A Texas woman working for a baby clothing company was reportedly denied a work-from-home option that would have enabled her to both keep her job and care for her newly adopted‚ 1-pound premature baby. Facing significant backlash over Marissa Hughes' alleged firing — off-brand for a company that caters to children and often blogs about ways to relieve parental stress — Ying Liu‚ the founder and CEO of Kyte Baby‚ has offered two separate apologies on TikTok and invited Hughes back. According to a GoFundMe fundraiser for the baby's medical expenses‚ Marissa and Rawley Hughes of Dallas have faced incredible difficulties having children. In addition to losing three babies‚ Marissa Hughes has undergone nearly three years of extensive fertility treatments with no success. The couple was nevertheless undeterred in their commitment to growing their family and raising children. "We were also blessed to have been foster parents‚" wrote Marisa Hughes. "Now we feel the Lord truly calling us to step into long-term‚ earth-side parenthood. The Lord has laid adoption on our hearts." Months after announcing they were adopting‚ the couple received a joyous call on Dec. 29 notifying them they had a 22-week-old premature son waiting for them in the neonatal intensive care unit of an El Paso hospital‚ nine hours away. Their baby boy‚ Judah Al Haven Hughes‚ weighed little over one pound. The New York Post reported that due to Judah having "various health concerns‚" he required an extended hospital stay. Accordingly‚ he would not be released from the NICU until the end of March. The boy's adoptive parents wanted to keep their boy company and care for him in the meantime. Marissa asked Kyte Baby to continue her work from the hospital in the interim‚ but was allegedly only offered two weeks. Since she has been at the company for less than a year‚ she does not qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act‚ which would have otherwise afforded her 12 weeks of unpaid leave and continued benefits. According to the Post‚ Hughes was allegedly told that if she did not turn up to work after the two-week period‚ she would be out of a job. Given everything she had done already to become a mother and the care Judah still required‚ the decision was evidently a no-brainer for Marissa Hughes. Kyte Baby's owner‚ Lieu‚ later indicated she had been the one to veto Marissa's request for remote work. Following Hughes' departure‚ considerable backlash against the company‚ and calls for boycotts‚ Liu released two apology videos on TikTok‚ reported People. In the first video‚ Liu said‚ "I wanted to hop on here to sincerely apologize to Marissa for how her parental leave was communicated and handled in the midst of her incredible journey of adoption and starting a family." After stressing her respect for biological and adoptive parents alike‚ Lieu noted that "such respect and good intentions were not fully communicated to Marissa in the discussion of her parental leave." Liu assumed ultimate responsibility for the decision‚ stressing‚ "It was my oversight that she didn't feel supported as we always have intended." The baby clothier noted further that Marissa will have a position waiting for her "whenever she decides to return to work" and wished the "best to her and her family." The initial apology apparently did not go over well as critics slammed Liu for a supposedly canned and calculated response. Liu later conceded the "comments were right" and the video was "scripted‚" reported the Daily Mail. In the second video‚ posted to TikTok on Thursday‚ Liu struck a less corporate tone and said‚ "Sincerely‚ what went wrong is how we treated Marissa and I'm the one who made the decision to veto her request to go remote as she stays in the NICU to take care of her adopted baby. When I think back‚ that was a terrible decision." "I was insensitive‚ selfish and was only focused on the fact that her job had always been done on-site and I didn't see the possibility of doing it remotely‚" continued the baby clothier. "Having a bit of sensitivity and understanding would have accommodated her‚ and I did not accommodate her." "I understand if you don't want to come back to work anymore‚ but we will continue to pay you as if you were working remotely for us for those hours that you proposed until you're ready to come back‚" said Lieu. "And your position‚ your original position‚ is always open for you when you come back." Neither the company nor Hughes appear to have responded to the Post's requests for comment. Hughes indicated in an update on Facebook that Judah was being transferred to a Level 4 NICU‚ suffering a blockage in his intestines‚ an infection‚ and holes in his heart and lungs. At the time of publication‚ Judah's medical fund had raised over $69‚000. Luna Aziz‚ the CEO of the lactation-assistance company Legendairy Milk‚ chipped in $5‚000. Lactation counsler Karrie Locher of Karing for Postpartum also donated $5‚000. The Texas-based baby clothing company Kate Quinn chipped in $2‚000. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) on Thursday lectured the mother of a fentanyl overdose victim. But unfortunately for Goldman‚ that mother was not interested in his political games.At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing focused on the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas‚ Goldman challenged Josephine Dunn‚ an Arizona mother whose daughter died at 26 years old after mistakenly ingesting fentanyl. At first‚ Goldman told Dunn she was being "used" by Republicans before belittling her knowledge and telling her she doesn't understand "what a high-crime misdemeanor is and how it relates" to impeachment proceedings. Then‚ he mocked Second Amendment supporters before finally asking Dunn if she agrees the U.S. needs more Border Patrol agents."I disagree with that because Border Patrol is now being used to make sandwiches and to screen people and let them into our country. So I disagree with you‚" Dunn responded.Thinking he had caught her in a trap‚ Goldman responded‚ "So you don't think it would be helpful to have more Border Patrol officers who are charged with stopping the fentanyl trade?""I would like the Border Patrol to be able to do the job that they were hired to do. Every Border Patrol officer that I have spoken to has told me that their hands are tied by this administration and Mr. Mayorkas‚" she responded.That's when Dunn turned the tables on Goldman and asked him a question — something the New York Democrat clearly did not like."I've been to the border‚ sir. Have you? Have you?" Dunn asked."I'm asking the questions‚" Goldman fired back.Goldman then lectured Dunn again. He told her the "problem" with her response is that other Homeland Security officials have said the agency needs more personnel. He used the rest of his time to defend President Joe Biden and essentially blame Republicans for the border crisis. As part of her testimony‚ Dunn told the committee that she believes Mayorkas is "partially responsible" for her daughter's death."In my humble opinion‚ Mr Mayorkas is partially responsible for my daughters death‚" she said. "His wide-open border policy allows massive quantities of poisonous fentanyl into our country."This is an invasion‚ a weapon of mass destruction‚ and unimaginable death and damage to our country and facilitated by Mr. Mayorkas. His participation in all of this [in] what I believe is a war is clearly intentional support of the enemy‚ which disqualifies him from his position. Our country deserves a secure border. We need to close the fentanyl super highway‚" she added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Now that the Republican presidential primary is in full swing and we’re entering a year that’s sure to be full of criminal investigations‚ potential convictions‚ and perhaps even jail time for Donald Trump‚ debates about who will be America's next president are buzzing like never before. “Come mid-January 2025‚ who will be the president of the United States?” Dave Rubin asks Megyn Kelly. “I’m gonna have to say Donald Trump‚” she speculates. “Trump grows with every controversy.” “I've never seen the Republican base so angry about something – even the ones who don't like him are going to try to send a message that that kind of electioneering that the Dems are doing to him is not okay‚” she continues‚ adding that “Joe Biden over the next year is likely to have a fall or an impossible-to-ignore senior moment” that will be the nail in his campaigning coffin. “Megyn‚ as I always tell you‚ you're on the top of my very short list of people who make me think that there are sane people in the world and we might exist in a couple years from now‚” laughs Dave. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations‚ free speech‚ and big ideas with Dave Rubin‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Imagine seeing untold numbers of people die from the COVID vaccines. Picture hospitals refusing people organ transplants unless patients get the shot. Envision thousands of armed services members drummed out of the military for refusing the jab. And knowing all of that‚ then conclude that the state should make it even more difficult for people to be exempted from vaccine mandates.Say what?That sounds like something you would hear from a California Democrat‚ right? Turns out‚ it’s a proposal from none other than the Republican state Senate majority leader of West Virginia. The state’s motto might be “Mountaineers are always free‚” but if they don’t change the type of Republicans they elect this year‚ mountaineers will always be controlled. After expanding their majorities in 2022‚ Republicans now control the West Virginia state Senate‚ 31-3‚ and the House‚ 87-11. There aren’t even enough Democrats to work on all of the standing committees. Yet not only has GOP leadership blocked any meaningful attempt to reform the state’s emergency powers and vaccine and mask mandates that Governor Jim Justice wielded at the height of the pandemic‚ Republicans now want to expand state vaccine mandates.Which brings us to Senate Bill 412 by Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo. Knowing how hard it is to find a doctor willing to buck the system‚ Takubo’s bill would require a physician submitting certification for medical exemption to be licensed in West Virginia. It would also require the doctor to submit his full rationale for the exemption to the “state immunization officer” — a position that should never exist in a free state. If that weren’t enough‚ the bill includes penalties on physicians for “unethical conduct” if five or more of their exemptions are overturned. In short‚ Takubo’s bill would ensure that no doctor with a brain will offer a medical exemption for a vaccine mandate that shouldn’t exist in the first place. At a time when we are discovering more and more problems with the vaccine industry and the CDC‚ SB 412 would dictate that the decisions of the “state immunization officer” must be “based upon current guidelines by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.”We now know that the CDC drafted a letter in May 2021 — before any of the mandates — warning about myocarditis‚ but officials strategically chose not to publish it. They went on to offer full licensure to Pfizer’s shot several months later and then mandated the shots without ever divulging the dangers. West Virginia’s Republican leaders want our lives and liberties to be tethered to this dirty agency’s whims. Ranking above the state immunization officer is the state health officer. Takubo’s bill mandates that the health officer review “a random sample” of the immunization officer’s medical exemption approvals. Upon review‚ if a “significant number of the approved exemptions were found to be incongruent with the medical evidence‚” then the immunization officer faces either re-training or “the possibility of progressive discipline up to and including removal.”Who needs California when we have West Virginia? Although Takubo’s bill appears unlikely to pass‚ the fact that the Senate majority leader proposed it at all suggests West Virginia Republicans have no plans to loosen pandemic-related rules and restrictions. It’s hard to imagine the legislature banning vaccine and mask mandates or preventing future governors from imposing lockdowns as Jim Justice did for nearly two years. West Virginia has a governor who masked schoolchildren and criticized Joe Biden for not pushing the vaccines hard enough‚ even though Justice got sick with COVID despite (or perhaps because of) his three doses. Justice wanted Biden to extend the emergency even longer! Now Justice is running for Senate with Trump’s endorsement against Alex Mooney‚ a Republican congressman from the northern part of the state.It’s a lamentable fact that no lockdown Republican governor has been punished for his tyranny. Governors‚ including Jim Justice‚ Mike DeWine in Ohio‚ Kay Ivey in Alabama‚ and Greg Abbott in Texas‚ were all easily re-elected. All had the support of Donald Trump.In the GOP-controlled legislatures‚ almost every floor leader and health care committee chairman is a bought-and-paid-for creature of the biomedical security state. It’s also clear that if Trump remains the GOP leader at the national level‚ there will be no reckoning in Congress either. To this day‚ the select House oversight subcommittee on the coronavirus has not held a hearing on vaccine injuries.Our only path forward is to elect new legislators in red states who pledge to oppose all vaccine mandates. This is why my friend Dr. Mary Talley Bowden‚ an ear-nose-throat specialist in Houston‚ has established the Americans for Health Freedom PAC to support candidates who are fighting the dangerous vaccine. She has circulated a pledge to fight the vaccines‚ which has already been signed by 87 candidates and 73 elected officials and Florida Surgeon General Joe Ladapo. Candidates can sign the pledge here.On August 1‚ 1776‚ just a few weeks after signing the Declaration of Independence‚ Sam Adams spoke before a large audience at the State House in Philadelphia‚ beseeching them to fight for their independence. During the speech‚ he warned the public that “our contest is not only whether we ourselves shall be free‚ but whether there shall be left to mankind an asylum on earth for civil and religious liberty.” Well‚ America has already been settled‚ and the blue states are incorrigibly tyrannical. If we can’t find refuge for bodily autonomy in a state like West Virginia‚ there truly is no asylum left for mankind on this earth for any form of liberty.

A criminal court in Boston thumbed its nose at a federal immigration detainer‚ thereby temporarily releasing onto the streets an illegal immigrant suspected of raping a particularly vulnerable individual.In December 2022‚ a Haitian native crossed into the U.S. illegally via the point of entry in Brownsville‚ Texas. Though deemed inadmissible at the time‚ he was nonetheless given a notice to appear in an immigration court 2‚200 miles away in Boston.It appears the man showed even less respect for Americans and American laws during his time in Bean Town. Last September‚ Boston police officers arrested him on suspicion of rape and indecent assault and battery on a developmentally disabled person in Dorchester.Because of the man's "unlawful immigration status‚" Boston agents with Enforcement and Removal Operations‚ a subdivision of ICE‚ immediately "lodged an immigration detainer" against him with the Dorchester District Court‚ an ICE press release said. However‚ the court ignored the detainer and in November released the suspect with just an ankle bracelet to keep him honest.Luckily‚ it seemed to do the trick as the man — whose name has not been given but who is known to be 31 years old — was rearrested without incident by ERO Boston officers on January 9. He remains in the custody of ICE while he awaits an appearance before an immigration judge.After the criminal case against him has been fully adjudicated‚ ERO Boston will petition to have him removed from the country‚ the press release claimed.ERO Boston Field Office Director Todd M. Lyons issued a statement‚ slamming the Dorchester court for defying the detainer and releasing a potentially violent criminal back into the community. "The men and women of ERO Boston continue to protect the community from those who pose a real public safety threat to our communities. We remain strongly committed to protecting residents in communities by apprehending those who are not lawfully present in this country and pose a threat to public safety. This remains central piece of our mission‚" Lyons said.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Attorney General Merrick Garland insists that former President Donald Trump's election obstruction trial be "speedy.""The special prosecutor has said from the beginning that he thinks public interest requires a speedy trial‚ which I agree with‚" Garland told CNN in an interview on Friday. — (@) Garland‚ however‚ did not specify how a "speedy" trial would serve the "public interest." The founding fathers‚ on the other hand‚ believed a speedy trial serves due process.Last summer‚ a grand jury returned an indictment charging Trump with four crimes related to his alleged role to subvert the 2020 election: conspiracy to defraud the United States‚ conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding‚ obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding‚ and conspiracy against rights. Despite the serious charges and novel circumstances of the case involving alleged crimes that were committed by a sitting president‚ special counsel Jack Smith originally requested a January trial date‚ but a judge eventually set the trial to begin on March 4.The accelerated timeline has raised constitutional concerns because the Sixth Amendment not only guarantees a defendant the right to a "speedy and public trial‚" but it also guarantees the accused the right to prepare a complete defense. The question then becomes whether giving Trump only seven months to prepare a defense will protect his due process rights.Smith‚ for his part‚ has tried to keep the trial on schedule.When District Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled that presidential immunity does not cover Trump in this case‚ the former president immediately appealed that ruling‚ which halted proceedings. Smith then asked the Supreme Court — thereby jumping the appeals court — to hear Trump's appeal. Smith cited the "public interest" in his request but never explained why the public would have an interest in the appeals court not first hearing Trump's appeal.The Supreme Court ultimately declined Smith's petition.That means the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals will first have to make a ruling on Trump's immunity claims. That ruling will likely be appealed to the Supreme Court regardless of what the court says. This means the case will likely be delayed for months‚ a reality Chutkan acknowledged on Thursday. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Hollywood has been caught up in the downward spiral of wokeness for some time now‚ and it looks like 2024 will be no different. In fact‚ it may even get worse this year. Lauren Chen claims she was just introduced to what is undoubtedly “the most racist movie [she’s] ever seen.” It’s called “The American Society of Magical Negros‚” which revolves around an organization the entire job of which "is to‚ through magic‚ keep white people happy and comfortable because apparently it makes the world safer for black people‚” she groans. The trailer alone will shock you. Here’s just one line from it: “What's the most dangerous animal on the planet?” “Shark?” “White people when they feel uncomfortable.” “Could you imagine if the races were reversed here? If there was a film that was actually saying‚ 'What is the most dangerous animal on the planet?' and the answer was black people? Like‚ in no universe would that be okay‚” says Lauren‚ pointing out the glaring double standard. “In 2024‚ I'm just done with this narrative. I'm done with the idea that black people are just victims. And I'm definitely done with the idea that white people are just evil and it’s okay to hate on them.” And according to YouTube ratings for the trailer‚ apparently‚ a lot of people agree. At the time Lauren filmed this review‚ the trailer had “6‚700 up-votes on YouTube and a whopping 98‚000 down-votes.” Further‚ on X‚ the discourse surrounding the trailer was “brutally ratioed by both white and black people.” “Clearly‚ the people behind this film were trying so hard to pander to a black audience with all this hating on white people and lifting up black actors and‚ presumably‚ also a black filmmaker‚ but if you look on black Twitter ... they're not happy.” To hear more of Lauren’s analysis and see what people are saying about “The American Society of Magical Negros‚” watch the video below. Want more from Lauren Chen?To enjoy more of Lauren’s pro-liberty‚ pro-logic‚ and pro-market commentary on social and political issues‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Three shoplifters abandoned a 3-month-old girl at a northeast Philadelphia Walmart as they fled the store Thursday night‚ police said.What are the details?Police responded to the Walmart in the 4300 block of Byberry Road around 11 p.m. for a report of a theft in progress‚ WCAU-TV reported‚ adding that security guards told responding officers that they tried to stop the trio for shoplifting.But the three suspects fled the store and left behind the infant‚ the station said‚ citing investigators.The girl was taken to a hospital for an evaluation and was in good condition‚ police added to WCAU.The suspects were identified as two black men and one white woman‚ Philadelphia Patch reported.While WCAU noted that police haven't released photos or detailed descriptions of the three suspects‚ United Press International said a law enforcement official told the Philadelphia Inquirer that authorities are in touch with one of the infant's parents who isn't believed to be involved in the alleged shoplifting incident.Those with information on the suspects' whereabouts can call the Philadelphia Police Department's Special Victims Unit at 215-685-3260 or leave an anonymous tip by calling 215-686-TIPS (8477)‚ WCAU said. How are folks reacting?As you might imagine‚ commenters reacting to the above WPVI-TV video aren't too happy about the whole ordeal: "This is so sad!" one commenter wrote."That kid has only been on this earth a couple months and has already hit the lottery‚" another commenter noted sarcastically."Poor people! Poor baby! Poor city! Sad!" another commenter declared."Dirtydelphia residents never disappoint‚" another commenter added with comical disdain. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Diablo 4 is facing one of its most massive updates as the Season of the Construct approaches. Season 3 will bring various much-needed changes to the RPG‚ including extra stash space and a new pet. Some of the most game-changing tweaks coming from Blizzard with update 1.3.0 aren't new features‚ but rather adjustments to Diablo 4's most beloved classes. Continue reading Diablo 4 update nerfs its most OP sorcerer skill MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Diablo 4 builds‚ Diablo 4 review‚ Diablo 4 classes

Hellblade stands as one of the most mind-shattering‚ psychologically hefty story games around‚ featuring a complex protagonist and a brutal world to navigate. With Ninja Theory's sequel‚ Senua's Saga‚ on the way‚ and a massive Steam sale‚ there's no better time than now to experience Senua's Sacrifice‚ the 9/10 original that's still on my mind years later. Continue reading Hellblade 2 is coming‚ and the OG is basically a free game right now