Stembridge News Digest

  • Trump defends H-1B; undercuts his own immigration narrative Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000


    Whether it’s building the wall or mass deportations, President Trump’s most memorable position for the past decade has been immigration.

    But in a recent interview on Fox News, the president made it clear that his view on H-1B visas doesn’t align with his illegal immigration policy.

    “Does that mean the H-1B visa thing will not be a big priority for your administration? Because if you want to raise wages for American workers, you can’t flood the country with tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of workers,” host Laura Ingraham said to the president.

    “You also do have to bring in talent,” Trump responded.

    “Well, we have plenty of talented people,” Ingram fired back, to which Trump responded, “No, you don’t.”


    “You can’t take people off … an unemployment line and say, ‘I’m going to put you into a factory; we’re going to make missiles.’ … It doesn’t work that way,” Trump continued.

    “I mean, the truth is, like, Trump has always been a little squishy on this issue,” BlazeTV co-host Lomez says on “Rufo & Lomez,” pointing to an episode of the “All-In Podcast” where during an interview, the president spoke about preserving student visas.

    “Let me just tell you that it’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, from the greatest schools and lesser schools that are phenomenal schools also. … What I want to do and what I will do is you graduate from a college, I think you should get, automatically as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” Trump said.

    “And that includes junior colleges, too. Anybody graduates from a college, you go in there for two years or four years. If you graduate or you get a doctorate degree from a college, you should be able to stay in this country,” he continued.

    Lomez tells co-host Christopher Rufo that he believes Trump is compromising with Big Tech, noting that the industry says “they’re dependent on these H-1Bs to sort of continue the business model that they currently have.”

    While this is “actually probably true,” he’s not pleased with Trump helping this industry in this way.

    “It is not therefore incumbent on the United States people and on President Trump to allow them to continue these abusive practices with regards to H-1B. So while that might be their business model, it ought not to be their business model, and we may have to take some coercive action so that they change their business model,” Lomez says.

    However, he also believes that what President Trump has said regarding H1-Bs is being taken "way out of proportion.”

    “It is a statement on a news show that is not necessarily reflected in what is actually happening from a policy point of view,” Lomez says.

    “By this point, it sort of surprises me that people don’t understand the way he speaks publicly is not always indicative of his policy prescriptions,” he adds.

    Want more from Rufo & Lomez?

    To enjoy more of the news through the anthropological lens of Christopher Rufo and Lomez, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

  • Missouri man admits to kidnapping pregnant girlfriend at gunpoint to force her to have abortion Tue, 18 Nov 2025 23:56:07 +0000


    42-year-old Kevin L. Smith kidnapped his pregnant girlfriend from her job in St. Charles, Missouri, and drove her to the Planned Parenthood in Fairview Heights at gunpoint, according to prosecutors.

    Smith pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping and was sentenced to over 15 years in prison. He will also be under supervised release for three years after serving his sentence.

    'Democrats’ contempt for the rule of law is undermining states’ sovereign right to protect mothers and children all across the country.'

    The man threatened to shoot his girlfriend in the head in order to intimidate her during the kidnapping in Dec. 2022.

    The woman was able to text her family and let them know she had been kidnapped. One of her relatives was tracking her cell phone and drove to the parking lot of the Planned Parenthood location, when police arrived. Smith tried to drive away when police arrived, and the victim told police where he had thrown his loaded handgun from the vehicle.

    Smith repeatedly harassed her and threatened her from jail after he was arrested. He faced higher sentencing penalties due to the threats made after his arrest.

    Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser released a statement blaming Democrat policies for the incident.

    "The abortion industry led by Planned Parenthood is an abuser’s best friend. Over and over we see pimps, traffickers and angry partners make Planned Parenthood their destination because they know they’ll be aided and abetted with no questions asked, and we see this brutal industry fight tooth and nail against parental consent protections for minors," said Dannenfelser in part.

    "Democrats are making this epidemic exponentially worse by eliminating safeguards on dangerous abortion drugs, like in-person doctor visits that afford the only chance to screen for coercion face to face, flooding the mail with deadly drugs bought and sold anonymously over the web — even sold like street drugs now," she added.

    "Democrats’ contempt for the rule of law is undermining states’ sovereign right to protect mothers and children all across the country," Dannenfelser concluded. "It is important to continue keeping taxpayer dollars out of the coffers of Big Abortion. But we also need national protections, and the FDA must act immediately to get abortion drugs out of the mail."

    RELATED: Obama judge blocks funding cuts to Planned Parenthood in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'

    "Kevin Smith kidnapped his girlfriend at gunpoint and drove her across state lines against her will in an attempt to make her obtain an abortion. His actions were those of a dangerous and manipulative individual," said Steve Johnson, chief of the Fairview Heights Police Department.

    "Our investigators worked tirelessly to bring the facts forward, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office ensured Smith was held accountable in federal court," he added. "This sentencing sends a clear message that acts of violence will not be tolerated in our community."

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  • 'Terrible reporter': Trump eviscerates 'fake' news ABC — calls for FCC to consider yanking license Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:50:00 +0000


    President Donald Trump called on Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to investigate ABC News and consider pulling its license for its “fake” reporting.

    'I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and it’s so wrong.'

    During Trump’s bilateral meeting with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, an ABC News reporter pressed the president about the delayed release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

    “Why wait for Congress to release the Epstein files? Why not just do it now?” the ABC reporter asked.

    “It’s not the question that I mind; it’s your attitude,” Trump replied.

    “It’s the way you ask these questions. You start off with a man who’s highly respected, asking him a horrible, insubordinate, and just a terrible question. You could even ask that same exact question nicely.”

    “You’re a terrible person and a terrible reporter,” the president remarked.

    Trump reiterated that he had “nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” adding, “I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert.”

    RELATED: With Trump's blessing, House approves resolution to release the Epstein files: 'We have nothing to hide'

    President Donald Trump, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

    He slammed the legacy media outlet for ignoring the relationships liberal political figures had with the sex predator.

    “All these guys were friends of his. You don’t even talk about those people,” Trump said.

    “I just got a little report, and I put it in my pocket, of all the money [Epstein has] given to Democrats. He gave me none. Zero.”

    He called ABC a “crappy company.”

    RELATED: Epstein emails SHAME Obama/Clinton ally: Larry Summers quits public life amid calls for Harvard to cut ties

    Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    “I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and it’s so wrong,” Trump declared, presumably referring to the news outlet’s broadcasting license obtained through the Federal Communications Commission.

    “We have a great … chairman, who should look at that,” he added.

    “I think when you come in and when you’re 97% negative to Trump and then Trump wins the election in a landslide, that means obviously your news is not credible and you’re not credible as a reporter.”

    Trump told the ABC News reporter that she could not ask any more questions during the bilateral meeting.

    ABC and the FCC did not respond to a request for comment.

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  • Islamic EPIC City’s stealth rebrand is scarier than you think Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:47:02 +0000


    EPIC City was a massive Islamic compound being built in East Plano, Texas, but apparently the name was a little too much. And so the city is undergoing a rebrand.

    “It’s no longer EPIC City. They decided that’s causing a PR problem. Now we are going to rename this. We’re not going to stop. We’re just going to rename it something very seemingly innocuous and inviting called ‘The Meadow,’” BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey explains on "Relatable."

    “So this is not supposed to be a separate city, but it’s supposed to just be a neighborhood that happens to be extremely friendly to Muslims, but the same concerns exist. This would be a 402-acre community that includes over a thousand homes, a K-12 Islamic school, a mosque, senior and assisted living, apartments, clinics, shops, a community college, and sports fields,” she continues.


    In a 3D rendering of the Meadow, Stuckey notes that it looks “very beautiful” but that it’s not centered on a beautiful idea.

    “Legally, they wouldn’t be able to tell someone who is Jewish or who is Christian, ‘Hey, get out of here. You can’t move here.’ But that is essentially what it is for,” Stuckey says.

    “There would be a lot of controversy if any other religion besides Islam or besides one of those Eastern religions was doing this. And the reason why people are upset about it, at least people on the right, Christian conservatives, is simply because of the cultural change that it causes,” she continues.

    While many on the left see nothing wrong with a melting pot of religions, Stuckey points out that we “don’t believe in moral relativism.”

    “When you have a people who believe entirely in Sharia, who have an entirely different view of women and human worth and rights and right and wrong, it is totally fair to ask: Is that congruent with the Constitution? Is that congruent with the American community that we have created?” she asks.

    “The problem — Charlie Kirk talked about this a lot — is not individual Muslims. It’s Islam as an ideology. Islam as a collective belief system. And when you look throughout the world at the fruit of Islamic collectivism, the result has been chaos and violence and the degradation of the human person and human dignity. That is just true,” she continues.

    “Not all belief systems are the same,” she says. “Not all worldviews have the same fruit.”

    And they’re not the same.

    “When you know that about 99% of all worldwide designated terrorist groups are Islamic, you have a good reason to say, ‘Huh, do we want a high concentration of people who buy into that ideology to have their own basically independent system here in the United States or in the state of Texas?’” Stuckey says. “Completely justified.”

    Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

    To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

  • Charlotte school district attendance plummets after immigration raid, sparking concerns about illegal alien numbers Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:35:00 +0000


    With the launch of Operation Charlotte's Web in North Carolina over the weekend, some have speculated that law enforcement has stumbled upon a large number of illegal aliens in a major city.

    Social media was set ablaze on Monday and Tuesday as early reports were released about school attendance in one of the largest school districts in the country.

    'President Trump and Secretary Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.'

    On Monday night, WSOC-TV reporter Joe Bruno posted on X: "A spokesperson for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools says unofficial attendance data from today indicates that approximately 20,935 students were absent from school today. This accounts for approximately 15% of students enrolled in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools."

    RELATED: 'Climbing into the ceiling tiles': DHS immigration raids hit Charlotte, where 1 in 6 residents are foreign-born

    Photo by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images

    Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser, highlighted the report, saying, "So a conservative estimate is that one-seventh of a major southern public school district is here illegally."

    According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools attendance data obtained by Blaze News, attendance did indeed drop precipitously on the Monday following the commencement of Operation Charlotte's Web.

    Data from November 17 reveals that 30,399 students were absent, a number significantly higher than early reports suggested. Only 79.0% of the 145,030 students enrolled in the district attended school on Monday.

    The vast majority of those absences, moreover — 28,136 — were marked as unexcused.

    Blaze News also obtained data from the previous Monday.

    On Nov. 10, 132,043 of the 144,909 students enrolled, or 91.1%, were in attendance. Only 12,866 students were absent, most, again, unexcused.

    This constitutes a roughly 12% drop in attendance week over week, though there are likely other factors that contributed to this significant drop.

    Operation Charlotte's Web, one of the Trump administration's latest immigration enforcement operations, was launched on Saturday. The operation is set to target Charlotte, North Carolina, a well-known sanctuary city where one out of every six residents was born in a foreign country.

    "Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens hurting them, their families, or their neighbors,” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release Saturday. “We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed. There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens. President Trump and Secretary Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t.”

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  • Zelenskyy's hold on power uncertain as criminal charges reach his inner circle Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:20:00 +0000

  • JD Vance sentenced for threatening JD Vance Tue, 18 Nov 2025 22:05:00 +0000


    A Michigan man with the initials J.D. and the last name Vance was convicted and sentenced for making threats against Vice President JD Vance as well as President Donald Trump and one of Trump's children.

    The 67-year-old Grand Rapids resident was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts, according to a Monday statement from Timothy VerHey, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Michigan.

    'When Vance said he planned to kill our president and the vice president simply because he disagreed with them, he crossed a line we all understand and so had to be punished.'

    According to the DOJ press release, the Michigan man's full name is James Donald Vance Jr., and he posted in March and April under the name "Diaperjdv" on BlueSky, a liberal harbor for refugees from the X platform.

    "If tRump, Vance, or Musk ever come to my city again, they will leave it in a body bag. I will either be shot by a secret service sniper or spend the rest of my life in prison. I’ve only got about 10 years of life left anyway so I don’t f**king care either way," he posted.

    He also wrote, "I will murder that stupid f**ker before he gets secret service protection."

    Vance the convict later pled guilty to one felony charge of threatening to kill or injure the president and vice president and another felony charge of interstate threatening communications.

    Each of the two charges carried a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sentenced him to a lesser term after he pleaded guilty.

    RELATED: Texas man allegedly threatened to shoot Trump on visit to flooding disaster: 'I won't miss'

    "The advent of the internet gives us all an opportunity to engage in the healthy exchange of ideas that are so important to a democracy. But some would rather use this tool to threaten and intimidate, conduct that causes fear and damages our democratic ideals," read a statement from VerHey.

    "When Vance said he planned to kill our president and the vice president simply because he disagreed with them, he crossed a line we all understand and so had to be punished," he added.

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  • Police walked right past DNC pipe bomb to first look under a bush where bomber sat 17 hours earlier Tue, 18 Nov 2025 21:40:00 +0000


    An eight-inch-long steel pipe with end caps, a kitchen timer, nine-volt battery, and various wires — planted in plain sight under a bench at the Democratic National Committee building — somehow escaped the notice of two U.S. Capitol Police officers who walked right past it 15 minutes after a dispatcher warned of a pipe bomb at the nearby Republican National Committee building.

    The plainclothes counter-surveillance officers instead proceeded straight to the Congressional Black Caucus Institute building, a few hundred feet east of the DNC.

    ‘Was it placed and picked back up and then put back out again?’

    One of them stopped at a large bush along the alley that led up to New Jersey Avenue. At 1:03 p.m., the officer backed up, ducked, and peered under the shrub. After a brief pause, he stood back up and continued on the return trek to the DNC. That’s where he discovered the second pipe bomb just two minutes later.

    These two bushes are the only ones the officers are seen looking under in the 11 minutes and 14 seconds they’re captured on available surveillance footage. What was significant enough about the bush next to the CBCI building to warrant specific attention? And why has the FBI never disclosed this detail?

    A new review of video footage shows that police officers stopped at the exact bush at which, 17 hours earlier, previously released footage shows the hoodie-wearing pipe bomber sitting.

    At 7:48 p.m. on Jan. 5, the suspect spent one minute 17 seconds near the bush — first bent over, then sitting down in front of the shrub — Capitol Police security video shows. The suspect rummaged through a backpack while sitting cross-legged, then leaned into the bush and appeared to place or attempt to place something underneath.

    The suspect stood up after 77 seconds and walked to the DNC building. There, the suspect sat on a park bench and, at 7:54 p.m., placed a pipe bomb under an adjacent bush, video released by the FBI showed.

    A January 2025 U.S. House investigative report said three teams were sent out to look for explosives after a pipe bomb was found behind the Capitol Hill Club at 12:43 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021.Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight

    In a matter of seven minutes early in the afternoon on Jan. 6, the USCP counter-surveillance team visited the same two venues as the pipe bomber did the night before. While their assigned task was to search for explosives at potential targets around Capitol Hill, the only locations they can be seen on camera searching are the CBCI bush and the bush by the DNC bench, where they found and reported the second pipe bomb.

    The significance of the CBCI bush could not have been known to police at midday on Jan. 6.

    U.S. Capitol Police counter-surveillance officers walk past the DNC building seven minutes before returning and discovering the pipe bomb. Once the bomb was discovered, the Secret Service acted as if it was not a threat. U.S. Capitol Police CCTV

    The bomber’s visit to the first bush and possible attempt to plant a bomb there are one of many details the FBI has never divulged — or even acknowledged.

    The discovery was made by an independent video investigator known only as Armitas, who spent more than a year examining details of the Jan. 6 pipe-bomb case. Blaze News has agreed not to print his legal name for security reasons. Armitas has assisted Blaze News in its ongoing Jan. 6 investigations. He has also spoken with congressional and FBI investigators concerning his findings.

    New case wrinkles

    Armitas alleges that the Biden FBI digitally manipulated the video of the alleged bomber released to the public. The bureau also left out major details in its public disclosures, such as the CBCI bush and the alleged bomber’s visit to the front garden of a congressional rooming house on C Street, near the Capitol Hill Club.

    The new wrinkles in the case only add intrigue to the long-unsolved Jan. 6 mystery.

    How could officers dispatched specifically to look for explosives around Capitol Hill miss the pipe bomb as they walked past the DNC building at 12:58 pm?

    ’It was almost like a Keystone Kop comedy show.’

    After discovery of the first pipe bomb came across Capitol Police dispatch at 12:43 p.m., their unmarked vehicle sped from 3rd Street Southwest at E Street to the Capitol South Metro lot in under five minutes — with emergency lights on part of the way.

    Once parked in the Metro lot, the men spent about three minutes putting on jackets and backpacks and grabbing gear from the hatchback. They set off on foot down First Street to D Street, past New Jersey to South Capitol Street Southeast, then south to the DNC building. They walked seven-tenths of a mile — all the way from the Capitol South Metro Station near the Republican National Committee building.

    A two-man Capitol Police counter-surveillance team traveled by unmarked police vehicle and on foot to reach an undisclosed bush where the pipe bomber sat 17 hours earlier.Maps by Armitas/Graphic by Blaze News

    It does not appear that the men conducted searches along the way. They stopped briefly near a dark SUV and other vehicles parked on the south side of D Street, directly across a patch of grass from the CBCI bush. Other than that, security video showed, the only locations they stopped to examine closely while on camera were the CBCI bush near the walking path and the DNC park bench.

    Some Capitol Police surveillance cameras that normally cover the back of the DNC building were turned away by a command from the control room during this time frame. Because of this, the two plainclothes officers were off camera for three minutes and 54 seconds while they walked from the DNC to the CBCI.

    When one of the counter-surveillance officers approached the DNC park bench after visiting the bush at the CBCI, this time he spotted something suspicious. He first reappeared on security video after his walk over from the CBCI at 1:05 p.m., walking to a Secret Service SUV and a Metropolitan Police Department vehicle assigned to the security detail of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

    At 1:07 p.m., another Capitol Police officer on scene radioed Capitol Police dispatch:

    987Adam: “I’m going to declare a 10-100 [explosive] at the DNC as well, similar device as was found at the RNC as well. Advising the units on scene what’s going on.”

    Dispatch: “All right, where do you have your device?”

    987Adam: At the DNC.

    Dispatch: I copy. … Where at in the DNC, sir?

    987Adam: Right on the corner of Canal Street … and Washington Avenue.”

    Unknown Officer: “Sir, I need you to repeat. Do we have the same device at the DNC?”

    Dispatch: “A-firm sir. … The corner of Canal Street and Washington Avenue in the bushes. 987-A Adam has seen it.”

    Attempts by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) to conduct transcribed interviews of the two officers who discovered the DNC bomb have been blocked by the Capitol Police, Blaze News has learned.

    According to the FBI, the DNC bomb sat at the foot of the park bench for 17 hours, escaping the notice of U.S. Secret Service K-9 teams that swept the grounds hours earlier in anticipation of an 11:30 a.m. visit by Harris. Video shows at least two K-9 sweeps of the area after 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 6.

    “Why would the dog not hit on a pipe bomb that video shows was placed the night before?” Rep. Loudermilk, chairman of the House Select Subcommittee to Investigate the Remaining Questions Surrounding Jan. 6, asked on Lindell TV. “To me, the only answer to that is the pipe bomb was not there when the dog came by.

    “Either it was inert, which, according to the FBI, it wasn't — it had explosives in it — or it wasn’t there,” Loudermilk said. “But we have video of it being placed. So now we need to know: Was it placed and picked back up and then put back out again? If so, why? Why did they go to that extent?”

    ‘They were literally letting citizens walk within feet of the supposed pipe bomb.’

    Armitas said he believes the DNC bomb placed just before 8 p.m. Jan. 5 was retrieved overnight and replaced shortly before it was found on Jan. 6. The Biden FBI told a congressional investigator the footage on the DNC camera that would have shown any activity throughout the night after the initial bomb placement was overwritten.

    On Jan. 5, the suspect appeared to place the pipe bomb with the short end — where a 60-minute kitchen timer was attached — sticking out toward the sidewalk, Armitas said. When the pipe bomb was discovered on Jan. 6, the long end was sticking out, with the kitchen timer pointed into the bushes. Both observations would indicate that the device was removed and later replaced, he said. The camera that would have captured this activity was turned away from the bomb scene.

    Secret Service agents drove Harris within feet of the bomb location as her motorcade entered the DNC garage at 11:25 a.m. Why was placement of the DNC device not viewed as an assassination attempt? Harris has never spoken of it. The Secret Service took nearly 10 minutes to evacuate Harris after the bomb was discovered. Why the slow response?

    After being told there was a likely bomb just feet away, Secret Service agents sat in their vehicles for more than two minutes, finishing lunch, video shows.

    Even when they emerged, their nonchalant behavior was striking. Pedestrians continued to walk on the sidewalk just feet from the bomb. Commuter trains continued to run across the nearby train trestle for 15 minutes. Vehicles drove past unmolested.

    Experts have said police should have quickly established a blast perimeter, shut down vehicle and train traffic, and immediately evacuated the DNC building. Loudermilk compared the bomb response to the work of the Keystone Kops, the fictional, bumbling police officers of America’s silent-film era.

    “Once the pipe bombs were found, it was almost like a Keystone Kop comedy show,” Loudermilk told Lindell TV. “The police failed to put a perimeter around. They were literally letting citizens walk within feet of the supposed pipe bomb. There was no control. It didn’t seem anyone was in charge. It was really an embarrassment.”

    The Secret Service motorcade of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris pulls out of the Democratic National Committee garage at 1:14 p.m. Jan. 6, right past a pipe bomb sitting feet away.U.S. Capitol Police/Graphic by Blaze News

    Secret Service agents should never have stood at a doorway just feet from a weapon of mass destruction. One police officer tiptoed up to the park bench to snap a photo of the bomb. A sudden explosion could have killed them all.

    The mystery of when the pipe bomb was actually planted at the DNC building could be solved with video from the same DNC security camera that captured the alleged bomber’s movements the night before, except that the FBI didn’t seize it from the DNC when agents obtained Jan. 5 surveillance videos during the early hours of the investigation.

    “They encountered a couple of other detectives who had started investigating and said, ‘We have identified the person is this person in the hoodie,’” Loudermilk said in the Lindell TV interview. “‘You need to just look at the January 5 video. So no one obtained any of the video from the 6th. Then apparently all the videos have been overwritten.”

    The disappearance of the security video that would solve the case is another suspicious circumstance in a case loaded with them.

    Capitol Police security cameras with near-perfect views to the west side of the DNC building were turned by a command from the control room and so did not capture the scene at crucial times on Jan. 5 and also didn’t capture video of the bomb discovery. The FBI has never acknowledged nor commented publicly on the diverted cameras.

    Capitol Police security cameras were turned away from the Democratic National Committee building at key times on Jan. 6, preventing documentation of the possible re-planting of the bomb.U.S. Capitol Police/Graphic by Blaze News

    The FBI has described the Jan. 6 pipe bombs as “viable,” though even that has since been called into question.

    The FBI Laboratory report on the devices said the pipe found at the Capitol Hill Club contained “low explosive black powder.” The DNC device “contained the chemical oxidizer and fuels that, when mixed in the proper proportions, can form the low explosive black powder.”

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive defines black powder as “a low explosive material comprised of potassium nitrate (saltpeter), sulfur and charcoal. While used as a propellant in fireworks and pyrotechnics, it is also used in some ammunition and muzzleloaders.”

    Inspector General report

    While the Secret Service had bomb-sniffing dogs at the DNC in advance of Harris’ arrival, the K-9s were never taken into the direct vicinity of the park bench, according to a Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report released to the public on Aug. 2, 2024.

    “The officer responsible for sweeping exterior areas said that the exterior sweep included the garage entrance ramp and some other areas near the garage entrance, including a storm drain, but did not include the bushes where the pipe bomb was located,” the report said.

    ‘Apparently all the videos have been overwritten.’

    The Secret Service deleted thousands of its agents’ cellphone text messages from Jan. 5 and 6, despite being warned by congressional committees to preserve all Jan. 6-related records.

    The Secret Service denied any malicious intent and claimed the purge of text messages was “part of a pre-planned, three-month system migration.” However, the phone wipe began 11 days after the first records-preservation warning letter from Congress, the OIG report said.

    The highly critical OIG Jan. 6 report was delayed by Secret Service attempts to stifle its public release, Loudermilk said in August 2024.

    Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle “considered asking Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas to invoke his statutory authority to block the review in its entirety,” Loudermilk said.

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  • 14-year-old 'angel' reportedly found dead in RV; alleged relative with criminal past charged with her murder, sexual assault Tue, 18 Nov 2025 21:25:00 +0000


    A missing 14-year-old girl was found dead reportedly inside an RV behind her home, and an alleged family member with a history of violent crime has been accused of sexually assaulting and murdering the young girl described as an "angel."

    Citing Illinois State Police, KSDK-TV reported that Kylie Toberman was reported missing around 6:30 a.m. Friday. Police said the teen girl was found later that afternoon.

    'I WILL NOT SHUT UP OR STOP till my child gets justice!'

    The girl's biological mother, Megan Zeller, said Kylie was found dead inside an RV behind a house in Vandalia, where the teen lived with her adoptive mother and two sisters, according to a KSDK news video. Zeller said Kylie's step-uncle — 43-year-old Arnold B. Rivera — lived in the RV behind that house, the video added. Vandalia is roughly 70 miles east of St. Louis

    The Illinois State Police said in a statement, "An extensive investigation identified Rivera as the suspect, and Vandalia Police located Rivera within a few hours and took him into custody."

    Prosecutors charged Rivera with first-degree murder, aggravated criminal sexual assault, and concealing a homicide, the station said.

    Citing charging documents, KSDK reported that Rivera sexually assaulted Kylie and strangled her with jumper cables. Rivera then put the girl's body in a tote in an apparent attempt to hide the crime, according to charging documents.

    Rivera is being held without bond at the Fayette County Jail, according to KSDK.

    RELATED: Father accused of murdering 67-year-old alleged rapist of his 14-year-old daughter makes startling bid for public office

    While KSDK's news video indicates Keller identified Rivera as Kylie's "step-uncle," that isn't the only claim regarding the relationship between the suspect and the victim.

    KSDK's news story — in contrast to its accompanying news video — said Rivera was Kylie's "caretaker" and makes no step-uncle mention. Further, KMOV-TV reported that Kylie's paternal grandmother said the teen was adopted over five years ago to the Toberman family — making Rivera legally the adoptive brother of Kylie.

    It's also unclear why Kylie was adopted in the first place — and particularly why she lived in close proximity to a man with a reported violent criminal past.

    Fox News reported that Rivera has a criminal history dating back to 2000, including accusations of child sex abuse.

    In 2000, prosecutors in Macon County, Illinois, dropped charges of criminal sexual abuse of a child between the ages of 9 and 16 — as well as burglary — against Rivera in exchange for a guilty plea to felony aggravated battery, per court records.

    Rivera was sentenced to 30 months of probation for the 2000 case. In 2008, Rivera pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen vehicle and was sentenced to 24 months of probation.

    The New York Post reported that Zeller wrote on Facebook, "I was young and dumb ... I thought I could trust somebody and now my baby is an angel. I WILL NOT SHUT UP OR STOP till my child gets justice!"

    KSDK reported that Kylie attended Vandalia Junior High School, which said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened to share that a student in our district has passed away far too soon. This is heartbreaking news for our school community."

    The school noted that a crisis response team and school counselors will be available this week to offer support to students.

    Kylie also wrestled at the Vandal Wrestling Takedown Club, which said in a statement, "It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that we lost one of our wrestlers, Kylie Toberman, yesterday. Our team and community are grieving the loss of such a sweet and bright young girl."

    She recently had been named the most improved wrestler, according to KSDK.

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  • Democrat mayor hit with brutal backlash after 8-year-old girl is killed by illegal alien Tue, 18 Nov 2025 21:10:00 +0000


    Boise Mayor Lauren McLean is facing criticism over her statement that avoided the immigration issue when commenting on the death of an 8-year-old at the hands of an illegal alien.

    Mora Gerety was trying to cross Harrison Boulevard when she was hit by a pickup truck and was killed. The truck driver was identified as Elvin Ramos-Caballero, an illegal alien from Honduras according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    'No mention of her name. No mention of her killer. No mention of working to improve immigration enforcement. Ridiculous.'

    Ramos-Caballero was taken into ICE custody over an outstanding federal warrant. He allegedly crossed the Texas border as an accompanied minor in 2015 and was released a month later into the U.S. He was given a deportation order after failing to appear in court in 2016.

    While McLean offered a statement about the incident, she did not mention the immigration status of the accused.

    "Every child in Boise should be able to run out their front door, safely explore their neighborhood, and make it home for dinner. I'm committed to doing all we can to ensure our city is safe for every child to walk and bike in every neighborhood," McLean said.

    The Idaho Freedom Foundation slammed the mayor for her comments.

    "Boise Mayor Lauren McLean's response to Mora Gerety's death is the most pathetic response imaginable. A little girl was killed at the hands of an illegal," read a statement from the foundation. "No mention of her name. No mention of her killer. No mention of working to improve immigration enforcement. Ridiculous."

    McLean had also faced criticism when she refused to follow a state law and kept displaying an LGBTQ flag at the Boise Depot.

    RELATED: 'Cold-blooded' illegal alien murdered 15-year-old who was trying to stop him from raping his mother, ICE says

    Many in the community showed their support for the girl's family at a vigil on Saturday.

    "My son is actually the principal at Washington Elementary [where Mora attended], and it just broke my heart because his heart is broken for the family," said a woman identified only as Maggie. "He said Mora was just adorable, she was shy, and she was very sweet."

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  • NASCAR owner sells vehicles to ICE — and liberals are outraged Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:55:00 +0000


    Hendrick Motorsports Technical Solutions is under fire for its willingness to engage in commerce with the federal government.

    The company, founded by former NASCAR driver Rick Hendrick, is related to Hendrick Motorsports, one of NASCAR's top teams. Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins in Cup Series, the most Cup Series championships at 14, and has consistently ranked among the most valuable teams, including being named most valuable by Forbes in 2020 at $315 million valuation.

    'We're not going to support them.'

    Originally reported by the Washington Post, Hendrick recently sold more than two dozen vehicles to the Trump administration for use with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

    "Earlier this year, we sold 25 standard Chevrolet Tahoes to the federal government," a Hendrick Companies spokesperson said, per WBTV-TV. "The vehicles were unmodified, and we fulfilled the commercial sale. We do not participate in or control how agencies equip, brand, or use vehicles after purchase."

    The federal government paid $2.25 million for the Tahoes from Hendrick in North Carolina and dished out another $174,000 to other companies for custom wrappings, the Post reported.

    Due to the lack of an open-bidding process, ICE was required to submit their justification for skipping any competitive bargaining.

    "The agency's need for the services is so urgent and compelling that providing full and open competition would result in unacceptable delays and seriously hinder the government’s recruiting initiative," the contract states.

    It added, "Urgency is warranted as these vehicles must be deployed to the streets immediately to provide a visible law enforcement presence, support public safety operations, and reinforce recruitment efforts."

    The lack of bidding was not the point of focus for anti-ICE activists online. Rather, it was the simple fact that Hendrick was working with the federal agency.

    RELATED: Court upholds school's ban of 'Let's Go Brandon' clothing in free speech dispute

    AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 2: Jeff Gordon, vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports (L) and NASCAR Hall of Famer and Hendrick Motorsport team owner. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

    For example, a man from Georgia said that Hendrick "should be harassed" for being a "damned crook who needed to buy a pardon from Clinton."

    He added, "I don't care who ICE buys vehicles from, but I would never put a dime in that crook's pocket."

    Another X user seemingly called Hendrick an "Evil f**king man" for supplying ICE with vehicles.

    In a video shared online, a woman addressing the people of Charlotte said, "You know how ICE is driving around those new SUVs? You can thank Rick Hendrick at Rick Hendrick Auto ... just remember that the next time you're in the market for a car!"

    "We're not going to support them," another woman said about Hendrick Motorsports, using a filter that gave her devil horns. She then promoted a different Ford dealer in North Carolina, touting that the dealership has "Hispanic salesmen" who can speak Spanish.

    "Go there, they're amazing! They're not doing all this mess," she declared.

    RELATED: ICE takes down alleged 'wanted terrorist' illegal alien trucker

    PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 04: Host Kim Coon speaks to NASCAR Hall of Famer and Hendrick Motorsport team owner, Rick Hendrick. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

    A self-professed left-wing NASCAR fan, meanwhile, wrote on X, "i have very low expectations of people in nascar, but rick hendrick selling vehicles to f**king ICE is probably a new low."

    A senior official from the Department of Homeland Security told the Post last week that "ICE is a law enforcement agency, and like all other law enforcement agencies, has a fleet of vehicles that includes those with ICE branding."

    The official's statement continued, "Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE finally has the resources to grow its workforce to support ICE's mission, and that will include all types of additional vehicles."

    "These specific vehicles will supplement the existing ICE fleet and support operations across the country," the DHS statement concluded.

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  • With Trump's blessing, House approves resolution to release the Epstein files: 'We have nothing to hide' Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:32:44 +0000


    After months of pushback, the House passed a resolution to release the highly anticipated Epstein files.

    Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna of California co-authored the resolution to release the Epstein files and forced the House vote Tuesday using a discharge petition. Lawmakers forced the floor vote after the petition secured 218 signatories last week, including Republican Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Massie.

    'Of course we're for maximum transparency.'

    Republican Rep. Clay Higgins of Louisiana was the lone no vote.

    Although only four Republicans signed onto the petition, initially bucking their party, President Donald Trump changed course and encouraged rank-and-file GOP members to vote in favor of the resolution. Republican leadership later followed suit, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) confirming Tuesday that he would vote in favor of the resolution.

    RELATED: Mike Johnson changes course ahead of key Epstein vote

    Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    "As I said on Friday night aboard Air Force One to the Fake News Media, House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat 'Shutdown,'" Trump said in a Truth Social Post Sunday.

    Johnson echoed Trump's message for transparency but mentioned several "dangers" in the current resolution he hopes will be amended in the Senate, including concerns for victims' privacy and inadequate handling of child sexual abuse materials.

    "There's a handful of Republicans, Judiciary Committee members, and a few others who are really struggling, as I have been, about whether or not they can even vote yes today because of this," Johnson said during a presser Tuesday. "Because we don't have an absolute guarantee that this will be fixed in the Senate."

    RELATED: Democrat lawmaker faces censure for 'colluding' with Epstein during congressional hearing

    Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

    Despite these concerns, Johnson urged the conference to "vote their conscience."

    "Having now forced the vote, none of us want to go on record and in any way be accused of not being for maximum transparency," Johnson said. "So the only intellectually consistent position to have right now ... is to allow for everyone to vote their conscience and to go on record to say, 'Of course we're for maximum transparency.'"

    The resolution is now headed to the Senate. If it passes, Trump confirmed that he would sign the resolution into law.

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  • Exclusive interview TOMORROW: Cracker Barrel CEO answers Glenn Beck’s brutal question — 'Why weren’t you fired?' Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:23:48 +0000


    Last weekend, Glenn Beck sat down with Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino to talk about the company’s infamous and disastrous attempt to modernize its brand. It was the first interview Masino has given since her widely criticized August 19 appearance on "Good Morning America," where she defended the rebranding and new minimalist logo that triggered a massive customer revolt.

    The company quietly began rolling out its shiny new vision in the summer of 2025, but it was the "GMA" segment that turned simmering discontent into a full-blown national firestorm, with CB regulars condemning the rebrand as "soulless" and vowing boycotts.

    Even though Cracker Barrel swiftly caved to the pressure — ditching its glossy revamp, returning to kitschy, antique-filled walls, and reinstating the Old Timer in the logo — people are still angry about the whole going-woke betrayal.

    People still want answers.

    And that is exactly what Glenn got: “the real answer” behind Cracker Barrel’s decision to fix what clearly wasn’t broke.

    This “all-telling” answer, says Glenn, came from his most brazen question to Masino: “Are you surprised you haven’t been fired yet?”

    “Just wait until you hear her answer. ... It was so powerful and so honest,” he says.

    This Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. ET on BlazeTV and YouTube, tune in for Glenn’s two-part exclusive interview with Julie Masino and Cracker Barrel’s new senior vice president of store operations, Doug Hisel, who told Glenn what really brought the country store chain to its knees.

    Cracker Barrel nation — and everyone fed up with woke corporations — has waited long enough. Tomorrow: answers. We’ll see you there.

    For a taste of what’s coming, check out the teaser 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.

  • US NEXT? Sightings of humanoid robots spike on the streets of Moscow Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:20:00 +0000


    Delivery robots have been promoted in Moscow since around 2019, through Russia's version of Uber Eats.

    The Yandex.Eats app from tech giant and search engine company Yandex released a citywide fleet of 20 robots across the city that year.

    'Yandex plans to release around 1,300 robots per month by the end of 2027.'

    By 2023, Yandex added another 50 robots from its third-generation production line, touting a delivery proficiency rating of 87% of orders delivered between eight and 12 minutes.

    "About 15 delivery robots are enough to deliver food and groceries in a residential area with a population of 5,000 people," Yandex said at the time, per RT.

    However, what started as a few rectangular robots wheeling through the streets has seemingly spiraled into what will become thousands of bots, including both harmless-looking buggies and, perhaps more frightening, bipedal bots.

    The news comes as sightings of humanoid robots in Russia are increasing.

    RELATED: Cybernetics promised a merger of human and computer. Then why do we feel so out of the loop?

    According to TAdvisor, Yandex plans to release around 1,300 robots per month by the end of 2027, for a whopping total of approximately 20,000 machines. The goal is to have a massive fleet of bots for deliveries, as well as supply couriers to other companies, while reducing the cost of shipping.

    At the same time, Yandex also announced development of humanoid robots. Videos have recently popped up of a smaller bot walking alongside a delivery bot in 2024, but it is hard to tell if it was real or a human in costume.

    RT recently shared a video of a seemingly real bipedal bot running through the streets of Moscow with a delivery on its back. The bot also took time to dance with an old man, for some reason.

    However, it is hard to believe that any Russian autonomous bots are ready for mass production given the recent demo showcased at a technology event in Moscow.

    RELATED: 'You're robbing me': Morgan Freeman slams Tilly Norwood, AI voice clones

    Aldol, a robot developed by a company of the same name, was described as Russia's first anthropomorphic bot powered by AI.

    Last week, the robot was brought on stage and took a few shaky steps while waving to the audience before tumbling robo-face-first onto the floor. Two presenters dragged the robot off stage as if they were rescuing a wounded comrade, while at the same time a third member of the team struggled to put a curtain back into place to hide the debacle.

    Still, Yandex is hoping it can expand its robots into fields like medicine, while simultaneously perfecting the use of its delivery bots. The company plans to have a robot at each point of contact before a delivery gets to the human recipient.

    The plan, to be showcased at the company's own offices, is to have an automated process in which a humanoid robot picks up an order and packs it onto a wheeled delivery bot. Then, the wheeled bot takes the order to another humanoid bot on the receiving end, which then delivers it to the customer.

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  • Ramming attacks on ICE spike, endangering agents as Democrats continue to spew hateful rhetoric Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:05:00 +0000


    As Trump's Department of Homeland Security continues its deportation campaign across the country, violence against law enforcement has skyrocketed. On Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin joined Fox to discuss the increase in attacks and the resistance the DHS has faced from Democrat politicians.

    Fox showed Tricia McLaughlin a montage of Democrat leadership, particularly from Chicago, seemingly advocating resistance against law enforcement.

    'It really is a shame that the Democrat Party has decided that violence against law enforcement is OK.'

    "We need ICE out of our city," Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson stated, claiming in a separate clip that federal agents had "broken laws" and "acted with impunity."

    Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said, "Don't believe it when they tell you they're busting the worst of the worst gang and gang members. They're attacking peaceful neighborhoods."

    Other examples of Democrats using highly charged rhetoric include Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.) challenging the Trump administration to a "street fight," Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) comparing ICE to "slave patrols," and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) calling efforts to resist ICE "inspiring."

    RELATED: Masked anti-ICE agitators are in for a rude awakening as new DHS policy goes into effect | Blaze Media

    Photo by Abel Uribe/Getty Images

    In response to these speeches, McLaughlin said, "It really is a shame that the Democrat Party has decided that violence against law enforcement is OK. We will continue to do our jobs each and every day and get these violent criminal illegal aliens out of Chicago's streets and out of sanctuary cities all over the country."

    "There is going to be no safe haven for violent criminal illegal aliens," she added.

    Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin confirmed the meteoric rise in vehicular attacks on federal immigration officers.

    On X, Melugin wrote, "There have been 71 vehicular attacks against Customs and Border Patrol since January 20, compared to 45 vehicle assaults during the same period in 2024 — a 58% increase."

    The most shocking statistic, however, is the increase in attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers: "There have been 28 vehicular attacks against ICE since January 20, compared to just 2 such incidents in the same period of 2024 — a 1,300% increase."

    Asked by Fox News about the mandate to hire 10,000 more ICE employees and the more than 200,000 applications for the positions, McLaughlin quipped, "We are looking for the best of the best to get the worst of the worst off our streets."

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