Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced the state is placing more of the border buoys in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass despite the ongoing lawsuit by the Biden-Harris administration to stop Texas' efforts.The buoys were Texas' attempt to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the Del Rio Sector, which has been a popular crossing area for illegal immigrants for years. Texas putting a barrier in the river, with the middle marking the end of the U.S. and the beginning of Mexico, resulted in protests from the Mexican and U.S. governments."Texas placed more buoys in the Rio Grande River this morning. Despite the Biden-Harris Administration’s attempts to shut down our border security efforts, the buoys are here to stay. We won't back down from our mission to deter & repel illegal immigration," Abbott posted to X on Wednesday. While the buoys gained a lot of attention, they had limitations. — (@) The buoys were attacked by Democrats as being dangerous for people who were illegally crossing the river. Some dead bodies, another historic high under the Biden-Harris administration, were found entangled in the buoys after they were installed last year, but they were determined to have drowned upriver and the buoys were not the cause of death. Texas continuing to place the water barriers in place before Joe Biden leaves the White House next year shows how serious the state is about using tools at its disposal to deter illegal immigrants. With President-elect Donald Trump returning to Washington, D.C., there has been a slight increase in illegal crossings as people want to enter the country before he takes office.While the buoys have gained a lot of attention, they have limitations. That portion of the Rio Grande can sometimes have a very low water level to where illegal immigrants can wade in only ankle- or shin-deep. The barriers are also stationary and do not come close to blocking all areas where people have crossed into the United States.That said, the barriers have helped direct the flow of traffic to areas with better coverage by law enforcement. The chain is further bolstered by the fences and razor wire that are along the riverbank on the U.S. side of the border. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A former Maryland teacher pleaded guilty in June to illegal child sex crimes with a student and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. However, she'll only serve a year behind bars after a judge suspended the vast majority of her sentence. On June 20, Melissa Marie Curtis pleaded guilty to three counts of third-degree sex offenses with an underage middle school student. During her sentencing Friday, Curtis also was given five years of supervised probation, according to the Montgomery County State Attorney’s Office. The former student claimed that Curtis sexually abused him nearly two dozen times. Once released, Curtis will be required to register as a sex offender for 25 years. She also won't be allowed to have unsupervised contact with minors other than her own children.According to a previous statement from the Montgomery County Department of Police, its Special Victims Investigations Division in October 2023 began a probe into an adult male's allegations that in 2015 he engaged in sexual acts with Curtis when he was a minor and she was 22.The incidents continued for several months while the victim was a student at Montgomery Village Middle School and Curtis was a teacher at the same school, the statement said.The alleged victim at the time was in the 8th grade and 14 years old; he allegedly volunteered for an after-school program Curtis ran.Police executed an arrest warrant for Curtis on Oct. 31, 2023. Curtis turned herself in to authorities on Nov. 7, 2023.The former student claimed that Curtis sexually abused him nearly two dozen times. Citing court documents, D.C. News Now reported last year that Curtis sexually abused the student in a classroom, in a car, at her mother's home, and at his house. The news outlet also said, citing charging documents, that Curtis "touched his penis while in a classroom and performed oral sex on him." Also, she is accused of providing alcohol and marijuana to the minor. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here.

Last weekend, UFC legend Jon “Bones” Jones defended his heavyweight title, defeating Stipe Miocic with a crushing kick to the ribs that tumbled the former heavyweight champion in the third round. Following his victory, Jones shocked the audience by doing the iconic Donald dance while the president-elect watched in his usual front-row seat. Several allies, including Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswamy, RFK Jr., and House Speaker Mike Johnson accompanied Trump, adding to the spectacle. But the hype was just getting started. Jones then presented his belt to Donald Trump, as UFC fans went ballistic with excitement before re-entering the Octagon for an equally shocking post-match interview with Joe Rogan. “I want to acknowledge Jesus Christ. I tell you what, man — I cannot take credit for a gift like this, man. I really owe it all to him. And I know that there's millions of people around the world watching right now, and I just want to let you guys know that Jesus loves you so much,” Jones said. “Blaze News Tonight” host Jill Savage and Blaze News editor in chief Matthew Peterson invite Steve Kim, BlazeTV contributor to "Fearless," on the show to discuss a most remarkable night. Steve says that what Jones did in the Octagon on Saturday night is part of the new precedent that’s been set following Trump’s re-election: Athletes are “coming out of the closet.” Steve repurposes this phrase to refer to how “athletes seem to be liberated in a lot of respects post November 5” regarding sharing “their own beliefs,” whether related to culture, religion, or politics. Jones, in a matter of seconds, was candid about where he stood on at least two of those. “He just hit the grand slam,” praises Steve. “It's amazing that MAGA is something that people are very proud to expose and to exhibit, and I think it's great to see.” When it comes to Jones presenting Trump with his belt, Peterson says that “many people said, whether they praised it or whether they hated it, this looked like a gladiator in the arena going to the emperor.” One reporter likened Trump to Julius Caesar following the event. “This is sort of the conquering Republican Caesar who’s going into the Colosseum and everyone‘s cheering, and he‘s got his political gladiators with him," said CNN’s Marc Caputo, adding that Trump was “sending a message to the Senate.” “Donald Trump has had the greatest personality arc in about a month. He went from Adolf Hitler to Julius Caesar,” laughs Steve. To hear more of the conversation, watch the clip above. Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

The first openly transgender member of Congress elected to the U.S. House of Representatives responded Wednesday to a ban on biological males in congressional bathrooms designated for women. Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware released the statement after Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the ban earlier in the day. 'I'm just a woman trying to pee in peace in the women's restroom without a MAN IN IT.'"I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families," McBride wrote in a social media post. "Like all members, I will follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson, even if I disagree with them."McBride went on to call the debacle a distraction from "the real issues" facing the country. "I continue to look forward to getting to know my future colleagues on both sides of the aisle," McBride continued. "Each of us were [sic] sent here because voters saw something in us that they value. I have loved getting to see those qualities in the future colleagues that I've met and I look forward to seeing those qualities in every member come January. I hope all of my colleagues will seek to do the same with me." The controversy arose after Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina proposed legislation to ban biological males from women's bathrooms in Congress in response to McBride's election. "I will stand in the brink and in the way of anyone on the radical left who thinks it's OK for a penis to be in a woman's locker room or a bathroom or a changing room," said Mace to a reporter. Johnson made it clear in his statement that in addition to gender-designated bathrooms in Congress, there are also unisex bathrooms, and each member has their own bathroom in their individual office. "I'm just a woman trying to pee in peace in the women's restroom without a MAN IN IT," Mace said on social media. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images SafeRent, an AI screening tool used by landlords, will no longer use AI-powered “scores” to evaluate whether someone using housing vouchers would make a good tenant. On Wednesday, US District Judge Angel Kelley issued final approval for a roughly $2.3 million settlement to prevent SafeRent from discriminating against tenants based on income and race. The settlement stems from a 2022 class action lawsuit filed in Massachusetts. The suit alleged that SafeRent’s scoring system disproportionately harmed people using housing vouchers — specifically Black and Hispanic applicants. In addition to violating Massachusetts law, the complaint also accused SafeRent of breaking the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits housing discrimination. As outlined... Continue reading…