Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is not interested in playing Democrats' political games.Last week, Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) demanded Roberts force Justice Samuel Alito to recuse himself from cases "related to the 2020 presidential election" and Jan. 6. The senators even specified they wanted Alito recused from a forthcoming ruling on Trump's presidential immunity case.'It is my understanding that Justice Alito has sent you a letter addressing this subject.'Their reasoning? Because Alito's wife flew flags.The two Democrats additionally requested that Roberts meet with them to discuss their concerns about the Supreme Court's ethics.No recusalsIn a response on Thursday, Roberts refused Durbin's and Whitehouse's demand that he force Alito to recuse himself.Subtly exposing the partisan nature of the request, Alito noted that Supreme Court justices have followed the same guidelines for recusals since the 1790s — and they're not going to deviate now because Democrats say so."In regard to questions concerning any Justice's participation in pending cases, the Members of the Supreme Court recently reaffirmed the practice we have followed for 235 years pursuant to which individual Justices decide recusal issues," Roberts explained in a letter."It is my understanding that Justice Alito has sent you a letter addressing this subject," he pointed out.No meeting There will be no meeting between himself and Democrats, Roberts added. Doing so would potentially violate the separation of powers.Importantly, Roberts alluded to the fact that Durbin and Whitehouse already know that he cannot meet with them — a fact he already made clear last April."As noted in my letter to Chairman Durbin last April, apart from ceremonial events, only on rare occasions in our Nation's history has a sitting Chief Justice met with legislators, even in a public setting (such as a Committee hearing) with members of both major political parties present," he explained. "Separation of powers concerns and the importance of preserving judicial independence counsel against such appearances."But instead of ending his letter there, Roberts underscored what he believes is the partisan nature of the Democrats' request."[T]he format proposed — a meeting with leaders of only one party who have expressed an interest in matters currently pending before the Court — simply underscores that participating in such a meeting would be inadvisable," he said.Alito speaksEarlier this week, Alito responded to the recusal demands — and made himself clear."A reasonable person who is not motivated by political or ideological considerations or a desire to affect the outcome of Supreme Court cases would conclude that this event does not meet the applicable standard for recusal," he said, referring to his wife's flag-flying. "I am therefore duty-bound to reject your recusal request," he emphasized.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

On Thursday, I asked myself something that Ben Franklin asked himself as the Founding Fathers were writing the Declaration of Independence. As they were debating what should be included in the document, he looked at John Hancock's chair. It had a half sun engraved on it. He asked himself if it was a rising sun or a setting sun. He deemed, in the end, that it was a rising sun. He was right. I asked myself the same question after a Manhattan jury convicted Donald Trump of 34 felonies. Does this mark a rising sun or a setting sun on our nation? Is this the day historians will write down as the end of America? Is this the day when our slumber and complacency finally caught up to us? Or is it the beginning of a new chapter? Failure is not the end, nor was Thursday’s stain on American justice our end. It is simply a stepping stone to the path of greatness, a stepping stone to make America great again. We, both in our national history and in our individual lives, are faced with challenges that test our resolve and push us to the limits. It's in these moments when everything seems unwinnable, when everything seems too steep to climb, when the odds are all against us, that you discover who you really are. Those are the times that forge your character. We, as a nation, have been fat and lazy. We’ve had everything handed to us, and we don't really know who we are. Most people never change because they’re afraid. When I was at my worst, I was afraid there was nothing good in me, that here was nothing good to discover. I was afraid to look inside myself. But you’ll never find those things unless you look and embrace the hard things. You have to understand that every trial and every setback will make you stronger, wiser, and gentler. America, today is the day of choosing. Today is the day it is now our turn to step up and save the republic and, consequently, the world. Make no mistake that the world is watching. I hope you feel the weight of that expectation. I hope you realize the sting of failure that will come if we don't step up. I thought a lot of Teddy Roosevelt last night. To paraphrase his speech “The Man in the Arena,” it’s not the critic who counts, but the one who dares to step into the ring and risk everything. It’s the man who’s willing to fail over and over again if it means that he will stand against his accusers. He continues to get up, though he’s tired, his face marred with blood and mud. Despite all that, he gets up and fights again. It's easy to quit. It is easy to believe that we have no chance. It is easy to be knocked down, and as humiliating as it is to lie face-down in the dirt, that’s exactly what every bully wants you to do. That’s why every bully demands that you stay down and don't get up lest you face a bigger beating. But the man who inspires others to stand continues to get up — wobbly, barely able to fight — but he refuses to bend the knee and surrender to the bully. Failure is not the end, nor was Thursday’s stain on American justice our end. It is simply a stepping stone to the path of greatness, a stepping stone to make America great again. That is not just a slogan for a political campaign. That is true. We have lost our way, and we will become an embarrassment for everything we say we stand for if we maintain the present course. Each fall teaches us resilience. Each setback strengthens our determination. Every time we get up after the bully knocks us down, there is someone in the crowd watching who then turns our way and sees the bullies for who they really are. Oh, Lord, here are the words of my mouth: Save our republic. If we don't follow Him, He cannot help us. What we have in front of us today is a decision. Do we get up, or do we lie face-down in the dirt? What is possibly worth taking these beatings? Donald Trump is just a symbol. He's a symbol of what bullies do to anyone who refuses to play their game. Bullies come to town all the time, and they teach everybody go along with their rules. They whisper, “Don't you try to help that beaten man stand up.” We must decide if we will do their bidding or stand up to them. Will we stand idly by while the crowds chant “Barabbas!”? Building anything of value, whether it's a country, a career, a relationship, or simply our own character, requires unwavering dedication. Those people who refuse to give in always end up winning. We must be willing to get back up time and time again, to face our fears, to face our doubts, to press on no matter what happens to us. It is through that relentless effort that we become Americans. We discover our true potential as a people the world has always known as Americans — not the kind of Americans we've become, but the kind of Americans we've all striven to be throughout our history. I've always believed the American was defined by a “can-do” spirit. The people who crossed the Rockies tamed the West. We change, rescue, and heal the world. I didn't realize how much until I studied history — real history, not the crap they teach you in school. I never really understood how stained our name is from those in power, those who only serve through corruption and greed and sometimes even evil. But I have truly always believed, and I still believe today, that the American stands for honor, integrity, truth, and justice. That is the American way. To those of you who live in the shadow of fear around the world, yesterday may have changed that perception, but it did not change it for me. I will not surrender to those words. We are not done. Each of us needs to come together. You don’t have to do anything grand, and I'm not going to do anything grand. We need to remember that every step forward, no matter how small, contributes to the journey of those who continue to stand up. Those people who refuse to give in always end up winning. The value is not just in the destination but in the courage and perseverance that we show along the way. It wasn't that we always won with no cost. Americans have always paid a high price for what we believe. That's what's admirable, and quite honestly, I think that's what Americans have lost and what has put us into this position. By doing the hard things, by refusing to give up, we build a legacy of strength and integrity, and I fear we’ve squandered it because we didn’t understand it. That’s what we’ve lost. That is what the world will lose should we fail — should America fail. It’s time to get up from the dirt and stand. Want more from Glenn Beck? 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Multiple people kicked and stomped on a woman's face in front of her children after she told her attackers not to hop the fence at a pool in Norman, Oklahoma.Samantha Milbee told KFOR-TV she and her family and friends were at a pool on Memorial Day when a group of about nine teenagers and two adults hopped the pool’s fence.'They were stomping on my head, my face,' she recounted to KFOR. 'They were kicking me.'Milbee noted to the station that Meadow Townhomes officials have been cracking down on pool rules, so after she noticed the people in the group jumping the fence and not wearing required wristbands, she confronted them.“I just was like, 'Man, can y’all not climb our fence.' There was no attitude with it," she explained to KFOR.Some members of the group didn't see it that way — and physically attacked Milbee. "They were stomping on my head, my face," she recounted to KFOR. "They were kicking me.”“They threw her on the pavement and started stomping on her head,” Derrick John, Milbee’s son, told the station.He ran for help, and neighbors called police, KFOR reported.“I was scared,” her son added to the station. “I was almost like, not paralyzed, but I didn’t know what to do.”Photos of Milbee taken after the attack show a huge welt on the left side of her face, large scrapes and cuts on her right elbow and by her right eye — which is bloodshot in one photograph — as well as scrapes on the back of her neck.Milbee suffered a concussion as well as broken blood vessels and scratches, KFOR said, adding that she called the attack "disgusting."What happened next? A report from the Norman Police Department indicates arrest warrants are out for two minors and 39-year-old Amanda Kelley for assault and battery, the station said, adding that police aren't looking for any other suspects.But Milbee told KFOR she wants to warn others about how dangerous this group is: “I know it was mainly the girls that started the attack, but then it was everybody. … Everybody was involved.” Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Trucking Association of New York filed a lawsuit Thursday against New York over its plan to implement a congestion toll for Manhattan commuters. TANY argued that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's pricing framework “disproportionately targets” truckers.“The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York this morning, argues that the congestion pricing policy unfairly targets trucking and logistics companies, which are charged far higher rates than passenger vehicles,” TANY wrote in a post on X Friday.'TANY has advocated for an exemption of the supply chain industries.'The association noted that it is “not fundamentally opposed to congestion pricing” but is “fighting to overturn the current version of this plan.”The MTA, Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, and New York Attorney General Letitia James are listed as defendants in the suit. The complaint read, “Several vehicle classes are fully exempt from the Tolling Program. Most notably, New York City Taxis and For-Hire Vehicles (such as Uber and Lyft), despite making up more than half of all vehicle traffic in the Zone, will pay nothing for entering.”“The only vehicle classes with no full or partial exemptions are commercial trucks and vans,” it continued, noting that such vehicles only make up 4% of all traffic in the congestion toll zone. “To make the unfairness of this tolling structure even worse, TANY trucks are unable to take advantage of subways and buses to complete their necessary deliveries, so they have no choice but to enter and re-enter the Zone as many times per day as required to meet their customers’ needs,” the lawsuit stated.The association also noted that it will not benefit from the estimated $1 billion per year the tolls are expected to generate, as those funds are slated to go toward the city’s subways, buses, and railroads.TANY called for the implementation of the congestion toll to be halted. Depending on the size, trucks could be charged $24 or $36 to drive on 60th Street and below. Most passenger vehicles will be charged $15, and motorcyclists $7.50. City officials predict that the congestion toll plan will reduce traffic in the area by 17%.“TANY has advocated for an exemption of the supply chain industries from the Tolling Program; pricing parity between trucks and passenger vehicles; or at the very least a once-per-day charge to trucks entering the Central Business District, similar to that afforded to passenger vehicles or any combination of these alternatives,” the association’s complaint read.The congestion toll is slated to take effect on June 30. The city is currently facing several lawsuits over the plan.The MTA decline a request for comment from Fox Business. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

There's a new mission in Helldivers 2 that tasks players with injecting Dark Fluid into the Meridia planet to destroy the Terminid Supercolony. Sounds simple right? Unfortunately, the team over Arrowhead Studios appears to have missed the mark with this one, as those attempting to complete the objective are finding it borderline impossible thanks to the absurdly "broken" difficulty. Continue reading Helldivers 2 devs vow to fix new mission with “broken” difficulty MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Helldivers 2 weapons, Helldivers 2 servers, Helldivers 2 system requirements

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