Democrats Making Serious Miscalculation That Could Hand GOP Senate Seat
'makes him a resilient incumbent if he survives'
Franklin & Marshall College said it was looking for a new 'gender-neutral' mascot — and got absolutely torched
Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is looking for a new mascot.
The private school's Mascot Working Group page in September read that "our goal is to give it a form that is fun, gender-neutral, and full of personality ..."
'In a time where we are surrounded by so much racism and sexism, it makes sense why we would want a break from old white guys from the 18th century.'
The headline of a WHP-TV story published last week said as much: "Franklin & Marshall College embarks on search for gender-neutral mascot."
As you might expect, Facebook users who commented on the WHP story — as well as the accompanying question, "What do you think Franklin & Marshall College's new mascot should be?" — blasted the school's woke criteria. To wit:
- "The Franklin and Marshall Snowflakes has a nice ring to it," one commenter opined.
- "How about a sheep," another user offered.
- "That’s the least of their problems," another commenter said. "Maybe The Cucks or The Laughables?"
- Good grief!!!!!!!" another user exclaimed.
- "A worm?" another commenter suggested.
- "Please explain why?" another user wondered. "This is what’s wrong with everything. What are they trying to prove by doing this?"
As it happens, as of Tuesday the "gender-neutral" reference was no longer on F&M's Mascot Working Group page.
Blaze News on Tuesday reached out to Franklin & Marshall College to inquire why "gender-neutral" was gone from the Mascot Working Group page, as well as why folks costumed as founding father Benjamin Franklin and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall — the school's namesakes — no longer are appropriate or suitable mascots.
Franklin & Marshall sent the following reply to Blaze News on Tuesday afternoon:
Franklin & Marshall College regrets any misunderstanding or mischaracterization regarding criteria guidelines for mascot idea submissions, which has since been clarified on our website. The guidance shared with the F&M community, then and now, encourages mascot recommendations that take the form of creatures, animals, and figures, which is very typical of mascots for universities and sports teams.
The college’s prior mascots, “Ben” and “John,” were retired several years ago. A student-led initiative to develop a dynamic new mascot began during the 2024-25 academic year. At the same time, other campus constituents collectively expressed a desire for a new mascot that would bring renewed energy and enthusiasm to campus and athletic events.
Our intention has always been to identify a mascot that reflects the public leadership and spirit of Ben Franklin and John Marshall as our namesakes and to be inspired by our mascot, the Diplomat. The decision to create a new physical form for the mascot is an opportunity to represent our community spirit in a way that will champion F&M on campus, on the athletic field, and beyond.
Others at Franklin & Marshall have expressed rather pointed opinions about the "Ben" and "John" mascots.
Take an op-ed from F&M's student newspaper penned by one of its editors just a year ago titled, "Ben and John, It’s Time to Say Goodbye." In it, the author refers to the Ben Franklin and John Marshall mascots as "cartoonish, old white guys" who look "a little creepy."
The author also acknowledges that after three years she's never actually seen the "Ben and John [mascots] in the flesh. Why? It turns out, these mascots are taking some time off and have not been spotted in years. Rumor has it they might be replaced, too."
The op-ed also states:
In a time where we are surrounded by so much racism and sexism, it makes sense why we would want a break from old white guys from the 18th century. John Marshall was racist and fought to keep slavery in the United States, and while Benjamin Franklin was well known for being an abolitionist, he once owned slaves and held racist views, too. As more people become aware of their racist histories, now seems like the right time for a mascot change. Franklin and Marshall founded our college, but our wonderful community can be represented by so much more than just their names. We are Diplomats, after all, and you don’t have to be the ghost of a white man to be a diplomat.
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PA Elections Chief Asks Court To Force Counties To Use Unverified Voter Registrations
Voter registration is the gateway to participating in the election system, and errors or fraud in the voter registration phase undermine the entire electoral process.Honor system? More like fraud system
Most Americans assume proof of citizenship is required to vote. It isn’t. But thanks to the Trump administration’s new rule, the honor system that governs voter registration may finally be replaced with real safeguards.
At a time when Americans can’t seem to agree on anything — not even how to avoid a government shutdown — one principle still unites the country: Only U.S. citizens should vote in U.S. elections.
By requiring proof of citizenship at the point of registration, the Trump administration is doing what most Americans already assumed was happening.
A new poll from the Center for Excellence in Polling found that 87% of likely voters, including 80% of Democrats, support requiring individuals to prove their citizenship before registering.
The catch? More than 60% of those same voters believe the law already requires it. Nearly 70% of Democrats think citizenship is verified before registration. They’re wrong.
The honor system invites abuse
Yes, it’s illegal for noncitizens to register to vote. But the “verification” process amounts to checking a box. Election officials take applicants at their word. The result: a nationwide honor system for one of our most fundamental rights.
And bad actors are exploiting it. A 2024 study estimates that between 10% and 27% of noncitizens living in the United States are registered to vote. Census data suggests that could mean anywhere from 2 million to 5 million noncitizens on the rolls.
Consider Michigan, where a Chinese citizen faces felony charges for illegally voting in the 2024 election. Or Florida, where Russian and Uzbek nationals were arrested for allegedly conspiring to submit 132 fraudulent registration applications.
The problem goes beyond isolated cases. In Iowa, the Des Moines superintendent — earning roughly $286,000 a year — was arrested by ICE for living in the country illegally. He had been registered to vote in Maryland since 2012.
These examples add to a growing list of noncitizens caught on voter rolls in Arizona, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
A long-standing vulnerability
Election fraud isn’t new. After the September 11 attacks, investigators discovered that eight of the 19 hijackers were registered to vote in Virginia or Florida, most likely through routine driver’s license applications.
For decades, we’ve known this vulnerability exists. But only now do we have a serious effort to close it.
The Trump administration steps in
President Trump signed an executive order this year requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. The Election Assistance Commission has followed up with a proposed rule that would make documentary proof of citizenship mandatory.
RELATED: Trump order leads to investigation of 33 potential incidents of noncitizen voting, AG Paxton says
The Foundation for Government Accountability will be submitting comments in support of this rule before the October 20 deadline, alongside many others calling for stronger election security.
The proposal does more than enforce the law — it meets Americans where they already are. Voters believe citizenship is required to register, and they want it enforced. This rule would finally align government policy with public expectation.
Voting is not a casual privilege. It is a right that belongs exclusively to citizens of the United States. That right is weakened every time the honor system allows a noncitizen to slip through.
By requiring proof of citizenship at the point of registration, the Trump administration is doing what most Americans already assumed was happening: protecting the ballot box for citizens and restoring trust in the democratic process.
'Imminent hazard': Trump administration shuts licensing loophole after illegal alien trucker allegedly causes fatal crash
Sean Duffy's Department of Transportation is taking decisive action to protect American roadways following an increase in tragic accidents involving non-English-speaking truck drivers.
Safety and national security issues within the trucking industry gained national attention in August after an illegal alien who obtained his commercial driver's license in California allegedly caused a fatal wreck in Florida.
'This is not a proposal. This is a final rule, and it is effective immediately.'
Duffy held a press conference on Friday morning to announce "emergency action" aimed at ensuring safer roadways.
The DOT revealed the results of a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit, which found "systemic non-compliance" among state driver licensing agencies in California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington.
RELATED: Duffy threatens funding freeze for 3 states flouting English requirements for truck drivers
.@SecDuffy announced an emergency action to drastically limit eligibility for non-domiciled drivers licenses.
This action is in response to horrific fatal crashes caused by non-domiciled CDL holders like the one we saw in Florida when a noncitizen made an illegal u-turn and… pic.twitter.com/AMQFnDYQex
— Rebeka Zeljko (@rebekazeljko) September 26, 2025
"This is not a proposal. This is a final rule, and it is effective immediately," Duffy said during the presser. "... Here's the bottom line: Non-citizens will not be eligible for a CDL unless they meet a much stricter set of rules. Second, all states must immediately pause the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs until they can comply with our new rules."
"My message is very simple," Duffy added. "Get into compliance now, or we'll pull funding and we'll force you into compliance."
The DOT described California as "the most egregious," citing that over 25% of the non-domiciled CDLs reviewed were improperly issued.
"The audit has uncovered both a catastrophic pattern of states issuing licenses illegally to foreign drivers, as well as the fact that even if the current regulatory framework is followed, it can fail. The confluence of these two factors have created an imminent hazard on America's roadways that must be fixed," read a DOT press release obtained by Blaze News.
The DOT attributed the issuance of a "large number" of non-domiciled CDLs to ineligible drivers to poor quality assurance, inadequate training, and programming errors. The department identified cases where licenses remained valid beyond the drivers' lawful presence in the United States.
The department presented four examples of California-issued CDLs with expiration dates extending beyond the work authorization periods of the respective foreign nationals. For instance, one set of images displayed a CDL with an expiration date of June 2030, issued to a foreign national whose work authorization expired in April 2022. Another photo showed a CDL with a June 2030 expiration date, issued to a foreign national whose work authorization ended in May 2021. In both cases, the licenses were issued several years after the individuals' work authorizations had lapsed.
As a result of the FMCSA's findings, the DOT declared a pause on California's issuance of non-domiciled CDLs, requiring the state to identify all unexpired licenses that fail to comply with regulations.
RELATED: Hidden phones, earpieces: Five non-English speakers arrested for alleged CDL cheating scheme
The DOT issued an interim final rule to tighten eligibility requirements for non-domiciled commercial learner's permits and CDLs. Foreign nationals seeking these credentials must "meet a much stricter set of rules, including an employment-based visa and undergoing a mandatory federal immigration status check using the SAVE system."
Duffy warned in August that the department would pull federal funding from states that fail to comply with English language proficiency requirements for drivers. He noted at that time that California receives $30 million from the DOT.
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Welker Suggests Trump Will Suppress Free Speech: All The Questions From Meet The Press
She asks Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro if he believes the Trump administration is, 'trying to stifle dissent and people who would disagree.'Today's top stories
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