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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) endorsed Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota's Democratic Senate primary in May, claiming that the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement defender of child sex-rejection surgeries "fights from the heart and knows how to win."Warren appears to have gifted Flanagan with something even better than her endorsement: not being a real Indian.'Elizabeth Warren is doing a land acknowledgment on Flanagan's head.'The Massachusetts senator spent decades masquerading as an American Indian for apparent personal gain. Warren:claimed "American Indian" status on her State Bar of Texas registration card while working at the University of Texas School of Law;compelled University of Pennsylvania Law School to list her ethnicity as "Native American" rather than "white"; was identified as an American Indian at Harvard Law School; and contributed recipes to the 1984 cookbook "Pow Wow Chow," described as a compilation of "recipes passed down through the Five Tribes families."When first running for the U.S. Senate in 2012, Warren told reporters, "Being Native American has been part of my story, I guess, since the day I was born."The sham was exposed, however, thanks in part to President Donald Trump, who famously challenged Warren, whom he called "Pocahontas," to get a DNA test to prove she is Native American. The results revealed that she is only 1/1,024th Native American, if at all.RELATED: Here are North America's top 5 fake Indians David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesWarren's identity crisis has presented Flanagan with an opportunity to characterize her potential win in November as historic.Although she was raised by her white mother, Flanagan appears to have embraced the cause of her late father, Marvin Manypenny — an American Indian sovereignty activist who grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota.While Flanagan has certainly played up her Indian heritage throughout her political career, she is leaning especially hard into it ahead of the midterms.The Senate candidate — who in 2020 joined Warren at the Democratic National Convention's Native American Caucus meeting — recently donned her bead earrings and told the transvestite Minnesota state representative formerly known as Christopher Finke (DFL) that she is a member of White Earth and her "family is the Wolf Clan."Flanagan's campaign site similarly emphasizes her identity, stating, "Born into an Indigenous and Irish family, Peggy is Ojibwe and a member of the White Earth Nation. Her Anishinaabe name means 'speaks in a loud and clear voice woman.'"In a July 15 post, Flanagan wrote, "In almost 250 years, there’s never been a Native woman serving in the U.S. Senate. I’m thinking of my daughter — who just got her first jingle dress — and whether or not she will see Indigenous women in all parts of our government."After Flanagan won her party's nomination on Tuesday, her campaign fundraising operation sent out a variation of this message, stating, "Friend, in almost 250 years, there’s never been a Native woman serving in the U.S. Senate. It’s time to change that," reported the New York Post.Flanagan's quest to take Warren's unofficial former title prompted some mockery online."Has anybody checked on Elizabeth Warren?" the Republican Party wrote on X.Michigan College Republicans shared an AI illustration of Warren weeping in traditional Native American attire."Elizabeth Warren is doing a land acknowledgment on Flanagan's head," joked New York Post columnist Kirsten Fleming.Warren's office did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.The Republican set to face off with Flanagan in the general election is Michele Tafoya, an award-winning sports journalist who wants tax cuts, the deportation of foreign fraudsters and illegal aliens, stronger elections, and men out of women's sports.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Florida male threatened and began beating up a homeowner in a Fort Pierce mobile home park earlier this week, but police said the victim pulled a gun, fired once, and ended the threat.The shooting occurred at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Seminole Mobile Home Park, WPEC-TV reported.The sheriff told WFLX-TV the victim 'shot the suspect ... point blank in the chest.'St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard R. Del Toro told the station the two men knew each other and had been involved in a dispute that included verbal arguments and threatening text messages.Investigators said the 37-year-old suspect — who has yet to be identified — made several threats before showing up at the home of the 22-year-old man, WPEC noted.Deputies said the 37-year-old knocked on the front door and was let inside before a brawl broke out, the station said.Investigators said the suspect pushed the 22-year-old homeowner and punched him several times in the stomach, WPEC reported."The victim disengaged ... pulled out a handgun, shot one time, and the threat was over," Del Toro told the station.The sheriff told WFLX-TV the victim "shot the suspect ... point blank in the chest." The suspect was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, WPEC reported."It's not fair, because my son has no father now. He's 5 years old, and what am I gonna tell him? We didn't even get to say goodbye," Naomi Pallarez, the girlfriend of the man who died, told WPEC.Del Toro told WPEC the homeowner remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators; the homeowner's girlfriend and sister also were inside the residence and provided corroborating statements.Deputies recovered the handgun after executing a search warrant at the residence, WPEC said.No charges have been filed against the homeowner, WPEC reported, adding that investigators are working with the State Attorney's Office to determine if the shooting falls under Florida's stand-your-ground self-defense law."Obviously, you have to be in defense of yourself, but at the same time, you have to be in fear for your life anytime you're going to use deadly force," Del Toro added to the station.More from WPEC:The sheriff said the suspect had a criminal history, including drug-related and resisting-officer charges, domestic violence-related charges, and three felony convictions. He stressed that the man's criminal history was not a reason for him to be killed.The suspect's name has not been released because investigators have not yet notified his next of kin, WPEC said."I am very much heartbroken," Pallarez told WPEC. "And now I'm a single mom."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The summer before my freshman year of college, my 18-year-old brain was wholly devoted to two things: relishing the last delicious bits of time with high school friends and the equally important endeavor of curating the perfect dorm room aesthetic.The “it” color that summer was mint green. My chosen vibe was (I giggle as I write this) “shabby chic” — because there’s nothing like a 168-square-foot cinder-block prison cell draped in lace and florals.Hiring an interior designer to curate a perfectly polished, bespoke dorm room robs a girl of the trial-and-error experience of honing her unique brand of beauty.Once my Pinterest mood board was created, I enlisted my poor mother, who — bless her — cheered and abetted all my fantastical pursuits, to help. I dragged her to various home goods retailers, craft stores, and antique malls until we had what we needed to realize my vision of weathered eleganceWhen move-in day arrived, we utterly transformed the sterile gray box into a twinkle-lit sanctuary. Floral craft paper taped over cinder blocks became “vintage wallpaper.” Ornate gold picture frames hung with Command hooks created a “gallery wall.” Gauzy fabric thumbtacked into drop ceiling tiles served as a “bed canopy.”I know what you’re thinking: This is ridiculous.Reader, I couldn’t agree more. It was ridiculous — but it was fun, wildly creative, and one of my most cherished memories to date.Judge me if you must, but hold your scrutiny until I tell you what some students are doing with their dorm rooms today.A growing trend that is delighting some and incensing most involves hiring professionals to create custom “home” designs for college students. In other words, dorm room interior design is now a legitimate professional service.Inside the full-service dorm design experienceWhat does hiring a dorm room interior designer involve? As it turns out, quite a lot.It begins with a consultation — sometimes, depending on the company you opt for, multiple consultations. This is where the details of the project are ironed out: room dimensions, timelines, budgets, and, most importantly, vibes. Identifying and capturing one’s stated personal style is, of course, at the heart of these operations.Then comes procurement.But most of these designers, certainly the high-end ones, aren’t plucking knickknacks off Target and TJ Maxx shelves. “Mainstream” and “mass-produced” tend not to be in the vocabularies of the Southern belles who make up the overwhelming majority of dorm room designers’ clientele.It’s only natural that an elevated experience would involve elevated items — and that’s exactly what most of these designers purchase or commission on behalf of their clients. A combination of custom headboards, made-to-fit cabinets, accent walls, and high-end furniture pieces paired with custom drapes, original artwork, monogrammed textiles, and specialty lighting ensure that each girl (or exceedingly rare male) gets a luxurious and one-of-a-kind living space.Shelly Gates, the founder of Mary Margaret Designs, a design firm specializing in college dorm rooms, works directly with a “carpenter, seamstress, and handyman” to pull off her elaborate custom work.“It definitely takes a village to get those dorm rooms together,” she told House Beautiful.And it’s no wonder. Here’s an example of a dorm room she decorated at the University of Alabama: See on Instagram Designer Ginger Curtis put it more bluntly to the New York Times: “We’re moving away from Ikea and getting the opposite of fast furniture.” Ginger is the founder of Urbanology Designs, a high-end Dallas-based interior design firm that has expanded into decorating luxury college dorm rooms because the demand is there.Is it really, though? Is there actually a viable market for dorm room interior design?Oh, yes — but with one critical distinction.The demand is real — and growingFor starters, shelling out cash for dorm rooms is trending upward. The National Retail Federation projects college students and their families will spend a record $103.5 billion on back-to-school supplies this year — up from $88.8 billion the year prior. $14 billion of that is expected to be spent on dorm room or apartment furnishings alone.Is this increase in expected spending caused by higher prices? Without a doubt — but the fact that there are now several companies specializing in transforming standard dorm rooms into luxury suites suggests that rising expectations are also a factor.Business does seem to be booming for these niche designers, too.Mary Margaret Designs, Gates explained in the same House Beautiful interview, started as a summer side hustle when she was a teacher. But when the business “exploded,” she made it her full-time gig. According to the Independent, she “now has a wait list stretching two to three years.”Eden Bowen Montgomery, founder of dorm room design firm Essentials with Eden (a hilariously ironic name), had built such an empire by 2024 that she had to hire a seasonal staff of 25 employees.But it’s important to note that this particular design service is not trending across the nation. Its popularity is specifically concentrated in the South. Montgomery, Gates, Curtis, and Dawn Thomas (After Five Designs founder and pioneer of the high-end dorm room design trend) are all based in the South and primarily serve large Southern state schools, including Ole Miss, the University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, Mississippi State, and Southern Methodist University in Texas.It’s not lost on me that all of these schools are famous for their intense Greek-life cultures. I’m not here to cast aspersions on sororities, but I think it’s fair to say that the modern ones are not known for cultivating the values of moderation or restraint. It fits that the exclusive clubs notorious for choreographed RushTok dances and five-figure designer rush outfits would also sustain a thriving dorm-room design industry.RELATED: This new app for new moms is a game-changer ArtistGNDphotography/Getty ImagesDelivery, installation, and the big revealThe entire elaborate design process wraps up with transportation and installation. A delivery truck packed full of custom furnishings and décor arrives on campus along with the designer and an install team, who ensure that the lucky girl(s) has a thrilling turnkey experience. Here’s an example of the final stages from Mary Margaret Designs: See on Instagram But the cherry on top, of course, is the big reveal, where the girls are often filmed reacting to their renovated dorm rooms. This filming process is worth noting, I think, because it captures what almost certainly fuels the entire dorm room design industry and the sorority culture it primarily serves: Instagramability. For a tragic majority of today’s youth, an exciting experience is only that if other people are watching.Here’s an example of the grand finale from Thomas’ After Five Designs: See on Instagram The price tagNow for the really fun part: the bill. What do these dramatic dorm room makeovers cost?It’s a spectrum, but on the low end, roughly $5,000 per student. According to the New York Times, a full room makeover from Essentials with Eden will run parents “about $10,000 per room ($5,000 per student)”; Curtis’ Urbanology averages between “$7,000 to $8,000, though the costs can grow much higher.”Mary Margaret Designs, says People magazine, “charges between $5,000 and $20,000 to make over collegiate living spaces.”As the New York Times aptly put it, college living has acquired “the Gilded Versailles Touch.”The part that actually bothers meI’m not going to bore you with the obvious critique: that dorm room interior design that costs more than some home down payments is nauseatingly extravagant. Nor will I indulge in the predictable lament that such obnoxious luxury sets kids up for crushed expectations in a world where AI gobbles up industries like potato chips and home ownership is out of reach for the majority of young Americans.Instead, I want to focus on a less evident but equally important problem. Wanting a fabulous dorm room isn’t the issue for me. I think the introduction of this article makes that quite clear. Rather, the problem is that hiring an interior designer to curate a perfectly polished, bespoke dorm room robs a girl of the trial-and-error experience of honing her unique brand of beauty.You may think it’s not that deep, but I would argue aesthetics are actually key to a woman’s identity. Embodying and cultivating beauty in the world is central to the female experience. It’s not that men don’t care about or play a role in matters of beauty, but there’s a reason home décor shops, Sephoras, and craft stores are frequented primarily by women.This lifelong search for our own brand of beauty starts when we are toddlers trying on our mother’s heels and lipstick. In middle school, it looks like rearranging our rooms and deciding between the leopard and the floral headband. In high school, it’s experimenting with different eyeliner styles. And in college, it’s obsessing over what our first home apart from our parents will look like. It’s a journey that never ends — and one that’s crucial for becoming a confident, original woman.It’s not trivial to search for one’s personal aesthetic, but it is deeply hollow to outsource that creative process to someone else, especially in our formative years — trading messy uniqueness for vanilla perfection. A girl’s sense of style should be forged in hot pink fire, not in design rooms.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is taking followers inside her egg-freezing journey, sharing videos of hormone injections and encouraging more women to learn about their reproductive options — but BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey believes the conversation is missing something: the truth.While egg freezing is often presented as a path to freedom and control, it glosses over the physical side effects, financial burden, and biological limitations that women will face if they wait to start families.“The path that she is pursuing of political ambition and hoping to have kids via egg freezing and embryo creation in her 40s. Trust me, that is not going to be the path that leads to fulfillment and happiness and satisfaction,” Stuckey says.“In fact, it’s just going to end up leading to a lot of disappointment,” she adds, before citing several studies on the process.“UCLA study found that only 5.7% of women who froze their eggs between 2014 and 2016 actually used them within five to seven years,” she explains.“The whole procedure costs about $12,000 to $15,000 per cycle. This is another thing when people tell me, ‘Oh it’s too expensive to have children, like, that’s why we’re not having kids in this economy.’ And then you have someone who is touting a procedure that can cost you $15,000. It’s a lot,” she says.There are also little-known side effects to freezing your eggs.“The most severe side effect of freezing your eggs is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The ovaries become swollen and very painful,” Stuckey says, noting that up to 20% of women will experience the side effect.And in a 2017 study that “surveyed women who had had their eggs frozen found that 16% had severe regret over the decision two years later; 33% had mild regret.”“When you are injecting yourself with hormones, again, and you are doing things that affect your body that intimately and that seriously, you’re going to have big emotions about it. People don’t talk about it,” she says.And when women wait until their mid-30s to start having children, the list of complications go up.“Maternal age of 35 and older, this is according to the Cleveland Clinic, is associated with a higher likelihood of complications such as high blood pressure, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, miscarriage, C-section,” Stuckey explains.“And that is not just a risk for the mom, it’s also a risk for the baby. Data from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology show that about 53.1% of women under 35 achieved a live birth after one egg retrieval cycle compared with only 4.2% of women over 42,” she continues.“So again, you just can’t beat biology,” she adds.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.