Why The FBI’s Assault On Catholics Threatens All Christians
In light of the FBI’s anti-Catholic 'Richmond memo,' the true new resistance is everyday churchgoing folks with families.In light of the FBI’s anti-Catholic 'Richmond memo,' the true new resistance is everyday churchgoing folks with families.
Oliver Anthony reflects on life-changing week with gratitude, details next steps
Breakout country star Oliver Anthony is accustomed to playing music for just a handful of people. After reading Sunday from the book of Psalms about the fates of the righteous and the wicked, he played his heart out before several thousand people at Morris Farm in Currituck County, North Carolina, many of whom he later spent time getting to know.
Following his free show in North Carolina and a life-changing week that saw him not only trend internationally with a video for "Rich Men North of Richmond" but land four tracks in the iTunes top 10, Anthony took some time to express gratitude and reflect upon the opportunity before him.
— (@)
In a video posted to YouTube Monday entitled "Moving Forward," Anthony noted he was driving back home after having a "crazy time in Currituck" — a county where he emphasized a good time can be had, "whether it's 30 people or it's 12 thousand people."
Anthony thanked Morris Farm and the thousands who came out to support him, including those who had flown in or driven in from various parts of the country.
He indicated that he "signed and took pictures a good four hours after the show," but clarified that it was far more than glad-handing.
"It wasn't like people just came up and shook my hand. They came up and told me about the battles that they've been dealing with, depression and suicide and money. You know, those are real problems," said Anthony.
Having observed firsthand the impact of his song "Rich Men North of Richmond," Anthony stressed it's "not like it's some kind of masterpiece I created."
Rather, he intimated that the song is not so much a vehicle for meaning but a portal into the meaning and emotion welled up within his audience, evidently wanting for such an outlet.
Following up on his self-deprecating comments, Anthony then implored his fans to think beyond him and on ways to "maintain this energy, this positivity, this unity."
His serendipitous encounter with a strong sense of community, which was all but forged overnight, led Anthony to consider the corrosive forces that have made such social engagements uncommon, stating, "I'm no Dr. Phil, but I just feel that in this moment in time, when so many people are feeling the same frustrations, it would be wonderful to capitalize on that and just use that positive energy to help other people in your life. Maybe people that are different from you, people that you wouldn't normally connect with."
"I can tell you from my experience and the jobs I've had and all the people I've talked to, everyone has a really interesting story if you just give them the time to talk," Anthony added.
These engagements are critical, he suggested, given that "we're all so disconnected from each other."
The Virginian concluded by reiterating his hope that the energy resultant from his "anomaly of a song" could be use to cultivate new bonds of fellowship and community.
While Anthony's stated aim is to help mend America's increasingly frayed social fabric, the establishment media continues to paint his efforts in a negative light.
The A.V. Club's Emma Keates intimated in her Monday hit piece that rather than being a populist anthem that calls out a detached and antipathetic elite, Anthony's top song was actually a Dixie critique of the "everyone in the North" full of "regressive and gross stereotypes."
Rolling Stone, which has had costly difficulties with honest reporting in recent years, trivialized Anthony's music and success, dwelling on his previous struggles with alcohol and attributing the popularity of his music with conservatives to "Reagan-era talking points."
In its report on Anthony's rise to fame, the Independent focused on criticisms by nameless social media users, who branded the Virginian "offensive" and "fatphobic."
Moving Forwardyoutu.be
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Amateur country singer launched from obscurity to the big time after surrendering to God and playing his heart out in viral song
Oliver Anthony's powerful song "Rich Men North of Richmond" has gone viral and prompted country music fans and legends alike to take notice. Whether it's a matter of the song helping to exorcise the sickly zeitgeist or just resonating with Americans "living in a new world with an old soul," millions are tuning in — and country legend John Rich has reportedly volunteered to produce Anthony's record.
The young man, who has roots in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia, sings in his viral song, "I've been selling my soul / working all day / overtime hours / for bulls*** pay / so I can sit out here / and waste my life away," proceeding to note, "It's a damn shame / what the world's gotten to / for people like me / and people like you."
Anthony introduced himself on YouTube in an Aug. 7 video ahead of his song's debut on Radiowv, saying, "It's going to be the first song to get out there that's been recorded on a real microphone and a real camera and not just on my cell phone."
"Lord willing, it's going to get some traffic," said Anthony, noting the song touches in part on his time working in a factory in western North Carolina as well as on depression and the evil of child trafficking.
"This is no Dr. Phil episode," he continued. "But I found an outlet in this music. ... I started getting messages from people saying like how much the music was helping them, you know, with their struggles and their lives and that they'd been sitting on the back porch listening to me for the last hour. ... It really gave me a purpose."
Reflecting on his time working in a factory and on various job sites as well as upon his engagements with other Americans struggling to make ends meet, Anthony said that he wants to "be a voice" for people who are "sick and tired of being sick and tired."
Days before his meteoric rise, he stressed, "I don't care where you are or what you've done, where you think your life's heading — everything can change in a moment. As long as you're above the dirt, you've got a fighting chance."
Among the millions of ears Anthony's song has graced were those belonging to the founder of High Value Dad, Jason Howerton, who promptly reached out to the musician.
Howerton learned that Anthony had struggled with mental health, alcohol, and drugs in the past.
"Just about a month ago," Howerton relayed, Anthony "got to his knees & broke down in tears. Though he wasn't a religious man, that night he promised to get sober if he helped him follow his dream."
According to Howerton, "Here is a man who broke down & surrendered everything to God."
Only 30 days sober, someone apparently reached out to him and asked him to record a song for his YouTube channel. That song: "Rich Men North of Richmond."
Within hours, it had gone viral.
There's little surprise in that. Have a listen:
Oliver Anthony - Rich Men North Of Richmondyoutu.be
Anthony's song has attracted some significant attention.
Early Thursday, Howerton posted, "Hey, someone get in touch with this artist for me and tell him I will fund him to produce a studio quality album with this as the first single. He is too good to not have a better catalogue on iTunes," adding he didn't want "some asshat in a suit digging his hooks into him, would love to see him stay independent and own his music."
Tyler Cardon, CEO of Blaze Media, tweeted to Howerton, "This is so awesome. Let's get him to Dallas. I want to help blow this up."
Soon, other country fans, media professionals, and conservatives were offering to help Anthony, who joined Twitter Thursday and within hours had netted over 27,000 followers.
Doug Eldridge, the founder of DLE Agency, which specializes in marketing, offered to handle strategic media and communications for free.
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh indicated Thursday night, "If he produces an album I'll promote it on all my platforms."
Dan Bongino announced he and country music legend John Rich were "in" — meaning he would assist with distribution, while Rich would produce Anthony's record — then asked Anthony to play his song on the radio today, such that it could be heard on "over 300 stations across the country."
— (@)
While kingmakers and newly minted fans spoke of record deals, promotions, and distributions, Howerton quipped, "The irony is Oliver is probably working his ass off right now and doesn't even know what's happening."
Anthony used his first tweet to express his gratitude, writing, "Rich Men North of Richmond has been uploaded to all major streaming platforms and will show up there in a few days. Im still in a state of shock at the outpouring of love I've seen in the comments, messages and emails. I'm working to respond to everyone as quickly as possible."
In his Aug. 7 video, the breakout star made clear, "Sometimes it takes falling down on your knees and getting ready to call things quits before it becomes obvious that [God is] there. But He's always there. You just gotta look out for him and listen for him."
It's a pleasure to meet youyoutu.be
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Border authorities foil 'smuggling scheme,' find over 140 illegal migrants crammed inside 2 stash houses
The Texas Department of Public Safety and Customs and Border Protection announced on Monday that they recently discovered more than 140 illegal migrants packed inside two stash houses near El Paso.
According to CBP El Paso Sector Chief Anthony "Scott" Good, the agency's units and Texas DPS successfully "foiled a smuggling scheme" involving 51 migrants found inside one stash house.
"Subsequent interviews led to another stash house w/95 more migrants, totaling 146 migrants intercepted. That's over 130 stash houses this FY23YTD!" Good wrote on Twitter.
Pictures and videos shared on social media by CBP officials show a large group of migrants crammed inside an El Paso-area residence.
According to KRQE, the apprehended illegal migrants were from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
Some of the migrants were expelled under Title 42, and others were processed and apprehended under Title 8, according to the news outlet.
"The citizens in our local El Paso community provide an important partnership to help us safeguard our city. We encourage anyone with information to report suspicious activity to our office. That one phone call could help save many lives," Good stated.
DPS spokesperson Lt. Christopher Olivarez reported that one of the recent raids was conducted on Sunday after law enforcement received a tip about a potential stash house.
"A search of the home resulted in a total of 95 migrants, 74 males and 19 females, including 2 minors. All migrants were referred to Border Patrol and the manager was charged federally with Title 8 USC 1324 Harboring Illegal Aliens," he said.
Another stash house in El Paso was raided last week, which resulted in the apprehension of 23 illegal migrants from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala, officials stated.
Officials suspect that Mexican drug cartels have intentionally spread false information online to encourage migrants near the Mexico-U.S. border to attempt to cross illegally.
In March, a large group of migrants stormed the southern border after they reported seeing a social media post that claimed those with extreme circumstances or with children would be allowed to enter the United States.
Last week, dozens of migrants threw their babies and small children over the river that separates Mexico from the U.S. after they heard online rumors that CBP was granting entry.
The false claims that circulated online caused thousands of migrants to rush to the U.S. border near El Paso, Texas.
Olivarez blamed the federal government's "disastrous border policies" for allowing Mexican drug cartels and smuggling organizations to turn "mass migration into a multibillion-dollar slave trade."
\u201cYsleta Station Anti-Smuggling Units foiled a smuggling scheme w/ @TxDPS involving 51 migrants located inside a local residence. Subsequent interviews led to another stash house w/95 more migrants, totaling 146 migrants intercepted. That\u2019s over 130 stash houses this FY23YTD! @CBP\u201d— Anthony \u201cScott\u201d Good (@Anthony \u201cScott\u201d Good) 1680561032
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
'Pride'-themed police cruiser decorated in rainbow flag mocked on Twitter for overt political display
On Monday, Florida Representative Anthony Sabatini (R) shared a video on Twitter featuring a Miami Police Department cruiser decorated in the rainbow pride flag, which social media users subsequently criticized, Fox News Digital reported.
The video, taken by an anonymous individual, showed the colorful pride-themed vehicle. The SUV featured a rainbow flag, a heart, and the words "LGBTQ+" and "Pride." The vehicle also clearly displayed "Police" and the seal of "The City of Miami Police Dept."
Sabatini shared the clip on Twitter, stating, "The Florida Legislature has the ability to ... preempt/prohibit this crass political display with a state law. Why haven't they? You'd be surprised to learn how liberal many of them are behind the scenes. That and/or they simply lack the courage to stand up the Left."
The individual filming the video can be heard saying, "It's real. It's really f***ing real."
Content warning: profanity
\u201cThe Florida Legislature has the ability to ability to preempt/prohibit this crass political display with a state law\n\nWhy haven\u2019t they?\n\nYou\u2019d be surprised to learn how liberal many of them are behind the scenes\n\nThat and/or they simply lack the courage to stand up the Left\u201d— Anthony Sabatini (@Anthony Sabatini) 1672673499
Twitter users replied to Sabatini's shared post with heavy criticism.
"This is a problem," one user wrote. "A huge problem. These political slogans have no business being on Police cars. Our state needs to fix this immediately and prohibit this."
"Imagine thinking it was a good idea to promote a sexual preference on the outside of a taxpayer funded vehicle," another user replied. "I'm old enough to remember when what you liked to do in the bedroom stayed in the bedroom."
In April 2022, the Miami Beach Police Department unveiled a "PRIDE" cruiser during the city's pride parade. The department shared photos from the event on Instagram, writing, "This afternoon we joined our #LGBTQ community at the Miami Beach Pride Parade. Officers from across Miami-Dade and Broward came out to show their support. We also debuted our new PRIDE vehicle during today's parade. It was a beautiful afternoon."
Similarly, Instagram users mocked the display.
"This is where our tax money goes to?" one user wrote.
Another user added, "The police should be apolitical."
Fox News Digital confirmed with the Miami Police Department that the vehicle shown in Sabatini's Twitter post was an actual police cruiser used for official police duties.
"The vehicle was unveiled for pride month back in June of 2021," a spokesperson for the police department told Fox News Digital.
According to the MPD, the vehicle was decorated as "a show of solidarity for the LGBTQ+ community and it is driven by our MPD LGBTQ+ Liaison Officer. Also, the LGBTQ+ vehicle wrap was donated by Enrique Santos from iHeart Radio."
Chuck Schumer says the 'ultimate goal' is a citizenship pathway for all undocumented immigrants in the US
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the "ultimate goal" is to offer a road to citizenship to the millions of undocumented immigrants present in the United States.
During remarks on Wednesday, the pro-choice politician said that "immigrants make us stronger now more than ever," claiming that the U.S. has a dearth of workers and that the American population is not reproducing at the "same level" as in the past.
"The only way we're gonna have a great future in America is if we welcome and embrace immigrants, the Dreamers, and all of them — cuz our ultimate goal is to help the Dreamers but get a path to citizenship for all 11 million or however many undocumented there are here," said Schumer, a Democratic lawmaker from New York who has served in the Senate for more than two decades.
David Limbaugh, the brother of the late conservative talk radio icon Rush Limbaugh, tweeted in response to Schumer's remarks, "And why do you think, Mr. Culture of Death, that we aren't producing like we used to?"
\u201cAnd why do you think, Mr. Culture of Death, that we aren\u2019t producing like we used to?\u201d— David Limbaugh (@David Limbaugh) 1668627860
"I have a feeling we could all be breeding like rabbits and Chuck would still favor the same policy," conservative radio host Mark Davis tweeted.
"If Chuck Schumer is so concerned about the reproduction of Americans, then he should adamantly oppose abortion. That’s 63 million Americans which is far greater than 11 million illegal aliens," Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia tweeted.
"Instead of securing the border, the first thing Chuck Schumer wants to do is give amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants," GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio tweeted.
\u201cInstead of securing the border, the first thing Chuck Schumer wants to do is give amnesty to 11 million illegal immigrants.\u201d— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Rep. Jim Jordan) 1668628337
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been reporting massive numbers of southwest land border encounters month after month.
While Republicans secured a majority in the House of Representatives during the 2022 midterms, Democrats retained control of the Senate chamber — Schumer has said that he "will once again be majority leader."
\u201cSchumer: With the races now called in Arizona, Nevada, Democrats will have a majority in the senate, and I will once again be majority leader. This election is a victory. A victory, and a vindication for Democrats..\n\u201d— Anthony Tilghman (@Anthony Tilghman) 1668308644
Twitter emails employees about coming job cuts — by Friday morning, workers will know whether their roles are on the chopping block
Twitter has warned workers that the company will be downsizing and informed them that by Friday morning, they will receive an email about their own employment situation at the social media platform.
"In an effort to place Twitter on a healthy path, we will go through the difficult process of reducing our global workforce on Friday. We recognize that this will impact a number of individuals who have made valuable contributions to Twitter, but this action is unfortunately necessary to ensure the company’s success moving forward," the email reads.
"Given the nature of our distributed workforce and our desire to inform impacted individuals as quickly as possible, communications for this process will take place via email. By 9AM PST on Friday Nov. 4th, everyone will receive an individual email with the subject line: Your Role at Twitter," the email notes.
"If your employment is not impacted, you will receive a notification via your Twitter email," the email states. "If your employment is impacted, you will receive a notification with next steps via your personal email."
\u201chttps://t.co/LAo4k4auQI\u201d— Anthony DeRosa (@Anthony DeRosa) 1667522443
The job cuts come on the heels of billionaire business tycoon Elon Musk's acquisition of the Big Tech company — Musk has already ousted some figures, including former CEO Parag Agrawal.
Earlier this week, Musk blasted the company's "lords & peasants system for who has or doesn't have a blue checkmark," calling it "bulls**t," and indicating that he will offer verification and various features on the platform for $8 per month.
Musk has also indicated it will take some time before accounts previously banished from the platform be reinstated.
"Twitter will not allow anyone who was de-platformed for violating Twitter rules back on platform until we have a clear process for doing so, which will take at least a few more weeks," he tweeted. "Twitter's content moderation council will include representatives with widely divergent views, which will certainly include the civil rights community and groups who face hate-fueled violence," he wrote.
\u201c@yoyoel @JGreenblattADL @YaelEisenstat @rashadrobinson @JGo4Justice @normanlschen @DerrickNAACP @TheBushCenter @SindyBenavides Twitter's content moderation council will include representatives with widely divergent views, which will certainly include the civil rights community and groups who face hate-fueled violence\u201d— Yoel Roth (@Yoel Roth) 1667352293
Babies in utero now qualify as dependents on tax returns in Georgia
On August 1, the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) issued guidance pertaining to House Bill 481, the Living Infants and Fairness Equality (LIFE) Act. The objective of this document was to clarify Georgian tax law after the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Sistersong v. Kemp.
After having delayed its deliberations on the state’s pro-life law in 2021 to await the Supreme Court’s conclusions, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on July 20 that — in the words of Chief Judge William Pryor — the Dobbs ruling “makes clear that no right to abortion exists under the Constitution, so Georgia may prohibit them.”
Consequently, Georgia's law now recognizes the unborn child as a "natural person." This, of course, has wide-ranging implications, one of them pertaining to taxation.
According to the Georgia DOR's guidance, the “Department will recognize any unborn child with a detectable human heartbeat ... as eligible for the Georgia individual tax dependent exemption.” Taxpayers can now claim an exemption in the amount of $3,000 per unborn child.
As reported in The Hill, a child qualifies for this tax exemption as soon as their heartbeat can be detected. An Oxford study published in the journal eLife suggests that this can be as early as 16 days after conception. Under Section 8 of House Bill 481 and in the DOR’s guidance document, it is suggested that a human fetal heartbeat “may occur as early as six weeks’ gestation.” Early detection often depends upon the ultrasound method and technology used.
The deduction will require claimants to provide the Department with “relevant medical records or other supporting documentation” upon request.
One liberal law professor from Georgetown suggested that this may benefit married parents but exclude absentee fathers, men uncertain about their genetic involvement in the pregnancy, and those relying upon surrogates.
\u201cNew guidance seems to indicate anyone who can claim parentage to an embryo can get a tax break(?). Easy for opposite-sex married parents\u2026 but what about a father who has no relationship to mom? What if paternity is uncertain? What about surrogacy? #gapol https://t.co/DadSm8iNCW\u201d— Anthony Michael Kreis (@Anthony Michael Kreis) 1659380537
Vanity Fair's Bess Levin called the announcement "terrifying," though conceded the tax exemptions "could be helpful to low-income people who want to be pregnant."
Suggesting that a blastocyst would qualify despite not having a heartbeat, Kansas Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate cited Georgia's new tax exemption as cause to vote against Kansas' proposed Amendment 2, which would ban abortion in the state.
\u201cWhy we are voting No today.\n\nGeorgia\u2019s tax department has announced that this blastocyst can be claimed as a tax dependent & has more rights than the full grown woman. This after an appeals court ruled to redefine 'natural person' to include the unborn.\nhttps://t.co/1i966IxHYb\u201d— Mark Holland For Kansas (@Mark Holland For Kansas) 1659465197
Today's top stories
thefederalist.com
www.theblaze.com