@The Blaze
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison over a 2022 shooting that injured one man.Velasquez was a prolific UFC champion who knocked off legendary foe Brock Lesnar for the belt in 2010; his last fight was in 2019.Now, the former fighter pleaded no contest to attempted murder and other charges connected to the shooting before a Santa Clara, California, judge handed down a five-year sentence. NBC Bay Area reported Velasquez's lawyer had requested just probation, but the judge denied this request. It is believed, however, that the 42-year-old will likely serve just one year after getting credit for time served in jail and in-home confinement.The Santa Clara County district attorney had recommended a sentence of 30 years to life.Velasquez alleged that Harry Goularte molested Velasquez’s son while he was attending a childcare center operated by Goularte’s mother, Patricia Goularte, and his stepfather, Paul Bender, who run the daycare out of their home in San Martin, California. A lawsuit accusing the business operators was filed in 2022 on behalf of the young boy, the L.A. Times reported.'I know what I did was very dangerous to other people.'Velasquez was recorded on video driving behind a truck with the three defendants in the vehicle during a high-speed pursuit, which reportedly ended with Velasquez ramming his truck into their vehicle before shooting Bender in the shoulder while trying to shoot Goularte.After Velasquez entered his plea, he gave remarks before his sentencing."The way that I handled things was not the way to do it. We cannot put the law in our own hands," he said on the "Kyle Kingsbury Podcast." "I know what I did, and I know what I did was very dangerous to other people."Bender reportedly no longer has full use of his right arm, while Goularte's mother called the sentence "extremely disappointing.""It's based on an alleged allegation that has no basis. It is unfounded. We are looking for the opportunity in Harry’s case to prove that."The judge reportedly said the situation was a unique case and could not be heard in a vacuum, and noted the accompanying circumstances had to be taken into account.Multiple UFC fighters spoke out in support of Velasquez, including former champion Jorge Masvidal and contender Gilbert Burns. Both fighters took to their X pages to write "#FREECAIN." — (@) Fighter agent Ali Abdelaziz went into further detail and said, "This is why I will never live in California.""They tried to give this man 30 years for protecting his family and the person who violated his family is still walking in the streets."This is why I will never live in California, they tried to give this man 30 years for protecting his family and the person who violated his family is still walking in the streets— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) March 24, 2025 Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/former-ufc-champ-cain-velasquez-sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison-after-shooting-at-man-he-said-molested-his-son
Former UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez was sentenced to five years in prison over a 2022 shooting that injured one man.Velasquez was a prolific UFC champion who knocked off legendary foe Brock Lesnar for the belt in 2010; his last fight was in 2019.Now, the former fighter pleaded no contest to attempted murder and other charges connected to the shooting before a Santa Clara, California, judge handed down a five-year sentence. NBC Bay Area reported Velasquez's lawyer had requested just probation, but the judge denied this request. It is believed, however, that the 42-year-old will likely serve just one year after getting credit for time served in jail and in-home confinement.The Santa Clara County district attorney had recommended a sentence of 30 years to life.Velasquez alleged that Harry Goularte molested Velasquez’s son while he was attending a childcare center operated by Goularte’s mother, Patricia Goularte, and his stepfather, Paul Bender, who run the daycare out of their home in San Martin, California. A lawsuit accusing the business operators was filed in 2022 on behalf of the young boy, the L.A. Times reported.'I know what I did was very dangerous to other people.'Velasquez was recorded on video driving behind a truck with the three defendants in the vehicle during a high-speed pursuit, which reportedly ended with Velasquez ramming his truck into their vehicle before shooting Bender in the shoulder while trying to shoot Goularte.After Velasquez entered his plea, he gave remarks before his sentencing."The way that I handled things was not the way to do it. We cannot put the law in our own hands," he said on the "Kyle Kingsbury Podcast." "I know what I did, and I know what I did was very dangerous to other people."Bender reportedly no longer has full use of his right arm, while Goularte's mother called the sentence "extremely disappointing.""It's based on an alleged allegation that has no basis. It is unfounded. We are looking for the opportunity in Harry’s case to prove that."The judge reportedly said the situation was a unique case and could not be heard in a vacuum, and noted the accompanying circumstances had to be taken into account.Multiple UFC fighters spoke out in support of Velasquez, including former champion Jorge Masvidal and contender Gilbert Burns. Both fighters took to their X pages to write "#FREECAIN." — (@) Fighter agent Ali Abdelaziz went into further detail and said, "This is why I will never live in California.""They tried to give this man 30 years for protecting his family and the person who violated his family is still walking in the streets."This is why I will never live in California, they tried to give this man 30 years for protecting his family and the person who violated his family is still walking in the streets— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) March 24, 2025 Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/former-ufc-champ-cain-velasquez-sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison-after-shooting-at-man-he-said-molested-his-son
A licensed embalmer was arrested after she allegedly cut off a dead man's genitals and stuffed them into his mouth. The horrific incident was reported to Houston police by an embalming student at the Memorial Mortuary and Crematory in Texas. The trainee claimed to have seen 34-year-old Amber Paige Laudermilk commit the act after finding out the man had been a registered sex offender. 'No matter what one thinks of his life, the law requires that he be treated with dignity in death.' Police said that Laudermilk used a scalpel to stab at the genitals of Charles Roy Rodriguez in February. Rodriguez had been charged with sexual assault in 2001 and received 10 years of deferred adjudication before he died at the age of 58 of natural causes. Rodriguez was cremated after the alleged desecration of his corpse. “This case is about two troubled people: the victim who was a registered sex offender and the defendant, who is accused of viciously attacking his dead body,” said Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen in a post on Facebook. “No matter what one thinks of his life, the law requires that he be treated with dignity in death.” After Laudermilk allegedly committed the abuse, one of the witnesses said Laudermilk remarked, "You didn't see anything," in a manner that was perceived as a threat. “I don’t know the suspect’s past, but we have the utmost empathy for anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault or is the family or friend of someone who has been the victim of a sexual assault,” Rosen concluded. “The facts clearly indicate she was angry and I hope after this is resolved in the courts, she gets the help she needs.”Rosen posted an update that Laudermilk had turned herself in and was being held at the Harris County Jail with a bond of $5,000. Video from the mortuary can be viewed on the news report from KPRC-TV on YouTube. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
One the world's most prominent gain-of-function researchers — whose methods were adapted by researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology for work on chimeric viruses — and one of the scientists who helped furnish Anthony Fauci with what he needed to downplay the lab-leak theory are now sounding the alarm about dangerous new coronavirus experiments conducted by the Chinese. Criticism may have been easier this time around, given that the critics and their friends do not appear to be directly linked to the dangerous research in question. Ralph Baric and W. Ian Lipkin expressed concern in a March 3 New York Times op-ed that Chinese scientists "are experimenting with viruses in ways that could put all of us in harm's way." Baric, a professor in the departments of epidemiology and microbiology at the University of North Carolina, is a leading proponent of gain-of-function research who successfully fought for an exemption from the Obama administration's moratorium on the dangerous practice in order to keep manufacturing artificial SARS-like viruses. He became an especially controversial figure during the pandemic, which has claimed the lives of over 7 million people worldwide. Lipkin, the John Snow professor of epidemiology at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health, was one of the co-authors of the controversial March 2020 paper "The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2," which Fauci used on multiple occasions to suggest to the American public that COVID-19 was not a lab leak but rather an animal virus that jumped to a human. Lipkin, who later thanked Fauci for his "efforts in steering and messaging" regarding the virus' origins, has reportedly long had a cozy relationship with Chinese communist authorities. Baric and Lipkin indicated that they are particularly concerned about experiments conducted by WIV researchers and other Chinese scientists on a deadly coronavirus called HKU5-CoV-2. These experiments are detailed in a recent paper published in the scientific journal Cell. The duo noted that the virus at the heart of the study "belongs to a subgroup of viruses that are classified alongside the one that causes MERS and that can have fatality rates far higher than that of the virus that caused the Covid pandemic." While HKU5 can infect humans and has the potential to be far more lethal than SARS-CoV-2, Chinese scientists have apparently been meddling with the fully infectious virus in a lab with "insufficient" containment controls. There are multiple biosafety level ratings for laboratories ranging from BSL-1 to BSL-4. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "each biosafety level builds on the controls of the level before it." 'Potentially dangerous research should not be done without proper precautions.' A BSL-4 lab, for instance, is designed to handle microbes that are "dangerous and exotic, posing a high risk of aerosol-transmitted infections" that could prove fatal. Researchers in such a lab must manipulate the infectious agents using a gas-tight sealed container with a double HEPA filtered exhaust while wearing protective gear. Alternatively, they must wear a full-body, air-supplied positive pressure suit. Researchers must also undergo routine medical surveillance for signs of infection. Such a high-security lab must also be located in a separate building or in a restricted zone of an existing building with double locking doors and provided with a dedicated supply of air along with decontamination systems. Despite the dangers posed to the researchers and the rest of mankind, the Chinese researchers have instead been experimenting in a lab described as BSL-2 plus. BSL-2 labs are meant to handle only microbes that pose, at worst, moderate hazards to researchers and the environment. "Decisions about what level of precaution is appropriate for research are typically made by a study's lead scientist and an institutional biosafety committee," wrote Baric and Lipkin. The lead scientist on this dangerous study was Shi Zhengli, whose track record for safety is less than stellar and with whom Baric has previously collaborated. According to a 2021 article in the MIT technology review, Baric asked Shi, who is the director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the WIV, for the genome of a new coronavirus Shi found in bat excrement. He apparently wanted to take the "spike" gene from the novel virus and stick it into a copy of a SARS virus he had on hand. Ultimately, Baric's team tested the resultant chimeric virus on humanized mice and in a petri dish of human airway cells and discovered that it could indeed infect humans. Baric and Lipkin noted in their op-ed that while the relevant authorities in China apparently approved the dangerous new experiments on HKU5, "it is not sufficient for work with a new virus that could have significant risks for people worldwide." "Work with viruses that have the potential to become threats to public health should be restricted to facilities and scientists committed to the highest level of safety," added the duo. According to Baric and Lipkin, governmental and nongovernmental agencies that fund research on viruses should require "proof that investigators meet global standards." Additionally, scientific journals should insist on similar standards for the studies they accept. The duo concluded, "Potentially dangerous research should not be done without proper precautions to prevent deliberate or accidental spread." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
President Trump’s shock-and-awe strategy is working beautifully, but it’s usually Democrats whose jaws are on the floor. However, his recent announcement to turn Gaza into an America-owned boomtown has everyone dumbfounded — including Glenn Beck. While Glenn doesn’t necessarily agree that America should own lands that belong to Israel, he can’t help but see the absolute genius in Trump’s plan. Glenn explains that Trump’s idea to own Gaza equates to “all of the Palestinians in Gaza going away,” but nobody is talking about that because they’re too busy talking about how “the United States wants to make Gaza into the Riviera.” Trump drops a proposal and suddenly “we are not talking about moving 1.7 million people into other countries,” says Glenn, calling the tactic moving “the Overton window.” This kind of strategy, however, wouldn’t work if Trump was a bluffer. But he’s not. “He never bluffs,” says Glenn, calling this trait “the best thing about Donald Trump.” Glenn explains that when Trump presents a proposal like this, everybody takes him seriously, and they should. Truth be told, Trump most likely would jump at the opportunity to own and run Gaza. But is that really in the cards? “I don’t think so,” says Glenn. To hear his full analysis, watch the clip above. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.
Republican holdout Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said Monday that she would vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. Gabbard's nomination appeared to be on the ropes after some Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee grilled her over her support for whistleblower Edward Snowden and questionable comments about the intelligence community. 'Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size.' Among the swing votes were Collins, who said her concerns were satisfied after she personally spoke with Gabbard and heard that she planned to reduce the size and scale of the DNI office. “After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence,” said Collins in a statement. “The Office of the Director of National Intelligence … has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size.”Gabbard's nomination may come down to Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who grilled her about Snowden during the hearing. She said unequivocally that she believed Snowden broke the law but would not say whether she still believed he deserved a pardon. Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said afterward that he was surprised by her response to the line of questioning. "I was surprised because that doesn't seem like a hard question on that," Lankford said Thursday. "It wasn't intended to be a trick question by any means."The committee will likely vote on Gabbard's confirmation on Tuesday. If the committee approves, the entire Senate will vote on the confirmation. "I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to strengthen our national security," Collins concluded. Collins came out against the nomination of Pete Hegseth to head the Department of Defense, but he was confirmed in a tie vote that was decided by Vice President JD Vance. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!