R Magic Brow

The Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed Thursday that a hacker had been able to scrape voter data from the 2020 election in Maricopa County, Arizona.FBI Director Kash Patel released a letter outlining that the hacker had allegedly confessed, but local prosecutors refused to file charges against him.'He kept the files stored at his home but destroyed them shortly before the FBI raided his home in Fountain Hills.' The digital infiltration included an astounding 633,000 voter files, of which 930 were described as "sensitive voter information," according to one FBI document. The sensitive voter information was described as "domestic violence victims, judges, and law enforcement officers.""He kept the files stored at his home but destroyed them shortly before the FBI raided his home in Fountain Hills," the FBI director added.Despite the suspect's confession, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona, the Arizona attorney general, the Maricopa County district attorney, and the Pima County district attorney all declined to prosecute, according to Patel.Blaze News reached out to the respective offices of the U.S. attorney in Arizona, the Arizona attorney general, the Maricopa County district attorney, and the Pima County district attorney for comment.RELATED: Trump accuses Democrat governor of MASSIVE election fraud The case was thoroughly investigated by the FBI and was closed in 2023, according to another FBI document.A White House official told the Center Square that investigators did not believe the hacker was working with foreign agents. The suspect expressed remorse, and no ballots or voter registrations were altered, according to the official.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The group behind the Miss North Carolina USA contest says the decision to strip the title from 27-year-old Brittany Boltinhouse was a "difficult" one.The Mexican-Honduran model from Beulaville posted messages years ago that the organization said went against its values. She had warned that voting for Kamala Harris would risk turning America into a 'third world country.'Boltinhouse is also a supporter of President Donald Trump, though that wasn't included in the organization's statement."This decision was not made lightly," the organizers said on Instagram. "It followed a thorough review of recently surfaced information and was based on the totality of the circumstances and our responsibility to preserve the integrity of the Miss North Carolina USA title and the values of our organization."The posts were not included, but the NC Beat documented that Boltinhouse used the N-word numerous times between 2017 and 2018, and referred to herself as "toxic."She had warned that voting for Kamala Harris would risk turning America into a "third world country" in another post and also shared a photograph of herself at a Trump rally, according to the Beat.The discovery led to backlash from some who objected to her posts and called her a "self-hating, Trump-supporting, racist, ignorant women [sic] who does not speak for me or for any of the other ACTUAL PROUD HISPANAS." Miss USA Chairman and CEO Thom Brodeur said that "racism, homophobia, transphobia, [and] language that strips any person of their dignity" are against the organization's values, but it's unclear if he was referring to her posts or her support of the president. "As an organization entrusted with selecting and preparing women to represent our states on the national stage," the organization continued, "we must uphold the standards and values that our titleholders agree to embrace when accepting the honor of wearing the crown."The incident is even more bizarre considering that Trump once owned the Miss USA pageant before he became president. RELATED: Former Miss North Dakota pleads guilty to day care fraud in Minnesota Myla Hadley, the runner-up in the pageant contest, will take up the mantle of Miss North Carolina USA 2026.Boltinhouse was the first Honduran model to win the Miss North Carolina USA title.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

As AI sweeps through your favorite devices, services, and apps, there’s one category that hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention (yet): robots.Artificial intelligence is being crammed into all kinds of robot forms that are destined for consumers, from robot vacuums to doglike pets and even humanoid servants meant to live in your home and help you do chores.The worst part? Many of these bots come from Chinese companies, prompting enough concern over national security and personal privacy that the Trump administration just handed down a new Chinese robot ban that is effective immediately.What the ban entails In late July, the Trump administration announced that it would ban U.S. imports on new intelligent robot products that hail from China. This is significant, since the ban covers most of the smart robot market. According to the Associated Press, China owns about 85% of this product segment, dwarfing American companies like Boston Dynamics with its lethal dog robot, as well as Tesla, which has yet to ship its Optimus humanoid robot that debuted in 2022.A Roomba vacuum took revealing photos of a woman in her bathroom.It’s important to note that the ban only covers new products bound for the United States. Any existing Chinese-developed robots that currently reside within our borders are allowed to stay. President Trump’s FCC used a similar tactic when it banned foreign-made Wi-Fi routers earlier this year, so it’s not unprecedented for these existing products to remain active for months or years after restrictions are put in place.The Chinese robot ban includes a wide range of products, such as humanoid robots made by Unitree and Agibot; robot vacuums made by Roomba, Roborock, Ecovacs, and Dreame Technology; quadruped (four-legged) robots made by Xiaomi; and power inverters by Huawei (a company that is no stranger to U.S. bans during Trump’s first term) and Sungrow Power Supply.In the FCC’s announcement, the agency cited national security as the primary reason for the ban, stating that “relying on foreign-produced advanced robotic devices presents unacceptable supply chain and cybersecurity vulnerabilities” for the nation.China has a shady history with US tech This should come as a shock to absolutely nobody, and when you consider how many tech innovations China has stolen from the U.S. over the years, it’s surprising that something like this didn’t happen sooner.RELATED: Trump fumes as China pilfers top US tech — and goes unpunished Niphon/Getty Images Here is a brief rundown of China’s illicit activities around U.S. tech and intelligence.Chinese AI companies were recently caught distilling data from American AI giants, including Anthropic, OpenAI, and more.A Chinese spy received a life sentence for swiping AI trade secrets from Google.Several Chinese websites are stealing users’ faces, hidden under the guise of putting people’s likenesses into movies, shows, and video games for fun.Chinese-made TikTok once posed a huge threat to the United States, ultimately leading to the sale of U.S. operations to a domestic joint venture to avoid an outright ban.Chinese hackers were caught stealing tens of thousands of State Department emails that were managed by Microsoft.And for the coup de grace, China led an election interference campaign and walked away with 220 million U.S. voter files, the largest compromise of election data in history, according to President Trump. What makes Chinese robots so dangerous? Unlike foreign-made Wi-Fi routers that only had the power to monitor your web traffic (which is bad enough), Chinese-made robots are even more invasive. Many of these devices come equipped with high-tech sensors like LIDAR that map every corner of your house and save the data to the cloud. Newer premium robot vacuums also have high-definition camera systems capable of snapping photos and recording video. Manufacturers claim that these are intended to help the vacuum “see” where it’s going and to steer around potential obstacles, like toys, shoes, and pets. Regardless of the reason, these cameras let the vacuum view your home and everyone in it, with real consequences.In 2022, MIT Technology Review revealed that a Roomba vacuum took revealing photos of a woman in her bathroom. These images were sent to an AI startup company tasked with using captured data to train AI models, and somehow, several of them appeared in a private group on social media. When pressed about the incident, Roomba’s parent company claimed that the images came from modified devices given to company employees who agreed to share their data. Furthermore, consumer devices were never at risk of data exposures.Whether employees willingly signed up to be filmed in intimate spaces or not, one glaring concern still stands for the rest of us. Robot vacuums are effectively surveillance systems that users invite into their homes for the simple convenience of never having to touch a manual vacuum cleaner again. Is this simple trade-off with Chinese spyware really worth it? You can judge for yourself.If you do have a robot in your homeAlthough existing Chinese-made robots are still allowed to operate in the United States, you may think twice before letting one roam your home. If you want to get rid of your robot vacuums or other applicable products, you can always sell them on a third-party marketplace or dispose of them through an electronics recycling company.And if you wish to keep your robot, just know that there are valid reasons they were banned from the United States.

George R.R. Martin may be one of the last surviving big-name bloggers out there, but don't expect him to channel that energy into book writing any time soon.For years fans have been asking the author to finish "The Winds of Winter," the sixth "Game of Thrones" book, and after more than 15 years, the novel still isn't finished.'Getting old is no fun.''Worst' to come?In a recent blog post titled "Better Late Than Never," Martin revealed to fans what has been holding him back. The 77-year-old first addressed the fact that he hadn't posted on the blog since February, citing that he "kept falling further and further behind."The website itself, called "Not a Blog," is a charming time capsule from the mid-2000s, complete with basic clip art, where Martin has historically shared inside information with fans.This time around, he admitted to readers "This year has been… stressful, to say the least.""So much has been happening, it's been overwhelming. Some great things, exciting things. Dreams coming true. But there have been nightmares too," the author continued.Martin then expressed that he has been having trouble dealing with his emotions surrounding death, a message he has communicated with fans previously."I have lost friends. Battled sadness and depression. The worst may be yet to come. I turned seventy-seven last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun. But there have been amazing times as well," Martin continued.RELATED: 'BURN IT ALL DOWN': Firebrand feminist filmmaker calls for violent revolution Craig Barritt/Getty Images 'Short and rushed'Martin cited some things to celebrate, like Emmy nominations for his "Game of Thrones" prequel called "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms," which garnered nine chances to win a trophy."I hope to attend," Martin said about the award ceremony. "But that depends on… well, on a lot of things."The vague blog entry did not reveal any progress for his last book. Instead, Martin offered that he would attempt to "catch up" on his blogs, but said that his posts "are likely to short and rushed."Summarizing his ups and downs, the beloved writer stated, "I suppose that's just life. Of course, I knew that. If you’ve read my stories, you know that."RELATED: Sam Altman biopic actors break silence after Amazon drops film: 'I don't know who's running everything' Jason Merritt/Getty Images Bleak geekComments from Martin in May 2025 were similar, but much more bleak, when he declared on his blog, "I will never finish WINDS, If I do, I will never finish A DREAM OF SPRING. If I do, it won't be any good."Hinting at a replacement, Martin said, "I ought to get some other writer to pinch hit for me."But that's where the darkness set in, with the writer bleakly addressing fans about his age,"… I am going to die soon anyway, because I am so old. I lost all interest in A Song of Ice and Fire decades ago. I don't give a s**t about writing any longer, I just sit around and spend my money."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!