Horrific video sparks outrage after young Ukrainian woman is fatally stabbed, allegedly by repeat offender

A video of a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee went viral after the footage captures an assailant senselessly and brutally murdering the young woman on a train.

The woman was later identified as Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed multiple times in a random attack on a train in North Carolina on August 22. Zarutska had recently come to America "seeking safety" from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, "hoping for a new beginning," according to a GoFundMe for her loved ones.

'Violent criminals commit crimes with impunity, while families live in fear.'

"This is an irreparable loss for her family," the GoFundMe reads. "We have created this fundraiser to support ... her loved ones during this heartbreaking time and to help them with the unexpected expenses."

As details emerged surrounding the shocking tragedy, online outrage quickly followed.

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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department identified the alleged stabber as 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, a repeat offender. The CMPD arrested and charged Brown with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing Zarutska multiple times, including once in the throat.

The suspect was also seen walking to another part of the train after the stabbing, blood on the knife dripping all over the ground. He quickly removed his red hoodie once passengers began to take notice.

Brown has been convicted of several offenses, including armed robbery and felony larceny.

"The tragedy of Iryna Zarutska’s death in Charlotte is the result of decades of Democrat DAs and Sheriffs putting their woke agendas above public safety," Republican state Rep. Brenden Jones of North Carolina said in a post on X. "Violent criminals commit crimes with impunity, while families live in fear."

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"She came here seeking safety from the war in Ukraine and was murdered in cold blood, no provocation," Christina Pushaw, an alum of Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, said in a post on X.

"All the 'progressive' officials who release psychotic habitual violent offenders into our cities instead of institutionalizing them, are complicit in random murders like this."

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Trump bashes 'badly failing' Democrats for reigniting Epstein skepticism: 'Does anybody really believe that?'

President Donald Trump doubled down on the Epstein attacks, once again pointing the finger at the Democratic Party.

The outrage surrounding the administration's handling of the Epstein files subsided in recent weeks while Congress was out of session. Now that the Hill is back, lawmakers have reignited interest in the Epstein scandal, which Trump insists is a "Democrat hoax."

'The Dems don't care about the victims.'

"The confused and badly failing Democrat Party did nothing about Jeffrey Epstein while he was alive except befriend him, socialize with him, travel to his Island, and take his money!" Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday.

"They knew everything there was to know about Epstein, but now, years after his death, they, out of nowhere, are seeming to show such love and heartfelt concern for his victims," Trump added. "Does anybody really believe that?"

Photo by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Trump insisted Democrats don't actually care about Epstein's victims, saying if they did, they would have taken action in years prior. Instead, Trump argued that Democrats have resurrected the scandal because of their low approval ratings.

"The now dying (after the DOJ gave thousands of pages of documents in full compliance with a very comprehensive and exacting Subpoena from Congress!) Epstein case was only brought back to life by the Radical Left Democrats because they are doing so poorly, with the lowest poll numbers in the history of the Party (16%), while the Republicans are doing so well, among the highest approval numbers the Party has ever had!" Trump said. "The Dems don't care about the victims, as proven by the fact that they never did before."

"This is merely another Democrat HOAX, just like Russia, Russia, Russia, and all of the others, in order to deflect and distract from the great success of a Republican President, and the record setting failure of the previous Administration, and the Democrat Party," Trump added.

Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

Although Trump has repeatedly framed the Epstein scandal as a Democratic talking point, there has consistently been bipartisan support for transparency.

The moment Congress came back in session on Monday, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky filed a discharge petition, which would force a vote on the House floor to release the Epstein files. In order to force the vote, Massie would need signatures from at least 218 members of Congress.

As of Thursday, the petition has secured 215 signatures, including four from Republicans: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Massie. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California is the only Democrat who has not yet signed but intends to, meaning signatures from at least two more Republicans are needed to force the vote.

Notably, the White House slammed Massie's petition, calling it a "very hostile act" to deter other Republicans from signing on.

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

"Helping Thomas Massie and liberal Democrats with their attention-seeking, while the DOJ is fully supporting a more comprehensive file release effort from the Oversight Committee, would be viewed as a very hostile act to the administration," one White House official said in an email to NBC.

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Exclusive: Tom Emmer torches Tim Walz's 'failed' leadership, says he should 'have his head examined'

House Majority Whip and Minnesota native Tom Emmer (R) bashed Democratic Gov. Tim Walz for his "failure to lead" in the aftermath of the gruesome Minnesota shooting during an exclusive interview with Blaze News.

Following the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School, Emmer spoke about the heartbreak felt in the community while also criticizing Walz's repeated inaction to protect Minnesotans.

'There were warnings all along the way.'

"I'm a Minnesotan and father of seven kids, and we're a Catholic family," Emmer told Blaze News. "The Annunciation school is one of the strongest Catholic parishes in the Twin Cities."

"Words just can't describe the amount of heartbreak and anger that I think all of us feel about this unspeakable act of evil."

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

The shooter was later identified as Robert Westman, a man who suffered from gender confusion, raising concerns about transgender gun ownership. Emmer said that rather than addressing Westman's mental health, Democratic policies like those backed by Walz exacerbate the issue.

"Everyone has their own challenges. We respect that. We understand that," Emmer told Blaze News. "But Tim Walz and all of these radical left-wing Democrats that look at a young man like the one involved in this case and tell them, 'You're confused. We're going to make it worse. We're going to encourage you to make it worse.'"

Under Walz's leadership, Minnesota became a "trans refuge" that allowed the state to take children with gender dysphoria away from their parents if they weren't giving them "gender-affirming care." Additionally, Catholic schools were on guard and asking for increased security following the Tennessee shooting in 2023, but Walz ignored their pleas.

"The trans community, God bless them for the challenges they already have, but the suicide in that community is well above the national average. Why aren't we talking about that?" Emmer added. "... He was screaming for help."

"There were warnings all along the way," Emmer told Blaze News.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

Since the shooting, Walz and other Democratic officials have pointed the finger at firearms instead of the underlying motives that may have led Westman to commit the heinous act. Rather than politicizing the atrocity, Emmer said leaders should come together to address the "root of the problem."

"We should be focused on what the root of the problem is," Emmer told Blaze News. "It's mental health. It's a failure of people to actually speak up and follow the laws that are there and enforce them."

"It's all about us and them for Tim Walz, as opposed to how do we all work together and live together in peace and security and respect," Emmer told Blaze News.

Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images

Unfortunately, the recent violence in Minnesota was not an isolated incident. Like many other blue cities across the country, Minneapolis is plagued by high crime rates. Although Trump has previously extended a hand to blue cities like Minneapolis, Walz continues to dig his heels in.

"I'm hoping partisan, hateful, failed leaders like Tim Walz, JB Pritzker, and others follow the model," Emmer told Blaze News. "You don't have to embrace Donald Trump. ... But certainly you should care enough about your own people. The people that you work for that elected you to protect them and their families from the violence that we've been seeing in Minneapolis as a result of the failure to lead."

"Seriously, there's something wrong with Tim Walz," Emmer told Blaze News. "Somebody should have his head examined and offer him some help, because he's completely gone off the edge."

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White House slams Massie's Epstein bill as a 'very hostile act' — some Republicans sign on anyway

While the White House has tried to move past the Epstein files, some Republicans are reigniting the pressure campaign for transparency.

The commotion surrounding the Epstein files largely subsided in early August after Congress left Washington, D.C., for its annual five-week recess. Now that the Hill is back in full force, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky is once again leading the charge to release the Epstein files.

'They’re threatening anyone who helps bring true transparency.'

Massie filed a discharge petition on Tuesday as soon as Congress came back into session. The discharge petition, should it reach at least 218 signatures, would force a vote on his bill to make public all Epstein-related materials with minimal redactions.

Although Massie's petition has gained traction with Democrats, a White House official warned Republicans that signing on to the petition would be viewed as a "hostile act" by the administration.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images

Within two hours of Massie's filing, the petition secured the backing of 131 Democrats and three Republicans: Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Assuming all 212 Democrats back Massie's petition, he will need six Republicans besides himself to meet the 218 signature threshold.

"I’m committed to doing everything possible for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein," Greene said in a post on X. "Including exposing the cabal of rich and powerful elites that enabled this."

Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

"They’re threatening anyone who helps bring true transparency and justice for the survivors," Massie said in a post on X. "This is a tacit admission the Oversight Committee data release is woefully incomplete."

The data release Massie is referring to came from the House Oversight Committee Tuesday afternoon and includes over 33,000 Epstein-related documents that were made publicly available.

"As a survivor, I stand with victims demanding justice and full transparency," Mace said in a post on X. "I also just signed the discharge petition to ensure the full truth comes out."

House Republicans also scheduled a vote later in the week to allow the House Oversight Committee to "continue its ongoing investigation" into the government's "possible mismanagement" of the Epstein case. Massie pushed back, calling it a "meaningless vote" meant to provide "political cover" for politicians who don't want to support his bill.

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Thomas Massie leads pressure campaign, forcing Congress to address Epstein

As lawmakers return from their five-week recess, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky is wasting no time to address the Epstein files.

Just as Republicans managed to drown out much of the Epstein drama, Massie is reigniting the fight for transparency surrounding the files.

'Massie promptly pushed back on the move, calling it a "meaningless vote."'

Massie announced he will file a discharge petition as soon as the House is back in session on Monday, which would force a vote in the House to release the Epstein files, so long as he collects at least 218 signatures from his colleagues. If all 212 Democrats sign on, he will need signatures from at least six more Republican lawmakers.

"I pray Speaker Johnson will listen to the pleas of these victims for justice and quit trying to block a vote on our legislation to release the Epstein files," Massie said in a post on X.

Photo by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Massie's bill, which is being co-led by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, requires all Epstein-related materials in the DOJ, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Offices to be made publicly available within 30 days of the bill's passage.

The legislation would also require Attorney General Pam Bondi to submit a report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees listing all the categories of the records that were released and withheld, a summary and legal justification of all the redactions made, and a list of government officials and "politically exposed persons" named in the materials "with no redactions permitted."

With respect to redactions, the bill clarifies no information may be withheld for purposes of "embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary."

The bill does allow for redactions for any content that violates the privacy of any victims involved; for child sexual abuse materials; if it jeopardizes an ongoing federal investigation or depicts death, abuse, or injury of a person; or if it is in the interest of national defense.

Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Court Accountability

While Massie and Khanna continue their push for transparency, the House leadership also scheduled their own vote on a bill that would direct the House Oversight Committee to "continue its ongoing investigation" into the government's "possible mismanagement" of the Epstein case.

Massie promptly pushed back on the move, calling it a "meaningless vote" that simply provides "political cover" for members who don't support his bipartisan legislation. Massie and Khanna are also set to hold a joint press conference on Wednesday with 10 of Epstein's victims to raise awareness and bring attention to their bill.

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Trump moves to claw back billions more from USAID, foreign aid

President Donald Trump is pushing Congress to slash billions more in foreign spending with the White House's latest rescissions package.

Trump notified Congress Thursday night of his proposed rescissions package, which is set to slash nearly $5 billion in foreign aid programs, Blaze News confirmed.

'Russ is now at the helm.'

The latest cuts include $3.2 billion in USAID funding, $322 million from the USAID-State Department Democracy Fund, $521 million of State Department contributions to other international organizations, $393 million in State Department contributions to peacekeeping activities, and another $445 million in peacekeeping aid.

"Since January, we’ve saved the taxpayers tens of billions of dollars," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a post on X.

Photo by Demetrius Freeman/Washington Post via Getty Images

"And with a small set of core programs moved over to the State Department, USAID is officially in closeout mode," Rubio added. "Russ is now at the helm to oversee the closeout of an agency that long ago went off the rails. Congrats, Russ."

Trump, alongside Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought, got a $9 billion rescissions package passed through Congress back in July, which similarly cut back on foreign aid spending as well as funding for public broadcasting.

The Senate narrowly passed the rescissions package 51-48 after an overnight vote-a-rama on July 17. Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine bucked their party and voted against the spending cuts.

The House promptly passed the cuts the following afternoon in a 216-213 vote. Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mike Turner of Ohio voted against the package.

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Congress now has 45 days to pass Trump's rescissions package. Notably, Congress will also be tasked with tackling the budget before the September 30 funding deadline. Despite the urgency, lawmakers have been out of town for August recess and are expected to come back into session starting September 2.

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Exclusive: GOP lawmaker introduces bill barring illegal aliens from 'sabotaged' census

Republican Rep. August Pfluger of Texas is taking charge of codifying President Donald Trump's executive orders.

Pfluger, who chairs the Republican Study Committee, recently introduced a bill that would ensure only American citizens are counted in the United States census, according to bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News. The legislation, dubbed the COUNT Act, will ensure that illegal aliens are omitted from the census in order to fairly apportion congressional seats.

'We cannot allow Democrats to weaponize our census.'

"The Biden administration sabotaged our census system to count millions of illegal aliens as American citizens, robbing congressional seats from law-abiding Republican states, including shortchanging my home state of Texas by at least one seat," Pfluger told Blaze News.

"This is nothing short of a constitutional crisis."

Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Under former President Joe Biden's purview, the administration effectively rigged the census to include millions of illegal aliens into the census, skewing congressional representation in favor of Democrats. As a result, everyday American citizens were overshadowed and overlooked by Democrats' desire to secure a political advantage.

The census currently does not require individuals to provide proof of citizenship, often including illegal immigrants into the official count, which later informs congressional apportionment. Despite the clear malpractice, Democrats are keen on keeping with the status quo.

In May 2024, 202 Democrats unanimously voted against the Equal Representation Act, which requires the census to include a citizenship questionnaire designed to prevent illegal aliens from being included in the total count. Senate Democrats also unanimously defeated an amendment proposed by Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee in March 2024, which would similarly require a citizenship questionnaire on future censuses.

Photo by HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images

"That's why I'm introducing the COUNT Act to permanently codify the executive order President Trump signed into law during his first term, creating a citizenship database that ensures only American citizens determine congressional representation and funding, because we cannot allow Democrats to weaponize our census again," Pfluger told Blaze News.

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Ex-Clinton adviser warns Democrats of dire midterm season: 'Elections have consequences'

While Democratic operatives maintain an optimistic front going into the 2026 midterms, one high-profile adviser says there are plenty of warning signs.

Doug Sosnik, a political analyst and former adviser to President Bill Clinton, said that although certain factors would suggest Republicans are at a disadvantage going into 2026, Democrats are unlikely to actually seize the moment and secure significant wins.

'For Democrats, it's all about consolidating their base which has atrophied since they lost the 2024 elections.'

In his annual big-picture memo, Sosnik noted that President Donald Trump's approval rating is lagging, and his support among independents has dipped. At the same time, Sosnik predicted that "it is unlikely that [Democrats] will have anywhere near the level of success that the out-of-power party has had in previous midterm elections with such an unpopular incumbent president."

"The reason for this has less to do with the Democrats' historically low approval rating than with a political realignment that began forming long before Donald Trump ever ran for president," Sosnik added.

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Sosnik partially attributed this realignment to education level, which has become a new political fault line. For decades, Democrats had consistently experienced a "steady erosion" of support from rural, working-class voters, prompting the party to lean on college-educated Americans to win elections. This shift puts Democrats at a massive electoral disadvantage since the majority of eligible voters in the country do not have a college degree.

This realignment is ultimately reflected in the Democrats' political class. As Sosnik noted, over half of the current Democratic senators come from the 12 states with the highest levels of four-year college degrees. Similarly, two-thirds of House Democrats come from the 100 most highly educated districts across the country.

"More than a president's job approval or the candidates on the ballot, the breakdown by education level of the electorate is what matters in determining the outcome of American elections," Sosnik said.

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Another disadvantage staring down Democrats is the reality that the political focus is increasingly national and decreasingly local. In Congress, 419 House members and 90 senators are from the same party as the presidential candidate who won their district in 2024.

Because of this realignment, over 80% of congressional races are no longer considered competitive, narrowing Democrats' political opportunities. To add insult to injury, Sosnik predicts that the Republicans' overwhelming success in the most recent presidential election will "further tilt" the playing field in 2026.

"For Democrats, it's all about consolidating their base which has atrophied since they lost the 2024 elections," Sosnik said. "Luckily for them — when it comes to the midterms, anyway — their strongest supporters are college graduates, who are most likely to vote in off-year elections."

"The one thing that is clear is that the results in next year's midterms will tell us very little about the 2028 presidential election," Sosnik added. "That election will be a referendum on America's future as we finally move away from Politics in the Age of Trump."

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Horrific video sparks outrage after young Ukrainian woman is fatally stabbed, allegedly by repeat offender

Trump bashes 'badly failing' Democrats for reigniting Epstein skepticism: 'Does anybody really believe that?'

Exclusive: Tom Emmer torches Tim Walz's 'failed' leadership, says he should 'have his head examined'

White House slams Massie's Epstein bill as a 'very hostile act' — some Republicans sign on anyway

Thomas Massie leads pressure campaign, forcing Congress to address Epstein

Trump moves to claw back billions more from USAID, foreign aid

Exclusive: GOP lawmaker introduces bill barring illegal aliens from 'sabotaged' census

Ex-Clinton adviser warns Democrats of dire midterm season: 'Elections have consequences'

Mainstream media turns a blind eye to vicious stabbing of young Ukrainian woman

Why progressives want to destroy Christianity — but spare Islam

84-month car loans: Smart move or financial trap?

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