On Thursday, the FDA approved a new daily pill that lowers cholesterol, potentially decreasing the risk of adverse events such as heart attacks or strokes.
<a href="https://www.merck.com/news/mercks-lipfendra-enlicitide-is-the-first-and-only-once-daily-oral-pcsk9-inhibitor-approved-by-the-u-s-fda-to-reduce-ldl-c-in-adults-with-hypercholesterolemia/">Lipfendra</a>, developed by the pharmaceutical company Merck, can significantly reduce <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/about/ldl-and-hdl-cholesterol-and-triglycerides.html">LDL</a> — a type of “bad” cholesterol that can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke — by 56% when compared to placebo at 24 weeks. Clinical trials involving 2,912 people showed the drug can lower LDL levels by 60% with “no difference in side effects between the drug and a placebo” — suggesting a similar success rate to injectable drugs aimed at reducing LDL, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/science/the-fda-approves-a-new-pill-to-slash-cholesterol-levels.html">New York Times</a>.
Lipfendra can reduce LDL levels to 50 or lower, a dramatic decrease from the average adult LDL level of 100. For those with an “above-average risk” for heart attacks or strokes, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend LDL levels below 70. For high-risk patients, LDL should be below 55.
Until now, most medications to lower cholesterol have been injectable. Only 1% of 6 million eligible patients would take these drugs, according to the New York Times, and prices ranged from $500 to $600 a month or more. The result was that even though a PCSK9 inhibitor could potentially reduce heart attack risk by 20% for high-risk patients, few could actually reap the benefits if the prices remained high.
Lipfendra also functions as a PCSK9 inhibitor, but can be taken orally rather than by injection — and also comes with a much smaller price tag. With a price of $315 for a 30-day supply — and without the pain of injection — Lipfendra is being held up as a potential game-changer. Merck spokesperson Julia Cunningham said the drug will be available in a few weeks.
Dr. Christopher Cannon, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said he was “thrilled” by the new drug, and Dr. David Maron, a preventive cardiologist at Stanford, believes it will “make a big difference compared with the cost of injectable PCSK9 inhibitors.”
Currently, Merck is testing Lipfendra to evaluate whether it yields the same results as an injectable drug, blocking PCSK9 and reducing chances of “heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths by 20% in high-risk people.” Dr. Dean Li, president of Merck Research Laboratories, said he is “confident that it will,” per the New York Times. The goal is to make this drug available to all doctors for prescription, not just cardiologists.

FDA Plans To Speed Up Drug Trials With Real-Time Data, AI

FDA Approves New Wonder Drug That Could Fix Your Cholesterol

Health Care

Democrat JoAnna Mendoza, a candidate for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, reportedly followed multiple OnlyFans models, witchcraft accounts, as well as sexually explicit content producers, on her campaign&#8217;s official Instagram account.
According to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/15/us-news/arizona-congressional-dem-hopeful-caught-following-onlyfans-witchcraft-accounts/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=ncl_amplify&amp;utm_campaign=260715-eww_joanna_mendoza_is_horny_on_main&amp;utm_content=ncl-nDDN3hvcwD&amp;utm_term=&amp;_nlid=nDDN3hvcwD&amp;_nhids=ncjX4hv3EHyY9ls">New York Post,</a> Mendoza, who is currently in a dead heat with incumbent Republican Rep. Juan Ciscomani, followed dozens of accounts often sharing sexually explicit content and witchcraft practices.
Mendoza&#8217;s campaign Instagram account has more than 11,000 followers, and she continues to follow several of these questionable and disturbing accounts. According to the Post, transgender-identifying socialist activist Brianna <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bwestbrookaz8/">Westbrook,</a> who made posts &#8220;with BDSM gear and sex toy,&#8221; was &#8220;one of the X-rated follows,&#8221; but the campaign has since unfollowed that account. 
Mendoza&#8217;s campaign also followed two other OnlyFans users, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/misscarriejune/?hl=en">Carriejune Anne Bowlby,</a> as well as <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shaninblake/?hl=en">Shanin Blake</a>. Blake promotes an &#8220;uncensored look into my life,” but does not appear to follow her or Bowlby anymore. 
Nina Desoo was another account Mendoza followed, who has an 18+ Patreon account featuring “adult imagery.” 
Along with accounts featuring adult material, Mendoza&#8217;s did follow witchcraft-based accounts. “Instant Witch,” “Mystic Primrose,” “Eden Energy Medicine,” and “Crystal Spirit Readings” featured content on “beginner witch tips” along with “schools for witches,” reading “energy colors,” and practicing “psychic readings.”
Mendoza also followed “Sarah Elkhaldy – The Alchemist,” who is a leader “of the esoteric arts,” and teaches students how to manifest their “evolutionary potential,” according to the New York Post. 
After the news broke, Mendoza&#8217;s campaign appears to be unfollowing some of these X-rated and witch accounts. The Post captured screenshots.
Mendoza is a Marine veteran who served for two decades and was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mendoza <a href="https://emilyslist.org/candidate/joanna-mendoza/">served</a> as the executive director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress and was employed at a consulting firm. Her most recent job was as the executive director at VetsForward, and she has led veteran-driven movements. Now, she hopes to unseat Ciscomani, and the race is currently a toss-up, per <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cook Political Report</a>.

Image 7-15-26 at 3.13 PM

The Dem Candidate Upended By Witchcraft And Porn

OnlyFans

Witchcraft

The FDNY believes the fire that burned a Brooklyn church built in 1853 was intentionally set, and New York City officials began the demolition of the building on Tuesday despite the congregation&#8217;s objections. 

After <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/173-year-old-church-burned-down-its-not-the-first-in-recent-months?author=Trinity+Gentry&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=173-Year-Old+Church+Burned+Down.+It%E2%80%99s+Not+The+First+In+Recent+Months.">flames engulfed</a> the South Bushwick Reformed Church, an active congregation, on June 19, church engineers said that the building required only a partial demolition, but the NYC Department of Buildings pushed for a full demolition, originally scheduling it for August. Now, the Department of Buildings, headed by Ahmed Tigani — a practicing Muslim — is demolishing the historic building this week, according to <a href="https://www.brownstoner.com/development/south-bushwick-reformed-church-855-bushwick-avenue-dob-full-demolition/">Brownstoner</a>.
During a Zoom meeting on Monday, which included representatives from the Department of Buildings, the church, and others, the city said demolition would begin this week. City officials have maintained that the church&#8217;s engineers never provided a plan to &#8220;safely stabilize the structure&#8221; that would allow a partial demolition instead of a full teardown. Dina Alfano of the Bushwick Historic Preservation Association, who has worked with the church to save the historic landmark, said the new deadline was impossible to meet.
“That left us basically less than half a day to try to get a team in there to get them the remaining information they needed,” Alfano said. “The long and the short of it is that it just wasn’t possible with the time constraints to get them what they wanted.”
In a statement on Tuesday, the church&#8217;s pastor, James Steward, lamented: &#8220;It is with extremely heavy hearts that the South Bushwick Church reports that, despite its best efforts, we have been informed that demolition of the remaining structures at 855 Bushwick will commence tomorrow.”
Steward was told that a full demolition would likely strip the property of its landmark status. Without that protection, the cleared lot could be sold to a developer — and because the cost of the teardown is expected to exceed the $15,000 raised through the church&#8217;s <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-south-bushwicks-fire-rebuild">GoFundMe</a>, the congregation may be left unable to rebuild and forced to sell. The fundraiser was originally started to save and rebuild the building.
Upon hearing that the FDNY was investigating arson, Steward said that the church has “no known enemies&#8221; and that learning the fire was intentionally set has deepened the community&#8217;s grief. Until the fire, the church community met weekly in the historic building, which was also used as an event space and food pantry. 
The <a href="https://www.fundforsacredplaces.org/participants/south-bushwick-reformed-church/">church</a> building was prized for its combination of the Greek Revival style and Georgian-inspired tower and steeple. Its first congregation was made up of 20 families from neighboring farms. The building also anchored the community that grew around it. As one of only eight “wooden landmarked houses of worship in New York City,” the church hosted community events, such as “youth performing arts classes, vocal academies, open mic nights, and an art expo.”
The loss of an influential building that had fostered a strong community has left residents heartbroken and confused. 
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s messed up. This church has been here forever. My aunt got married in this church,&#8221; local resident Marcel Sanabria told CBS News.
Helena Munoz, another community member, said the tragedy was “incredibly upsetting.”
“If it is arson then that would be really shocking and upsetting because, like you said, it&#8217;s an historic landmark and it means a lot to people,” Munoz added.

Collage

Mamdani’s NYC Moves To Quickly Demolish Historic Church Burned In Suspected Arson Attack

Arson

Church

South Bushwick Reformed Church

Investigators have not ruled out arson in the fire that destroyed a historic Brooklyn church last month, the latest in a series of recent incidents involving New York City churches. 
The June 19 fire destroyed the steeple of South Bushwick Reformed Church, causing it to collapse. Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage of a person seen leaving the area shortly before the fire,  according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/12/us-news/investigators-probing-possible-arson-in-blaze-that-tore-through-landmarked-173-year-old-nyc-church/">New York Post.</a> 
The church, which was built in 1853, sustained extensive damage, complicating investigators&#8217; efforts to determine the cause of the blaze.  
On July 8, a man was arrested after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at two different houses of worship in Queens, according to <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/man-arrested-allegedly-throwing-molotov-cocktails-queens-houses/story?id=134617313">ABC News</a>. Around 11:35 p.m., the NYPD 102nd Precinct received a call about a man throwing an &#8220;incendiary device” at the Iglesia Bautista El Mesias Church in Ozone Park. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
A man has been arrested for allegedly firebombing two New York City churches late Wednesday night. The suspect, identified only as a 36-year-old male, was caught on video throwing Molotov cocktails at the Iglesia Bautista El Mesias church and the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah&#8217;s… <a href="https://t.co/mvAkurXU7R">pic.twitter.com/mvAkurXU7R</a>
— D. Scott @eclipsethis2003 (@eclipsethis2003) <a href="https://x.com/eclipsethis2003/status/2075565066699632955?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Authorities arrested a 36-year-old man after he allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at two Queens churches and another nearby building.  
In April, a 138-year-old church in Astoria was destroyed by a five-alarm fire that remains under investigation. 
The recent incidents have prompted criticism on social media from users who questioned why Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not publicly commented on the fires. 
Another post again highlighted Mamdani’s silence over the church fires adding, “I wonder why.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Not a single word from Mayor Mamdani on 4 recent &#8220;church fires&#8221; in NYC
I wonder why <a href="https://t.co/I6QgjLhI5r">pic.twitter.com/I6QgjLhI5r</a>
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) <a href="https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/2076143618151141447?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
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173-Year-Old Church Burned Down. It’s Not The First In Recent Months.

Islam

New York

Zohran Mamdani

Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed the Trump administration&#8217;s anti-globalism campaign forward on Monday and took aim at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which Rubio called the “unaccountable arbiter of a new global law.”
The ICC claims it possesses authority to prosecute American officials and servicemen who work for America’s interests. The secretary wrote a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/why-were-dismantling-the-icc-0af0a8a6?mod=hp_opin_pos_2">Wall Street Journal</a> opinion piece on the ICC’s latest affronts to American law. Rubio <a href="https://x.com/SecRubio/status/2076671740407652582?s=20">said</a> the ICC wants to remove America’s sovereignty.
“They believe that they should be in charge of your laws, of your country, your life — and they don’t care whether or not you agree,” Rubio said.
Rubio perceives the ICC’s actions as waging war against the United States under the guise of “international law.” He added that the court is filled with “unelected globalist bureaucrats&#8221; who assert nearly limitless authority.
“The ICC is backed and run by a powerful network of leftist nongovernmental organizations, smug globalists, and hostile Third World governments united by their enmity toward the U.S.,” Rubio wrote.
The ICC has taken action against the United States in recent years, including launching an investigation into “war crimes by members of the United States armed forces” in Afghanistan. 
Last year, major activist groups <a href="https://ccrjustice.org/civil-society-calls-urgent-un-action-denounce-usel-salvador-detention-agreement">pushed the court</a> to prosecute the Trump administration for deporting violent illegal immigrants to El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center. Rubio also pointed out that, last year, a former chief prosecutor of the ICC accused the United States of violating international law by issuing an airstrike against an alleged drug smuggling boat — what the former chief prosecutor claimed was “a crime against humanity.” The former ICC prosecutor also called U.S. servicemen “criminals, not soldiers.” 
“If we stand idle, all of them [American servicemen] would be at the mercy of foreign judges thousands of miles away, facing the constant risk of prosecution and even imprisonment for the so-called ‘crime’ of defending their own country,” Rubio added in a video released Monday.
The State Department also released a <a href="https://www.state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesperson/2026/07/state-department-launches-campaign-to-dismantle-international-criminal-courts-threat-to-american-sovereignty/">document</a> on Monday detailing Rubio’s campaign against the ICC, which includes calling on the senior leadership of other nations to discuss the threat the ICC poses and encouraging withdrawal from the international court. Rubio is also pushing for greater scrutiny of nations that continue to comply with the ICC while using U.S. assistance and encouraging other nations not aligned with the ICC to “leverage their diplomatic networks” and take action along with the United States.
The department also imposed visa bans and travel restrictions on ICC personnel and greater sanctions against the ICC and affiliated organizations. 
The ICC was originally established in 2002 to prosecute only the most serious offenses, such as genocide or war crimes, and only if a nation’s court couldn’t prosecute these issues on its own. It marketed itself as a global backdrop, not seeking to interfere with nations’ internal affairs. However, Rubio listed several examples of the ICC overstepping its bounds and seeking to remove America’s sovereignty, in addition to its targeting of the Trump administration over actions taken on immigration and national security concerns. 
<a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260306-us-group-urge-iran-to-grant-icc-jurisdiction-over-apparent-war-crimes/">In March</a>, the American organization Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) told Iran to file a “declaration” to allow the ICC to have “jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory since the war began” against the United States. The ICC has also <a href="https://www.cfr.org/articles/international-criminal-court-prosecutor-threatens-united-states-senators">called for arrest warrants</a> against Israeli officials, and 12 U.S. senators told the ICC that such action would be perceived as a threat to both Israel’s sovereignty and the United States.
“The United States will not tolerate politicized attacks by the ICC on our allies,” the 12 senators wrote in response. “Target Israel and we will target you.” 
The ICC responded in a post on social media, saying that anyone who threatens to retaliate against the court is an “offense against the administration of justice.”

2026 NATO Leaders Summit In Ankara

Marco Rubio Draws A Line Against An International Power Grab

Globalism

International Criminal Court

Marco Rubio

State Department

Trump Administration

Meta dismantled its latest artificial intelligence image-generation feature last Friday, only three days after releasing it. 
Muse Image, a feature that allowed users to create images using public Instagram photos from adult accounts without consent, sustained overwhelming backlash immediately after it went public. Many users were automatically opted in and were unaware that their public accounts were subject to the new feature, and they scrambled to figure out how to turn it off. 
Meta released a statement, saying it received feedback that &#8220;this feature missed the mark,&#8221; and removed it, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/11/meta-ditches-muse-image-ai-feature-instagram-privacy">The Guardian</a>.
“Our intent was to provide a useful creative tool and to give people control ⁠over whether their public content could be referenced in this way,” Meta said.
Meta unveiled Muse Image on Tuesday, <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2026/07/introducing-muse-image-meta-ai/">describing</a> it as the “first image generation model from Meta Superintelligence Labs.” The feature allowed users to generate customized images by tagging an Instagram username, allowing Meta AI to draw from that account&#8217;s public photos.
The feature was available through the Meta AI app, web browser, WhatsApp, and Instagram Stories for users in the United States.
“Whether you want to design a custom event invitation, mock up a collaborative creative concept, or generate a personalized graphic, tagging a username lets Meta AI use public photos to build a visual that’s ready to post,” Meta said.
Adult users with public Instagram accounts were automatically opted in, allowing Meta AI to use their public photos to generate new images unless they opted out. 
In an <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9lee19y1yo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with the BBC</a>, Donald Campbell, advocacy director at tech justice non-profit Foxglove, said Meta’s move was an “obvious recipe for disaster,” pointing out that there have already been &#8220;a catalogue of harms from non-consensual AI-altered images on social platforms just in the past year.&#8221;
“It is hard to see why Mark Zuckerberg thinks facilitating yet more of this creepy image manipulation is a good idea,” Campbell said.
Many users complained they had not been asked for permission before being enrolled and said the opt-out option was difficult to find.
“Went to opt out but there was only one toggle for reels for me (which I already had switched off) and not one for posts, hopefully they’re just rolling it out gradually and it’ll be there when I check back later,” one Instagram user wrote.
Another user said, “Would be fab if our [government] were keeping an eye on stuff like this.”

Photo Illustrations  Meta Launches Muse Image

Meta Removes Concerning Instagram AI Feature After Severe Backlash

Business

Instagram

Mark Zuckerberg

Technology

A naked man was arrested this weekend after he almost kidnapped a 7-year-old girl on vacation with her family in Portland, Oregon.
While the <a href="https://www.kptv.com/2026/07/12/naked-man-arrested-trying-kidnap-7-year-old-girl-mother-portlands-waterfront-park/">family was visiting</a> the Tom McCall Waterfront Park on Saturday around 7 p.m., a man who had been running around completely naked in the park for 10 minutes grabbed the girl’s arm. He attempted to snatch her from the mother, who held onto the other arm. The struggle escalated until the girl was lifted off the ground as the two fought over her.
The father and a bystander sprang into action, striking the man. Another bystander pepper-sprayed the attacker, who then jumped into the Willamette River.
Portland Police Bureau officers were sent from the North Precinct. They found the naked man still swimming in the river.
Identified as 31-year-old Daniel Vasey, officers pulled him from the river and arrested Vasey on several charges, including first- and second-degree attempted kidnapping and third-degree assault. Vasey was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.
The girl sustained minor injuries, according to the police, with the paramedics treating her scratches. She was not transported to a hospital. 
Roughly 12 minutes before the alleged kidnapping, officers had received calls about a naked man running around the park. One caller said the man tried to punch him in the head. The officers were busy responding to other calls and were unable to immediately respond, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/13/us-news/naked-man-tries-to-kidnap-7-year-old-tourist-from-mother-at-portland-park-bystanders-intervene/">according</a> to the New York Post. 
The family was on vacation from Michigan, according to Fox 12 Oregon.

Portland Naked man copy

Naked Man Nearly Kidnaps 7-Year-Old In Front Of Family At Park

Naked Man Nearly Kidnaps 7-Year-Old In Park In Front Of Family

kidnapped

Portland

Democrats don&#8217;t know what to make of young men — look no further than their catastrophic attempts to sanitize <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/platner-caves-suspends-senate-campaign">Graham Platner</a> as proof — but finding a figure who resonates with guys isn&#8217;t that hard. In fact, there&#8217;s a Hollywood star whose roles always seem to connect with men. Of course, it&#8217;s Ryan Gosling.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ryan-gosling-breathes-new-life-into-a-tired-genre-with-project-hail-mary">“Project Hail Mary,”</a> whose screen time was dominated primarily by Gosling and a puppeteered alien, scored the <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/project-hail-mary-box-office-biggest-debut-2026-amazon-mgm-record-1236696247/">biggest opening weekend</a> this year for a non-franchise film. Making $683.3 million worldwide, the movie also received 94% on <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/project_hail_mary">Rotten Tomatoes</a>. The film&#8217;s success is due in no small part to Gosling, who has become one of the most beloved and relatable actors in Hollywood. 
Back in 2023, Gosling stole the show in “Barbie.” Gosling’s Ken struck a chord with young men across America. Guys would <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DRAsX0EEj9v/">dance and sing</a> to the song “I’m Just Ken,” ironically or earnestly expressing the pressures and pent up feelings a feminized America has wrought on them over the years with <a href="https://genius.com/Ryan-gosling-im-just-ken-lyrics">lyrics</a> such as “Doesn&#8217;t seem to matter what I do, I&#8217;m always number two,” and “No one knows how hard I tried.”
Songwriter Mark Ronson, who co-wrote “I’m just Ken” with Gosling, said the song “has helped young boys emotionally.”
“The song tells boys that it&#8217;s OK to be runner-up,” Ronson <a href="https://www.music-news.com/news/UK/171602/Mark-Ronson-I-m-Just-Ken-has-helped-young-boys-emotionally">said</a>. “The internet’s caused a level of isolation in boys and this idea of male camaraderie and sharing your feelings is a nice and unexpected thing to come out of it.”
Gosling&#8217;s relatability has also turned him into a meme. In <a href="https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/literally-me-syndrome-wow-this-is-literally-me">2018</a>, the &#8220;literally me&#8221; meme began with a post on Facebook comparing a nerdy boy on his computer to five popular male characters of the “loner” archetype. &#8220;Wow, this is literally me,&#8221; he thinks. It became wildly popular.
Gosling is now a frequent feature in variations of the meme. One person on Reddit <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/16g1ejn/what_is_going_on_with_the_ryan_gosling_is/">explained</a> it this way: &#8220;[H]e plays a lot of characters who are awkward, quiet, lonely/struggling romantically, and/or depressed (most notably the Driver in Drive and Officer K in Blade Runner 2049, but Ken fits too), and given that he&#8217;s also quite good looking, wears stylish costumes, and is portrayed as a cool badass despite those relatable flaws, he&#8217;s ripe for disaffected young men to semi-ironically, semi-not heavily relate to him.&#8221;
In the “literally me” trend, guys post jokes about their <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMXgwwjgE1Z/">inability to talk</a> with their female peers, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNcgCIkRI2u/">loneliness</a>, and lack of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6XNiWOI-ht/">compliments,</a> with one comment asking, “Y’all are getting compliments at all???” 
Through internet culture, this loner archetype evolved into the “sigma male,” a romanticized version of the lone wolf. Alt-right writer <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-sigma-male-8655129">Theodore Beale</a> coined the term in 2010. “They are characterized by their autonomy, self-sufficiency, and preference for solitude, making them intriguing figures who don’t fit neatly into established social categories,” Beale said. 
Young men <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnGaJ3G-4cI">connect with Gosling</a> so well because his characters in films such as “Drive” and “Blade Runner 2049” are alone, can&#8217;t express their feelings, and struggle to find love. This pain of inadequacy and isolation is romanticized. Gosling&#8217;s roles idealize being alone, fully self-sufficient, and not “needing” anyone.
But that life is actually exhausting, and you can see this exhaustion played out. Gosling is the face of the “modern loner” with a thousand-yard stare. 
“He’s not just one guy,” the host of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnGaJ3G-4cI">Reel Emotion</a> said. “He’s everyone who’s ever looked out a window and wondered if anyone cared.”
The pain of Gosling’s characters in these films is further amplified by the fact that they remain alone — the world reminding them that it’s “not for them.”
“That’s why people keep editing Ryan Gosling in all these sad edits,” Reel Emotion said. “To impersonate something that we’ve all felt.”
Lately, Gosling&#8217;s films have shifted from merely relatable to more aspirational. Gosling’s move from lone-wolf characters to men who find happiness in relationships comes after his marriage in 2022. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWEMsjDDwlM/">In an interview</a>, Gosling said becoming a father changed his perspective on his career, making him want to create films that he can bring his whole family to.
&#8220;Project Hail Mary,&#8221; he said in an interview, is “so hopeful as well, which, I think, is what I really responded to. This idea of ‘okay enough with the dystopian future ideas that are so bleak and offer no solutions.’”
Journalist Anthony Breznican wrote for Esquire that “Project Hail Mary” is actually about <a href="https://esquire.com.au/project-hail-mary-male-loneliness?page_data=1">“male loneliness.”</a> Men specifically struggle with forming and maintaining deep friendships with other men.
“We believe in that old maxim, ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed,’ and we’re there for that 100 percent — as long as we’re not the one ‘in need,’” Breznican said.
In the film, Dr. Ryland Grace, played by Gosling, sounds like many lonely young men today. 
“I didn’t have much of a social life back when things were normal,” Grace says. “Sometimes I’d grab dinner with other faculty and staff at the school. I’d have the occasional Saturday-night beer with old college friends.”
Then, Grace finds “Rocky,” an unlikely alien friend reminiscent of E.T. They develop a deep connection that stems from each of them bearing the weight of a civilization on his shoulders. With a seemingly impossible task and a shared mission, they develop a bond. 
The 2024 film “The Fall Guy,” an action-packed comedy with a surprisingly well-designed plot, is similarly driven by a relationship. Gosling’s character, Colt Seavers, starts out in a wonderful relationship with Jody Moreno, “the girl of his dreams,” until he gets in an accident that ruins his stuntman career. Then, he hides and abandons her. When they get reintroduced, there’s tension and a lot of effort from Seavers to heal the relationship matched by plenty of distrust from Moreno.
Seavers works to save her production and clear his name, which culminates in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mczCiT1fe2E">confession of his feelings</a> toward her. This scene is the moment he finally decides to be <a href="https://winterstjames.com/bomb-bastic-action-meets-chivalrous-love-a-critique-of-the-fall-guy-movie/">vulnerable</a>, expressing how stuntmen are trained to be &#8220;invincible&#8221; and never admit to pain, always giving the thumbs-up.
Journalist Jeffery Zaslow wrote in the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304620304575166090090482912">Wall Street Journal</a> that guys tend to form bonds by doing things together. They don’t often share their emotions or insecurities with each other, but will with their wife or close female friends. This dynamic plays out in “The Fall Guy” and “Project Hail Mary.” Seavers confesses his love for Jody; Grace sacrifices his future for Rocky. One pours his heart out; the other shows he cares by his actions. 
“Researchers say women&#8217;s friendships are face to face: They talk, cry together, share secrets,” Zaslow writes. “Men&#8217;s friendships are side by side: We play golf. We go to football games.”
This doesn’t mean guys don&#8217;t express emotions to each other. Grace, when the mission is completed and he and Rocky are going their separate ways, feels sad in what should be a joyous moment. When Rocky asks why, Grace — in the book from which the film is adapted — says, “You’re my friend. Heck, you’re my best friend. And pretty soon we’re going to say goodbye forever.”
More boys and young men want to see male characters in caring and affectionate fatherly roles. “Today’s youth want to see boys and men portrayed on screen showing emotional connection and vulnerability and moving away from isolation and other masculine stereotypes,” according to <a href="https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/gen-z-gen-alpha-evolving-masculinity-in-movies-tv">UCLA research</a>. They want masculinity defined by “emotional availability” and &#8220;joyful connection,” instead of the lone wolf archetype. From ages 15 to 24, men look for films with nurturing and emotionally available men, demonstrating &#8220;positive models of masculinity.”
In a culture that says holding a door open for a woman is “toxic masculinity,” young men are confused and frustrated. Gosling is helping them understand their struggles and pointing to a better path. He gives an example of masculinity in his films that is healthy, nurturing, and vulnerable. No wonder so many guys say, &#8220;He&#8217;s literally me.&#8221;
***
This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

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The Secret Behind Ryan Gosling’s Grip On Young Men

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A passenger was partially sucked out of a shattered airplane window on a Ryanair flight Friday after debris from the plane&#8217;s engine smashed through the cabin shortly after takeoff, according to multiple reports.
The <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/10/world-news/ryanair-passenger-almost-sucked-out-of-plane-cabin-after-window-shatters-on-germany-bound-flight-reports/">Boeing 737-800</a> had climbed to over 16,000 feet when pieces of the plane’s engine broke away and shattered the window next to a 61-year-old Serbian passenger. His head and shoulders were forced through the opening, but his wife and passengers <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgk65knkyzdo">held</a> onto his legs for several minutes until the aircraft descended and the cabin pressure stabilized.
“Fortunately, he hadn&#8217;t taken off his seat belt,&#8221; one witness said.
The flight departed Greece at 5:55 a.m. bound for Germany. About 10 minutes later, the aircraft rapidly descended nearly 10,000 feet after the engine debris struck the window. 
Passengers said they heard a sound “like a tire bursting” during the incident. 
&#8220;We immediately realized there had been a decompression,” a passenger named Christina told Radio Thessaloniki. “There were screams … for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door.”
Masks dropped in the aircraft, and there was a “strong smell.”
&#8220;We thought the plane was going down,” another passenger named Sofia told Radio Thessaloniki. “The decompression was extreme. It felt like we couldn&#8217;t breathe. The man who was injured was bleeding and then lost consciousness several times, most likely because of the lack of oxygen and the shock.”
The plane returned to Thessaloniki in Greece, and the passengers were rebooked on another flight. 
The passenger sustained friction burns and remained hospitalized but conscious, according to Michalis Giannakos, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees. 
The incident drew comparisons to a Southwest Airlines flight <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/apr/17/philadelphia-plane-emergency-southwest-landing-engine-explosion-latest">in 2018</a>, when engine debris shattered a cabin window at 32,000 feet. A passenger was partially pulled from the aircraft before fellow travelers brought her back inside. She later died from her injuries.

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Man Almost Sucked Out Of Shattered Plane Window At 20,000 Feet

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Donald Trump says he will “immediately” ask the Supreme Court to rehear the birthright citizenship case, calling the ruling a &#8220;miscarriage of justice.&#8221; 
In a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116886461770041376">post</a> on Wednesday, the president wrote, &#8220;I will be asking for a Rehearing by the United States Supreme Court, IMMEDIATELY. This miscarriage of justice will destroy America if they don’t change their absolutely insane decision.&#8221;
The Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rules-against-trump-in-birthright-citizenship-case">ruled in June</a> that children born in the United States are subject to its jurisdiction and are citizens at birth. “Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights — to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,&#8217;” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “We keep that promise today.”
Trump’s <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/08/trump-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-rehearing.html">executive order</a>, signed on January 20, 2025, aimed to eliminate immediate birthright citizenship for children whose parents are illegal immigrants or who are living in the U.S. on temporary visas. The Supreme Court ruled that birthright citizenship is protected by the 14th Amendment. 

Trump&#8217;s post followed viral images of a <a href="https://x.com/nicksortor/status/2074973721853567201?s=20">billboard</a> near the border advertising &#8220;birth packages in South Texas,&#8221; which directed viewers to the website “<a href="http://havemybabyintexas.com/">havemybabyinTEXAS.com</a>.”
“Signs and Billboards are being put up all over our Southern Border, and Mexico, advertising BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, with ‘Deliveries starting at $4000,’” Trump said. “Billions of Dollars will be illegally made by this SCAM, with Citizenship going to anyone willing to pay.”
The <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-of-us-citizens/bringing-parents-to-live-in-the-united-states-as-permanent-residents">law</a> also permits the entire families of these citizens into the nation, something Trump asserted is “not sustainable.” 
The Supreme Court has not granted a rehearing in an argued case since 1965. It has reversed itself on rehearing only once, in a 1957 <a href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/354/1/">case</a> over the court-martial of two American civilians overseas.
Trump’s move is a long shot, but many on the Right argue it&#8217;s necessary to advance the President&#8217;s immigration agenda. D. John Sauer, the 49th Solicitor General of the United States, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/01/trump-birth-tourism-supreme-court">said</a> that “no one knows for sure” how rampant birth tourism is. The Center for Immigration Studies said that there are 20,000 to 26,000 births by women on tourist visas annually.

Supreme Court Backs Birthright Citizenship In Blow To Trump

Trump Refuses To Let Birthright Citizenship Fight End

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The <a href="https://pcusa.org/news-storytelling/news/2026/6/3/ga227s-gender-and-sexuality-justice-committee-consider-wide-swath-proposals-many-related-healthcare">Presbyterian Church USA</a> (PCUSA) voted last week to support access to &#8220;all medically necessary, evidence-based gender-affirming healthcare&#8221; for all individuals, including minors.
Presented by the <a href="https://www.cherokeepresbytery.org/">Cherokee Presbytery</a> during the 227th General Assembly, the overture builds on the PCUSA’s existing non-discrimination policy regarding gender identity and sexual orientation by declaring support for access to “gender-affirming healthcare.” The organization views the <a href="https://www.kff.org/lgbtq/gender-affirming-care-policy-tracker/">27 states</a> banning or limiting youth’s access to life-altering gender procedures as banning “healthcare for minors.” 
The Cherokee Presbytery presented the overture: “Declare that the PCUSA supports all individuals, including minors, to have access to all medically necessary, evidence-based gender-affirming healthcare.”
<a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/pcusa-declares-support-for-trans-surgeries-for-kids.html">Rev. Olivia Lane</a>, moderator of the 227th General Assembly’s Gender and Sexuality Justice Committee, explained that the committee removed the phrase “including minors” from the final text due to concerns that it would be “weaponized to cause further harm to the very children it named.” 
Lane clarified that “all individuals means exactly that. All, without exception, without qualification, and without age limit.”
The “rationale” behind Cherokee Presbytery’s overture states that there are roughly 1.6 million transgender individuals aged 13 and older in the United States. 
“As of April 2024, 38%, or 113,900 trans youth aged 13-17 are living in the 24 states that have passed bans on gender-affirming care,” the <a href="https://myga.pc-biz.org/search/3001421">rationale said</a>. 
The rationale asserted that these statistics do not include the “thousands of pre-teen youths who could benefit from hormone blockers to prevent these individuals from going through the ‘wrong’ puberty” — a statement that contradicts <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2019%3A3-5&amp;version=CSB">multiple </a><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139%3A13&amp;version=CSBA">passages</a> in the Bible.
“Gender-affirming care is age-appropriate care that is medically necessary and evidence based for the well-being of many transgender, non-binary, and gender-expansive people who experience symptoms of gender dysphoria or distress that result from having one’s gender identity not match their sex assigned at birth,” according to the rationale.
However, the argument that transgender surgeries are medically necessary or help patients has been <a href="https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/sex-reassignment-doesnt-work-here-the-evidence">proven false</a> for <a href="https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2020/02/60143/">some time</a>. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0016885">One study</a> found that “sex-reassigned persons,” in comparison to those maintaining their biological sex, had higher rates of suicide, higher suicide attempts, and increased need for psychiatric inpatient care.

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A Major Church’s Vote On Transgender Mutilation Of Kids Is Dividing Christians

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Marsha Blackburn&#8217;s first appearance on the Tennessee airwaves as she ramps up her run for governor features her literally crushing Chinese fortune cookies.
The longtime Republican lawmaker who just over a year ago was reelected to the U.S. Senate dropped her first statewide ad in her campaign for governor on Wednesday, and is using the spot to promise voters that she will fight to &#8220;protect Tennessee land from Chinese front companies.&#8221;
&#8220;How hard am I gonna crack down on China? Well, here’s a clue,&#8221; Blackburn says as she smashes fortune cookies revealing her campaign promises. &#8220;It doesn&#8217;t take a fortune cookie to figure it out: here in Tennessee we’re going to stop Communist China and protect Tennessee land.&#8221;
Blackburn has voiced her views on China in the House of Representatives since <a href="https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/taking-on-china-since-day-one-senator-blackburn-s-record">2003</a> when she recognized the threat of Chinese intellectual property theft. In the ad, Blackburn promises to work with the Trump administration to continue the fight.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J_0yvB16y4M?si=MZG8BCszAVKNnJBb" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
This video is reminiscent of her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YCw15PHHLQ">campaign ad</a> for re-election as Senator, where she broke “China” plates, asserting that China was buying up land.
Blackburn told The Daily Wire that she views Tennessee as &#8220;America&#8217;s conservative leader&#8221; and wants to lead the way on the important issue of cracking down on Chinese incursions into the country.
“As I&#8217;ve said from the beginning, Tennessee should be America’s conservative leader, and one of the places that we can — and should — lead is in showing the rest of America how to stand up to and confront Communist China,” Blackburn said. “As governor, I&#8217;ll work with the legislators to tighten up those loopholes and hunt down every adversary who tries to get a foothold in our state.” 
Blackburn’s focus on preventing the CCP from controlling Tennessee land stems from issues dating back to 2023. Tennessee <a href="https://wpln.org/post/a-new-tennessee-law-blocks-some-immigrants-from-buying-property/">created legislation</a> to stop foreign governments from buying agricultural-land if they are a country sanctioned by the U.S. government. 
The concern over foreign ownership of land was sparked by the fact that the company Walton Tennessee LLC, a &#8220;shell company&#8221; with no significant assets or operations, has bought around 500 acres. Loudon County Mayor <a href="https://www.wate.com/news/top-stories/east-tn-leaders-raise-concern-over-foreign-owned-land-in-loudon-county/">Buddy Bradshaw had said</a> that “it’s not like it’s half-acre lots, we’re looking at a 500-acre tract of some pretty good real estate right there.” The acres run alongside land adjacent to military bases like the McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base.
Walton Tennessee has sold over 100 parcels of land for as cheap as $10 to foreign entities over the past few years. Nationwide, the CCP holdings of U.S. agricultural-land has risen by over <a href="https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/fact-sheet-chinese-communist-party-ccp-ownership-of-agricultural-land-is-a-threat-to-tennessee">5,300% </a>from 2010 to 2020, owning “352,140 acres of U.S. land valued at $1.9 billion.” 
Blackburn is the heavy favorite to be the Republican nominee, with a primary election set for the beginning of August. She was reelected to the U.S. Senate in 2024 by nearly 30 percentage points, and is overwhelmingly popular in the state.

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Marsha Blackburn Crushes Chinese Fortune Cookies In First Ad Of Gov Campaign

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