Pro-Palestine Actress Nixed From 'Sex and the City' Spin-Off‚ Blasts Award Shows at a Time of 'Genocide'

Real Solutions to Real Problems: Funny Highway Signs to Be Banned

Before anyone was “canceled” for saying a “wrong” thing‚ actress Emily Blunt and I feared speaking. “It was terrifying ... you’re just gripped with terror‚” says Blunt in my new video. I also used to wake up scared‚ fearing I might have to do a few seconds of live TV. We feared speaking because we are both stutterers. “Are you cured?” I ask Blunt. “Are you?” she shoots back. No‚ is the answer. Neither of us is cured. Stutterers rarely lose our fear of some words. But we’ve found ways to cope. Blunt avoids situations that trigger her stutter. “I want to pitch a scene‚” she says‚ “I can’t do it ... I would rather say‚ ‘Give me the scene and I’ll write it and then I’ll send it to you.’” On the phone‚ she fears trying to say her name. “If I’m calling someone and they go‚ ‘What’s your name?’ It’s tough.” Our stuttering was worse when we were kids. Blunt tried not to speak. She just shut up. “I didn’t want to be in any of the school plays. I did not want to read out my poem in class.” She wanted to keep her problem secret. “You did not talk about it at all.” Her family rarely talked about it even though her grandfather‚ uncle‚ and cousin stuttered too. “We have to destigmatize this thing‚” she tells me. “Nobody talks about it.” That’s why she was talking to me. Both Blunt and I work with a charity called the American Institute for Stuttering. AIS tells stutterers: go ahead and speak‚ even if that means stuttering in front of people. This “go ahead and stutter” treatment is probably one of the better options. The happiest stutterers are those who speak freely‚ even if they stutter. But Neither Blunt nor I want to stutter in front of people. It really misrepresents you‚” says Blunt. “You know what you want to say ... but you can’t convey it. It’s just imprisoning.” And embarrassing. “The shame ... that’s the hardest thing‚” says Blunt. And yet she’s a hugely successful actress. Blunt doesn’t stutter when she acts. That’s not unusual. Playing another character allows many stutterers to be fluent. It why you probably don’t know that Samuel L. Jackson‚ Bruce Willis and James Earl Jones stutter‚ too. They just don’t stutter on stage. Blunt discovered the benefit of “acting another part” when she was 12. Doing impressions‚ she became fluent. “I could mess around in the playground and do silly voices‚” she says. A teacher noticed that. He encouraged her to act in a class play. “I did a really stupid Northern English accent. It did allow for great fluency!” Did that start her movie career? “It would make a great sound bite‚ but I wouldn’t say it became the moment where I decided to be an actress. But it did free up my speech in a huge way.” But while actors can do other voices‚ I couldn’t do that when I got a job as a TV reporter. I didn’t choose that job. I fell into it‚ never imagining that I’d go on the air. Seattle Magazine had offered me work in their circulation department‚ but the magazine closed before I got there. “Want to work in our TV station?” a manager asked. “OK‚” said young me. I did research for anchors and avoided speaking myself. Then they forced me to cover a story. I’d get a film editor to cut out my blocks. I dreaded speaking. What finally helped me was intensive therapy at a clinic in Virginia. They used computers to reward us stutterers if we initiated sounds ... gently. They also slowed our speech to two seconds per syllable. That was really tedious. We sounded like cows mooing. But it helped me. Soon I learned to speak without blocking. It was as if a cork had been removed from my throat. You couldn’t shut me up. That treatment allowed me to have a TV career. I assumed that treatment would work for everyone‚ but it didn’t. Maybe other stutterers‚ less motivated than I‚ didn’t spend as much time practicing. In any case‚ that company is now out of business. “I don’t think one method will work for everyone‚” says Blunt. It won’t. It’s good that we have choices. More information about that here: www.StutteringHelp.org.

These type of articles are becoming all too common. Ellen Phillips‚ previously Ellen Shell‚ from Danville Kentucky just pled guilty to having multiple sexual relationships with “numerous teenage boys” during her time as a teachers assistant in 2022‚ the Eastern Kentucky U.S. Attorney's Office reported.  Phillips had inappropriate relationships with boys ages 14 to 16 from the Boyle and Garrard County areas. “Phillips would communicate with the victims via Snapchat‚ Facebook‚ or text messaging and‚ in many instances‚ would meet the victims for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity‚” the DOJ press release indicated. Phillips admitted that she was engaging in sexual activity with “multiple minors at the same time.” This is all while she was a teaching aid at Woodlawn Elementary School‚ Daily Mail reported. Freak. One specific incident happened last December when Phillips tried to get a 15-year-old boy to have sex with her. She messaged him on Facebook and encouraged him to sneak out of his house‚ even trying to bribe him with alcohol and oral sex. A mother spoke to FOX 56 and said that she and Phillips went to high school together and that their kids grew up together. The mother also said‚ “These boys are not aware of the laws that protect them and would not come forward because they thought they would be in trouble.” The mother noted that her son “said she brought them alcohol 3 to 4 times" and said "I can’t wrap my mind around the extent of what she’s done." Phillips was arrested back in April of 2023 after two boys came forward alleging that she raped them three separate times when they were just 16-years-old. Phillis is scheduled to be sentenced on April 26 and faces a minimum of ten years in jail after being charged with three counts of third-degree rape.  I don’t know what the character exam is like to be a teacher's aid but I think it needs to be a heck of a lot more strict.    

Speaking in Blue Bell‚ Pennsylvania‚ on Jan. 6‚ President Biden said that the 2024 election is about whether “democracy” is “still America’s sacred cause.” But is democracy “sacred”? Is the process by which we make choices “sacred‚” or is what we choose “sacred”? This is the time of year we think about sanctity of life. Although Roe v. Wade is no longer law of the land‚ the abortion issue is still very much before us as the U.S. Congress and as states across the nation work to crystallize what the next chapter will look like regarding abortion policy in our country. March for Life events will take place across the nation‚ as every year‚ noting the Jan. 22‚ 1973‚ Roe v. Wade decision that opened the door for more than 63 million unborn children destroyed in the womb. The abortion policy debate is defined by those who call themselves “pro-choice” and those who define their view as “pro-life.” “Pro-choice” basically says that what is most important is the process — that women are free to choose whether to abort. What is most important‚ in this view‚ is not what is chosen‚ but that there is choice. Those who are “pro-life” focus on what is chosen as the key. The issue is sanctity of life. Life is what is sacred. I often note the parallel to slavery. Sen. Stephen Douglas of Illinois‚ in the 1850s‚ championed democracy as the answer to how the nation would deal with the issue of slavery for new states entering the union. New states would decide whether slavery would be permitted in their state by voting. Again‚ the importance was given to process — how the choice is made — and not to what is chosen. Abraham Lincoln’s response to Douglas’ proposition was: “God did not place good and evil before man‚ telling him to make his choice. On the contrary‚ he did tell him there was one tree‚ of the fruit of which he should not eat‚ upon pain of certain death. I should scarcely wish so strong a prohibition against slavery in Nebraska.” For Lincoln‚ the focus of importance was on what is chosen — that good be chosen over evil. And‚ for Lincoln‚ slavery was clearly evil. Democracy was not the answer. Making the correct moral choice was the answer. In Biden’s remarks on Jan. 6‚ he cited Gen. George Washington’s leadership during the American war of independence‚ and Washington’s calling the values for which they were struggling “sacred.” Was Washington talking about a struggle for a political process or a struggle for sacred truths? We can answer this by noting Washington’s famous remarks in his farewell address to the nation in 1796. “It is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government‚” said Washington. “Where is the security for property‚ for reputation‚ for life‚ if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths‚ which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.” Latest Gallup polling says 28% are satisfied with the way democracy is working in our country — an all-time low. Only 22% are satisfied with the direction of the country. I think what is really bothering Americans is not about the state of our political processes but that we have lost touch with the core principles and truths that define our country. Slow economic growth‚ inflation‚ breakdown of the American family‚ massive government spending and debt all point to a breakdown of sacred truths‚ not political processes. It’s not about how we choose but what we choose. And to return to the abortion issue‚ I don’t see how a nation can see itself as free‚ with control over its destiny‚ without appreciation for the sanctity of life. Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education and host of the weekly television show “Cure America with Star Parker.” Her recent book‚ “What Is the CURE for America?” is available now. To find out more about Star Parker and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists‚ visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Founder of Living Proof Ministries Beth Moore has a message for former President Donald Trump’s supporters after the results of the Iowa caucuses. Trump pulled over 50% of the votes and 20 delegates‚ which has “sobered” Moore to the realization that “masses of people still hail Trump.” “He’s what they actually want in a leader. A bully. A verbally abusive‚ artfully and purposely divisive bully who has all but left the Republican Party unrecognizable‚” Moore wrote in a tweet on X. Moore continued that she could understand voting for Trump in 2020‚ as “the lesser of two evils.” However‚ she believes this is “quite another thing.” Rather than the lesser of two evils‚ she says‚ “This is wide-open-eyed‚ ‘we WANT Trump‚’” and that unfortunately‚ “our candidates are mirrors of ourselves.” Allie Beth Stuckey can see where she’s coming from‚ but isn’t quite sure that she agrees with Moore’s analysis. “To say that people want these aspects of Trump to be verbally abusive‚ to be a bully‚ whatever it is‚ however she describes him‚ that’s not true‚” Stuckey says. Rather‚ many people see Trump as “someone who is fighting against the system.” Stuckey also notes that Trump accomplished a peaceful presidency sans war‚ a booming economy‚ and overturned Roe v. Wade. “Assuming the worst motives of the people who are voting for him‚ you’re indicting millions of Americans who you are saying all support a bully because they themselves are bullies or love bullies‚” Stuckey says‚ “That’s just not true.” Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture‚ news‚ and theology from a Christian‚ conservative perspective‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Left-wing political backer and billionaire George Soros was revealed to have donated millions to Democratic Party entities in Texas throughout the latter half of 2023.The Texas Majority PAC and several Democrat county parties took money from Soros between August-December 2023‚ with the PAC reportedly run by former members of Robert "Beto" O'Rourke's 2022 campaign‚ according to the Texas Tribune.On the receiving end of the Soros funds were Democratic Party affiliates in Cameron‚ Dallas‚ and Hidalgo‚ Texas. Along with some regional PACs‚ Soros also gave a reported $1 million to the Texas Majority PAC in August 2023‚ and another $400‚000 in October 2023.Officially‚ the contributions were intended to help entities register‚ contact‚ and support voter turnout "on a scale never seen before‚ year after year‚ in the key regions" of Texas‚ the PAC’s deputy executive director‚ Katherine Fischer‚ reportedly said."We need millions of more dollars and hundreds of more full-time staff to do this‚" Fischer continued. "Texas Majority PAC works with partners across the state to create the conditions that will make flipping the state possible."Fischer was the organizing director for O'Rourke's gubernatorial campaign. Jason Lee‚ O'Rourke's deputy campaign manager‚ is also working in the Texas Majority PAC. They are joined by Crystal Zermeño‚ a former staffer for the Texas Organizing Project‚ an group that also received at least $250‚000 from Soros in 2023.Yet another O'Rourke staffer‚ 2022 campaign manager Nick Rathod‚ was credited for helping organize the Texas Majority PAC. George Soros contributed $2.6M total to Democratic groups during the latest TEC period (July-December). Our story from last week on what's getting him more involved: https://t.co/jNufOJbRL4 #txlege — (@) Cameron County Democratic Chair Jared Hockema reportedly praised Soros‚ citing him as a Holocaust survivor while noting that Republicans too have relied on big‚ out-of-state donors."George Soros is a person who knows what’s at stake in the election we face‚" Hockema said. He knows the "specter of authoritarianism and fascism‚" he added.Executive director for the Texas Democratic Party‚ Monique Alcala‚ told the Texas Tribune that the party "welcomes any new investments and efforts that collectively achieve the ambitious goals of keeping Joe Biden in the White House."She also said she hoped to send "Ted Cruz packing" while "electing more Texas Democrats up and down the ballot.""With a state as big as Texas‚ there is no time or dollar to waste‚ and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work‚" Alcala explained.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

In 2022‚ the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade after five long decades‚ giving hope to the millions of Americans who had passionately championed the protection of unborn children. Nearly two years later‚ however‚ many pro-life advocates are adrift‚ unsure of what exactly they should be doing to guard their historic achievement in the face of mounting hostility and adversity from the left. We must remain unwavering in our guiding principles: conviction‚ compassion‚ and an unyielding commitment to our duty to protect the unborn. At the direction of the Biden administration‚ the federal government intends to expand the opportunity to end life unilaterally. From the FDA deregulating abortion pills and the Pentagon funding abortions to the Justice Department targeting pro-life volunteers‚ state power is being deployed to an unprecedented extent in the service of a pro-abortion agenda radically out of step with everyday Americans. Alarmingly‚ though not surprisingly‚ given their agenda‚ Democrats continue to deny scientific reality involving unborn children. While supporting certain safety measures‚ such as requiring that beer‚ wine‚ and spirits be labeled with a warning that women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy and also barring pregnant women from riding roller coasters‚ high-ranking politicians on the left have refused to acknowledge the humanity of babies in the womb. Abandoning Bill Clinton’s “safe‚ legal‚ and rare” mantra‚ Democrats now advocate late-term abortions‚ deny care to surviving infants‚ and push for unrestricted taxpayer-funded abortions. Though polls show that many left-leaning Americans support reasonable abortion restrictions‚ their voices are often silenced‚ allowing extreme viewpoints to dominate the conversation. Instead‚ we hear militant voices like that of actress Anne Hathaway‚ who appeared on ABC’s “The View” and told viewers‚ “In my experience‚ abortion can be another word for ‘mercy.’” And‚ of course‚ the ladies of “The View” dogmatically cheered her on. Democrats have taken an even more bizarre approach to the abortion debate by forming an alliance with the Satanic Temple‚ which opened an abortion facility in New Mexico. In a repulsive act of trolling‚ the temple named the facility after Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s mother. Then again‚ nobody ever accused satanists of being tasteful. Unfortunately‚ the GOP appeared largely unprepared for success at the Supreme Court. This is perplexing and infuriating‚ given that the party had long supported overturning Roe. Many politicians stammered out awkward messaging. Others even seemed embarrassed by the court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization‚ raising pressing questions about their commitment to the cause. While a few Republican leaders‚ including Governors Ron DeSantis‚ Brian Kemp‚ and Greg Abbott‚ boldly addressed the issue‚ they remained exceptions in a party that noticeably distanced itself from its pro-life platform‚ especially during the 2022 midterms. Fortunately‚ the strength and readiness of the grassroots pro-life movement have provided a beacon of hope. Pregnancy medical centers‚ privately funded by compassionate citizens‚ now outnumber abortion providers 5-1 in post-Roe America. These centers not only reaffirm the movement’s commitment to protecting the unborn but also provide essential health care access to pregnant women in need. In light of these trials‚ the Republican Party must embrace the profound significance of pro-life victories and‚ accordingly‚ sharpen its messaging and develop strategies to seize upon the moment. First‚ the GOP must proudly and wholeheartedly celebrate the demise of Roe v. Wade‚ presenting the Supreme Court’s decision as a resounding victory for unborn rights and a triumph for the conservative movement. Instead of shying away‚ as it did in 2022‚ the Republican Party should assert its commitment to safeguarding the sanctity of life at every stage‚ shedding light on the stark reality of the Democratic position that permits taxpayer-funded abortion until the moment of birth. This stark contrast demands the nation’s attention. Second‚ the GOP must drive the pro-life battle to the grassroots. Investment in pregnancy medical centers‚ educational initiatives‚ and open dialogue at the local level can and will transform perceptions and win hearts. Our next imperative is to end abortion on state and local fronts‚ empowering communities to safeguard the unborn and offering alternatives to women who need support at a key moment in their lives. As we navigate this ever-evolving landscape‚ we must remain unwavering in our guiding principles: conviction‚ compassion‚ and an unyielding commitment to the undeniable truth: our duty to protect the unborn. Together‚ through the combination of strategic messaging and grassroots efforts‚ we can lead the way in championing the sanctity of life for generations to come.

China's aspirations of seeing its hundred-year marathon through to displacing the U.S. and becoming global hegemon by 2049 are growing increasingly fantastical. The economic and social problems the Asian nation faced in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic have not gone away. Rather‚ things have continued to deteriorate. Fallout of the one-child policy China faces a worsening demographic crisis‚ due in part to the Chinese Communist Party's one-child policy as well as to other correlated factors such as a decrease in the number of women of childbearing age‚ higher suicide rates in women than in men‚ sex-selective abortion‚ and declining fertility. The birth rate was over 20 births per 1‚000 people in 1990‚ one decade after the implementation of the one-child policy. Over the next 25 years‚ the country saw a precipitous decline in the birth rate‚ which a two-child policy in 2016 was unable to arrest. The rate hit a record low of 7.5 births per 1‚000 people in 2021. Data released by China's National Bureau of Statistics Wednesday indicated the birth rate reached a new low in 2023 of 6.39 per 1‚000 people‚ reported the BBC. The country's annual population has in turn fallen for a second consecutive year‚ this time by an estimated 2.08 million people. "It's not a surprise. They've got one of the lowest fertility rates in the world so this is just what happens - the population stops growing and starts to decline‚" Stuart Gietel-Basten‚ a population policy expert at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology‚ told the BBC. The country's fertility rate in 1950‚ the year after communists formally took power‚ was 5.29. The rate dropped to a record low of 1.16 in 2022. Blaze News previously noted that the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development regards 2.1 as the standard for a stable population. Demographic stability has been further undermined by a sex-ratio imbalance. As of 2021‚ there were over 34.9 million more men than women in the country‚ reported Newsweek. "It's kind of locked in now… this is just the next year in this new era of population stagnation or decline for China‚" added Gietel-Basten. The demographic problem has been compounded by economic stress as many of those in China who want and can physically have children reportedly cannot afford to do so. Economic woes Data released this week revealed the Chinese economy had allegedly grown at one of the slowest rates in over 30 years. Reuters reported that China's GDP allegedly grew by 5.2% in the fourth quarter of 2023‚ disappointing many investors and analysts. "Although the government met its 2023 GDP growth target of 'around 5.0%'‚ achieving the same pace of expansion in 2024 will prove a lot more challenging‚" said Julian Evans-Pritchard‚ head of China Economics at Capital Economics. The China Beige Book International's latest survey suggested‚ "Any true acceleration (this year) will require either a major global upside surprise or more active government policy." Craig Singleton‚ senior China fellow at the non-partisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies‚ told Newsweek that the regime's latest claims about the country's GDP growth "are just not credible." "Focusing on China's false GDP figures risks missing the forest for the tree‚" said Singleton. "The days of China's sky-high growth are over." "There is no getting around the fact that China is in damage control mode‚ attempting to project a sense of stability to the international community while grappling with myriad domestic challenges. If ever the cliché 'investor beware' applied‚ it's now‚" added Singleton. The country is struggling with high debt‚ a stock market in free fall‚ and a real estate crisis that continues to ravage the sector. Reuters indicated that amid China's disputed recovery and in the face of concerns about renewed lockdowns‚ the jobless rate nationwide increased to 5.1% last month and unemployment among Chinese youths ages 16 to 24 also remains high. The youth unemployment rate skyrocketed to 21.3% in June 2023‚ prompting the regime to suspend the release of monthly data. The rate allegedly sank to 14.1% in December‚ but is still high enough to create trouble for the regime‚ which has promised progressive increases in living standards in exchange for acceptance of its authoritarian rule. In addition to a potentially restive‚ largely male youth population‚ China has to contend with its massive elderly population. The BBC indicated that the retiree population‚ placing increasing pressure on the health care and pension systems‚ is projected to increase by 60% to 400 million over the next 10 years. The Guardian noted that 14% of China's population is over the age of 65 and is on track to have more geriatrics than the entire population of the United States. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A child-sex sting operation in California earlier this month led to the arrest of more than a dozen men‚ including a noted LGBTQ+ activist who had recently been appointed executive director of a "queer" nonprofit.Between January 5 and 6‚ members of several state and local agencies assisted police in Turlock‚ California — about 15 miles southeast of Modesto — in executing a sting operation to nab sexual deviants attempting to prey on minors. Undercover officers posed as teens ranging in age between 13 and 17 and began interacting with other users on dating apps. Various suspects eventually agreed to meet up with their dating app correspondents — whom they believed to be underage — "for the purpose of sexual activity‚" a press release from Turlock PD said."We got hits on every age‚" claimed Detective Gina Giovacchini‚ who orchestrated the sting.In all‚ police arrested 17 men‚ most of them from Stanislaus County. One of the local suspects swept up in the sting was Gerad Slayton‚ a 42-year-old man who had recently been appointed to be the executive director of the Rainbow Resource Center in Modesto. On its Facebook page‚ which has "BIGRAINBOWFLAG" as its username‚ the RRC describes itself as a "Non-Profit Queer Resource Center serving Stanislaus County. Not Your Typical Pride Center!"As with many other suspects‚ Slayton was charged with meeting with a minor for the purpose of sex‚ a felony‚ and booked in the Stanislaus County jail. He has pled not guilty and appears to have been assessed a bail of $250‚000. He is scheduled to appear in court again on January 29.The RRC issued a statement following Slayton's arrest‚ insisting that his alleged actions occurred "outside working hours and off-premises" and that organization leaders treat the allegations against him "with the utmost seriousness." "Mr. Slayton's actions do not represent our organization's values or mission‚" the statement added.In an interview with the Modesto Bee‚ RRC interim executive director Alex Gutierrez indicated that though Slayton joined the RRC a year and a half ago‚ at the time of his arrest‚ he was not interacting with many of the people the organization ostensibly serves. "He was new in that position and was working mostly with kind of staff roles‚" Gutierrez explained. "So I can’t say that he didn’t have‚ you know‚ any contact with people‚ with peers in general‚ you know‚ not to say zero contact‚ but we have definitely other layers of [contact] when you first come in‚ you don’t obviously meet the executive director."When pressed‚ Gutierrez admitted that the RCC does work with minors‚ though he said most people who go to the center are between the ages of 25 and 35."We’re obviously ready for whatever happens‚ but‚ you know‚ this was a personal decision made by one of our employees‚ and it’s unfortunate‚" Gutierrez added."So‚ it is‚ you know‚ very impactful for us. We are trying to get through it."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! Turlock police arrest 17 in online child predator operation www.youtube.com