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Sunny Hostin, a descendant of slave owners who appears to have an issue with white Americans, routinely spouts nonsense on ABC's "The View."She managed this week to outdo herself, claiming on the show's Veterans Day episode that President Abraham Lincoln wasn't responsible for freeing the slaves.'Not even Abe Lincoln is safe.'Early in the episode, Sara Haines joined Whoopi Goldberg and her other co-hosts in shoehorning racial grievances into their conversation about America's veterans and past conflicts, claiming that "so many people of color fought those wars to come back to not having those rights."Hostin said in response that during the Civil War — a war in which upwards of 750,000 soldiers, including roughly 360,000 Union soldiers, perished — the "enslaved left and joined the Union Army because they wanted to fight for this country and for their freedom. People often say that Abraham Lincoln emancipated the slaves. The slaves basically emancipated themselves because they wanted freedom, and they fought for their freedom."Hostin's revisionist history was met with applause from the audience.Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, declaring that "all persons held as slaves" within the Confederate states that were still at war with the Union were "thenceforward, and forever free," and that "the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom."RELATED: VIDEO: CNN panelist makes mind-numbing claim about black fathers in debate about Democrats HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesThe National Archives notes that while the proclamation did not result in the immediate or universal end of American slavery, it certainly got the ball rolling, confirming slaves' "insistence that the war for the Union must become a war for freedom" and permitting the acceptance of blacks into the Union Army and Navy thereby "enabling the liberated to become liberators."Two years later, the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed by white members of Congress and ratified by white state legislators, formally abolishing slavery throughout the nation.Goldberg conceded that "you have to give it to Abe because he busted his butt to get this done."Evidently unwilling to join Goldberg in crediting the assassinated president with a moral and historic victory, Hostin complained in reply, "He wanted the ... enslaved to go back to Africa."While Hostin tonally framed the relocation stratagem as something nefarious, the late president's ideas about providing the liberated slaves with their own country were beneficent in nature."I should not know what to do as to the existing institution [of slavery]," he said in a 1854 speech in Peoria, Illinois. "My first impulse would be to free all the slaves, and send them to Liberia, to their own native land."Prior to issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln supported legislation that made money available "to aid in the colonization and settlement of such free persons of African descent now residing in said District, including those to be liberated by this act, as may desire to emigrate to the Republic of Haiti or Liberia, or such other country beyond the limits of the United States as the President may determine."Lincoln also raised the possibility of having freed slaves relocate to Texas.Critics have laid into Hostin over her suggestion that slaves willed themselves out of slavery."Not even Abe Lincoln is safe from Sunny Hostin's hatred of white people," tweeted MRC NewsBusters.Conservative author Derek Hunter wrote, "If slaved basically freed themselves, why'd they wait so long? Weird."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

For generations of American comedy fans, John Cleese has embodied a certain idea of Britain. His long face, angular features, and stiff, vaguely aristocratic bearing suggested the quintessential Englishman: formal, reserved, faintly pompous, easily befuddled, and perpetually irritated by the stupidity of everyone around him.He rode that comic persona to international fame, first as a member of Monty Python, whose surreal sketches became a cult phenomenon on American public television in the 1970s, then in the troupe's hit films "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "Life of Brian." In 1988, he found mainstream Hollywood success with "A Fish Called Wanda," playing a stuffy English barrister opposite Jamie Lee Curtis and Kevin Kline. Back home, he was also Basil Fawlty, the permanently exasperated hotelier of the classic sitcom "Fawlty Towers."In 2019, Cleese took to Twitter to declare that London was "no longer an English city," repeating an observation he had first made in 2011.Now, at 87, Cleese has become a symbol of a very different Britain — one in which the absurdities he spent his career ridiculing have acquired new forms and where his criticism of Islam has prompted someone to report him to the government's counter-extremism program, Prevent.For decades, Cleese made a living mocking the conventions of a Britain that was insular, socially conservative, and fiercely protective of its traditions. Its stuffy manners, rigid hierarchies, and reverence for authority provided endless material for Monty Python.A very British blasphemyIn their first original feature film, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," the Pythons sent up Arthurian legend, medieval superstition, and religious ritual. But when they turned their attention more directly to Christianity in "Life of Brian," they discovered something surprising: Jesus wasn't particularly funny. They had initially considered making a comedy about Christ himself, but the more they read about him, the less material they found. As fellow Python Michael Palin explained in 1979, there was very little in Jesus' life worth ridiculing.Instead, they invented Brian, an ordinary fellow living in Roman-occupied Judea who is mistaken for the Messiah. The film satirized human gullibility, religious zealotry, and political factionalism. As Reg, the revolutionary leader, Cleese memorably spoofed left-wing factionalism. Asked if he belonged to the Judean People's Front, he replied: "F**k off! … Judean People's Front. We're the People's Front of Judea!"Christian critics failed to see the distinction. In a notorious 1979 BBC debate, Cleese and Palin defended the film against Malcolm Muggeridge and Mervyn Stockwood, the Bishop of Southwark, who accused them of mocking Christ. The Pythons insisted they were making fun of people who misunderstood religious teaching.The controversy proved enormously profitable. The film was banned in Ireland and Norway, while some British councils prohibited screenings. But protests only increased public interest. "Life of Brian" became Britain's fourth-highest-grossing film of 1979, and Cleese later joked that the protesters had made him rich.Nearly half a century later, the stakes appear considerably higher. What was once a cultural controversy, fought out in cinemas, newspapers, and television studios, now threatens to become a matter for the state. The guardians of public morality have changed, and so have the means at their disposal.Yelling at clouds?To his critics, Cleese's increasingly outspoken views are simply the predictable grumblings of an old man drifting toward conservatism. In a 2019 Independent column, Caspar Salmon lamented that the comedian who once delighted in mocking English pomposity and small-mindedness had become reactionary himself. Comedy thrives on undermining the status quo, Salmon argued, but successful comedians can eventually become part of it.It's a familiar accusation, but it overlooks something rather important: The status quo itself has changed beyond recognition.Christianity remains fair game for British comedy, to say the least. The second season of the acclaimed BBC series "Fleabag" featured its sexually adventurous heroine falling for — and eventually seducing — a Catholic priest. But when the subject turns to Islam, the boundaries of acceptable ridicule become considerably more contentious.These changing sensitivities have accompanied a staggering demographic transformation. In 2001, White British residents accounted for 59.8% of London's population. By the 2021 census, that figure had fallen to 36.8%. Over the same period, the capital's Muslim population more than doubled, from approximately 607,000 in 2001 to 1.32 million in 2021, rising from 8.5% to 15% of Londoners.Cleese has been marking the changes for years. In 2019, he took to Twitter to declare that London was "no longer an English city," repeating an observation he had first made in 2011.For his crime of noticing, he was slammed by the usual suspects. Mayor Sadiq Khan likened him to Basil Fawlty, while fellow comedian Dom Joly called his remarks — you guessed it — "very racist."Opposing 'Anglophobia'Cleese has rejected the predictable charges of Islamophobia, insisting that his objections are cultural rather than racial, and wondering whether practices including stoning, halal slaughter, wife-beating, and Sharia courts could themselves be considered a form of "Anglophobia.""The UK has always been based at the deepest level on Christian values, regardless of dogma," he posted on X in March. "Despite the many mistakes made by churches, for centuries British people have been influenced by Christ's teaching. If these values are replaced by Islamic ones, this will not be Britain any more."In another post, he wrote: "I personally prefer a culture that does not approve of FGM [female genital mutilation], Child Marriage and Killing Infidels."This distinction has not been enough to keep Cleese in the good graces of Britain's reigning cultural commissars. Indeed, these were among the posts cited in the complaint that landed him in his current predicament.That complaint, publicized by the Muslim news website 5Pillars, accused Cleese of a sustained pattern of anti-Muslim rhetoric. His social media posts, the complainant alleged, portrayed Muslims collectively as violent and criminal, potentially contributing to radicalization and communal tensions.The irony is that Prevent was originally established to combat Islamist radicalization. It has since expanded to other forms of extremism. Now a program conceived to prevent Islamist terrorism has received a complaint about a comedian criticizing aspects of Islam.Cleese responded with characteristic good humor. "One of the proudest moments of my life," he wrote on X. "I would like to thank everyone concerned."The episode comes amid a broader effort by the British government to define and combat hostility toward Muslims. In March, it adopted a new definition of anti-Muslim hostility. Although non-statutory and explicitly protecting criticism and even ridicule of Islam, critics fear it could be used to suppress legitimate debate through institutional pressure — effectively creating a new blasphemy taboo without passing a blasphemy law.Don't mention the warThe changes Cleese objects to aren't confined to immigration or religion. Even his own comedy has fallen foul of modern sensitivities.In 2020, BBC-owned UKTV temporarily removed "The Germans," one of the most celebrated episodes of "Fawlty Towers," from its streaming service because of offensive language. Cleese publicly attacked BBC management, calling its decision-makers "cowardly and gutless and contemptible." The episode was subsequently reinstated with a content warning.For Cleese, the absurdity was obvious. Major Gowen was supposed to be an old fool, and the audience was laughing at his prejudices, not being invited to share them. That such a distinction needed explaining to television executives was itself worthy of a Monty Python sketch.For Cleese, the absurdity was obvious. Basil Fawlty was supposed to be an idiot. The audience was laughing at his prejudices, not being invited to share them. That such a distinction needed explaining to television executives was itself worthy of a Monty Python sketch.Cleese can sometimes seem like the last bastion of resistance to the BBC's crusade to appoint itself the nation's chief comedy censor. In September 2026, the corporation cut 11 sketches from "That Mitchell and Webb Look" for its release on iPlayer, including sketches satirizing racism. The same month, it emerged that the BBC had also removed an entire episode of the children's educational sketch show "Horrible Histories" featuring slavery in ancient Rome and the exploitation of Victorian child workers. Those cuts, the BBC clarified, had actually been made seven years earlier to comply with its guidelines for children's programming.RELATED: ‘Outrageous anti-British scheme’: UK universities to offer Muslims interest-free Sharia student loans Laurel Chor/Getty ImagesRomanes eunt domusThis pathological fear of offending extends into everyday life. A 2021 survey found that more than half of Britons under 30 had stopped talking to someone over their political opinions. And according to research published by the BBC in 2026, 37% of 16- to 24-year-olds said they couldn't be friends with someone who held different views.Against this backdrop, Cleese's transformation from self-described "slightly left of centre" Liberal Democrat to public supporter of Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain party looks less like the predictable crankiness of old age than a response to a country that has changed around him.To his credit, Cleese has refused to retreat into comfortable retirement as a national treasure. In 2023, he hosted "The Dinosaur Hour," a GB News talk show filmed in a 12th-century castle, complete with wandering cats, actors dressed as nuns, and other Monty Python-esque absurdities.The title was a joke at his own expense. Cleese pitched the show to the unfashionable and out of touch, a demographic he cheerfully counted himself among. Given complete creative freedom, he spent the hour discussing everything from politics and the press to creativity and religion with guests including Stephen Fry, Trevor McDonald, and Lionel Shriver.Although "The Dinosaur Hour" ended after 10 episodes, Cleese has hardly withdrawn from the fray. In 2026, he returned to British theaters with a tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," introducing screenings and fielding questions from audiences. He has already announced more dates for 2027, under the suitably Cleese-like title "Still Not Dead (Yet)."In a country where police made more than 12,000 arrests under laws governing offensive and malicious communications in 2023 alone, it's refreshing to see a near-nonagenarian with the gumption to give the establishment a kick up the arse — two replacement hips and an artificial knee be darned. Those of us Britons born after Monty Python's heyday could stand to follow his example.

UPDATE, 11:05 a.m. ET: Authorities found the suspected shooter suffering from a gunshot wound inside the 7th-floor apartment unit where he was barricaded, Interim Police Jeffery W. Carroll said, according to WRC.Two federal law enforcement sources and a law enforcement official told WRC that the suspect has been pronounced dead.Carroll said during the news conference that the suspect's gunshot wound seemed to be self-inflicted.Negotiators had made contact with the suspect from outside the apartment, WRC said, adding that police forced entry after hearing a gunshot inside.The suspect apparently was having a conflict with the homeowners' association of the apartment building, police said at the Thursday morning news conference.Police confirmed five shooting victims so far, Carroll said, according to WRC, adding that one died and four others were hurt and have been taken to hospitals. The station said one of the victims is in critical condition, while three others have non-life threatening injuries, Carroll added to WRC.Original story belowFive people were shot early Thursday in Washington, D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood — which is about a mile north of the White House — and police are responding to multiple locations in regard to an active shooter situation, WTTG-TV reported. The Associated Press, citing a witness, said at least one of the victims was shot at a gym and has apparently died.'He was instantly dead. He had been shot in the neck.'James Spellman told the AP he was at the gym just after 8 a.m. when he heard gunfire: “Within seconds there was a man who fell to the ground, and a pool of blood came out. One gym member rushed to help him. He was instantly dead. He had been shot in the neck.”Spellman added to the AP that he and others ran out of the gym, and he heard more gunfire in the area of 15th Street. He also told the AP that he heard about two shots fired in the gym and about five or six fired outside.WRC-TV, citing a federal law enforcement source, said an active shooter is barricaded on a high floor of an apartment building near Logan Circle.Police said the suspected shooter is not in custody, WRC reported, adding that it's not yet clear who the shooter is.Police issued a shelter-in-place order for the 1500 block of 15th Street NW, according to WRC, and authorities cordoned off much of block and urged the public to avoid the area, which includes residences, a VIDA fitness center, and St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and is around the corner from a Whole Foods supermarket.RELATED: ACTIVE SHOOTER reported at Islamic center in California A D.C. Public Schools spokesperson told WRC that schools in the area are on alert status, which means no one can enter or exit — but normal activities are continuing inside.Dozens of police cars and emergency response vehicles are in the area, WRC noted, adding that officers in tactical gear have been seen arriving to the area.The FBI, ATF Washington, D.C. Fire, Metro Transit Police, special police, Homeland Security, and the National Guard are among the responding agencies on the scene, WRC added. Multiple medical ambulance buses could be seen arriving about 8:45 a.m.This is breaking news; updates may be added.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

With the help of revolutionary communists, a Maryland activist appears to have successfully killed a major data center development in her area.When asked what she would instead like to see built in the 87-acre wasteland, Taylor Frazier McCollum proposed a bouncy park.How it startedLandover Mall was once a 1.3 million-square-foot structure in Landover, Maryland, southeast of Washington, D.C. It was long home to three department stores, numerous high-end retailers, and various amenities.'Let's all get ready for our new trampoline park economy.'To the chagrin of some locals, the mall forever closed its doors in May 2002 and was demolished a few years later.Despite efforts by owner Lerner Enterprises to develop the property — there was talk about potentially using the property for a new FBI headquarters — the fenced-in and overgrown site of the former mall has sat vacant for nearly 25 years.RELATED: VIDEO: CNN panelist makes mind-numbing claim about black fathers in debate about Democrats Robert A. Reeder/the Washington Post/Getty ImagesLerner Enterprises revealed in 2024, however, that ground was set to break in 2026 or 2027 on a new data center campus called Brightseat Tech Park. The data center campus would represent around $5 billion in capital investment and accommodate up to 820 megawatts of power consumptionLerner told the Washington Business Journal at the time that Brightseat Tech Park, which had secured the approval of county planners, was projected to generate $53.5 million in annual local tax revenue and $88.6 million in state tax revenue once established.How it's goingIt turns out that Prince George's County won't be getting its state-of-the-art money-making campus after Taylor Frazier McCollum and the revolutionary Marxist-Leninist Party for Socialism and Liberation campaigned heavily against it.McCollum started a petition in June 2025, "urging Lerner Enterprises and Prince George's County to halt the construction plans and open a platform for meaningful engagement with Landover residents."Her petition, which received over 25,600 signatures and prompted protests, suggested that the data-center complex would "not only disrupt the visual landscape of our neighborhood but also bring along potential environmental and socio-economic impacts that the residents were never consulted about.""I was like, 'Oh hell no,'" McCollum told NPR. "Why would you want to bring water-polluting, diesel-generating data centers right down the street from where people live, work, play? It just didn't make sense to me."The Party for Socialism and Liberation, a communist group that has defended Hamas terrorism, amplified McCollum's protest and framed the manufactured controversy in racial terms. The group also claimed that "under capitalism, AI and data centers become weapons of exploitation and greed."Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy, a Democrat who assumed office the same month that McCollum's petition went live, temporarily paused development on the data center via executive order in September 2025.In July 2026, the Prince George's County Council approved a two-year moratorium on new hyperscale data centers in the county. While this resolution didn't apply to Brightseat Tech Park, which already cleared the approval stages paused by the moratorium, the council passed legislation last month requiring Brightseat to undergo review again by the county council, effectively killing the project, according to Council Member Shayla Adams-Stafford, WTOP reported.McCollum told Fox News, "We did just lose Six Flags so I think that this would be a great site to bring some like Urban Air park or American Dream-type facility — you know, just something that's bigger and broader and can serve all the residents of Prince George's County and not just benefit the ones that can get a job at a data center."Urban Air Adventure Park is a chain of trampoline and indoor-amusement parks. According to the AI advisory platform Franzy, the average gross revenue per location is $3.68 million.American Dream is a shopping mall and entertainment complex in New Jersey.New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R) was among the many critics who mocked McCollum's proposed alternatives."Let's all get ready for our new trampoline park economy, courtesy of the dumbest people in the history of western civilization," wrote Paladino.Jeremy Horpedahl, an associate professor of economics at the University of Central Arkansas, also noted that "there's already an Urban Air Trampoline Park just one exit away on the Beltway." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!