Justice Alito decries threats of political violence — and hints that he might RETIRE next year



Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said in an interview that he is considering retiring next year.

Alito told CBS News that the harassment and physical threats judges are receiving are a new danger to the judicial system.

'We are not part of any political movement. And we are not attempting to further any political agenda.'

CBS News chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford asked him if there was a decision that required particular courage, and he said the Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was the leading example.

"I think that required courage by all of the justices in the majority," said Alito.

"Of course ... we didn't know it at the time," he added. "We didn't know it when we produced the draft that was leaked, but it required courage to go ahead with that because of the implications."

He said he had even lost old friendships because of that decision.

"That's something you have to live with," Alito added.

"Is that just part of the job being a justice?" she asked. "You're going to lose friends, you're going to get protested, you're going to have death threats, you're going to have to wear a bulletproof vest today?"

"It's part of the job that you're going to displease people by making decisions on controversial matters, because one side or the other is going to really dislike you because of the decisions," Alito responded.

"The physical threats and the harassment represent something new in our society and something that's quite disturbing. And I think it's a danger. It's a danger for the courts," he added.

"And it's a danger for others in public life," Alito warned.

The 76-year-old went on to say he will consider retiring next year but said it was difficult to predict the political circumstances surrounding the decision.

He also criticized recent presidents for being more vitriolic in their opposition to Supreme Court decisions.

"Did [President Donald] Trump change that?" Crawford asked.

"It's been bipartisan," said Alito.

"I want to be evenhanded on this. The criticism of the court by President [Joe] Biden and justices by President Biden and his administration was very harsh. And President Trump has been very harsh."

RELATED: Supreme Court sides with middle school transgender girl, Alito and Thomas dissent

Win McNamee/Getty Images

He also denied that the judges had a partisan motivation.

"We are not part of any political movement. And we are not attempting to further any political agenda," said Alito. "We are trying to interpret the Constitution as best we can and apply it in cases that come before us."

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Theo Von asks Mamdani to define socialism — and critics fire back at his response



The democratic socialist mayor of New York City gave his personal definition of socialism while on a podcast this week, and many found it to be naive and unserious.

On Thursday's episode of his "This Past Weekend" podcast, comedian Theo Von asked Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) to define socialism.

'That's not socialism, that's fantasy.'

"I want to talk a little bit about socialism, right, because it's a buzzword, right?" Von said. "... Will you define socialism for us? Because people say it a lot and don't know what it is. And sometimes, those people are me."

Mamdani laughed.

"I'm so happy to be with those people right now," he responded.

"Socialism, to me, it means that you will have whatever you need to live a dignified life and that it is the government's job to deliver on that, right?" Mamdani said.

"It's a belief that you shouldn't live in a place where all you can do is pick your own leaders," he added. "You should also be able to have that power in the rest of your life, right? People talk about it as the extension of democracy from the ballot box to the rest of your life."

The exchange can be viewed below on Von's podcast.

RELATED: Outrage erupts at apparent insult from Mamdani during 9/11 ceremony

He then explained what dignity meant under his political beliefs.

"When people say dignity, I want to be very clear, we're talking about the things that allow you to take a breath: housing, child care, right, public transit," the mayor said. "No one should be priced out of these things. These are non-negotiables; you need these to live."

He also repeated the well-worn trope that the country was already operating under socialist principles.

"And what I think is so confusing is there's parts of life in our country that line up with this belief," Mamdan said. "Public education — we believe that everyone should be able to go K through 12 for free, and they do. Libraries — we believe that everybody should be able to read a book that they'd like to for free, and they do. But when it comes to early childhood education, right — before kindergarten — we're comfortable with people paying $20,000 a year to afford it."

Mamdani added, "As a socialist, what I'm fighting for is that nobody is priced out of dignity."

Many criticized Mamdani for the hollow definition.

"That's not socialism, that's fantasy. And that's what this podcast between Mamdani and Von was all about," responded columnist Libby Emmons.

"Socialism is very much like the plantation owner-slave relationship," replied one X user. "You are housed and fed and kept relatively healthy so that you can be of some use to the state and its ruling elites. If Democrats are successful selling this to American descendants of slaves it will be the biggest con job in human history."

"Some bureaucrat gets to decide what you need and what a dignified life is. I’d rather have no government at all," said another critic.

A poll in 2020 found that Americans favored capitalism over socialism by a 2-1 margin, but more recent polling has seen many Americans turning toward socialism because of inflation and the affordability crisis.

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Exclusive: Republican operative fi​red after flashing 'OK' sign speaks out



Paul Joseph Tinkle told Blaze News he has been a shoe-leather Republican campaigner in Indiana since he was a teenager. His activism ended with him working as an operative for the Indiana Republican Party. He was unceremoniously fired on Tuesday after making the "OK" sign in a picture, he claims.

Tinkle spoke exclusively to Blaze News on the events surrounding his firing, the behind-the-scenes operatives seemingly stirring up hysteria, and what it means for the party moving forward.

'Indiana is a place that a lot of people are worried is trending purple, and it's the liberal Republicans … that are making us go purple.'

The trouble started for Tinkle after a social media group picture was published on Sunday morning, Tinkle told Blaze Media. In that photo he is seen making the "OK" sign.

"That Sunday morning, I received texts from a couple of different people in this program — supervisors in this [Indiana GOP] program," Tinkle told Blaze News.

"One of them showed me a text that had been sent to them by someone in Hamilton County," Tinkle said. "And they just asked, 'Well, explain yourself. Like, what's going on here?'"

"I explained over text," Tinkle told Blaze News. "I didn't get an in-person meeting or anything."

In between Tinkle's stints working on Republican campaigns and for the Indiana state GOP, the 27-year-old told Blaze News he spent three years with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, working as an educator in Japan. The program is sponsored by Japan's government.

As evidenced by photos posted by Tinkle on X, the "OK" symbol is a common hand gesture in Japan when taking photographs.

RELATED: The right is building its own lawfare defense machine — finally

Paul Joseph Tinkle/X; used with permission

Regarding the texts Tinkle claims referred to "Hamilton County," the chair of that county's GOP, Mario Massillamany, denied playing a role in Tinkle's firing. He told Blaze News that he informed the Indiana state GOP of concerns raised by anonymous individuals and removed the photo out of an "abundance of caution."

"I was not instrumental in getting him fired," Massillamany told Blaze News. "I have had nothing to do with firing him."

Massillamany also insisted, "I did not know what his sign was."

Tinkle offered Blaze News a different version of events.

"I was told Mario's really angry. He's reached out to people [at] the top of the party," Tinkle said. "I didn't get to explain to anybody in person. I didn't get to talk to Mario. I didn't get to talk to the Republican chair."

Blaze News also reviewed a text sent to Tinkle by a state GOP "supervisor" Tinkle declined to name. The text appeared to support at least some of Tinkle's claims.

"Mario thinks you dropped a white power symbol and no one will be able to convince him otherwise," the supervisor told Tinkle just prior to his termination, one text showed.

RELATED: Are America's jails being run by foreigners?

Courtesy of Paul Joseph Tinkle; used with permission

Two sources familiar with the Hamilton County GOP confirmed Tinkle's account and further told Blaze News that it fits a pattern of anti-whiteness by Massillamany.

Massillamany has ruffled feathers with loyal Republicans lately.

Massillamany previously told Larry Lannon in an interview that diversity and female candidates were essential to his political philosophy. He described his approach as "getting more people from diverse communities" to run for office in Hamilton County.

In that interview, Massillamany also described criticism levied at Secretary of State Diego Morales as racist.

"I think that some of the attacks that he's received would not have been received if he were the prototypical white male from Indiana, but he's a short Hispanic from Guatemala that has a thick accent," Massillamany told Lannon.

"He's got a bigger target on him."

When Blaze News attempted to ask Massillamany about his views on DEI and diversity, he hung up the phone.

Massillamany also publicly distanced the county party from Save Heritage Indiana in July, an anti-mass-migration group that held a rally on Aug. 1 in Fishers featuring Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith.

"Save Heritage Indiana is not affiliated with the Hamilton County Republican Party," Massillamany told the Indiana Citizen. "I had not heard of the organization or of Nathan Roberts or of Daniel Poynter prior to this inquiry, and neither has attended or participated in any Hamilton County GOP event."

The group's website lists state Rep. Chris Jeter (R), who represents House District 88, among its endorsers. Jeter is a founding partner of Massillamany's own Fishers law firm, Massillamany Jeter & Carson.

In firing Tinkle, the Indiana state GOP may have lost one of its most loyal operators.

"I have worked in Republican Party politics since before I could even vote," Tinkle told Blaze News. "Maybe they think I'm a young infiltrator or something, but it's quite the opposite."

"When I was 16 in 2016, I worked the primary election, because you can do it at 16," Tinkle said. "I remember all the way back then. I love Trump."

Tinkle told Blaze News that Republicans like Massillamany are endangering the party's future in Indiana.

"Indiana is a place that a lot of people are worried is trending purple, and it's the liberal Republicans that are making us go purple."

The Indiana state GOP did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

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'It's ALL stolen': RFK reveals Medicare scam that stole billions from taxpayers



Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims yet another scam that he says robbed taxpayers of billions from Medicare.

Kennedy made the comments during the "Make America Healthy Again" conference Tuesday while speaking with Vice President JD Vance.

'We were on par, on track to spend $23 billion this year. ... And we stopped it. We put an end to it, and we've now driven that down.'

"We have perverse incentives in the department, and we gave the people opportunity to steal, and we made it almost irresistible," said Kennedy.

He went on to give "skin substitutes" as an example, defining skin substitutes as "simulated skin that you put on certain wounds after dressing them carefully."

"These skin substitutes ... the doctors who prescribed them would get 6% of the sales cost. And so they were incentivized to prescribe more expensive products," he explained.

"So 2019, we were paying $200 million. Last year, we spent $14 billion. All stolen. It's all stolen," he claimed.

"And we were on par, on track to spend $23 billion this year. ... And we stopped it," Kennedy said.

"We put an end to it, and we've now driven that down," he added. "That cost down to somewhere around $1 billion. And we saved that money, but it was allowed to get out of control. And you're seeing — I mean, we can tell our stories. You and I can sit here all day long and just tell insane stories about the level of theft."

RELATED: RFK Jr. shuts down $1 BILLION in funding to California and Minnesota

Also during the fireside discussion in the summit at the Waldorf in Washington, D.C., Kennedy touted the benefits of artificial intelligence in the medical field.

"If somebody tells you, ‘Masks work, trust the experts,’ AI may tell you otherwise. If somebody tells you, ‘Social distancing works, trust the experts,’ AI may correct that," Kennedy said.

"And if somebody tells you that a vaccine will prevent transmission and infection — ‘Oh, you need to take it to protect your grandmother’ — AI may say it actually doesn’t do that," he added. "So it really has the capacity to ... free us from medical tyranny."

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Jason Whitlock: Cornell 7 case exposes feminism's sexual freedom lie



The explosive allegations against seven members of Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity have reignited a national debate over campus culture, consent, and accountability.

But BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock believes the story has taken over the news cycle for a deeper reason.

“Why did this all of a sudden become national news? ... I guess it’s intriguing or interesting, but ... see, it’s like they want us talking about this or it wouldn’t be getting the attention that it’s getting,” Whitlock says.

“The Cornell 7 wouldn’t be all over ... social media. Rape allegations go on all the time. Rape allegations on college campuses go on all the time. But clearly there seems to be something,” he continues.


“Maybe it’s conservatives. Maybe we’re pushing for this conversation. Maybe we want to expose the wrongs of feminism because the Lindsay Clancy case and this case seem to be putting those things in clear focus,” he adds.

“I think conservatives do want to show how wrong it is or how hurtful feminism has been,” Shemeka Michelle agrees, though she notes that “on the other side,” that’s not their motive.

“I think they believe they can show us just how terrible patriarchy is,” she says.

Meanwhile, Michelle points out that since the Clancy trial, she keeps seeing news stories about women harming their children.

“So it’s crazy because we’re seeing these cases, and so many people are just thinking, ‘Oh my God, women have to be protected. Look at what they’re going through. Look at what’s happening,’” she says.

“Conservatives are saying, ‘Hey wait a minute. This is not OK.’ But we keep seeing these stories because so many left-leaning lunatics want to actually prop up women like Barack Obama thinking that they can actually run the world and do it better,” she adds.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

'Fool me once': CNN analyst has bad news for Democrats who believe recent polls



Recent polling generally indicates that congressional Democrats are poised to come out on top in the midterm election. CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten is not convinced, however — especially considering pollsters' track record.

"We've had really good Democratic polls coming out from Ohio, Michigan, Iowa," Enten told "CNN News Central" talking head John Berman on Wednesday.

'There's a very, very strong chance that Republicans hold onto the United States Senate.'

A Marist Poll published on Wednesday showed U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D) leading former Rep. Mike Rogers (R) 51%-44% in Michigan. The latest USA Today/Suffolk University poll shows Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Sherrod Brown leading Republican Sen. Jon Husted 47%-44% in Ohio. According to a Fox News survey conducted from Sept. 24-28, Democrat Josh Turek has a two-point lead over Republican Ashley Hinson in the U.S. Senate race in Iowa.

"Fool me once, shame on you," continued Enten. "Fool me four times, I just have to ask the question: Could it happen again?"

Enten highlighted how the GOP outperformed September 2024 polls concerning Senate races and the White House by 9 percentage points in Iowa, 6 points in Ohio, and 5 points in Michigan. That same September, national polls suggested that Kamala Harris would win a presidential election that she ultimately lost in a landslide.

"I will note that the leads that the Democrats have in all of these races right now are under how much the GOP outperformed back in 2024," said Enten. "So you look at this, and you go, 'You know what? Maybe we should just hold on a second here because we've seen this dance before' — and it was not a dance that Democrats like when the votes were actually cast and counted."

RELATED: CNN analyst pours cold water on Democrats' dream of a political takeover in November

Emily Elconin/Getty Images

Berman insinuated that Trump not being on the ballot this time around might be a factor, but Enten noted that the lesson from the 2018 election — Trump's first midterm election — is that "it's the same exact story."

"The GOP outperformed September polls in the major 2018 statewide races by 6 points in Iowa, 6 points in Ohio, and 8 points in Michigan," said Enten. "The bottom line is this: Over the last few [election] cycles, whether it be 2018, 2016, 2020, 2024 — Republicans have outperformed their September polls by at least 5 points in all these three states where Democrats right now are ahead."

The data analyst suggested further that if Republicans outperform their Midwest polls as they did in 2018 and 2024, then even with Democrats carrying states such as Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas, there could end up being a 50/50 split in the U.S. Senate with Vice President JD Vance serving as the tie-breaker.

"So if history holds in terms of the GOP outperforming their September polls, well, there's a very, very strong chance that Republicans hold onto the United States Senate, even if Democrats win in places they don't historically win in, like Texas," said Enten.

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4 charged in brutal road-rage beating, robbery of 63-year-old man — and attack was caught on video



Four suspects charged in a viral road-rage beating and robbery of a 63-year-old man in the St. Louis area were left behind bars on $250,000 cash-only bonds after a court hearing Thursday, KSDK-TV reported.

St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith added to the station that it should stay that way: “They are a danger to the community, all four of them."

'I apologize for kicking and slapping him. I was in the wrong.'

Mary Moore, Tamara Logan, Davion Alfred, and Martinez Logan each face felony charges of second-degree robbery, third-degree assault, and second-degree burglary in connection with the incident, KSDK said.

Price Smith added to the station that they could face a maximum of 29 years each in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

The foursome's court appearance came just hours after the victim was released from the hospital, where he was recovering after being stomped, punched, and robbed — all after a fender bender on a Jennings street Sept. 19, KSDK said.

Price Smith said "the individual who hit the back of their car went to check on them," and "they brutally attacked him. This is not the way people behave in civilized society. This bond is appropriate for this charge," the station said.

More from KSDK:

During Thursday’s hearing, three of the suspects chose to waive their bond hearings and opted not to request a reduction. Meanwhile, Davion Alfred represented himself in court to argue for a lower bond amount, but Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Doug Dolan opposed any modification, citing public safety concerns and flight risk. The judge agreed with prosecutors and denied Alfred's request, keeping the $250,000 cash only bond intact for all four individuals.

Following the brutal attack, the suspects stole $100 from the victim's wallet and went through his vehicle, even taking bags full of items intended as Goodwill donations, the station said, citing court documents.

Bystanders recorded video of the attack, and the footage went viral, KSDK said.

What's more, the county prosecutor told the station she first became aware of the incident through media reports before formal charges were submitted to her office, the station reported.

RELATED: Brutal beating: Man, 45, bumps into teen at state fair, then gang of a dozen 'kicked and stomped' on man's face, fiancée says

Charging documents include confessions from the suspects, KSDK reported, adding that prosecutors said an interview with suspect Tamara Logan that KSDK broadcasted assisted with their investigation. The station said Tamara Logan admitted on camera to her role in the attack.

"I apologize for kicking and slapping him. I was in the wrong," Logan said, according to KSDK.

Moore also told the station, "At that moment, my mindset was, 'I'm angry, I'm upset, my kids are hurting, my vehicle is gone. I wasn't really thinking, 'Oh, this is an elderly man.' My actions, they're not OK at all. I am hurt and I am disappointed in myself."

Price Smith told KSDK that "this kind of behavior will not be tolerated."

A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 21, the station noted.

According to a previous KSDK story, court records state that victim Lance Jeffries was driving his Chrysler Caravan when he rear-ended a vehicle. Police told the station Moore, Alfred, their children, and extended family members were returning home from a trip to the zoo.

Jeffries pulled over and exited his vehicle to check on the group, which had pulled in front of him, the station said.

Moore, Alfred, and Martinez Logan got out of the car, and Tamara Logan arrived at the scene a short time later, KSDK said.

Police said Alfred repeatedly punched Jeffries in the head, after which he fell to the ground, the station said, adding that police said Moore repeatedly kicked Jeffries, Tamara Logan stomped him while he was on the ground, and Martinez Logan dragged him.

Jeffries at one point blacked out, KSDK reported.

Police said Alfred took Jeffries' keys and went through his wallet, the station noted, adding that Alfred and the others went through his car and removed trash bags filled with his Goodwill donations.

"They took my dad's wallet. They went in his car. They robbed my dad," Valancia Jeffries, the victim's daughter, told KSDK. "They kicked my dad in the face. They kicked him in the chest. When I say we were so devastated and so heartbroken. We just want justice for my dad."

Police said Jeffries' keys, wallet, and cell phone were found on top of his car, and his wallet had been rummaged through and was missing $100, the station said, adding that Jeffries was unable to speak and was taken to the hospital. The group of attackers claimed Jeffries was drunk, police told KSDK, and made no mention of the beat-down.

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Media breathlessly reports on 'new' ICE traffic stop rules — then ICE tosses cold water on its narrative



Media reports on the death of prior traffic stop rules for immigration operations are greatly exaggerated, according to the feds.

Many in the media rushed to report on a memo outlining traffic stop rules in order to imply that the administration is reacting to criticism by weakening engagement standards.

'This memo makes no changes to how ICE conducts vehicle stops. ALL officers have always received vehicle stop training.'

The memo indicated that there were no circumstances where officers would be "authorized to engage in vehicle pursuits or [precision immobilization technique] maneuvers" against vehicles with drivers who refuse to pull over.

"ICE issues new instructions on vehicle stops after shootings, new guidance shows," said a CNN headline Thursday.

"New ICE guidance bans high-speed car chases and sets tighter rules for traffic stops, a memo obtained by the AP shows," was the headline at the Associated Press.

"ICE Forced to Rein In Two Controversial Tactics Within 24 Hours," blared out Newsweek.

When a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement was asked to comment on the "new" rules, they said there was "nothing new" in the memo.

"Occasionally, ICE leadership issues guidance reminders to law enforcement officers," read the spokesperson's statement to ABC News. "This memo makes no changes to how ICE conducts vehicle stops. ALL officers have always received vehicle stop training."

The spokesperson added, "Vehicle stops and arrests of illegal aliens continue."

RELATED: Illegal alien bites 3-year-old's face in horrifying random attack — DHS blames Biden policies

The latest controversial shooting involved a migrant named Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, who was DoorDashing in Austin, Texas.

Perez initially complied with immigration officers' demands on September 20 but then allegedly fled in his car and also allegedly clipped an officer with the side mirror on his car. After a car chase, an officer shot him in the back.

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Is this why everyone gets into fights at Taco Bell?



The citizenry is mad at Taco Bell.

What started as a meme has morphed into a social commentary on the economy and corporate greed.

'Prices for almost every major fast-food chain had exceeded inflation.'

Bean counters

What started as a meme has morphed into a small economic referendum after a 20-year comparison of Taco Bell menu prices began circulating on social media.

The post contrasted purported 2006 prices with what customers pay today. A crunchy taco, according to the graphic, went from 69 cents to $1.99. A Crunchwrap Supreme went from $1.89 to $6.49.

"This doesn't even take into account the shrinkflation factor," one user complained. "All these items are smaller, have less filling, or just flat out taste worse than they used to."

Another remembered getting two double-decker tacos and a medium soda for $2.99.

In the end, the fast-food industry in the United States has become predominantly known for two things: fights and overpriced food.

For the latter, the prices are outpacing inflation. A 2024 analysis by FinanceBuzz looked at 10 longstanding menu items at a dozen major fast-food chains and compared their prices with a decade earlier. Every chain it studied had raised prices faster than overall inflation over that period, which was roughly 32.5%, with Taco Bell being one of the biggest culprits at 81%.

Fast food, in other words, really did get expensive unusually fast.

RELATED: Want to avoid fixing Canada's problems? Just blame Trump.

Marcin Golba/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Big Mac attack

Historically, brands have blamed "increased commodity costs" and labor costs on the spike in food prices.

Economists Orley Ashenfelter and Štěpán Jurajda studied wage rates and Big Mac prices at nearly every McDonald's in the United States between 2016 and 2020. They found that increases in minimum wages were passed almost entirely into higher restaurant prices.

Their estimate suggests that a 10% increase in the minimum wage raises the price of a Big Mac by about 1.4%.

The president of McDonald's USA said in 2024 that salaries, food, and paper had increased about 40% in the past five years, as did the average price of McDonald's menu items.

Portillo's CEO said that same year that prices in each market have to go up to cover the cost of labor commiserate with minimum wage increases, while Chipotle's CEO made similar claims too.

RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: A year after Charlie Kirk’s death, Sabo’s 'controversial' tribute finally goes on display

Taco Bell in 1994. Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images

Border run

Some have related the prices to a shift in company priorities. An article from Medium alleged that fast-food chains are more akin to tech companies now, scraping app data or being more like real estate developers. The latter is essentially the plot of the McDonald's-themed movie "The Founder."

Are prices still going up?

Yes, but they haven't gone over inflation. In March, Grocery Trade News noted restaurant prices had gone up 3.8%, while groceries had only risen 1.9%.

The current inflation estimate for 2026 is 3.4%.

Will we ever reach the prices of the purple and green Taco Bell era again? Outlook not so good.

Introducing News-ique: All the look of real news at a fraction of the value!



Those of a certain age will remember the era of infomercials and QVC.

For the younger set, “infomercials” were long-form commercials on cable TV, usually late at night. They ran for five, 10, even 30 minutes, incorporating elements of narrative — usually with laughable skill — to give the feeling that you were watching an actual show rather than a paid advertisement. They hawked products for the home and kitchen with a number to call to place your order.

Most of us are just going to click onto the next thing, unaware that the News-ique (TM) item left a Truth-ette (TM) trace in our minds.

QVC — “Quality, Value, Convenience” — was/is a TV channel that was nothing but one big infomercial, with on-camera hosts showing off products and bantering with each other and customers who called in. It was online shopping before there was an online.

Both marketplaces were famous for offering products that simulated much more valuable items. One such product was the pinnacle: a cubic zirconia stone that was (supposedly) visually indistinguishable from a diamond. It’s got everything: sparkle, allure, and the look of a real diamond at a fraction of the price!

Diamonique is forever

The best part is the name: Diamonique. Those branding this luxury obviously followed the old drag queen convention for choosing a stage moniker: Take a name denoting quality, seriousness, or at the very least referring to an actual person, then give it a little comic twist that lets you know immediately you're dealing with an imitation. Classic drag queen names of this type include:

Hedda Lettuce

Virginia Hamm

Anita Mann

... to name just a few.

As you can see, Diamonique fits right in.

So glittering was Diamonique that this imitation spawned imitators of its own, the best of which is Diamelle. When you can’t afford Diamonique, turn to Diamelle!

Authentic imitation news

What’s amusing in jewelry marketing doesn’t carry over in news and journalism — or what is alleged to be news and journalism. There’s a “news” marketing practice all over social media that gives you what appears to be a news story but is not.

I call this News-ique (TM). It has the look and feel of real news but at less than .01% of the value. It’s all over Twitter/X and other social media platforms.

The News-ique (TM) formula:

  1. Choose a topic guaranteed to rile people whether they’re left, right, or center. The closer the topic is to today’s “discourse” on social media, the better.
  2. Write a lede sentence or short paragraph making a claim that flatters the interests, views, but especially the biases of the reader. The text should confirm the reader’s prior assumptions.
  3. Include an image that looks very much like it is advertising a published news story, but do NOT include a link to that apparent story. It might or might not be published somewhere, but you can’t know from the original post — that’s the News-ique Difference (TM)!

Post nothing else. Do not follow up with a link. Watch outrage flow, and collect clicks and cash.

Know your News-ique

Here is an example of News-ique (TM), a post on X from an alleged news account, Europa.com. The post includes a picture of the subject against a background that looks “newsy” and “official.”

It says this:

Poland's Spokeswoman for Children, Monika Horna-Cieślak, used her official powers to take the children of a woman who was rude to her and place them in an orphanage.

Horna-Cieślak, 36, who is herself childless, had intervened in a public park in Warsaw before being told by the mother of an unruly child to mind her own business. She then leveraged her authority to have the children seized and placed into care.

Why is it News-ique (TM) and not news? Because there’s no link to a fuller source or documentation. There is no follow-up in the thread, only responses from X users.

I do not know if this item is real. I have not checked by doing my own search. It does not matter if this particular item is real or not; it is representative of countless posts every day that use the News-ique (TM) formula. My concern is not the content of the story, but the packaging, intent, and effect.

News-ique (TM) works because it presents plausible outrages. It’s believable that a head of a government ministry for children’s concerns would abuse her position and target a mother who criticized her. This type of thing happens. We know government officials sometimes abuse their authority and get away with it.

Filling in the gaps

But what if there is more to this story about a Polish official?

What I’m about to write is pure speculation used to demonstrate possibilities. I’m not giving you facts; I don’t even know if the original claim is true.

Let’s assume the core of the claim is true. What if the mother did not merely tell the minister to mind her own business? What if she smacked her with her purse? What if she made false and defamatory claims about her online? What if the minister observed that mother abusing her child?

The whole story changes if any of those factors are true. If the mother were abusing her child and the minister intervened, then the minister would have been doing the job she is in office for. She looks like a heroine instead of a villain.

Again, everything I just wrote was speculation. That’s the point: Without context, detail, and at least some provenance for the original claim, all we are doing is writing fiction while treating that fiction as fact.

The political and cultural content cuts in both directions. This example plays to the fears — often real and legitimate — of people with a right-wing bent and to libertarians and other freedom-minded people. But News-ique (TM) items just as often flatter the assumptions of left-leaning people.

RELATED: FACTION NEWS: The day the media taught me it’s always wrong to be right

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New pollution

The News-ique (TM) approach contributes to political, cultural, and emotional pollution. It leaves an impression of truth in the minds of readers and “consumers.” And no, it doesn’t just work on “stupid people.” It works on most people, smart and stupid, left and right, hysterical or stoic. Items that flatter and confirm our prior assumptions are mentally sticky; they leave a trace you might call Truth-ette (TM). Few are immune.

At best, News-ique (TM) is irresponsible and lazy when the content is real and tells a true story. At worst, and I suspect in the majority of cases, it’s a deliberate choice to shade the truth and deprive readers of full context. Outrage gets clicks and cash; sober consideration does not.

Some might push back: “You can use Google/Siri/Whatever to check for yourself.” True. But most people won’t. Not even smart people will usually take the time unless they’re going to comment or use it in an essay or podcast. Most of us are just going to click onto the next thing. We won’t necessarily be aware that the News-ique (TM) item left a Truth-ette (TM) trace in our minds.

Sometimes, we’ll subconsciously incorporate that item into our view of what’s true about the world. This has happened to me and has probably happened in cases I’m unaware of. When I become aware that I’ve been foolish and failed to check veracity, I admit it in the same thread where I made the claim. Better not to react without having the facts first.

Unstoppable

There is nothing you or I can do to stop News-ique (TM). There is no way to change the social media incentive structure so this is not a profitable game. The only thing we can do is increase our skepticism and discernment.

“Then just stay off social media” is not a workable answer either. Social media is toxic and full of mind games. But it is also the medium through which we can learn many actually true things happening in the world that mainstream news simply will not tell us.

Social media is where we can find “citizen journalists” like Nick Shirley who document problems like fraudulent Somali day cares paid for by American taxpayer dollars. When mainstream media gets wind of stories like Shirley’s, it works hard to discredit them, as you see in this CBS News piece. It is also where we can hear directly from politicians and government officials without ABC/NBC/CBS/NPR/NYT leaving out important words to slant the story.

We are never going to have a world “back” where “official news” can be relied on. That world never existed anyway; we just didn’t have any way to fact-check the fact-checkers before.

If you see a “news story” on Twitter/Instagram/TikTok, make sure you know whether it’s news or News-ique (TM). Check whether context or links are given. If they are, cross-reference the claim against other sources. If they are not, you are reading News-ique (TM).

Diamonique can give you sparkle for the soirée at an affordable price. News-ique (TM) is a bad bargain at any price.