Before the official confirmation of the death of terrorist Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed by Israeli Defense Forces in an underground bunker in suburban Beirut, Associated Press reporter Bassem Mroue filed "Charismatic and shrewd: A look at longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.” That headline, recycled by many newspaper outlets who ran the AP story, holds more than a hint of the ridiculous Washington Post headline marking the 2019 assassination of another terrorist leader, the founder of ISIS: "Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, austere religious scholar at helm of Islamic State, dies at 48." (Mainstream American conservative figures earn far more hostile headlines over their own obituaries in the mainstream press. Radio host Rush Limbaugh’s death in 2021 was marked with this New York Times headline: “Agitator Who Made Talk Radio A Right-Wing Attack Machine.”) And that was no rogue copy editor; the headline writer plucked those adjectives right from Mroue’s story from Beirut: Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has led the Lebanese militant group for the past three decades and transformed it into one of the most powerful paramilitary groups in the Middle East. Israeli airstrikes on Friday afternoon knocked out six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburb of Harek Hreik, the largest strike in the Lebanese capital in nearly a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The Israeli military said the strike, which killed and wounded dozens of people, hit the headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut. Three major Israeli TV channels said Nasrallah was the target of the strikes in Beirut’s southern suburbs, which has not been officially confirmed by Israel. Hezbollah officials did not comment. Here’s a look at the fiery, charismatic leader: Who is Hassan Nasrallah? Under the leadership of the 64-year-old Nasrallah, Hezbollah has fought wars against Israel and taken part in the conflict in neighboring Syria, helping tip the balance of power in favor of President Bashar Assad. A charismatic and shrewd strategist, Nasrallah reshaped Hezbollah into an archenemy of Israel, cementing alliances with Shiite religious leaders in Iran and Palestinian militant groups such as Hamas. Idolized by his Lebanese Shiite followers and respected by millions of others across the Arab and Islamic world, Nasrallah holds the title of sayyid, an honorific meant to signify the Shiite cleric’s lineage dating back to the Prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. A fiery orator viewed as an extremist in the U.S. and much of the West, he is also considered a pragmatist compared to the firebrand militants who dominated Hezbollah after its founding in 1982, during Lebanon’s civil war. Mroue, constrained by political correctness and perhaps the AP stylebook, couldn’t even directly label Hezbollah a terrorist group. Five years later, the United States designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Mroue noted Nasrallah’s rise “to iconic status both within Lebanon and throughout the Arab world” and described Hamas’s attack on Israeli civilians with offensive terseness that left out Hamas’s rape-and-murder rampage among Israeli civilians. A day after the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7, Hezbollah began attacking Israeli military posts along the border calling it a “backup front” for Gaza. Mroue isn't new to this whitewash routine: in his August 7 article, “Hamas names Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks, as its new leader in show of defiance,” he referred to the slain Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as a “relative moderate.” AP calls Republicans the "far right," while Hamas has "moderates" and Hezbollah leaders are just "fiery" and "charismatic."

The mainstream media has been laughing at Donald Trump’s claims that pets were being eaten by Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio — but a reporter's recent findings might just confirm the former president’s claims. The reporter, who was visiting outside Springfield, Ohio, stumbled upon what he believed to be a skinned cat sizzling on a barbecue. “The reporter found that there’s a lot of good evidence that it actually is happening,” Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed” comments. “I don’t know if it’s prevalent, I don’t know if all Haitians are eating all cats in the area, I don’t know. But apparently, it’s happened.” While it was just outside of Springfield where this happened, Gray notes that “it was a Haitian refugee, and it was a cat, and it was being barbecued.” “Now, did we see it being eaten after the barbecue? No. But it was clearly being cooked,” he adds. While Springfield has been the focal point of the pet eating debate, Keith Malinak explains that it appears to be happening in places like Pennsylvania as well. “I got a message from someone who has family there, because remember it’s the Haitian immigrants that are taking over that town as well,” Malinak says. “Apparently, the cat population is down.” Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

The electric vehicle mandate may be running out of juice. On September 20, House Democrats and Republicans joined forces to overturn a Biden administration rule setting tougher emissions standards for car manufacturers starting in 2027.'The federal government has no authority and no right to mandate what type of car or truck Americans can purchase for their everyday lives.'Although the rule does not explicitly impose an electric vehicle mandate, it is expected to force manufacturers to electrify their fleets in order to comply.The joint resolution nullifying the rule passed in a 215-191 vote. Breaking ranksEight Democrats — Henry Cuellar, Vicente Gonzalez, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Texas, Yadira Caraveo of Colorado, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, and Mary Sattler Peltola of Alaska — broke ranks to vote for the resolution. One Republican, Rep. Brian Fitzgerald of Pennsylvania, voted against the measure.Ahead of the vote, the White House announced its opposition to the resolution, contending that it would prompt uncertainty in the U.S. auto market and supply chains and cede the electric vehicle and battery markets to China.The Biden administration policy statement said: “Passage of H.J. Res. 136 would also artificially constrain consumer vehicle choice, weaken U.S. manufacturing and energy security, and harm public health.”The House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition echoed the administration’s view.The new standards, the group said, are both “reasonable” and “widely supported across the board by everyone from vehicle manufacturers to union workers.”The American Energy Alliance, on the other hand, celebrated the vote against these standards as a victory for consumers.Freedom of choice“Americans deserve the freedom of choice to make their own informed decisions about their transportation options. I commend the House on their passage of this resolution today and look forward to seeing it on the Senate calendar soon,” AEA President Thomas Pyle said in a statement.The measure will now head to the Senate for a vote.Democrats control the upper chamber by a razor-thin majority (51-49) thanks to several independent members who choose to caucus with the party.Manchin pumps brakesOne of those members, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia (I), has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s energy policies — particularly on electric vehicles. In a statement, he said: The federal government has no authority and no right to mandate what type of car or truck Americans can purchase for their everyday lives. ... This reckless and ill-informed rule will impose what is effectively an EV mandate without ensuring the security of our supply chains from nations like China and without a realistic transition plan that addresses our domestic infrastructure needs.Manchin is expected to be a key swing vote for Republicans in ensuring their resolution passes.President Joe Biden, however, has promised to veto the measure if it makes it to his desk.

University of Chicago senior Daniel Schmidt recently sparked controversy with posts on X calling attention to the high rates of violent crime on and around campus (including the murders of three students during the first eleven months of 2021). Most of the perpetrators of these crimes, Schmidt noted, are black — which means that any proposals to reduce these crimes, even one as simple as asking for more police, are denounced as "racist" by leftist students and faculty. Since the posts, Schmidt has been condemned by the University of Chicago's student government and its Organization of Black Students, amid many calls for his expulsion. While X has throttled Schmidt's original post for violating rules against "hateful conduct," University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos has defended Schmidt's right to speak freely. Schmidt previously came under fire in 2023 for X posts critical of University of Chicago lecturer Rebecca Journey's seminar "The Problem of Whiteness." "It’s ... one of the only colleges today that sincerely protects free speech (why I can make this post without getting expelled)," posted Schmidt about his school. "It’s undoubtedly the only top university that cowards haven’t co-opted. I love it dearly." In that spirit, we're publishing Schmidt's advice, originally posted on his X account, on how to get into the University of Chicago and other top American educational institutions. —Matt Himes I got into Princeton, Yale, and the University of Chicago three years ago. I wrote my admission essay about going to a Trump rally when I was 13 and how it inspired me. This essay was part of a calculated strategy. When I was in high school, I understood that I had to game the system because I’m a white male. I realized I had to combine extreme risk-taking with extreme competence — two characteristics that maybe only 1% of people simultaneously have. Yes, these universities are biased against you because you’re a white guy. But even greater than their disdain for white people is their need to claim future high achievers — because that is their entire business model. Why? For one, I knew it would make me stand out. How many kids applying to Yale write about going to a Trump rally? But more importantly, I recognized that these universities are ultimately businesses. They retain their prestige and donations through the achievements of their alumni. The admission process is simply a psychological screening to identify these future high achievers. Unusual risk-taking at a young age coupled with demonstrated competence through test scores, grades, and extracurriculars are indicators of future success. I knew that admission officers would identify that, consciously or subconsciously, and that I could beat the odds placed against me because I’m white. So if you’re a white male in high school, or a relative of one, here’s what I recommend. First, you must discover what you’re passionate about and only focus on that. For me, it was public speaking and writing. You cannot be a “jack-of-all-trades.” These colleges want young people who are excellent at just one or two things. They want Math Olympiad winners, international debate champions, chess prodigies, etc. If you spread yourself thin, admission officers cannot picture where you will be 20 years from now. Remember: All that these universities ultimately care about is producing future leaders in their respective industries. Fortunately, you do not need to be on the extreme level of “Math Olympiad winner.” I was president of two clubs (Model United Nations and Debate) and ran a blog and that was it. But you must orient your application around just one or two passions and excel in related extracurriculars to demonstrate your competence. That is crucial. Then we get to the Common App essay, which is far and away the most significant part of the application. Here is where most kids fail. They write about unimaginative and cliched topics like going on a mission trip, volunteering at a homeless shelter, or participating in robotics club. Sorry, but at least 5,000 other kids are writing about that. You have just reduced your chances of admission to less than 1%, even if you have a perfect SAT score. You need to set yourself apart and designate yourself as a future high achiever in the eyes of admission officers. You need to say something in your essay that stands out immediately. Naturally, only you can know what that “something” is. But it must relate to your passion in some capacity. In high school, I realized I enjoyed public speaking and writing because they allowed me to push boundaries by advancing bold ideas. I get bored very quickly with the status quo. When Trump ran for president in 2016, he challenged the system through the power of his words, which inspired me. That’s what I wrote about in my Common App essay. The best advice I can give you is to dig deep into your passion and discover what energizes you. What motivates you? What excites you the most? If you can connect that excitement to a unique experience, even better. The key is to be as authentic and memorable as possible, because that will make you stand out. Of course, you need excellent test scores and grades. But don’t obsess over the numbers. As long as you score in the top 5% of test takers, you’re fine. I scored a 36 on the ACT and graduated with a 4.0 GPA ... but so do thousands of other students applying to these colleges. Spend most of your time instead pursuing your passion and writing your essay. I cannot overstate the importance of that. If you follow these steps, I sincerely believe you will get into at least one Ivy League or top school. Yes, these universities are biased against you because you’re a white guy. But even greater than their disdain for white people is their need to claim future high achievers — because that is their entire business model. Take advantage of that.

It's no easy feat to nail the gameplay and atmosphere of a strategy game, making Mechabellum a fairly remarkable feat. The indie game has fully launched on Steam with patch 1.0, garnering instant praise for its massively updated visuals and a ton of new additions to the game as it finally exits early access after 16 months. For auto battler fans seeking a new game to sink their teeth into, it'll be hard to overlook Mechabellum. Continue reading Mechabellum 1.0 launches with big updates and even bigger Steam sale

Don't let the absolutely ridiculous name fool you: Octopath Traveler 2 is a remarkable game. Despite its bizarre naming convention (get it together Square Enix), Octopath Traveler 2 was certainly one of the best JRPGs to release in 2023, making its mark on the genre with gorgeous HD-2D graphics and an incredibly deep and satisfying turn-based combat system. For those who skipped out on the game when it first launched, you're in luck. Continue reading Must-play 2023 JRPG Octopath Traveler 2 hits its lowest price yet

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“So full. So filled.” | Image: Disney This week, I’ve been slowly catching up on Dark Matter; I’m about 20 hours into Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on the Switch; and I’m still trying to work a trip to the movie theater into my schedule to see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I’m behind, in other words! And this week’s trailers shoveled so much more onto my need-to-watch pile, from the next Marvel MCU film, Thunderbolts, to the amusingly bizarre black comedy Rumours, to Disclaimer, Alfonso Cuarón’s new Apple TV Plus series. That’s to say nothing of all the game trailers from Sony’s State of Play event this week. Check out some of my favorite trailers from this week below. Thunderbolts Marvel hasn’t said much about Thunderbolts, which sees David Harbour’s Red Guardian and... Continue reading…