sophisticated defendant here. This isn’t just some mom-and-pop shop‚” Van Dyck continued. “They know that when they are facing a lawsuit‚ they cannot destroy documents‚ and they were specifically told to preserve these chats in Google search and in Google Play Store‚ and they didn’t.”Google has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.“Our teams have conscientiously worked‚ for years‚ to respond to Plaintiffs’ discovery requests‚ and we have produced over four million documents‚ including thousands of chats‚” a Google spokesperson told the Post.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A high school basketball coach in Texas endured a serious physical assault after he benched a player during a game for unsportsmanlike conduct.On the evening of December 5‚ the boys' basketball team from Willis High School in Willis‚ Texas — a city of fewer than 6‚500 residents about 45 miles north of Houston — traveled to nearby Conroe for a game. During the competition‚ one of the team's coaches sent 17-year-old Jevin Allen to the bench for inappropriate behavior toward a member of the opposing team.That punishment apparently did not sit well with Allen or his family. The coach later told police that when the team returned to the high school following the game‚ Allen and members of his family were waiting for him in the parking lot. The coach initially went into the school‚ possibly to wait out the storm. But when he exited the building‚ he found the group still waiting for him‚ he later claimed.Some members of Allen's family confronted the coach‚ and a verbal altercation ensued. That verbal altercation then segued into a full-on physical assault when Allen allegedly decked the coach in the face. Other members of Allen's family reportedly jumped in to attack the coach as well.Another coach and several bystanders soon intervened and broke the fight up — and the coach is likely grateful for their assistance. He reportedly sustained injuries to his head‚ neck‚ face‚ and arms and is currently recovering.After the other coach and bystanders stepped in‚ Allen and his 22-year-old brother‚ Jarrick Allen‚ supposedly fled the scene‚ but surveillance footage and subsequent interviews with witnesses eventually led to their capture. Both young men were charged with assault on a public servant and taken to Montgomery County Jail‚ but their stay there was brief. They were released after each paid a bond of $23‚000.A statement from Willis Independent School District confirmed the attack and also indicated that Jevin Allen will no longer be attending the high school. "The investigation is ongoing‚ but we did determine that the student’s address was no longer valid‚ so he has been withdrawn from the district‚" the statement read. "We are deeply saddened by this incident and will not tolerate this behavior from students."According to the Willis High School website‚ the boys' basketball team head coach is Jeremy Clark‚ while Eddie Davis‚ Colton Cleveland‚ and Nicholas Hull all serve as assistants. The name of the coach who was victimized in the attack has not been released. Willis HS student accused of attacking basketball coach after being benched during game www.youtube.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A 3-disc collection offers choice cuts from within the loosely defined genre‚ by Raspberries‚ Cheap Trick‚ Dwight Twilley &; more. The post ‘Looking for the Magic’ Anthology Collects Power Pop from the 1970s: Review appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

It's the third #1 pop hit for the Rock and Roll Hall and Country Music Hall of Famer and the longest climb to the top of the Hot 100 The post Brenda Lee Sets Records as ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ Hits #1 appeared first on Best Classic Bands.