Democrats are stuck with failing cities for their ’28 convention



In three years, an American city will host a fierce competition among diverse teams. No, not the Olympics — the Democratic National Convention. Choosing a host city that can showcase the party’s strengths and mask its weaknesses will be an Olympian challenge.

Democrats face a fundamental problem: They have lost touch with the middle of the country. They own the coasts. But the so-called “flyover states” dominate the Electoral College, and those states are moving farther out of reach.

Democrats face a true dilemma. They desperately need a stage to prove they can govern, yet no obvious city offers safe ground.

In 2024, Democrats racked up California, New York, Massachusetts, and Washington’s 105 electoral votes by an average margin of 58.2%. But across the remaining 46 states plus Washington, D.C. — worth 433 electoral votes — they managed just 121.

In the “flyover 80%” of America, Democrats won barely a quarter of the vote. That weakness is not a passing problem. If they continue to bleed support outside their coastal strongholds, they will lock themselves out of the White House for good.

Almost a year after their crushing defeat, Democrats remain adrift. Instead of rethinking their message, they cling to the same losing issues: abolishing ICE, defunding the police, hiking taxes, and promoting transgender extremism. The voters have spoken — and rejected all of it.

The numbers are brutal. A recent Wall Street Journal poll put Democrats at a 35-year low, with 63% of Americans holding an unfavorable view of the party. Other surveys tell the same story.

No place to rebrand

The problem goes deeper than branding. Democrats need more than a new message. They need new issues, new leadership, and a new standard-bearer. Before any of that, though, they need a place to sort out the wreckage.

Republicans have already picked Houston for their 2028 convention. Decision made. For Democrats, as usual, nothing comes quickly — or easily. Even choosing a city exposes the chaos inside the party.

The last 10 Democratic conventions were held in Chicago (2024), Milwaukee (2020), Philadelphia (2016), Charlotte (2012), Denver (2008), Boston (2004), Los Angeles (2000), Chicago (1996), New York (1992), and Atlanta (1988). Big cities, yes — but half were in states that Democrats already win with ease. Those venues provide a friendly reception but do little to help Democrats reconnect with the rest of America.

If Democrats want to matter in 2028, they need to focus on battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, or Nevada. Yet Milwaukee hosted just two conventions ago, and Philadelphia just three. Phoenix or Las Vegas might make sense, but neither city seems interested.

For now, the reported contenders are New Orleans, San Antonio, and Chicago.

Three cities, many problems

New Orleans, colorful as always, may be too colorful: Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been indicted for using public funds to cover up a three-year affair with a cop. The city is also in Louisiana, which Democrats lost by 22 points.

San Antonio’s mayor, Gina Ortiz Jones, is also courting the convention. In a July 1 letter, Ortiz wrote: “Our city — bold, inclusive, and emblematic of the American future — would be a fitting and inspiring home for this historic event.”

Texas Democrats’ recent walkout over redistricting may endear San Antonio to the party’s national brethren, but Republicans have already claimed Houston. Also, Democrats lost Texas by 14 points.

Chicago wants another turn, even after hosting in 2024. But the city also has an enormous crime problem, a failing city government on the verge of complete collapse (wholly owned by Democrats, of course), and “America’s worst mayor.”

RELATED: ‘Municipal conservatism’ offers hope to crime-ridden blue cities

MattGush via iStock/Getty Images

Other reports suggest that Charlotte and Nashville are also interested. Charlotte, in a swing state, at least makes some sense. But Democrats were there in 2012. And both North Carolina and Tennessee sit in Democrats’ weakest region: the South, where they only carried Virginia in 2024 and lost Tennessee by nearly 30 points.

The rebrand dilemma

Democrats face a true dilemma. They desperately need a stage to prove they can govern, yet no obvious city offers safe ground. The last thing the party wants is to spotlight its own failures — crime, illegal immigration, defunded police, transgender sanctuaries, looming bankruptcies, punishing taxes, and mass flight from blue cities.

But nearly every Democratic stronghold tells that story.

The party doesn’t just need a reintroduction. It needs a reinvention. And if choosing a convention site proves this difficult, it signals how long — and how painful — that reinvention will be.

Exclusive: ICE sweep targets 'worst of the worst' pedophiles and violent criminals



Immigration and Customs Enforcement performed another successful sweep on Thursday that resulted in the arrests of several sexual offenders and "violent thugs," according to a press release exclusively obtained by Blaze News.

'President Trump and Secretary Noem are calling on patriotic Americans who want to help remove these sickos from our country to apply to become [an] ICE officer.'

The Department of Homeland Security detailed several of the criminal illegal aliens' arrests that spanned multiple states, including California, Illinois, Texas, and Utah.

ICE Los Angeles captured Leonardo Pop-Coc, an illegal alien from Guatemala, who was registered as a sex offender after he was convicted of sex with a minor in San Dimas.

Leonardo Pop-Coc. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

ICE Chicago arrested Alejandro Flores-Martinez, an illegal alien from Mexico who was previously convicted of first-degree sexual abuse in Butler County, Missouri.

RELATED: Exclusive: DHS reveals ‘record-shattering’ winning streak on immigration

Alejandro Flores-Martinez. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

Edgar Agustin Gonzalez-Hernandez, a Mexican national illegally in the U.S., was picked up by ICE Dallas. His criminal record included aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Amarillo.

Edgar Agustin Gonzalez-Hernandez. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

DHS also highlighted the arrest of Ricardo Perez-Valdiviezo, an illegal alien from Mexico. He was previously convicted of robbery in Deaf Smith County, Texas, before being picked up on Thursday by ICE Houston.

Ricardo Perez-Valdiviezo. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

Wilberth Maldecino, an illegal alien from the Philippines, was arrested by ICE Salt Lake City. Maldecino was previously convicted of attempted lewdness with a child in Las Vegas, Nevada.

RELATED: Exclusive: DHS underground nightclub raid dismantles alleged drug operation tied to illegal aliens

Wilberth Maldecino. Image Source: Department of Homeland Security

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, "It is sickening to see how many pedophiles, sex offenders, and violent thugs were allowed to roam our streets and prey on Americans. Every single day ICE arrests these criminals and is removing them from our country."

"President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem are calling on patriotic Americans who want to help remove these sickos from our country to apply to become [an] ICE officer at JOIN.ICE.GOV," she added.

The DHS noted that Americans are applying to join ICE "in droves" to help the agency's "mission to remove the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens."

"DHS encourages Americans – of any age – with a commitment to public safety, national service, and upholding the rule of law to apply to join ICE today and help DHS remove the worst of the worst from our communities," the DHS stated.

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Liberal women quickly learn what happens when you say vile things about little girls killed in the floods



The deadly flash floods in Texas brought out the best in heroes such as Dick Eastland, the co-owner of Camp Mystic who died trying to save campers from the rising waters; 27-year-old Julian Ryan, who perished trying to save his mother, wife, and two young boys as the Guadalupe River poured into their home; and Coast Guard rescue swimmer and Petty Office Scott Ruskin, who Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated "directly saved an astonishing 165 victims in the devastating flooding in central Texas."

This natural disaster also brought out the worst in a pair of liberal women who evidently couldn't resist the urge to put a political spin on the deaths of American children.

Both Christina Propst, a Houston-based pediatrician, and Sade Perkins, a race-obsessive Democrat appointee to Houston's Food Insecurity Board, found out the hard way that Texans have a low tolerance for vile remarks about bereaved families, particularly those who just lost children in a horrific flood.

Perkins is a community organizer from Houston's Fifth Ward who apparently owns the Freedmen's Town Farmers Market and was involved with Princeton University's black-centric Crossroads Project.

According to the Houston Mayor's Office, the late Democrat Mayor Sylvester Turner appointed Perkins to the city board in 2023 and her term expired in January.

Perkins complained in a TikTok video that the victims of the flooding at Camp Mystic — the Christian camp in Hunt that Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Saturday was "horrendously ravaged in ways unlike I've seen in any natural disaster" — were receiving an undue amount of attention on account of the campers' supposed immutable characteristics and insinuated that the parents of the dead and missing girls were racists.

'I think that context needs to be said.'

"I know I'm probably going to get canceled for this, but Camp Mystic is a white-only girls' Christian camp," lied Perkins. "They don't even have a token Asian. They don't have a token black person. It's an all-white, white-only conservative Christian camp."

"If you ain't white, you ain't right, you ain't getting in, you ain't going. Period," added the Democrat appointee.

RELATED: Horror and heroism in Texas as search for flood survivors continues

Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

"I think that context needs to be said," continued Perkins. "If this were a group of Hispanic girls out there, this would not be getting this type of coverage that they're getting. No one would give a f**k, and all these white people — the parents of these little girls — would be saying things like, 'They need to be deported,' 'They shouldn't have been here in the first place.'"

Perkins made explicit her accusation of racism against the victims' bereaved parents, claiming they sought to carve out "an all-white, whites-only enclave for [their] white children."

The Democrat appointee noted further that before expressing sympathy for the families or heading out to help find the missing girls, would-be rescuers should keep in mind that the victims' families are supposedly "deporting your family members" and "setting up concentration camps and prisons for your family members."

'May they get what they voted for.'

Camp Mystic indicated on its website that 27 campers and counselors died in the floods.

Among the little girls who perished at the camp were 8-year-old Renee Smajstrla, 9-year-old Janie Hunt, 9-year-old Lila James Bonner, and 8-year-old Anna Margaret Bellows.

Shawn Salta, Smajstrla's uncle, said in a statement after the girl's body was recovered, "We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday. She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic. Please continue to pray for the other families in Kerrville."

Bonner's family told People magazine, "We ache with all who loved her and are praying endlessly for others to be spared from this tragic loss."

Houston Democrat Mayor John Whitmire's office said in a statement regarding Perkins' comments, "Mayor John Whitmire will not reappoint her and is taking immediate steps to remove her permanently from the board."

Despite losing out on the municipal gig and facing widespread public condemnation, Perkins still appeared to find the situation amusing, characterizing her critics as white supremacists, emphasizing her exhaustion "with white folks," and blaming President Donald Trump and other Republicans for the floods.

Whereas Perkins' attack on Trump largely appeared to be an afterthought tagged onto one of her anti-white diatribes, the vile remarks from Christina Propst — the New York City-born pediatrician who until this past weekend worked at Blue Fish Pediatrics in Houston — appeared to have been primarily animated by a hatred for Trump's supporters.

RELATED: Why leftism attracts the sad and depressed — and keeps them that way

Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

A screenshot of a post on Propst's alleged old Facebook account went viral over the weekend with the help of amplification on X by Libs of Tiktok, whose retweet had over 3.8 million impressions at the time of publication.

The post reads, "May all visitors, children, non-MAGA voters and pets be safe and dry. Kerr County MAGA voted to gut FEMA. They deny climate change. May they get what they voted for. Bless their hearts."

It didn't take long for Propst to reap the whirlwind over her alleged post.

On Saturday, Blue Fish Pediatrics issued a statement clarifying that Propst's remarks "do not reflect the values, standards, or mission of Blue Fish Pediatrics. We want to be clear: we do not support or condone any statement that politicizes tragedy, diminishes human dignity, or fails to clearly uphold compassion for every child and family, regardless of background or beliefs."

Evidently recognizing that a platitude-heavy post and condemnation of the remarks wasn't enough, Blue Fish Pediatrics announced on its website on Sunday that Propst had been canned.

It appears Propst might ultimately lose more than her gig at Blue Fish Pediatrics.

Sherif Zaafran, president of the Texas Medical Board, indicated on X that he had been made aware of Propst's remarks and that "any complaints we may receive will be thoroughly investigated."

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Operation Take Back America: Patel’s FBI leads ‘largest’ takedown of Anti-Tren gang members



The FBI, under Kash Patel's leadership, arrested over a dozen members of the "Anti-Tren" gang, a splinter faction of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua, on charges of drug and weapons trafficking.

The Anti-Tren gang members were in the country illegally when they were picked up by FBI Houston, according to a June 30 press release from the Department of Justice.

'Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety.'

"Two criminal complaints charge 14 Anti-Tren members and associates with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine," the DOJ stated. "According to the allegations, two groups of individuals agreed to transport kilogram quantities of cocaine in exchange for $15,000 for each load with each group accepting half as payment in advance."

The 14 suspects are facing up to life in prison and up to a $10 million fine.

Five individuals could face an additional 15 years in prison for alleged possession and sale of firearms.

RELATED: Trump's DOJ 'devastates' Tren de Aragua empire with first RICO charges against 27 gang-linked thugs

Photo by El Salvador Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images

According to the criminal complaint, Jose Miguel Briceno, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national, was previously involved in a mass shooting at a Houston bar that resulted in injuries to six people. Briceno is facing separate charges for alleged unlawful possession of ammunition by an alien, which could result in up to 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Houston Police Department, and the Harris County Sheriff's Office assisted the FBI with its investigation.

The agency's arrests were part of a nationwide initiative, dubbed Operation Take Back America, to "repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime."

RELATED: Kristi Noem enrages liberals with 2-word response to dismissal of deportation case

Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei stated, "The Southern District's twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both."

"Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety," Ganjei continued. "SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission."

Douglas Williams, the special agent in charge of the FBI Houston Field Office, referred to the arrests as "the largest takedown of suspected Anti-Tren members and associates by the FBI."

"These individuals are accused of engaging in a turf war with TDA members and carrying out numerous violent crimes throughout our city, including a mass shooting at a local sports bar that left six people wounded. Fortunately, for the good and safety of our community, these individuals are now in federal custody facing U.S. justice," Williams said.

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Mall shoplifter actually jumps from 2nd level trying to evade police. His bright idea is no medal-winner.



Houston police said a few officers were working extra jobs at the Galleria mall two weekends ago when they got a call about a theft suspect, KRIV-TV reported.

Police said officers spotted the suspect and tried to detain him, the station said.

'Wherever you go or whatever you try, they're going to catch you.'

"I saw this man sprinting and cops chasing after him," Martyn Norris, who saw the whole scene playing out, told KRIV.

But the suspect chose a getaway route officers had no interest in mimicking.

You see, there's an ice skating rink on the mall's first floor — and the suspect was on the second floor.

You guessed it.

Norris told the station the suspect actually yelled, "Come get me!" — and then for some reason that even the suspect may not have yet determined, he jumped from the second floor overhang down to the ice rink.

"He jumped straight down, tried to land," Norris added to KRIV, "and when he hit the ice, his legs literally went out from under him — they snapped."

There is video out there of the actual jump and landing, but the following news video doesn't show that — just the aftermath.

RELATED: Blaze News original: Have a laugh at supremely stupid crime suspects who gift-wrapped their arrests for cops — part 1

In the unedited video, the man's feet shoot out away from his body as he hits the ice; his left foot and ankle appear dislocated and flop freely from his lower leg as he attempts to move.

KPRC-TV reported that the man was taken to a hospital with "serious injuries" — and also was charged with theft and evading police.

His identity has not been released, KRIV said.

"Please think twice because this is one of the most heavily populated police areas ever," Norris noted to KRIV. "Wherever you go or whatever you try, they're going to catch you."

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'Shots fired!' What started as a hit-and-run ends in deadly shooting after motorist reaches for gun, bodycam video shows



The Houston Police Department released bodycam footage last week showing what authorities said was an officer fatally shooting a motorist who attempted to grab a gun from his waistband.

'He's got a gun — look out, look out! Shots fired, shots fired!'

Police said in a press release that officers were dispatched to the North Freeway around 3:45 p.m. May 17 regarding a car accident involving three vehicles.

Two of the vehicles remained at the site of the crash, but one of the vehicles fled the scene, according to police.

Officers with the Houston Police Department located the alleged hit-and-run vehicle, a green SUV, in a vacant parking lot in Houston, according to bodycam video.

The bodycam video shows an officer approaching the man sitting in the driver's seat of the green SUV with the door open. The cop informs the motorist that video shows his vehicle was just involved in a car accident. Police said the motorist didn't comply when officers tried to detain him.

The officer asks the driver, "You didn’t want to provide your information? You know it’s state law to do that, right?"

RELATED: Crazy bodycam video shows suspect trying to flee cop on a lawnmower, getting tased — and it only gets worse for him

Image Source: Houston Police Department

The driver asks the officer, "[Who] did I hit?" The officer near the driver's side of the vehicle responds, "I'm not going to debate about it with you, OK? What we're going to do is put you in handcuffs, we're going to put you in a back seat, we're going to move your car over there with the other two cars that were involved in the crash, OK?"

Suddenly, the motorist is seen in the police bodycam footage pulling up his shirt and grabbing an object from his waistband.

"As the officers attempted to detain the driver of the green SUV for the crash investigation, the driver lifted his shirt up, reached for a visible gun in his waistband, and pulled out the weapon," the Houston Police Department stated.

An officer is heard on the bodycam footage screaming, "Hey, whoa, whoa!"

A cop yells, "He's got a gun — look out, look out! Shots fired, shots fired!"

Video shows a second officer apparently firing at the suspect from the rear of the vehicle.

Indeed, Houston Police said in a press release that "two HPD officers then discharged their duty weapons more than once, striking the suspect."

The man is then seen unresponsive, motionless, and slumped over in the driver's seat of the vehicle.

Police said officers attempted to administer lifesaving measures to the man until Houston Fire Department paramedics arrived. However, the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

The police bodycam footage shows one of the officers removing a gun from the suspect's hand.

Neither police officer appeared to be harmed, according to the video.

RELATED: Police bodycam video shows Florida man offering cops alcohol during car chase that ends with suspect getting tased

Content warning: Graphic video:

The Houston Police Department's Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the deadly police shooting.

Houston Police Assistant Chief Christy Smith named the deceased suspect as Michael Dziedzic.

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Trump’s ICE busts 11 illegal Iranian nationals: Terror suspect, ex-sniper, and another with Hezbollah ties



Following the United States' weekend strike on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, the Trump administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the arrest of nearly a dozen Iranian nationals who are illegally in the country.

The former Biden administration's open-border policies have sparked concerns that potential terrorists and other threat actors have flooded into the U.S. undetected, raising the risk of the formation of sleeper cells.

'We don't wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump's mandate to secure the homeland.'

ICE's arrests, which took place over the weekend, included a suspected terrorist, an individual with admitted ties to Hezbollah, and an alleged former Iranian Army sniper, according to a Tuesday press release from ICE.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that the arrests reflect the agency's "commitment to keeping known and suspected terrorists out of American communities."

Immigration agents in Mississippi apprehended Yousef Mehridehno. The U.S. government terminated his residency in 2017 after it determined that he made false statements on his original visa application and potentially committed marriage fraud. The federal government in February listed Mehridehno as "a known or suspected terrorist," the press release said.

RELATED: 'They don't know what the f**k they're doing': Trump cusses out Israel, Iran for nearly blowing up his ceasefire

Yousef Mehridehno. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mehran Makari Saheli, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with admitted connections to Hezbollah, was arrested in Minnesota. He was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a judge ordered his removal in 2022.

Mehran Makari Saheli. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE Atlanta arrested Ribvar Karimi, who was reportedly carrying his Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card, which noted that he was previously an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021. ICE determined that he was eligible for removal after he entered the U.S. on a marriage visa in 2024 and allegedly broke federal law by failing to adjust his immigration status.

Ribvar Karimi. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, who was reportedly carrying a loaded firearm when ICE Houston arrested him, entered the country on a student visa in 2016 and was arrested the following year in Texas for allegedly assaulting his wife, impeding her breathing. His wife obtained a restraining order, claiming that he had threatened her and her family in Iran. An immigration judge ordered his removal in October 2019 after his status was terminated due to academic suspension.

Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE Houston also arrested Hamid Reza Bayat, who was convicted of drug crimes and driving on a suspended license. An immigration judge previously ordered his removal nearly two decades ago.

Hamid Reza Bayat. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

In Phoenix, Arizona, federal immigration agents apprehended Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, an illegal alien who received removal orders after he was convicted for threatening a law enforcement office and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Agents also arrested Linet Vartaniann, an American citizen, for allegedly harboring Eidivand and threatening to open fire on officers. The agency claimed that Vartaniann stated she would "shoot ICE officers in the head" if they entered her home.

Linet Vartaniann. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE officials in Colorado Springs nabbed Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour, two illegal aliens living together. Shafiei was convicted of drug crimes and previously arrested for alleged assault and child abuse. A judge ordered Shafiei's removal in 1987.

Mahmoud Shafiei. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mehrdad Mehdipour. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Federal immigration agents in San Francisco apprehended Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani, who has a criminal history, including a conviction for theft and possession of a controlled substance for sale.

RELATED: Trump announces ceasefire between Iran and Israel: 'GOD BLESS THE WORLD!'

Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mohammad Rafikian, who has a lengthy rap sheet, was arrested on Monday by ICE Buffalo. He was previously convicted of grand larceny, schemes to defraud, criminal impersonation, and practicing as an attorney.

Also on Monday, federal agents in San Diego grabbed Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, an illegal alien convicted of forging an official seal.

'Very commonly, such groups are engaging in criminal acts to raise money, promote propaganda, recruit assets, or source technology and equipment.'

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, "Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden's fraudulent parole programs or otherwise."

"We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out — and we are. We don't wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump's mandate to secure the homeland," she added.

When Blaze News contacted ICE for comment, it directed us to its press release. The agency would not respond to specific questions about the arrested illegal aliens' potential terrorist cell involvement, whether they had previously been under surveillance, or had known or suspected contact with Iranian officials.

Kyle Shideler, the director and senior analyst for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, told Blaze News, "While the term 'sleeper cell' captures the imagination, it's better to think of such cells as 'terrorist infrastructure.'"

"Very commonly, such groups are engaging in criminal acts to raise money, promote propaganda, recruit assets, or source technology and equipment," Shideler continued. "That doesn't mean they may not possess military or terrorist training and the ability to conduct attacks. But it does allow a proactive law enforcement approach, which seeks to find and remove such threats before it becomes truly dangerous. Aggressive immigration enforcement is good counterterrorism."

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Officer meets machete-wielding male running at her with a little more firepower, just-released bodycam video shows



The Houston Police Department last week released bodycam video showing officers pursuing and shooting a male armed with a machete on May 16.

Police received a call around 3:25 p.m. from a Family Dollar in the 5100 block of Almeda Road regarding a male who stole items from the store — and then threatened employees while brandishing a knife while on the way out, KPRC-TV reported.

'Stop! Put your hands up!'

The suspect was identified as 33-year-old Earnest Duke Harrison, the station said.

Officers encountered Harrison at the Southmore Boulevard bridge over Highway 288, KPRC said.

The department's video includes bodycam clips from three officers. The officers pursued the suspect from both ends of the bridge.

The officer closest to Harrison runs toward him while yelling, "Stop! Put your hands up!" But Harrison keeps running toward the officer while holding the machete aloft in his right hand.

RELATED: Trio of thugs wanted in beating death of lone victim at gas station. Video shows several people just watching attack happen.

Image source: Houston Police Department

The officer — whom police identified as Officer L. Jumonji — fired at Harrison and hit him, the station said.

RELATED: Crooks caught on video punching, pistol-whipping man in broad daylight near crowded park. Again, bystanders don't do a thing.

Image source: Houston Police Department

Video shows Harrison immediately collapsing on the bridge, after which he's disarmed and handcuffed.

RELATED: Home invasion victim fights armed burglar, then turns the tables on him — takes crook's gun away, shoots him dead with it

Image source: Houston Police Department

The officer who opened fire as well as other officers are seen on the bridge rendering aid to the suspect. After they roll the suspect on his back, one officer notices the suspect suffered a "gunshot in the head." By the end of the bodycam video, five officers are seen on the bridge.

Paramedics took Harrison to the hospital in critical condition, KPRC said, adding that the officer who shot the suspect was not hurt.

Doctors pronounced Harrison dead on May 20, the station said.

Police told KPRC that Officer Jumonji has been with the department since December 2021.

“As is customary in HPD officer-involved shooting incidents in the Houston city limits, this case is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office,” police added to the station.

Blaze News on Monday asked an employee at the Family Dollar in question for comment about the robbery, but the employee said, "We're not able to talk about any of that," as the matter is "still under investigation."

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'Self-deport' flights begin as some illegal migrants take advantage of Trump's tempting offer: Report



Dozens of illegal aliens made their way home on Monday as part of a new push by the Trump administration to have migrants illegally in the country show themselves out, Axios reports.

Citing an unnamed Department of Homeland Security official, Axios claimed that the first so-called "self-deportation" flight took off from Houston around 9:30 a.m. The plane reportedly carried 65 illegal aliens from Colombia and Honduras and took the individuals to their respective countries of origin.

'If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States.'

Those on the flight apparently took advantage of an offer from the Trump administration known as "Project Homecoming." In exchange for electing to "self-deport" through the CBP Home app, they each received a free ticket home plus $1,000 upon their arrival, Axios said.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has urged all immigrants in the U.S. illegally to participate in the program. "If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest, and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest," Noem said in a statement on May 5.

Those who voluntarily step forward on the app and make "meaningful strides in completing" their departure may have the opportunity to return to the U.S. someday. They will also avoid arrest and perhaps lengthy pre-deportation detention.

RELATED: Trump’s self-deportation plan: Genius or waste of money? Mark Levin weighs in

Photo by Juancho Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images

"In principle, [self-deporting] could be a very good option for people," said Michelle Brané, President Joe Biden's executive director of the Family Reunification Task Force.

"If people are not being coerced, are fully informed, and if it actually is a safe option that preserves people's rights, it could be a successful program," she told Axios.

Blaze News reached out to DHS for comment.

This is a developing story.

RELATED: DHS sets sights on California for allegedly providing federal benefits to illegal aliens

— (@)

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Everything’s bigger in Texas — especially Nvidia’s new $500 billion AI factories



Nvidia, the AI chip manufacturing giant, recently announced plans to build new AI factories in Dallas and Houston. These plans represent a significant advancement in the production of AI supercomputers entirely within the United States.

In its announcement, Nvidia revealed plans to partner with Wistron in Dallas and Foxconn in Houston. Other partners include TSMC, Amkor, and SPIL. Wistron is a Taiwanese information and communications technology company headquartered in Taipei, while Foxconn is the world’s largest electronics manufacturer, focusing on research and development.

This announcement marks Nvidia's latest step in its long-term plan to produce half a trillion dollars' worth of AI infrastructure in the coming years. The move underscores a growing push to relocate critical high-tech manufacturing back to U.S. soil, amid rising global tensions and increasing demand for secure, domestic supply chains.

Nvidia’s AI supercomputers, billed as “the engines of a new type of data center,” are anticipated to serve as the hub of AI manufacturing, all based in the United States. While the TSMC factory in Arizona is already producing the Blackwell chip, these new factories are the first of the “tens of gigawatt AI factories” expected to be built in the near future.

Nvidia's founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, said, “The engines of the world’s AI infrastructure are being built in the United States for the first time.” He continued, “Adding American manufacturing helps us better meet the incredible and growing demand for AI chips and supercomputers, strengthens our supply chain, and boosts our resiliency.”

As Huang explained in his keynote address at the GTC 2025 conference last month, the next step in AI manufacturing is scale and efficiency. One solution to the massive logistical challenges that accompany this type of manufacturing in these “AI gigafactories” is the “digital twin” model: “We use the digital twin to communicate instructions to the large body of teams and suppliers, reducing execution errors … ensuring a future-proof AI.” Essentially, the digital twin is a computer copy of the factory and its millions of parts, allowing for clear communication across the supply chain and for readily available “what if” scaling experiments.

Huang also announced that the next generation of chips will play an increasingly important role in the rollout and scaling of these new U.S.-based gigafactories and AI supercomputers. This chip is called the Vera Rubin super chip, named after the astronomer who discovered dark matter. As he demonstrated in his address, this chip is dramatically more efficient and inexpensive to produce. It also represents a leap in sustainability, consuming far less energy than its predecessors — critical for powering the next wave of generative and reasoning AI and machine learning applications across industries.

In a statement, the White House claimed credit for this onshoring trend in manufacturing: “It’s the Trump effect in action." The statement said, "Onshoring these industries is good for the American worker, good for the American economy, and good for American national security — and the best is yet to come.” The administration emphasized that such investments are laying the groundwork for a new industrial revolution, centered on American technological dominance.