1542: Digital Dementia

Presbyterian Church in America

In December 1973, delegates, representing some 260 congregations with a combined communicant membership of over 41,000 that had left the PCUS, gathered at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and organized the National Presbyterian Church, which later became the Presbyterian Church in America.[15][16]

3D view of people, including the perpetrator

Media is spinning people up in all sides

There's always a story behind every person.

Be careful of labels.

As for Autism rates rising in California, that makes all sorts of sense. Mothers can get paid, by the state, to be a caregiver for their children who are on the spectrum. It’s a couple of thousand a month per child. I know a mom who had two kids and was getting $5k per month to stay home and care for them.

ATBC

Hey y'all anonymous guy here just alerting you to the fact that the postal service is already super understaffed, but now the company is cutting routes from a k(5 day work week) to js(6 day every other week) (and h (6 days every week) ... For a decrease in pay as well. It's considered a slap in the face to the people have been there very long in their career and people are talking about retiring early or finding a new career ... This data changes every 6 months and the management isn't transparent with the data at all.

Preceding the Restrict Act, on March 2, 2023, the people in control of the Joe Biden administration officially announced that government control of internet content was now officially a part of the national security apparatus.

There was a popular app called Musical.ly with content reminiscent of the original version of TikTok, and Zuckerberg wanted to incorporate that platform into his empire. After 14 months of tough negotiations, ByteDance outbid Zuckerberg for Musical.ly to the tune of $800 million, and that app later merged with the TikTok we have in the US today.

You and John have been discussing the whole TT situation over the last few weeks and I’d like to provide clarification.

Please keep this source of information anonymous, but when the media reports that apps such as TT are now banned from government issued phones/digital devices, it’s a complete nothing burger. Any government issued phone can only be used for work related tasks. All activity is tracked and on most of them, the ability to download/use apps/browser is disabled. Just another statement to make it seem like a proactive step is being taken when actually it has never been allowed in the first place.

There may be a banning of the website on the computer systems, which activity is also tracked and certain websites are flagged and/or disabled.

ITM Adam, extending your brilliant 'silicon valley is over' analysis… (sorry it rambles a bit, it's from a chat and it covers a lot of ground)…

Anyone else draw the line between Adam’s analysis that Silicon Valley’s time is over and the collapse of SVB?

Not to mention, Morgan-Chase up to the same trick, starting the run on SVB, showing us just how the old banks really run everything? And at a snap of their fingers, the great SV software empire could just crumble, EVEN with its value as purveyors of propaganda.

When you lose your grip on control of public opinion, -the system- will flush you away for the new & shiny, with no conscience whatsoever.

With TikTok, the CCP can keep the next (pandemic) round of population conditioning entirely in-house. It’ll be much cheaper than paying off all the shills like last time.

To the point about corporations establishing their own means of exchange… the West might not accept WeChat, but if Musk were working for the CCP, and put up the smokescreen of cleaning up Twitter, Westerners might accept Twitter doing the same thing as WeChat, but without the branding problem.

Explains the panic about TikTok (besides lost ad revenue) - The US also sees its time as a global power is over.

From the user perspective SV is moribund, and with that goes control of public opinion… and any value to -the system-.

Just as corporations slowly transferred all manufacturing to China, -the system- (not the state nor the deep state) moved mind control to China as well. All the innovation happened there, and that’s what Trump was trying to fight, but really had no hope. The machinations and decisions are made way above his head. Even the banks/banking families are merely public functionaries of…

(some say, the ruling families that remain deliberately and entirely invisible). There’s that one (is it?) Swiss family that the guy who appears on Dellingpod won’t name because his wife fears he would be killed for mentioning them.

… what I’m calling -the system-. The State has a somewhat nationalistic focus. The Deep State tries to be loyal to globalists while promoting nationalist goals.

But -the system- sits high above those. Even globalism is a concept that could come and go depending on its usefulness to -the system-. Sovereignty, nations, states, these are all concepts/PR fronts, useful to garner loyalty to a higher cause.

Maybe Musk is, correctly speaking, a functionary for the China-age that’s coming. Even China is just a functionary to -the system-. Musk and CCP must show their value or they’ll be cast aside.

China is a long game, as the US was, but eventually it too will be replaced.

I should have really said Musk works for the China-age, but you see the nuance, and CCP/China are shorthand.

China is playing all warm and fuzzy right now.

We don’t do war, we like economic cooperation. Tiktok is a nice place.

But we see every day in China, how it treats its own people, the iron fist behind that, ‘try us we're different’ velvet glove.

The US might have been like that to begin with, but got desperate and violent when the tide changed, decades ago and we can only see it now.

And buying long term treasuries from the excess.

Lawmakers from the pro-Russia, far-right Freedom Party have walked out of the lower house of Austria’s parliament during a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy addressed the chamber via video link on Thursday, thanking Austria for its humanitarian aid and help with projects such as clearing land mines.

Link

I sent a short note with my first donation but had a little more to share. On Sunday's show you were talking about National Guard (NG) deployments to Syria. I'm a recently retired Sergeant First Class from the MTANG. I can tell you that the majority of the operations in Iraq, Syria, Africa & formerly Afghanistan are conducted by the NG. A large contingent are based in Kuwait and dispursted from there. This has been the case for 20 plus years & as long as these wars are conducted under AUFM's dating back to 2001 instead of a formal declaration of war I don't see this ever changing. The MTANG had soldiers injured from the Iranian missile attack in 2020, I know them personally and one of our units just returned from that area. This is personal to me.

I've been working a grassroots effort in Montana to get legislation passed called Defend the Guard. The law would prevent the Governor from releasing NG soldiers to combat deployments without a formal declaration of war by congress. Senate bill SB560 will be heard in committee on Friday and we need people to call the state senators and tell them to support the bill. We had it proposed in the house last month and it was narrowly defeated by 11 votes. We have 30 co-sponsors supporting SB560. There are about 26 other states that have proposed similar legislation this year and Montana's effort even got mentioned on Tucker Carlson's show. (oh wow) I know this is a long note (not John's favorite) but felt it was important to get this information out there. Hopefully No Agenda Nation can make some calls. Here is a link for people to find out more about this noble cause and sign a petition. https://defendtheguard.us/ Can we get some, pass this legislation karma?

Lastly now that I'm retired I'm looking at starting my own business so entrepreneur karma would also be appreciated.

Thank you for all that you do. You are both a national treasure!

Respectfully,

Tom Jandron

F16s to Ukraine.

Unless you want to use them for one strike and then shit can them, you need to develop support networks to keep them airworthy. You need a maintenance support network and a supply chain of parts and ordinance. Neither of these can be established easily or organically.

Ukraine flies Russian and other non-US aircraft. These aircraft maintenance manuals and flight manuals are written in their native tongue. US manuals are not, and US maintenance practices are much more stringent and precise. This would require vast amounts of training, which would take a lot of time invested, OR a US military or contractor presence to fill this void in order to ensure the airworthiness of the assets. This will not happen quickly without a US presence on the ground.

F16s are easy to fly but hard to fly well. Without any decent training, the untrained pilot would takeoff just fine and either exceed the operating envelope of the airframe or struggle to keep it in the runway. They are great A/G aircraft but really difficult to win in an air to air circle engagement if you don’t have any experience in it. “Learning on the fly” would not bode well when facing off against modern Russian fighters.

Aside from seasoned pilots, a robust maintenance footprint, and a strong supply chain, you need a runway, a hangar and ramp space. Due to the geography of Ukraine, it would be difficult for Russia to not recon these bases and destroy them if they haven’t already.

All in all, without actually being in country, it doesn’t seem feasible for Ukraine to be given F-16s or any other aircraft for that matter. It is a fools bet, and the folks that advocate for it have a very limited understanding of how military aircraft operate.

To further expound on timelines and such , I believe it would take 2-3 years to establish a legitimate organic program. That period would cover maintenance training, flight training, construction, and establishing a logistical network to support the aircraft.

Giving fighter aircraft to Ukraine sounds awesome, just like getting a new puppy. Once you get home you discover you have to feed and water the puppy, walk the puppy, bathe the puppy, and pick up the poop. Despite all this, the puppy will likely chew up your shoes and go to the bathroom all over your house. My point is at the surface the concept is endearing and makes a person feel good, just like buying a new puppy. Once you land these aircraft, the cold hard reality of having to maintain them sets in and I don’t think anyone at any higher level has thought of this, or at least acknowledged this.

[this is Barrón Roger. We had lunch in austin 5 years ago]

I am an American Duke on holiday in Lebanon

First, Lebanon is amazing and super inexpensive and very safe. Strongly recommend to all producers out there. Lovely lovely elegant people non snobs with old wealth that are currently oppressed.

Just met a Russian reporter. He stated that war between Russia and Europe was inevitable and the Lebanese people always suffer from others war. I tried to tell him “no agenda” said war was coming to an end, but he would come back to it was part of an “agenda” for this to keep going for 5 more years — his words.

David Dutwin, chief scientist of survey panel AmeriSpeak at NORC at the University of Chicago, said most 2016 polls were not weighted by education, and therefore missed Mr. Trump's significant support from non-college-educated White males.

Link

Dear Adam,

On your Sunday show you said “what are we doing there?”. If you read up on the US bases that were attacked, you will see that they are conspicuously located right next to or in the same vicinity as large oil fields. It’s all about the black gold!

Thanks for all that you do,

Luke Ferguson

An Act respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice

Link

SEC. 5. Considerations.

(a) Priority information and communications technology areas.—In carrying out sections 3 and 4, the Secretary shall prioritize evaluation of—

(1) information and communications technology products or services used by a party to a covered transaction in a sector designated as critical infrastructure in Policy Directive 21 (February 12, 2013; relating to critical infrastructure security and resilience);

(2) software, hardware, or any other product or service integral to telecommunications products and services, including—

(A) wireless local area networks;

(B) mobile networks;

(C) satellite payloads;

(D) satellite operations and control;

(E) cable access points;

(F) wireline access points;

(G) core networking systems;

(H) long-, short-, and back-haul networks; or

(I) edge computer platforms;

(3) any software, hardware, or any other product or service integral to data hosting or computing service that uses, processes, or retains, or is expected to use, process, or retain, sensitive personal data with respect to greater than 1,000,000 persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction, including—

(A) internet hosting services;

(B) cloud-based or distributed computing and data storage;

(C) machine learning, predictive analytics, and data science products and services, including those involving the provision of services to assist a party utilize, manage, or maintain open-source software;

(D) managed services; and

(E) content delivery services;

(4) internet- or network-enabled sensors, webcams, end-point surveillance or monitoring devices, modems and home networking devices if greater than 1,000,000 units have been sold to persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction;

(5) unmanned vehicles, including drones and other aerials systems, autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, or any other product or service integral to the provision, maintenance, or management of such products or services;

(6) software designed or used primarily for connecting with and communicating via the internet that is in use by greater than 1,000,000 persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction, including—

(A) desktop applications;

(B) mobile applications;

(C) gaming applications;

(D) payment applications; or

(E) web-based applications; or

(7) information and communications technology products and services integral to—

(A) artificial intelligence and machine learning;

(B) quantum key distribution;

(C) quantum communications;

(D) quantum computing;

(E) post-quantum cryptography;

(F) autonomous systems;

(G) advanced robotics;

(H) biotechnology;

(I) synthetic biology;

(J) computational biology; and

(K) e-commerce technology and services, including any electronic techniques for accomplishing business transactions, online retail, internet-enabled logistics, internet-enabled payment technology, and online marketplaces.

Was NORC polling correct about trump becoming president in 2016?

NORC, or the National Opinion Research Center, is a nonpartisan research institution that conducts public opinion surveys and social science research. However, NORC itself does not make predictions or forecasts about election outcomes.

In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, most polls, including those conducted by NORC, showed Hillary Clinton with a lead over Donald Trump in the popular vote. However, as we know, Trump won the election by securing more electoral votes. It's worth noting that polls are not perfect predictors, and various factors can influence election outcomes.

Overall, while some individual polls may have been off in their predictions, it's important to consider polling as a whole and not rely on any one poll or organization to make accurate election predictions.

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Did the 2016 NORC polling show Trump not winning and by what margin?

In the 2016 election, NORC conducted several polls throughout the campaign season. According to the final pre-election poll conducted by NORC for the Associated Press, which was released on November 6th, 2016, Hillary Clinton was leading Donald Trump in the popular vote by 6 percentage points among likely voters, with 47% of the vote compared to Trump's 41%.

However, it's important to note that polls are not perfect predictors and can have margins of error. Additionally, the popular vote does not determine the winner of the U.S. presidential election, as the outcome is determined by the electoral college. In the end, Donald Trump won the electoral college by securing 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clinton's 227.

BOTG - Sir Brian of London: It's so hard finding anything even remotely coherent... And even my wife is sucked in by the whole left wing bullshit.

Very hard. Bibi s no angel and some of his religious coalition partners are insane but this country is 100% captured by deep state left in every institution. But demographics are going religious and they are absolutely terrified.

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The "Crime Minister" LO

"Just like BLM'

Very key: they actually charged Bibi for getting to get favorable media from a website! Called it bribery by offering access.

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From the article

More importantly, they’ve broken rules and set precedents that will impact future Israeli governments no matter who is leading them. They’ve shown that not even an election can be allowed to break the left’s stranglehold on effective power via a system of courts and legal advisors that have effectively made Israel a juristocracy rather than a country ruled by the representatives of the people. That sends a dangerous message to the people whose votes determined the outcome of the election—that their views don’t matter and that they should lose faith in the ability of political action to have an impact on society.

Implications for the future

Will that happen every time the right wins an election from now on? Probably. That means not only will the juristocracy defend its power, but its supporters are permanently committed to thwarting the will of voters who may continue to outnumber them in the future.

And how will a theoretical government of the left—assuming, as many now do, that Lapid and his allies can win the next election—react if large numbers of right-wing opponents try to play the same game? If the debate over the disastrous Oslo Accords and the 2005 Gaza withdrawal are any gauge of their behavior, they will crack down on their opponents in ways that Netanyahu hesitated to do this year with widespread jailing of dissidents. Dismissals from the army of those who refuse orders rather than the gentle lectures the anti-Bibi refuseniks got will also be likely.

While the left threatened violence against their opponents and even civil war if they didn’t get their way about judicial reform, who really believes they will hesitate to initiate one if they are in power and the right rises up in the streets the way we’ve just witnessed?

Link

By the way, the western media makes this look like a civil war in Israel. We make a lot of loud noises in the streets. Jews don't burn down their parents and grandparents businesses. There are too many other things that connect us together, even if we disagree politically.

1. The Trudeau Government threw CSIS and RCMP under the bus after the Emergencies Act Inquiry.

2. Beginning the day after the EA Inquiry report, a leaker within CSIS has been steadily making allegations of CCP interference in Canadian politics generally and our elections specifically

3. It alleged that a specific Liberal MP, Han Dong, was placed in his riding, and financially supported by, the CCP. It was alleged that the CCP aided in his victory, and as many as 11 other unnamed Toronto-area Candidates

4. The bombshell allegation, as it pertains to Trudeau himself, is that his advisors (at minimum) were made aware by CSIS that this was occurring. Trudeau ignored intelligence that the CCP was interfering in our political process but did nothing as it benefitted him.

5. In the midst of the scandal it was discovered by independent journalists the The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation (of which Justin was a member but has supposedly not been affiliated since 2014) received a $200,000 donation from a group directly linked to the CCP. The donation was returned.

6. Trudeau refused a public inquiry and announced he was appointing "Special Rapporteur" to investigate the claims. This is a position created out of whole cloth by Trudeau, and the proceedings and findings will be secret and kept from the public. This became another scandal, as the Rapporteur Trudeau appointed, David Johnston, is a long-time friend of the Trudeau family (they've vacationed together for decades) and also a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau foundation.

7. It was then alleged that Han Dong, the subject of the initial leak, advised the CCP to delay the release of two Canadians being held in Chinese prison, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor (The Two Michaels). He did so because at the time, releasing them would have benefitted the Conservatives. He supposedly did this without the knowledge of Trudeau or his government. The Two Micheals were viewed as being held hostage by China in retaliation for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou being held in Canada on house arrest pending extradition to the US, and this was one of the few issues in Canadian politics that united all sides: The Two Michaels being held in prison was an outrage.

8. Then, another leak claiming the CCP interfered in the Vancouver Mayoral election to elect their current mayor, Ken Sim.

9. Han Dong stepped down as a Liberal MP, but because Canadian politics are a joke, he will still sit in Parliament as an independent.

10. Trudeau agreed to allow his chief of staff to testify to Parliament, and the House voted to force a full public inquiry on the matter.

That's probably still a bit confusing because the whole thing is complicated, and I've distilled it as best I can, but the bottom line is this: It appears that the CCP has been directly interfering in Canadian elections for at least 5 years, and Canadian politics in general for at least a decade. It also appears that multiple people within CSIS are trying to have Trudeau removed from office.

Hope that helps!

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 16:04

The far-right politicians said they were protesting against the speech because it violated Austria's principle of neutrality.

Published On 30 Mar 2023 30 Mar 2023

Lawmakers from the pro-Russia, far-right Freedom Party have walked out of the lower house of Austria's parliament during a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy addressed the chamber via video link on Thursday, thanking Austria for its humanitarian aid and help with projects such as clearing land mines.

The far-right politicians said they were protesting against the speech because it violated Austria's principle of neutrality.

Austria says its neutrality prevents it from military involvement in the conflict and, while it supports Ukraine politically, it cannot send the country weapons in its fight against the Russian invasion.

The Freedom Party (FPO), however, had warned days before that it would hold some form of protest against Zelenskyy's address. Its lawmakers attended the start of the speech and then left.

''It is sad that the FPO is the only party in parliament that takes our ever-lasting neutrality seriously, thereby also standing up for peace,'' FPO leader Herbert Kickl said in a statement on Tuesday.

Lawmakers who walked out of the chamber left small placards on their desks featuring the party logo and either ''space for neutrality'' or ''space for peace''.

Of the five parties in parliament, the FPO has the third-largest number of seats in the lower house. It currently has a slight lead in opinion polls over the opposition Social Democrats and Chancellor Karl Nehammer's conservatives, who govern in coalition with the left-wing Greens.

The current parliament runs until the autumn of next year.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen listens as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses Austria's lower house by video link in Vienna [Lisa Leutner/Reuters]

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:56

About 42 percent of Americans now actively avoid news coverage, according to the Reuters Institute's 2022 Digital News Report. That's up from 38 percent in 2017. Nearly half of Americans who've turned away from the news say that they are doing so because it has a negative effect on their mood. As it happens, a new study in the journal PLoS One tracking the headlines in 47 publications popular in the United States reports that they have trended decidedly negative over the past two decades. Coincidence?

In their study, the team of New Zealand-based media researchers used a language model trained to categorize as positive or negative the sentiments of 23 million headlines between 2000 and 2019. In addition, the model was finetuned to identify Ekman's six basic emotions (anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness, surprise), plus neutral, to label the headlines automatically. Using the 2019 Allsides Media Bias Chart, the publications were ideologically categorized as left, right, or center. For example, The New Yorker, the New York Times Opinion, and Mother Jones were identified as left; National Review, Fox News Opinion, and The New York Post as right; and A.P., Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal as center. (Reason was pegged as right-leaning.)

After turning their language model loose on the millions of headlines, the researchers found "an increase of sentiment negativity in headlines across written news media since the year 2000."

Overall, the researchers find that the prevalence of headlines denoting anger since the year 2000 increased by 104 percent. The prevalence of headlines denoting fear rose 150 percent; disgust by 29 percent; and sadness by 54 percent. The joy emotional category had its up and downs, rising until 2010 and falling after that. Headlines denoting neutral emotion declined by 30 percent since the year 2000. Breaking these down by ideology, headlines from right-leaning news media have been, on average, consistently more negative than headlines from left-leaning outlets.

Why are negative headlines becoming more prevalent? "If it bleeds, it leads" is a hoary journalistic aphorism summarizing the well-known fact that dramatic, even gory, stories engage the attention of news consumers. In other words, journalists are supplying news consumers with what they want. Given the global reach of modern news media, there is always some attention-grabbing horror that occurred somewhere that can be highlighted between weather and sports on your local TV news.

Journalistic catering to people's negativity bias ends up misleading a lot of their audiences into thinking that the state of the world is getting worse and worse. However, looking at long term trends, the opposite is the case. Yes, yes, there are wars in Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Yemen and, of course, a global pandemic during the past two years has killed around 6.5 million people so far. "For reasons I have never understood, people like to hear that the world is going to hell, and become huffy and scornful when some idiotic optimist intrudes on their pleasure," wrote economist Deidre McCloskey. "Yet pessimism has consistently been a poor guide to the modern economic world."

As one of those idiotic optimists, I have spent much of my reporting life refuting apocalyptic claims and pointing to the enormous amount of progress humanity has made since the Enlightenment. For example, my co-author Marian Tupy and I cite uncontroversial data in Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know showing the enormous and ongoing increase in human wellbeing that has occurred over the past 100 years. For example, global per capita income rose (in real dollars) from $2,000 in 1900 to nearly $15,000 by 2016. Consequently, the proportion of global population living in absolute poverty ($1.90 per day or less) has dropped from 84 percent to under 9 percent. In addition, global life expectancy more than doubled from an average of 30 years in 1820 to 72 years now. And deaths from natural disasters have declined by nearly 99 percent since the 1920s. With respect to the U.S. we document, among other trends, the steep decline in racist attitudes, e.g., between 1958 and 2002 the percentage of whites who said that they approved racial intermarriage rose from 4 to 90 percent. In addition, while the U.S. economy grew more than 250 percent since 1970, overall air pollution fell by 74 percent.

In any case, the New Zealand researchers ultimately say that their study cannot tell whether the increase in negative news media headlines expresses a wider societal mood or if they are instead reflecting sentiments being pushed by those creating news content. "Financial incentives to maximize click-through ratios could be at play in increasing the sentiment polarity and emotional charge of headlines over time," they speculate. "Conceivably, the temptation of shaping the sentiment and emotional undertones of news headlines to advance political agendas could also be playing a role." Both seem likely.

Of course, these trends and incentives are likely activating a pernicious positive feedback loop in which a sour social and political mood engenders dismal headlines which in turn further demoralizes people and so forth. No wonder more Americans are actively avoiding the news.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:51

Read the full strategy here

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration released the National Cybersecurity Strategy to secure the full benefits of a safe and secure digital ecosystem for all Americans. In this decisive decade, the United States will reimagine cyberspace as a tool to achieve our goals in a way that reflects our values: economic security and prosperity; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; trust in our democracy and democratic institutions; and an equitable and diverse society. To realize this vision, we must make fundamental shifts in how the United States allocates roles, responsibilities, and resources in cyberspace.

We must rebalance the responsibility to defend cyberspace by shifting the burden for cybersecurity away from individuals, small businesses, and local governments, and onto the organizations that are most capable and best-positioned to reduce risks for all of us. We must realign incentives to favor long-term investments by striking a careful balance between defending ourselves against urgent threats today and simultaneously strategically planning for and investing in a resilient future.The Strategy recognizes that government must use all tools of national power in a coordinated manner to protect our national security, public safety, and economic prosperity.VISION

Our rapidly evolving world demands a more intentional, more coordinated, and more well-resourced approach to cyber defense. We face a complex threat environment, with state and non-state actors developing and executing novel campaigns to threaten our interests. At the same time, next-generation technologies are reaching maturity at an accelerating pace, creating new pathways for innovation while increasing digital interdependencies.

This Strategy sets out a path to address these threats and secure the promise of our digital future. Its implementation will protect our investments in rebuilding America's infrastructure, developing our clean energy sector, and re-shoring America's technology and manufacturing base. Together with our allies and partners, the United States will make our digital ecosystem:

Defensible, where cyber defense is overwhelmingly easier, cheaper, and more effective;Resilient, where cyber incidents and errors have little widespread or lasting impact; and,Values-aligned, where our most cherished values shape'--and are in turn reinforced by'-- our digital world.The Administration has already taken steps to secure cyberspace and our digital ecosystem, including the National Security Strategy, Executive Order 14028 (Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity), National Security Memorandum 5 (Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems), M-22-09 (Moving the U.S. Government Toward Zero-Trust Cybersecurity Principles), and National Security Memorandum 10 (Promoting United States Leadership in Quantum Computing While Mitigating Risks to Vulnerable Cryptographic Systems). Expanding on these efforts, the Strategy recognizes that cyberspace does not exist for its own end but as a tool to pursue our highest aspirations.

APPROACH

This Strategy seeks to build and enhance collaboration around five pillars:

1. Defend Critical Infrastructure '' We will give the American people confidence in the availability and resilience of our critical infrastructure and the essential services it provides, including by:

Expanding the use of minimum cybersecurity requirements in critical sectors to ensure national security and public safety and harmonizing regulations to reduce the burden of compliance;Enabling public-private collaboration at the speed and scale necessary to defend critical infrastructure and essential services; and,Defending and modernizing Federal networks and updating Federal incident response policy2. Disrupt and Dismantle Threat Actors '' Using all instruments of national power, we will make malicious cyber actors incapable of threatening the national security or public safety of the United States, including by:

Strategically employing all tools of national power to disrupt adversaries; Engaging the private sector in disruption activities through scalable mechanisms; and, Addressing the ransomware threat through a comprehensive Federal approach and in lockstep with our international partners.3. Shape Market Forces to Drive Security and Resilience '' We will place responsibility on those within our digital ecosystem that are best positioned to reduce risk and shift the consequences of poor cybersecurity away from the most vulnerable in order to make our digital ecosystem more trustworthy, including by:

Promoting privacy and the security of personal data;Shifting liability for software products and services to promote secure development practices; and,Ensuring that Federal grant programs promote investments in new infrastructure that are secure and resilient.4. Invest in a Resilient Future '' Through strategic investments and coordinated, collaborative action, the United States will continue to lead the world in the innovation of secure and resilient next-generation technologies and infrastructure, including by:

Reducing systemic technical vulnerabilities in the foundation of the Internet and across the digital ecosystem while making it more resilient against transnational digital repression;Prioritizing cybersecurity R&D for next-generation technologies such as postquantum encryption, digital identity solutions, and clean energy infrastructure; and, Developing a diverse and robust national cyber workforce5. Forge International Partnerships to Pursue Shared Goals '' The United States seeks a world where responsible state behavior in cyberspace is expected and reinforced and where irresponsible behavior is isolating and costly, including by:

Leveraging international coalitions and partnerships among like-minded nations to counter threats to our digital ecosystem through joint preparedness, response, and cost imposition;Increasing the capacity of our partners to defend themselves against cyber threats, both in peacetime and in crisis; and,Working with our allies and partners to make secure, reliable, and trustworthy global supply chains for information and communications technology and operational technology products and services.Coordinated by the Office of the National Cyber Director, the Administration's implementation of this Strategy is already underway.

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Link to Article

Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:49

Jul 31, 2018, 08:00am EDT

Regeneron CEO & CSO: The Real Healthcare Problem Is Bigger Than You ThinkJul 24, 2018, 01:33pm EDT

Pfizer CEO: How The Biopharmaceutical Industry Creates Value (And Jobs) For The U.S. Economy","scope":{"topStory":{"index":2,"title":"Pfizer CEO: How The Biopharmaceutical Industry Creates Value (And Jobs) For The U.S. Economy","image":"/thumbnails/blog_11/pt_11_5932_o.jpg?t=1533073047","isHappeningNowArticle":false,"date":{"monthDayYear":"Jul 24, 2018","hourMinute":"01:33","amPm":"pm","isEDT":true,"unformattedDate":1532453580000},"uri":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/sciencebiz/2018/07/24/pfizer-ceo-how-the-biopharmaceutical-industry-creates-value-and-jobs-for-the-u-s-economy/"}},"id":"47on70o2fff000"},{"textContent":"

Jul 10, 2018, 10:44am EDT

Gradual Progress In Precision Non-Oncology, But Challenges Persist","scope":{"topStory":{"index":3,"title":"Gradual Progress In Precision Non-Oncology, But Challenges Persist","image":"https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/971426162/290x0.jpg?fit=scale","isHappeningNowArticle":false,"date":{"monthDayYear":"Jul 10, 2018","hourMinute":"10:44","amPm":"am","isEDT":true,"unformattedDate":1531233840000},"uri":"https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2018/07/10/gradual-progress-in-precision-non-oncology-but-challenges-persist/"}},"id":"ao5ij8qaalcg00"},{"textContent":"

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:46

Decades of American squealing about a free and open Internet devolved into an elaborate complaint not only for open access but ''net neutrality,'' and then a further demand of non-interference by network providers... was this all forgotten overnight?

Well, not by anyone who's paying attention.

Now our legislators (Republicans and Democrats), President Biden, the Army, everyone in government, private sector pundits, two-bit professors, tech billionaires, CEOs, and a pitchfork-wielding angry mob are all demanding that the evil TikTok app be banished, shuttered, banned for good. You know, like those evil authoritarian anti-net governments would have done by now.

And why is this?

They tell us that TikTok is spying on children and everyone else. For China! Nobody has studied TikTok in isolation to prove any of this. So there is no proof and it's not happening now. But it could happen!!

And that's besides the point because the app could be used by the Chinese (I did mention that there is a connection to China, right?) to propagandize our pudding-headed youths to ''hate America!'' I guess that somehow TikTok could do a better job of that than literal Marxist teachers in the schools? Nothing is being done to root them out, but TikTok needs to go!

Generally speaking, the ''free and open'' Internet stops short when there is illegal activity. And over the years, the FBI has shut down sites selling stolen property or drugs. Various scam sites get shuttered. But TikTok is not a scam site. It is not that different from Twitter, YouTube, or any number of sites posting short videos provided by users.

It's the user-generated content that interests a good portion of the bored masses. It sells advertising to support the site and its success seems to be at the real center of the controversy. TikTok is taking revenue away from the anointed ones: Facebook, Google, Twitter, YouTube, etc.

The China angle will convince the public that this is virtuous. While becoming dependent on China for everything from bolts to iPhones, Americans will still see the Chinese as horrible authoritarians. So scapegoating is an easy sell. Could it be that simple?

A lot of crazy anomalies have cropped up, too. For example, the Biden administration has made a fuss and demanded that TikTok be taken off all government-provided mobile phones.

Has anyone asked why a government-provided mobile phone would have TikTok on it in the first place? Isn't such a device supposed to only be used for official business, not for wasting time watching videos or playing games? Why doesn't anyone point this out as nuts? What else is on these phones?

Another ignored aspect to this is the fact that the anointed ones, especially Facebook, all provide our government with scraped intelligence on each one of us. Pointing the finger at TikTok ignores the real weakness in privacy protection laws in general.

Facebook, for example, can provide a detailed roadmap of someone's family, desires, likes, and dislikes. So what, exactly, can TikTok provide insofar as important ''intelligence'' is concerned?

I'm not shaking in my boots over it, that's for sure. '--- jcd

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:39

The growing use in cooking of flour made from crickets, locusts and insect larvae has met fierce opposition in Italy, where the government is to ban its use in pizza and pasta and segregate it on supermarket shelves.

In a sign of fear that insects might be associated with Italian cuisine, three government ministers called a press conference in Rome to announce four decrees aimed at a crackdown. ''It's fundamental that these flours are not confused with food made in Italy,'' Francesco Lollobrigida, the agriculture minister, said.

Packed with vitamins, proteins and minerals, flour made from crickets is increasingly seen as an ecological way to obtain nutrients, and the market is forecast to reach $3.5 billion by 2029. The EU has already authorised foods made from crickets, locusts and the darkling beetle larva. In January mealworm larvae was added to the list.

The EU has authorised foods made from crickets, locusts and the darkling beetle larva

GETTY IMAGES

All four insects are cited in the Italian decrees, which will require any products containing them to be labelled with large lettering and displayed separately from other foods.

''Whoever wants to eat these products can, but those who don't, and I imagine that will be most Italians, will be able to choose,'' Lollobrigida said.

Orazio Schillaci, the health minister, said the legislation would also ban the use of insect flours in ''typical'' Italian products like pizza and pasta.

In a further attempt to promote Italian food, the government announced on Thursday that it would propose the inclusion of Italy's cuisine on Unesco's world heritage list.

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:38

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Highlights1

Substack's mission is to build a new economic engine for culture.

2

Substack is a subscription network based on writing, podcasting, community, and other forms of culture-making.

3

The network has more than 35 million active subscriptions, including 2 million paid subscriptions.

4

The Substack network now drives 40 percent of all subscriptions and 15 percent of paid subscriptions on the platform.

5

Cumulatively, readers have paid writers more than $300 million through Substack.

Our Team Building a new economic engine for culture >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We started Substack because we believe that what you read matters and that the stories and ideas you spend time with shape how you think and who you are. On Substack, readers and writers, rather than the companies that want to sell them stuff, are the customers. Writers and creators can publish their work and make money from paid subscriptions while readers and consumers can directly support the work that they deeply value. With this approach, we work to realize our mission: to build a new economic engine for culture.

Some of the world's most beloved writers are on Substack'--Margaret Atwood, George Saunders, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Matt Taibbi, Bari Weiss, Astral Codex Ten, Andrew Sullivan, Roxane Gay, Alison Roman, Chuck Palahniuk, Anne Helen Petersen, Matt Yglesias, Robert Reich, Michael Moore, Jonathan Haidt, and Patti Smith, to name a few'--and they have been joined by a new generation of writers who are building their livelihoods and communities on the platform.

Substack's simple publishing tools have helped thousands of writers start thriving businesses that wouldn't otherwise have existed, and its network effects are driving the development of a media economy unlike any the world has ever known'--an economy where value is measured not only in dollars but also in quality, in good-faith discourse, and in creating an internet that celebrates and supports humanity.

Substack is a startup on an extremely ambitious mission, which is inherently risky. You should not invest any funds in this community round unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.

But if you share our belief that Substack can grow its financial impact alongside its cultural impact, we invite you to come along for the ride.

Chris, Hamish, and Jairaj in 2019

How we've built Substack into a network

With the Substack model, independent publishers own their content and relationship with their subscribers. They have complete editorial control, and they keep the lion's share of the revenue generated on the platform.

When a reader pays for a subscription on Substack, an average of 86% of the money goes to the writer and the remainder covers our revenue share and Stripe's payment processing fees. Since we only make money when publishers make money, our interests remain aligned. In turn, the publishers make money only when their subscribers feel they are getting something of value, meaning incentives are aligned all the way through the system.

Here's a snapshot of our first few years:

2017Founded Substack.

2018Graduated from Y Combinator (W18). Raised $2 million in seed funding.

2019 Raised a $15 million Series A, led by Andreessen Horowitz.

2020Hit 100,000 paid subscriptions.

2021 Hit 1 million paid subscriptions. Raised a $65 million Series B, again led by Andreessen Horowitz.

2022 Added support for podcasts, video, and Chat. Launched the Substack app. Introduced Recommendations.

We raised money from major investors to build a foundation for a network that helps writers and creators grow, helps readers develop relationships with writers and creators they trust, and gives Substack a compounding advantage.

We have used our funding to build a team drawn from the best tech and culture companies in the world, and to develop a category-defining product that continues to evolve rapidly. We also used financing to attract some of the world's best writers to Substack, who in turn have brought many millions of readers into the system, kickstarting a network that has become known for quality and depth. The best writers want to be where the best writers are, and the best writers are on Substack. This strategy has helped stave off competition from deep-pocketed incumbents and has established Substack as a brand that has become synonymous with independent subscription publishing.

Today, there are more than 35 million monthly active subscriptions and 2 million paid subscriptions to writers on Substack.

The Substack network now drives 40 percent of all subscriptions and 15 percent of paid subscriptions on the platform.

A new generation of writers are making their livelihoods on Substack, and others are building new institutions from scratch. More than 17 thousand writers are earning money on Substack, with the top 10 publishers on Substack collectively making more than $25 million annually.

Cumulatively, readers have paid writers more than $300 million through Substack.

The pool of talent on Substack is diverse and deep. Historians, academics, and red carpet fashion experts are all on the platform. Substack writers have broken major news stories, spurred a renaissance in culture writing, and pushed the bounds of recipe development. The platform has become a home to podcasters, comics creators, finance experts, and rock stars, as well as a slew of new media institutions, including The Free Press, The Mill, and The Ankler.

We've advanced a new monetization model for podcasting, started an expansion into video, and launched Chat to make it easier for writers to bring their community to life and deepen relationships with their subscribers.

But this is just the beginning.

The opportunity for subscription networks >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The last couple decades of the internet have created a media system in which writing has been economically devalued and advertisers have been served above all others. We believe that the internet's powers, married to the right business model, can be harnessed to create a better media economy that gives more control to writers and readers, protects free speech and a free press, and promotes the creation of amazing works that wouldn't have been possible in other systems.

To realize this mission, we are building a subscription network, founded on deep relationships, trust, and creator ownership. Subscription networks represent a step forward from social networks. We think they will play a major role in the internet's next chapter.

While social networks are associated with advertising and attention, subscription networks are about direct payments and trust. While social networks facilitate shallow connections, subscription networks foster deep relationships. While social networks are about lock-in and platform ownership, subscription networks are about freedom to move and creator ownership.

As Substack grows to accommodate more writers, podcasters, videomakers, musicians, scientists'--and culture-makers of all kinds'--we see a path to hundreds of millions of subscriptions and a significant cultural impact, which will in turn provide ample financial opportunity.

Building together

When we raised our last round of funding, in March 2021, we explored how we might make it possible for a large group of writers to invest alongside the traditional investors, but it ultimately proved too complex. Most importantly, it was difficult to include people who were not already accredited investors'--a qualification determined largely by wealth. But the idea never left our minds.

We are serious about building Substack with writers, and this community round is a good way to concretize that ideal. We're doing this because the dynamics of a platform like Substack change if the people who are building their businesses on it are owners of it, too. And we're doing it because it not only provides a good for our company, but it also presents an opportunity for the people who use Substack to participate in the benefits that come from building this network'--including the financial upside

In recent years, doing a community round like this one has become more viable because of regulatory changes and the rise of companies like Wefunder, which makes the process simple.

We're delighted that Bill Bishop'--the first-ever writer on Substack (proof!), and an expert on US''China relations'--is leading our community round, joined by Ted Gioia, Heather Havrilesky, Suleika Jaouad, Anthony Pompliano, and Polina Pompliano. We are even more excited to enable thousands of others to invest alongside this group.

We want to make it clear, however, that just because you can invest in Substack, it doesn't mean you should. Investments are risky'--especially in startups, which have a habit of dying, pivoting, or simply not making enough money. Substack is only five-years-old and we are still proving that there is a large market for subscription-based writing and culture. If you don't have money to spare, don't spend it on this.

If, however, you share our belief that Substack can grow its financial impact alongside its cultural impact, then this investment could be worth a shot. We are at the dawn of the era of the subscription network. This work will be ambitious and exciting, and it will be meaningful. We'd love to have you by our side as we build this new economic engine for culture together.

FAQ

Do I have to be an accredited investor to invest?

No. Wefunder allows you to invest without being an accredited investor. All you have to do is sign up and invest.

What is the minimum amount I can invest?

$100.

What's the maximum I am legally allowed to invest?

Through Regulation Crowdfunding everyone can invest at least $2,200. How much you're able to invest above that depends on your net income and net worth. You can see how much you're allowed to invest by entering those two numbers under "Investor Limits" here (once you've created and logged in to a Wefunder account).

While you may be legally able to invest more, your investment may be lowered depending on the interest we receive in this round.

Am I guaranteed to get the amount that I signed up for?

No. If we are oversubscribed, we may not be able to accept all investments and may reduce individual investments - in which case you'll be refunded for the difference. If we're oversubscribed, we'll prioritize the following groups in this order and by tenure:

Substack writers who have turned on paid subscriptionsPaying subscribersFor that reason, we recommend you sign up for Wefunder using the same email address as your Substack account.

Can I invest if I don't live in the United States?

With a few exceptions, investments can be accepted from international investors as long as you represent that you are complying with the law in your country. Here's a step-by-step guide on investing from outside the US.

The only exceptions are the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta which have requested that Wefunder bar their residents from investing on Wefunder's platform, as well as certain sanctioned countries.

For accredited investors from one of those Canadian provinces, we're looking into creating an opportunity to invest. You can email [email protected] to express your interest.

What fees do investors pay?

For payments made by bank ACH, wires, or checks, Wefunder charges investors a transaction fee of 2%, with a minimum of $8 and a max of $100. For credit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, Wefunder charges a 5% fee, with a minimum of $8 and no maximum.

Investors can get their first investment fee-free by completing the welcome sequence when creating their account (www.wefunder.com/welcome) and using their ACH bank account (US banks only) or a wire. Just so you know, this only applies to first investments.

Fees are one-time and are not reoccurring.

How will I make a return on my investment, and when?

We're not able to make lots of future projections, but we have big ambitions for the company. We are working on a new economic engine for culture. We think the best way to achieve that is to build a successful independent company, which could involve going public one day, but for now we are focused on building.

Under the terms of our Series B, our (pre-money) valuation is $585M. If we have a successful exit in the future (like an IPO, merger, or acquisition) for more than that amount, you'll see a return on your investment. Since we're selling the same class of stock we sold to venture capitalists in our Series B, you'll get paid out at the same time that they do.

Where can I ask a question?

You can ask any questions you have in the ''Ask A Question'' section of this page.

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:37

The projector shut off just as Keirstin Erickson started to tear up. She had been watching Jesus Revolution, waiting for the pastor in the movie to baptize the leading man in the ocean. That's when someone ran into the room, saying that lightning had struck the theater. As the audience chattered among themselves, Erickson sat silent.

''I just remember having this burning sensation in my heart,'' Erickson, a 22-year-old training to become a missionary, recalls thinking.

Suddenly she rose from her seat near the front, turned to face the rest of the audience, and introduced herself, asking: ''Does anybody need prayer in this room?''

At first it was quiet. But then people started speaking up. A woman in the back confessed she had cancer. A mother revealed her two young sons were at prom that night and said, ''Pray for my boys that they will grow up to be godly men, and make good decisions.''

A woman who said she worked with ''kids on drugs'' poured out her heart with a quivering voice.

''People with addiction are so misunderstood and so judged, and we have hundreds of thousands of kids, including my own children, that are now sober,'' said the woman in a now-viral TikTok of the exchange.

''And I just would like you guys to pray for opening your minds to what exactly this movie showed,'' she continued. ''They're just seeking something, and it's God. Keirstin, you just give me hope, girl.''

These scenes, more common inside a place of worship, happened last month at Starlight Triangle Square Cinemas in Costa Mesa, California, at a screening of Jesus Revolution, a new movie depicting a real-life 1970s movement that saw thousands of hippies give up drugs for God. That crusade, led by Pastor Chuck Smith with the help of hippie preacher Lonnie Frisbee, coincidentally started at a Calvary Church just a few miles away from the theater where Erickson made her call to prayer.

Inspired by a 1971 Time magazine article about the movement (the codirector bought a copy of the magazine on eBay) and starring Kelsey Grammer as a straitlaced preacher and Joel Courtney as a hippie convert, Jesus Revolution is something of a Hollywood miracle: it's a religious movie that's actually a hit.

Made by Christian production house Kingdom Story Company and backed by mega distributor Lionsgate, the film earned back its $15 million budget the weekend it opened, when critics predicted it would gross closer to $6 or $7 million. That's a triumphant performance compared to the weekend debuts of recent blockbusters, like 65, a sci-fi flick with a $91 million budget that made just $12.3 million, and M. Night Shyamalan's thriller Knock at the Cabin, which brought in $14.1 million.

Since its release on February 24, Jesus Revolution has grossed $49 million in ticket sales'--besting many of this year's Oscar nominees combined at U.S. box offices.

Jon Erwin, the co-director of Jesus Revolution, told me his goal is to revive the multigenerational entertainment experience at the cinema.

''Now everyone has their own screen, everyone has their own sort of content, and you feel alone in your own home,'' Erwin said. ''I went to the premiere of the movie with my wife, my daughter, and our parents, and you have three generations loving the movie together. That is the most needed thing in entertainment right now, especially a story that centers around a set of values that I think is good for the world.''

Roma Downey, who runs LightWorkers Media, a faith-based division of MGM, agrees, saying Jesus Revolution ''is a very good story, well-told. It didn't hurt that they have the name 'Jesus' in the title. For Christians, that's attention grabbing. It's a provocative title.''

Christian colleges and church groups around the country have been pouring into theaters. One couple in Madisonville, Kentucky, bought out an entire day's showings of the film earlier this month just so everyone in their town could see it for free.

Also, Downey said, ''People are hungry for goodness, people are hungry for change'''--especially after the pandemic. ''For a minute it looked like the world as we knew it was coming to an end, then what were the things that were important? I think it helped people refocus on family, faith'--those sort of values.''

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Jesus Revolution marks the sixth'--and most successful'--movie from Kingdom Story Company, a partnership between producer Kevin Downes, producer Tony Young, and brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin to make Christian entertainment exclusively for Lionsgate. The Erwin brothers, whose stated mission on their website is ''spreading the message of the Gospel through film,'' first got Hollywood's attention when their $7 million budget drama, I Can Only Imagine, grossed over $85 million in 2018.

Christians in Hollywood'--no, not an oxymoron, just an endangered species'--hope that its success means more Christian films will be greenlit. There's a desire to give the faith-based audience ''movies that they can embrace and enjoy,'' says Paul Dergarabedian, a media analyst at Comscore, an agency that records metrics on film and TV viewership. ''But you also have to be able to prove that you can make these films profitable to justify future investment. And Jesus Revolution really puts a fine point on that with its performance.''

Ever since Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ brought in over $600 million at box offices worldwide in 2004, studio executives have been trying to resurrect its success. In 2007, Sony launched its own faith-based studio, Affirm Films, which often teams up with Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the brothers behind profitable Christian movies like War Room and Fireproof.

Rich Peluso, who runs Affirm Films, says that Sony and other studios began investing more in faith-based movies once they saw that dramas like War Room'--which had a budget of $3 million but made almost $74 million'--could deliver massive returns.

''If they would have done Jesus Revolution five or ten years ago, they probably would have only been able to scrape up half the budget and it would have been half as good. For me that's the change'--that the studios, like for me, Sony Pictures, are willing to invest more. And whereas years ago, they weren't. The budgets were much, much more modest.''

Late next month, Affirm is set to release its highest budget film yet, Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World, based on the true story of the boxer-turner-preacher and starring Forest Whitaker of Black Panther fame.

A-list actors now routinely star in films with religious storylines'--like Mark Wahlberg, who played another boxer-turned-priest in the 2022 film Father Stu, and Hilary Swank, who's set to headline Kingdom Story Company's next project this fall, Ordinary Angels'--a film about a Kentucky hairdresser who helps cobble together money for a young girl's liver transplant. Jesus Revolution undoubtedly got a boost from its star, Kelsey Grammer, famous for TV hits like Cheers and Frasier, and his costar Joel Courtney'--a teen heartthrob who previously starred in The Kissing Booth, a successful mainstream teenage comedy on Netflix.

Angel Studios, a crowdfunded production house that has raised tens of millions, has also popped up to meet the demand for Christian content. Episodes of its streaming series The Chosen, a dramatic retelling of the life of Jesus, have been watched over 450 million times since 2019, when the first season became available on the show's free app'--but many studio executives, including Jared Geesey, who now oversees distribution at Angel Studios, initially passed on investing in the show.

''Everyone was passing on it, both in Hollywood and the faith industry because the model for Christian television was kind of broken and couldn't really fund a show like that,'' Geesey told The Free Press.

Now, he says Angel Studio's crowdfunding business model bypasses the ''gatekeepers'' of Hollywood, since its thousands of investors'--ordinary people'--vote on which projects to greenlight.

On March 31, Angel Studios will release its first film in theaters: His Only Son, a biblical drama covering God's command that Abraham sacrifice his beloved child. The filmmaker, David Helling, is a Marine veteran who put himself through film school on the G.I. Bill after returning from Iraq, and edited the film himself, completing its special effects and even designing the costumes.

''It looks like ten times the budget,'' Geesey says. ''It's this little indie film that again, nobody would've picked this up in the traditional model.''

Currently 1,900 screens are scheduled to show the movie across the U.S., but he says they're adding new theaters to the rollout every day.

Meanwhile, Roma Downey, who runs LightWorkers Media with her husband Mark Burnett, the creator of Survivor, is releasing a new Christian film on Amazon Prime called On a Wing and a Prayer, starring Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham, on April 7.

That doesn't mean that Hollywood has entirely made its peace with Christianity. On March 11, actor Rainn Wilson, most famous for his role as dweeby Dwight in The Office, tweeted about ''an anti-Christian bias in Hollywood,'' referencing the arc of a cult-like preacher on HBO's zombie series The Last of Us.

''As soon as the David character in 'The Last of Us' started reading from the Bible I knew that he was going to be a horrific villain,'' Wilson tweeted. ''Could there be a Bible-reading preacher on a show who is actually loving and kind?''

Jon Erwin, who co-helmed Jesus Revolution, says Hollywood's contempt for faith-based entertainment is something he's talked about with famed horror producer Jason Blum. ''He felt that horror was being disdained by the studios a couple of decades ago: 'They don't need real movies.' That's sort of the same thing that's happening with the faith, or the middle American audience right now,'' Erwin told MovieMaker.

David A.R. White, founding partner of Pure Flix, a Christian streaming service that Sony acquired in 2020, says he remembers sitting on his curb in Los Angeles with Downes, the Kingdom Story Company producer, decades ago, thinking: We can do better than what's out there. A young actor at the time, White was used to seeing Christian movies with low budgets and poor scripts.

''We were just thinking and dreaming going, 'Someday, wouldn't it be cool if the studios had faith divisions, and these movies were able to be in theaters, and people would look at it as an actual genre?''

He would go on to produce the God's Not Dead franchise, which White called a ''massive breakthrough'' when the first film came out in 2014, racking up over $60 million in ticket sales from a $1.1 million budget. Many film critics later called 2014 ''the year of the Bible.''

White points out how many Americans go to church'--about two-thirds of Americans identify as Christian, with about two-thirds saying they attend church at least monthly, according to the most recent data.

''That's a lot of people,'' White says. ''So to not have any faith-based movies, or even say it's a genre, I don't think it was fair. I thought it was just a marketplace that needed to be filled. And that's really where our passion was fueled to change the way Hollywood looked at these faith films.''

Back in Costa Mesa, Keirstin Erickson says Jesus Revolution is sparking a movement beyond theaters. After her screening ended, a group of college students came up to her in the hallway, crying, asking if they could pray together.

''They were telling me that because they saw me call strangers to prayer they believed that they could also stand up for what they believe,'' says Erickson. ''And that they could help their generation.''

''People were amazed and inspired by the movie, but it also sparked a revelation, that revival is happening right now,'' she added. ''And that we're living in it, and anybody can be a part of it.''

Read Olivia's recent piece about the Asbury revival in Kentucky here. Follow her on Twitter: @Olivia_Reingold. And send tips her way: olivia@thefp.com

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 15:33

President Joe Biden has applied the Defense Powers Act (DPA) to two components used in the manufacture of virtually all electronic devices, protecting the country's ability to control its supply of electronic materials and equipment.

Biden signed a presidential directive that includes printed circuit boards and advanced packaging under Executive Order 14017, ''America's Supply Chains,'' the Department of Defense announced on March 27.

The original executive order, signed in February 2021, addresses vulnerabilities in U.S. military readiness and economic competitiveness.

''The United States needs resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains to ensure our economic prosperity and national security,'' Biden wrote in 2021.

An Air Traffic Controller monitors computer screens inside the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center(CATCC) at Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Md., July 31, 2012. (Paul J Richards/AFP/GettyImages)The DPA authorizes the president to control the production of items necessary for the national defense by allocating materials, services, and facilities for their production.

The president may also prohibit the hoarding of supplies, offer loans or loan guarantees, and install equipment in government or privately owned factories.

In recent years, Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden have used the law primarily to prioritize the fulfillment of orders placed by the federal government for medical and military equipment.

Biden's directive delegates these powers to the DoD regarding printed circuit boards and advanced packaging.

Printed circuit boards are electrical circuits etched into a material like copper, to which other electronic components may be attached. Advanced packaging is the aggregation of several electronic components into a single device.

By including printed circuit boards and advanced packaging under the DPA umbrella, the administration builds on the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 in reducing U.S. dependence on China, the world's largest producer of electronic components and devices.

The CHIPS Act provides $280 billion for the research and manufacturing of semiconductors in the United States. The law was passed with bipartisan support amid a global shortage of computer chips.

In 2020, China controlled 54 percent of computer chip sales. More than two-thirds of the world's supply of circuit boards are made in China, including Hong Kong.

The DoD now has the authority to strengthen U.S. production of these items.

While that move benefits military readiness, it is part of the president's broader agenda to strengthen U.S. manufacturing.

''Resilient American supply chains will revitalize and rebuild domestic manufacturing capacity, maintain America's competitive edge in research and development, and create well-paying jobs.'' Biden wrote in the 2021 executive order.

Congress enacted the DPA in September 1950 at the outset of the Korean War and has renewed it several times since then. The current version of the law expires in 2025.

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:17

Arizona Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs' spokesperson has resigned amid controversy over a social media post invoking gun violence posted hours after the deadly shooting at a Nashville school on Monday.

The Governor's Office confirmed Wednesday that Press Secretary Josselyn Berry resigned from her job and Hobbs accepted the resignation. Hobbs' communication director Murphy Hebert said later that the governor asked Berry to resign.

"The governor does not condone violence in any form," a statement from Hobbs' office reads. "This administration holds mutual respect at the forefront of how we engage with one another. The post by the press secretary is not reflective of the values of the administration."

Berry's post on Twitter late Monday caused uproar online, particularly among conservatives who dubbed it tone deaf, offensive and contrary to criticism from progressives that Republicans are doing too little about gun violence.

The controversial tweet included a clip from the 1980 movie "Gloria," featuring actress Gena Rowlands with a handgun in each hand pacing forward a few steps. "Us when we see transphobes," Berry wrote in the post sharing the image.

Berry posted earlier in the day Monday about transgender rights and progressive politics, saying if you "work in the progressive community and are transphobic, you're not progressive." It is unclear what she was referring to.

"Not sure these transphobic-from-the-left posers know who they're messing with," another Twitter user replied, prompting Berry's tweet referencing people who fear or discriminate against the transgender community, and adding the image of the armed actress.

Berry joined the Hobbs administration after the November election, prior to which she worked as a spokesperson for the Arizona Democratic Party.

By Wednesday, Berry had restricted her account from public view and the controversial tweet was removed. Hobbs ignored questions from reporters about the controversial tweet as she left a Wednesday afternoon event marking the expansion of Arizona State University's West campus in northwest Phoenix.

Her post was made hours after a mass killing at a Nashville school where the shooter was identified by law enforcement authorities as a transgender person. Six people '-- three of them 9 year old students '-- were killed.

Gun, LGBTQ issues reverberate at CapitolThe shooting, and the spokesperson's social media post, reverberated around the state Capitol, where lawmakers' partisan divisions are frequently on display over issues of LGBTQ rights and what, if anything, to do about gun violence. Normal battling between the Republican majority and Democratic minority was amplified following Hobbs' election, which has given Democrats more backing to push their priorities.

The Republican-majority Legislature has backed bills that would prohibit teachers from using a child's preferred pronoun without parent permission, and a bill that would prevent students from using bathrooms that fit their gender identity won universal support among GOP lawmakers in the Senate this month. Both measures won't get the support of Hobbs, who has pledged to veto legislation she views as divisive and diverting attention from state issues like the water crisis and housing affordability.

On Tuesday, the political divide over gun violence '-- revived after the school shooting in Nashville '-- surfaced on the floor of the Arizona House of Representatives.

Arizona Legislature:Rep. Liz Harris reportedly knew cartel 'bribery' presentation details, didn't share with colleagues

Rep. Jen Longdon, D-Phoenix, attempted a procedural maneuver that would have prompted an immediate vote on a bill, sparked by the death of a 15-year-old Gilbert boy in 2021, to require firearms and ammunition kept in homes be stored in locked boxes or fitted with security devices that can prevent them from firing.

Longdon, who was partially paralyzed in a drive-by shooting in 2004, cited the Nashville shooting as a need to take more drastic action, calling the bill at hand "the least we can do, and I will never understand the cowardice that this issue inspires."

The Republican majority in the House thwarted the vote, and took offense at Longdon's insinuation. Rep. Leo Biasiucci, R-Lake Havasu City, alleged it was Democrats who were not working with Republicans on safety measures and invoked the final four words of the Second Amendment, which establishes the right to own firearms. Arizona has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the nation.

"I'm proud of those police officers and how they've handled that situation in Tennessee," Biasiucci said. "They are heroes that took down somebody who was trying to kill innocent Christians. And in the end of the day, it is the person behind the gun, and we should never forget that it says 'shall not be infringed.'"

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669. Follow her on Twitter @sbarchenger.

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:17

A social media post from Gov. Katie Hobbs' spokesperson suggesting the use of violence against those who disparage transgender people has prompted a backlash and calls for the governor to take action.

Hobbs spokesperson Josselyn Berry late Monday posted an image on Twitter from the 1980 movie "Gloria," showing a woman with a handgun in each hand. "Us when we see transphobes," Berry wrote in an accompanying post that followed a prior message.

The post was made hours after a mass killing at a Nashville school where the shooter was identified by law enforcement authorities as a transgender person. The tweet was amplified Tuesday by Republican lawmakers and consultants, who panned it as tone deaf and advocating violence.

The Arizona Freedom Caucus, which includes the state Legislature's farthest-right members, called for Berry's dismissal, saying that "calling for violence like this is un-American & never acceptable."

The caucus and its leader Sen. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, is often at odds with Hobbs and has threatened to sue her over her first executive order. That order expanded protections from discrimination to include gender and reaffirmed that in matters of state employment and contracts, sexual orientation could not be considered. Hoffman charged that Berry was "threatening to shoot people Democrats disagree with less than 12 hours after the Nashville shooting."

Berry posted earlier in the day Monday about transgender rights and progressive politics, saying if you "work in the progressive community and are transphobic, you're not progressive." It is unclear what she was referring to.

"Not sure these transphobic-from-the-left posers know who they're messing with," another Twitter user replied, prompting Berry's tweet referencing people who fear or discriminate against the transgender community, and adding the image of a woman with drawn guns stalking forward a few paces.

Berry did not respond to a phone call or text messages seeking comment Tuesday night. Nor did Murphy Hebert, Hobbs' director of communications. An email request to the Governor's Office did not prompt a response.

Tweet 'below the dignity of the office'The tweet followed a day of attention on Nashville, where a 28-year-old armed with several weapons killed three 9-year-olds and three adults at a private Christian school just after noon. Police identified the shooter, who was killed, as using male pronouns but was assigned female at birth. Police have not released possible motives for the attack.

Daniel Scarpinato, a former chief of staff and spokesman for former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, called Berry's tweet offensive and tone deaf in light of the shooting several states away, but also "below the dignity of the office of the governor" given Berry's proximity to Hobbs.

"I don't think anyone, no matter your political leanings, would look at that tweet '-- any sane, professional person would look at that tweet and say, 'This is how I want one of the top advisers to the governor of my state to conduct themselves,'" Scarpinato said.

Nashville school shooting:Here's what Arizona's congressional delegation is saying

Hobbs, a Democrat who was narrowly elected last year, has pledged to be a governor for all Arizonans, frequently urging the Republican-majority Legislature to work with her on issues like education funding, water resources and affordability. Republican leaders for their part have said Hobbs went too far left in her first months in office, pointing to her proposal to end the state's universal private school voucher program and fund some reproductive health care programs.

The political divide between two of the state's branches of government is on repeated display at the Capitol, where tensions over policy divisions surface daily as lawmakers convene for work but Hobbs' presence '-- as the first Democratic governor in 14 years '-- buoys members of her own party and their agendas.

Republican lawmakers have backed multiple bills limiting transgender and LGBTQ rights, which Hobbs has pledged to veto.

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669. Follow her on Twitter @sbarchenger.

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:48

A third (33%) of UK workers over 55 described their workplace as 'too woke', almost double the percentage of those under 35 years old (17%), according to new research.

Half of over-55s working somewhere they deemed woke, i.e. excessively alert to social injustice, said that the 'wokeness' of their workplace made them more likely to leave, according to research from recruiter Randstad UK.

Only 29% of workers under 35 who thought their workplace was too woke said they would leave because of it.

While 22% of men said their workplace was too woke, only 13% of women said the same.

The rise of the wokeplace:

Rees-Mogg slams diversity officers as "by the woke, for the woke"

Are anti-woke companies on the rise?

Social activism could turn the workplace into a 'wokeplace'

Victoria Short, chief executive of Ranstad said the figures have implications for retention in a competitive labour market.

Speaking to HR magazine, she said: ''Senior staff members are departing the workforce early, depriving their employers of their invaluable institutional knowledge, as well as professional experience. This polling suggests one of the factors pushing them away is what they perceive to be overly woke workplaces.''

While inclusive change is important, Short said HR teams shouldn't forget that it needs to be delivered in a way that does not alienate members of the team.

She added: ''If workplaces don't accommodate a broad range of views and, most importantly, bring people along in their understanding of all of the issues, they risk an increasing stream of knowledge out of the door.

''Don't over-reach or forget that change needs gradual and positive encouragement; when you forget that, and you forget to speak to a vital part of your internal audience, that's when you alienate more moderate members of the team.''

David Liddle, CEO and chief consultant at mediation consultancy The TCM Group, however warned HR teams not to jump to conclusions based on this data.

Speaking to HR magazine, he said: ''The issue of wokeness is potentially divisive and an easy trap to fall into. HR teams should listen to the concerns, needs and aspirations of their people. Review your values and purpose and [re-establish] them as a golden thread that can unite your workforce.''

Liddle said HR should resolve conflict regarding wokeness early and ensure that parties can work together to achieve mutually acceptable and positive outcomes.

He added: ''It is vital that HR act as the peacemakers of the workplace and for that reason they must not be seen to be on the side of managers. They should avoid applying retributive or sanction based systems for resolving issues and embrace transformative justice which is fair, restorative and humane."

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:44

Donald Trump blasted Joe Biden's ''horrible'' response to the Nashville Christian school shooting, after Biden's initial comments following the outrage amounted to making jokes about ice cream.

28-year-old Audrey Hale killed three children and three adults at The Covenant School on Monday, a private Christian school for students aged three to 11.

Before Biden made a statement about the rampage, he absurdly began making jokes about how he liked chocolate chip ice cream.

BREAKING: Outrage after President @JoeBiden said this at the start of his speech while children and adults were massacred in Nashville shooting, "My name is Joe Biden. I'm dr. Jill Biden's husband. I like ice cream, chocolate chip. I came down because I heard there was chocolate'... pic.twitter.com/Wa7nFApjMu

'-- Simon Ateba (@simonateba) March 27, 2023

As we highlighted yesterday, Biden continued to smile and laugh when asked by reporters if he believed Christians were specifically targeted in the shooting.

''I have no idea!'' Biden responded, prompting the reporter to note that ''[Senator] Josh Hawley believes they were. What do you say to that?''

Biden then smiled and said, ''Well I probably don't then!'' before laughing, quickly seeing that no one else found it funny and stating ''I'm just joking.''

Reporter to Biden: Josh Hawley thinks Christians were targeted

Biden: I probably don't then. *Laughs* I'm just joking. pic.twitter.com/PJfjQ0DLfI

'-- End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 29, 2023

During an appearance on Real America's Voice, former President Trump savaged Biden's insensitive reaction.

''Somebody messed up. It was so horrible. Everyone was waiting to hear is words and he's talking about ice cream, with a laugh. He's laughing about it, he's joking about it. Now we're in serious trouble,'' the 45th President said.

Trump went on to call for more armed teachers in schools in order to combat similar tragedies.

President Trump on Nashville massacre pic.twitter.com/J9WZbr2QPC

'-- Wojciech Pawelczyk (@Woj_Pawelczyk) March 29, 2023

''There's a percentage of teachers that are very good with guns,'' said Trump. ''You have teachers that have a great record''they're in the military and everything else''and they're in the school. You can do that''you don't need a very big percentage. You take the people that are very adept with guns.''

''They could put them safely in some place but very, very nearby. And if you had something like that, you take them out,'' he added.

Trump then highlighted the ''unusual case'' of the school shooter being transgender, suggesting that the killer's ''anger'' was exacerbated by the use of hormone drugs, which he banned for military service members when he was president.

''Then you had the unusual case yesterday of what happened with this person, and the anger that was caused, and that's something''you know I banned it in the military because the drugs, because the amount of drugs they have to take is incredible,'' said Trump.

''And as soon as I get out, Biden opened it up again. And it's not a good thing because I can tell you, behind the scenes, the generals did not want it,'' he added.

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:42

Most adults who identify as transgender don't consistently identify as the opposite sex or present themselves as such, according to a Thursday poll from The Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation.

Only half of transgender adults actually present as the opposite sex all or even most of the time, according to the poll. Fewer than half identify as transgender women or men, as opposed to ''nonbinary'' or ''gender non-conforming.'' (RELATED: Biological Man Caught In Women's YMCA Locker Room Doubles Down On Comparing Self To Lynching Victim)

Among transgender respondents, 40% identified as ''trans, nonbinary'' and 22% identified as ''trans, gender non-conforming; only 22% identified as transgender women and 12% identified as transgender men, according to the poll. Nonbinary people feel that they do not fit into the category of male or female, and gender non-conforming people feel that they do not fit into conventional gender norms.

Few transgender respondents said they presented as the opposite sex all the time; three in 10 did, compared to 20% who presented as the opposite sex ''most of the time,'' 34% who did ''some of the time'' and 16% who ''never'' present as the opposite sex, the poll found.

The Washington Post and @KFF surveyed one of the largest randomized samples of U.S. transgender adults to date about their childhoods, feelings and lives.

The results show the depth of stigma and systematic inequality they face: https://t.co/10jGGQKlla

'-- The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 23, 2023

''I think there's a pushback against this idea that we have to fit in one of those boxes,'' Josie Nixon, a 30-year-old who identifies as nonbinary, told The Post. ''There are certainly binary trans men and women who fit well in those boxes and love being there, but I think there is a trend, especially as more young people find themselves, to say, 'These boxes don't do me justice, and they don't represent me in a way that encompasses all of who I am, so I'd rather exist in between or outside those boxes.'''

While social transition was common among respondents, medical transition was rare. Fewer than a third of transgender people had ever used puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones, and only one in six had undergone surgical procedures for the purpose of gender transition, according to the poll.

Among transgender adults, 78% reported that they had experienced serious mental health problems compared to 32% in the U.S. overall, according to the Post.

The survey polled 515 U.S. transgender adults in late 2022 with a seven point margin of error.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter's byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:22

Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter CEO Elon Musk, WEF's Yuval Noah Harari, and Apple's Steve Wozniak are among the over 1100 signatories of a letter to pause AI ''more powerful than GPT-4'' for a period of 6 months. It should be noted that the signatories, in many cases, are the ones behind the development of the very transformative AI technologies they now fear. Musk told an audience at his Tesla Investor Day 2023 the industry may need regulation. He added he ''fear[s] he may have done some things to accelerate it.''

The letter advances the notion of an '''AI summer' in which we reap the rewards, engineer these systems for the clear benefit of all, and give society a chance to adapt.'' It also proposes a wish to avoid unintended, ''potentially catastrophic effects on society.'' However, the letter also suggests a not-so-comforting solution, that the government intervene if ''such a pause is not enacted quickly.'' So now governmental intervention becomes the only way those involved can stop themselves? It seems very odd unless they know they are too far gone to control their own impulses or, even more terrifyingly, the technology itself.

I'm sure it will be fine pic.twitter.com/JWsq62Qkru

'-- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2023

Prescient https://t.co/Sw9fjbLnJR

'-- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 27, 2023

The signatories of the letter contend that Advanced AI carries significant risk and the potential for profound change in life as we know it. They cite a competitive environment with ''AI labs locked in an out-of-control race'' to advance and ''deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one'--not even their creators'--can understand, predict, or reliably control.''

The letter calls for a 6-month pause on powerful AI research while referencing another petition letter with over 5700 signatures dedicated to the 23 Asilomar AI Principles.

Stewart Russell is a signatory of the Future of Life Institute's open letter for an AI moratorium.

There are profound reasons for his concerns.

1/ pic.twitter.com/L14EWF9Dak

'-- Joe Allen (@JOEBOTxyz) March 29, 2023

The 23 Asilomar AI Principles were conceived at the 2017 Asilomar conference by the Future of Life Institute (FLI), whose organizational focus is on the ''governance of transformative technologies.'' The FLI conference hosted a series of panels in Asilomar, CA, to assess the risks and benefits of AI machine learning and its potential capacity for developing a ''Superintelligence.'' Among the attendees were leaders in the field of AI technology. Elon Musk, Stuart Russell, Ray Kurzweil, and others discussed the possibility of a human-level superintelligence in the future. They all seemed to concur that AI can develop beyond human capabilities at an accelerated rate once human-level superintelligence is reached.

As such, one of the primary purposes of the conference was to develop a set of principles that would limit harm from Advanced AI experimentation. 23 principles ''received support from at least 90% of the conference participants.'' It is these 23 principles that are now referenced in the letter requesting the 6-month moratorium on the development of Advanced AI.

The state of California adopted legislation in support of the 23 principles. According to FLI, they were the most ''widely adopted effort of their kind [and] endorsed by AI research leaders at Google DeepMind, GoogleBrain, Facebook, Apple, and OpenAI. Signatories include Demis Hassabis, Yoshua Bengio, Elon Musk, Ray Kurzweil, the late Stephen Hawking, Tasha McCauley, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Dean, Tom Gruber, Anthony Romero, Stuart Russell, and more than 3,800 other AI researchers and experts.''

What Are the 23 Asilomar Principles?The 23 Principles are segmented into three broad categories addressing challenges related to ''Research, Ethics and Values, and Longer-term issues.'' Under the Research heading is the worry over the competitive nature of the AI race. One of the more critical questions goes unanswered and centers on defining which ''set of values'' will be used in the development of AI. Equally important is whether human beings will ultimately be automated out of their jobs or their life's purpose.

23 Asilomar Principles/ResearchQuestions about values are essential because, in the end, algorithmic and societal biases ultimately inform machine learning and output.

Imagine you are writing a blog, book, or news update & you want to grab a free image. (These are real use cases!) Maybe you prompt for ''attractive person''. These are the generations. Regardless of intentions, you and all users are now peddling a very specific beauty ideal'... 2/8 pic.twitter.com/r0ISaxqahj

'-- Federico Bianchi (@federicobianchy) November 8, 2022

POLL: American Attitudes on AI 🤖

53% of voters think that AI will be designed in a way that will be politically biased.

Republicans are far more concerned aboutliberal bias than Democrats are about conservative bias.

Full Memo: https://t.co/WjxO97UNCp pic.twitter.com/FdRlPyN0oG

'-- Change Research (@ChangePolls) March 21, 2023

The Ethics and Values heading deals with safety, transparency, responsibility, risks, and privacy questions. These are questions that ponder the benefit to humanity of developing transformative AI technologies:

' Is AI safe?' If it causes harm, why?' What happens when it is misused?' What human values are autonomous advanced AI systems aligned with?' What happens if human liberties are violated?' Will humans have ultimate control with regard to choosing and delegating decisions to AI systems?

23 Asilomar Principles/Ethics and ValuesðŸ'Œ Future Principles :

"We should try to balance fears about the downsides of AI'--which are understandable and valid'--with its ability to improve people's lives."

Government and philanthropy need to play a role to reduce inequity in AI.

'-- Lorenzo Green ã°¸ (@mrgreen) March 25, 2023

Discover the game-changing benefits of AI in military operations, including AI-guided #drone swarms and AI-controlled #tanks, while also exploring the critical ethical considerations. Read our latest blog now! #AI #military #ethics https://t.co/TUK2RTYgU5 pic.twitter.com/btKrBpII29

'-- Vipul Tomar (@tomarvipul) March 29, 2023

The Longer-term issues discussed are probably the most taxing to project or imagine fully.

' What is AI ultimately capable of?' How will Advanced AI serve humanity as opposed to the state or chosen institutions?' What kinds of profound change will we see?' Will it do more harm than good?

23 Asilomar Principles/Longer-term issuesðŸ'Œ Risks & problems:

'†' Will AIs develop their own goals that deviate from human goals?

"Then there's the possibility that AIs will run out of control. Could AI decide that humans are a threat, conclude that its interests are different from ours, or stop caring about us?" pic.twitter.com/4DgvNSUEvN

'-- Lorenzo Green ã°¸ (@mrgreen) March 25, 2023

What is GPT-4?GPT-4 is a scaled-up OpenAI, ''deep learning'' multimodal model that accepts input from images and text. The technology is capable of producing ''human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks,'' such as the ability to pass a ''simulated bar exam'' with scores in the top 10 percent of test takers. Deep learning means the AI can utilize vast amounts of data to train the AI to perform a given task.

The OpenAI website addresses the issue of safety, referencing the intention to ''ensure that these machines are aligned with human intentions and values.'' The OpenAI Charter, published in 2018, lays out a set of principles that are broadly committed to ''acting in the best interests of humanity,'' whatever that means. The Charter recognizes the potential for ''societal impact'' when developing AI technology. Well-intended or not, the language is vague enough to be concerned that the development of powerful AI could easily result in unintended negative consequences for society as a whole.

Big Questions and No Clear AnswersThe letter to pause AI experiments poses many existential questions that should be considered before further experimentation.

Questions/Pause Letter'' "Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us?"

'' "Should we risk loss of control of our civilization?"

That's a NO on all four.

3/

'-- Joe Allen (@JOEBOTxyz) March 29, 2023

The biggest question is whether the train has already left the station. It is evident from the FLI-sponsored event that participants in the development of Advanced AI were and have been well aware of the potential risks to humankind, even as they advanced their own technologies. The letter references the very ''unelected tech leaders'' who are also signatories to the petition. As the engines of their various profitable enterprises continue to whir, they seem to be speaking out of both sides of their mouths. It begs the question; how serious are they about stopping the experimentation, and will their business decisions reflect the gravity of the questions they ask?

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:16

Source: StockSnap/pixabay

Compelling theoretical reasons suggest the possibility of a causal link between excessive screen exposure in early life and the development of autistic-like symptoms later on.

A large 2020 cohort study in JAMA Pediatrics examined some of these. The prospective study found that watching television and/or videos, and less frequent play interaction between child and caregiver at 12 months of age, was associated with a modestly greater incidence of autistic-like symptoms (but not a greater risk of autism spectrum disorder) at age 2.

I want to make absolutely clear the difference between developmental autism, typically called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and autistic-like behavior observed by parents and pediatricians while acknowledging the possibility that the two may be intertwined. This is why the issue can be confusing.

Over 40 percent of first-graders now have their own smartphone. iPads hanging over bassinets or mounted in front of bouncy seats, potty trainers, and car seats block out a child's developing central vision. The more they look at screens, the less they interact socially with actual human beings. Poor socialization remains the main challenge in true autism and those showing autistic-like behavior.

Cause of virtual autism? A chicken-or-egg questionSome critics raise the possibility of reverse causality'--i.e., that autism itself is the cause of social disengagement and heavy screen use rather than the other way around. As the authors of the JAMA Pediatrics study note, "Children predisposed to ASD may have a preference for screens, or parents of children already displaying ASD symptoms may be more reliant on screens to soothe a child with self-regulation issues."

Weighing against this, if screen engagement were the result rather than the cause of autistic-like behavior, it would not reverse once screens were taken away. A well-known study by the UCLA Children's Digital Media Center compared two groups of sixth-graders at an outdoor camp. Control and study groups came from the same public school and shared similar demographic backgrounds, and both showed autistic-like symptoms beforehand.

The study group had no access to phones, TVs, computers, or screens of any kind whereas the control group was allowed its usual amount. After only five days spent interacting with peers and camp staff, the study group started to improve their emotional and social engagement significantly (e.g., tested by having to infer emotional states from photographs of facial expressions and videotaped scenes with the sound turned off).

The precautionary principle or free rein?The outcome is noteworthy given that social aptitude depends on an ability to read facial expressions, tone of voice, gesture, body language, and gaze. Does the children's rapid reversal imply there are no long-term consequences of screen engagement to developing minds? Though we don't yet know conclusively, it is no reason to abandon the precautionary principle.

Might heavy screen exposure early on boost incipient autism? Simon Baron-Cohen, perhaps the world's expert, first noted "systemizing" as part of the cognitive style that defined autistic kids as well as their parents. He noted their heightened attention to detail, expertise in recognizing patterns, and drive to invent systems of organization. Children diagnosed with autism are already strongly attracted to electronic devices, and affected children and their parents are both more likely to be technologically proficient compared to age-matched peers who are not autistic. However, one pediatric center suggests that mirror learning may explain this inasmuch as kids imitate their parents who are fixated on their own screens.

Brains at every age, but especially developing ones, adapt to whatever environment they find themselves in. What worries increasing numbers of parents are the potentially negative adaptations that heavy screen exposure may instill. At first glance, digital devices seem beneficial, even an unalloyed good. To some harried parents, an iPad may be a much-welcomed babysitter or ''the only thing that works'' to quiet a rambunctious child. Now, however, the ubiquitous number of screens in modern life raises many obstacles to a developing brain and mind.

Does screen time undermine social learning?One thing screens do is cause displacement. This is why turning to digital devices to ''occupy and pacify'' kids may be ultimately shortsighted. There are only so many hours in a day, with children awake for only 10 to 12 of them. Although screen viewing may appear innocuous or even educational, digital media crowds out, or displaces, activities that traditionally shape cognitive, social, and emotional development.

A University of Cambridge study found that the brainwaves of adults and babies synchronize when they hold eye contact. Signaling the availability and intention to communicate might synchronize when it is time to speak and when to listen, which would make learning more effective.

Moments of connection such as this help form a baby's sense of self in relation to the rest of the world, and particularly to the people in it. To what extent do screens compete with that?

There is a lack of demonstrable benefits to early screen exposure, whereas there are reasons why it may negatively affect growing brains. It might be that diminished face-to-face time with caregivers factors into a causal pathway. Logistical and ethical constraints render it impossible to conduct randomized studies in growing children while having to wait 5 to 7 years for a study's conclusions before taking action is likewise unworkable. Observational studies, then, are the best way to shed light on possible links between excessive screen viewing and the development of either frank autism or autistic-like symptoms, which is why the JAMA Pediatrics studies are welcome.

A warning from RomaniaAn early inkling of a possible causal link between heavy screen exposure and autistic behavior came from a Romanian children's hospital psychiatrist, who said he noticed a rise in autistic behavior over a period of six years. (Another doctor in France reported "autistic symptoms in toddlers exposed to screens.")

The cause of their behavior was inexplicable at first, so the Romanian doctor dug into the activity logs the hospital had collected on all its patients. In these logs, he found that children 3 years and under who were diagnosed as autistic were spending four or more hours a day watching television, a computer, a tablet, or a phone screen. Once affected children were separated from their screens and again encouraged to socialize, symptoms reportedly abated.

Today in Romania, the treatment of autistic behavior by taking screens away has garnered public support. But strong claims about causal links need verification, and rigorous prospective studies in mainstream journals, such as the one mentioned above, are underway.

The spectrum of autismAutism Spectrum Disorder includes a range'--or spectrum'--of developmental behaviors. Almost all affected individuals have difficulty communicating and interacting socially. They may have extremely narrow interests and obsess for hours over the same thing such as spinning, counting, or watching a YouTube video over and over. Parents are understandably concerned because the behaviors associated with ASD pose barriers that can make it more difficult to succeed socially, academically, and professionally later in life. Some children never overcome them, which is why the specter of autism can fill a parent with dread.

The Romanian doctor asked parents to take away their child's screens temporarily, accompany them outside, read books together, talk face-to-face, and simply play with objects at hand. He wanted affected children to engage more often in day-to-day social interactions given that socialization is the primary challenge for anyone on the autism spectrum. Could pulling them away from the solitude of their screens relieve some of the symptoms?

Symptoms did appear to resolve, leading the doctor to propose the existence of ''virtual autism,'' or autistic-like behavior that seems to be induced by screens. The youngest children aged 18 months, with their more malleable brains, reportedly resolved within a few months while the hospital's oldest patient, an 8-year-old, took two years to recover fully from his autistic-like symptoms.

Controlled studies beg to be conducted given the findings that seem to support what some pediatric experts have previously warned about: that too much screen can negatively affect developing brains. Accumulated evidence already exists that heavy screen exposure may impede mental health in the young. More than 200 papers at last count tie increased screen exposure to overt addiction, attention deficit-hyperactivity, aggression, and anxiety.

Matt Miles and Joe Clement, two experienced teachers in Fairfax, Virginia, and authors of Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber say, ''The one thing parents are most concerned about today is autism. But you can't mention autism and technology in the same sentence without being immediately dismissed as a fearmonger.''

Parents may not know of the association between autistic-like symptoms and screen exposure of various kinds. Perhaps the prudent position if such behavior appears is, ''Unplug, don't drug.'' Limit your child's screen time. Take them outside and explore. Talk to them in full sentences. Make art together. Introduce them to the games you played as a child. Doing so may protect their minds and teach them more than any brain-training app ever could.

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:12

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first over-the-counter Narcan nasal spray to reduce drug overdose deaths driven by illicit opioids amid an ongoing epidemic largely fueled by the southern border crisis.

Federal officials approved Narcan, a naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for over-the-counter, nonprescription use, as drug overdoses continue to plague the U.S, citing more than 101,750 people who died in a 12-month time frame from overdosing primarily on synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl.

''Naloxone is a critical tool in addressing opioid overdoses and today's approval underscores the extensive efforts the agency has undertaken to combat the overdose crisis,'' Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D., director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a news release.

Cavazzoni said that federal officials would work with sponsors seeking to market such nonprescription naloxone products, including through a [prescription] to OTC switch, and encourage manufacturers to contact the agency as early as possible to initiate discussions.

According to the FDA, manufacturers of Narcan must change the labeling for generic naloxone nasal spray products. They will be required to submit a supplement to their applications to receive over-the-counter approval.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 107,735 Americans died between August 2021 and August 2022 from drug poisonings, with 66% of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the news release.

The Associated Press reported harm reduction groups have been urging the federal government to use federal funds to buy naloxone since 2016, while state officials have ordered pharmacies to sell it to customers, even without prescriptions.

Last month, Los Angeles Unified School District officials announced students could soon carry Narcan nasal spray at school in case of an opioid overdose.

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A report showed 92% of teens who died from drug overdoses in 2021 tested positive for fentanyl in Los Angeles County, with 31 directly related to the deadly opioid.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said last December that the agency seized enough fentanyl in 2022 to kill every American citizen. Officials said the DEA had confiscated some 50.6 million fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder with two weeks left in the calendar year 2022.

That amounts to more than 379 million lethal doses of fentanyl last year, more than enough to kill all 333 million people in the United States.

DEA authorities blamed the vast majority of fentanyl trafficked into the United States on the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, which primarily source the chemicals from China.

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 12:05

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) got into a heated exchange over the ban of the China-owned app TikTok in the U.S.

Paul hit the brakes on Hawley's proposed bill to ban the platform, arguing it would limit free speech and emulate censorship from the Chinese government.

In a speech on the Senate floor, Hawley requested unanimous consent on the No TikTok on United States Devices Act, legislation he introduced in January, warning that American data is being collected on the social media app by the platform's Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance.

''We acted just a few months ago with a sense of urgency because we decided TikTok was a national security threat,'' Hawley said. ''And we were right to act just those few months ago. And now, we must take the next step '-- to ban TikTok nationwide to protect the security of every single American.''

However, Paul interjected, saying it would go against the First Amendment.

''We should not let fear of communism cause us to ignore our First Amendment protections of free speech. This legislation would require our president to ban TikTok,'' Paul said. ''I ask the American people, do you want Joe Biden to be your censor? Do you want a president of either party to decide what you are allowed to say and hear? Who will you entrust to save you from your own eyes and ears?''

The two Republicans failed to see eye to eye during Wednesday night's hearing. Hawley has joined a handful of Republicans pushing for the app to be banned in the states as well, arguing that foreign technologies could pose security risks.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke out against Paul, saying the ban was not about the app's content but rather China's motive to spy on Americans.

''This is not a First Amendment issue because we're not trying to ban 'booty videos' '-- I don't know that there's a better term for it,'' Rubio said on the Senate floor. ''It's not about the content of the videos that are online. It is about the dangers to our national security that are presented by the way this company functions.''

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 11:09

(C) Provided by The Register Meta-made small language model can produce misinformation, toxic textThe web demo of Alpaca, a small AI language model based on Meta's LLaMA system, has been taken down offline by researchers at Stanford University due to safety and cost concerns.'...

Access to large language models containing hundreds or tens of billions of parameters are often restricted to companies that have the resources required to train and run them. Meta planned to share the code for its LLaMA system with select researchers in an attempt to spur research into why language models generate toxic and false text. Meta hoped it could do so without requiring researchers to acquire massive hardware systems.

A group of computer scientists at Stanford University fine-tuned LLaMA to develop Alpaca, an open-source seven-billion-parameter model that reportedly cost less than $600 to build. The code was released last week, and captured the attention of developers after some reportedly managed to get it up and running on Raspberry Pi computers and even a Pixel 6 smartphone.

"Instruction-following models such as GPT-3.5 (text-davinci-003), ChatGPT, Claude, and Bing Chat have become increasingly powerful," Stanford's researchers stated.

"Many users now interact with these models regularly and even use them for work. However, despite their widespread deployment, instruction-following models still have many deficiencies: they can generate false information, propagate social stereotypes, and produce toxic language.

"To make maximum progress on addressing these pressing problems, it is important for the academic community to engage. Unfortunately, doing research on instruction-following models in academia has been difficult, as there is no open-source model that comes close in capabilities to closed-source models such as OpenAI's text-davinci-003."

Alpaca was fine-tuned with 50,000 text samples guiding the model into following specific instructions to make it function more like to OpenaI's text-davinci-003.

However the webpage running a demo of Alpaca, which allowed anyone to interact with the model, was taken down shortly after it was launched due to safety issues and rising costs of hosting the model online.

"The original goal of releasing a demo was to disseminate our research in an accessible way We feel that we have mostly achieved this goal, and given the hosting costs and the inadequacies of our content filters, we decided to bring down the demo," a spokesperson representing Stanford University's Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence institute, confirmed to The Register in a statement.

Like all other language models, Alpaca is prone to generating misinformation, a property often described as hallucination. Offensive text is another common output.

"Hallucination in particular seems to be a common failure mode for Alpaca, even compared to text-davinci-003," the researchers noted. In some examples, the model failed to recall the capital of Tanzania correctly and produced false technical information.

Although the web demo has been taken down, the dataset and code describing how to fine-tune the model remain available on GitHub. The researchers said they plan to release details on the model's weights too.

"Alpaca likely contains many other limitations associated with both the underlying language model and the instruction tuning data. However, we believe that the artifact will still be useful to the community, as it provides a relatively lightweight model that serves as a basis to study important deficiencies," they said.

"We encourage users to help us identify new kinds of failures by flagging them in the web demo. Overall, we hope that the release of Alpaca can facilitate further research into instruction-following models and their alignment with human values." ®

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 10:47

Senator Mark Warner's Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology (''RESTRICT'') Act is currently in Senate procedure, as is widely thought to be targeting China's TikTok in particular.

However, those who bothered to read the text of the proposed act '' which will next be considered by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, are warning that it is not merely about TikTok, but aims to grant wide powers over all forms of domestic and foreign communications to the government '' such as enforcing ''any'' mitigating measure to deal with risks to national security.

We obtained a copy of the bill for you here.

And, observers critical of these legislative activities note, there would be no due process in taking these measures, and not much in terms of safeguards.

The Libertarian Party's Mises Caucus notes that the draft text states that the act's goal is to authorize the US secretary of commerce to review and prohibit ''certain transactions between persons in the United States and foreign adversaries, and for other purposes.''

Observers note that if somebody or something is designated as a threat to national security, under the proposed legislation, the government would be given full access to these entities.

The text of the act singles out several usual suspects as foreign adversaries, such as Russia, China, Iran, etc., but, the director of national intelligence and the secretary of commerce are free to add new ''foreign adversaries'' to the list, while not under obligation to let Congress know about it.

They would also be given 15 days before notifying the president.

Critics make a point of the fact that US citizens marked as national security threat can also be considered and treated using the provisions of this proposal as ''foreign individuals.''

And when this designation is in place, then the threat of ''any action deemed necessary'' to mitigate it kicks in, which could result in people being ordered to pay a million dollar fine, spend 20 years in prison, or lose all assets (and these forms of punishment would be meted out without due process).

No limits are put on the funding and hiring to enforce the act, and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) would not apply.

All that just to ''ban'' TikTok?

Either way, The White House is in favor of passing RESTRICT Act.

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 03:13

TikTok has been all the rage in Washington lately. Not for the reasons which lead some 150 million Americans to use it, but because of the rush by politicians to try to ban the app, which is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company.

Two major bills that would impose sweeping restrictions on Chinese-owned software are working their way through the House (HR 1153) and Senate (S 686), while TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was recently brought before the House Commerce Committee for hostile questioning. The executive branch is also seeking to force ByteDance to sell the app to an American owner, against Chinese opposition.

Those raising the alarm about Chinese ownership of TikTok cite invasive surveillance practices, privacy violations created by excessive collection and exploitation of user data, addictive design features, and harmful content. But all of these disturbing characteristics are also ubiquitous features of American-owned big tech apps ranging from Google to Facebook to Instagram, and were in many ways pioneered by American Silicon Valley companies.

In the case of TikTok, the claim is that Chinese ownership makes these problems particularly harmful because Chinese intelligence services can access user data and technologies owned by Chinese companies such as ByteDance. Some also go further by claiming that TikTok could be used to compromise the security of devices on which it is installed.

It remains somewhat unclear exactly how the Chinese government would use TikTok to harm American users in ways that other big tech apps do not. This raises the question of whether what is needed is not an attack on TikTok but a broader effort to protect user privacy and protect children from harmful content on big tech apps in general.

But an examination of the two ''TikTok bills'' working their way through Congress raises another question. Is TikTok being used as the wedge for a much broader effort to restrict companies owned by rival nations across the entire information technology sector? And does this effort threaten American civil liberties and risk government overreach?

HR 1153, the DATA Act, which recently passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is almost surreal in some of its implications. Section 102 of the bill, oriented toward penalties on U.S. citizens, would require the secretary of the treasury to ban any U.S. financial transactions by any American who had knowingly transferred sensitive personal information to any entity owned by or even ''subject to the influence of'' China.

Since the definition of ''sensitive personal information'' is very broad, this could mean that any company or individual who had, for example, forwarded emails or shared health insurance information with a company that had even partial Chinese ownership could find themselves banned from financial transactions. Their assets would be effectively frozen '-- for example, they would be unable to use their credit cards or access cash in their bank accounts.

Title II of the bill focuses on foreign jurisdictions. It would require the U.S. government to freeze all U.S. assets of a foreign person anywhere in the world who ''operates, directs, or otherwise deals in'' a connected software application that is Chinese owned or ''subject to the influence of'' China, if such software facilitates Chinese military, surveillance, or censorship activities, or involves Chinese access to recommendation algorithms that could manipulate content.

This incredibly broad prohibition, connected to extreme penalties, would in effect make it a priority of the U.S. government to try to ban the use of much Chinese software anywhere in the world, including in nations that are allies or potential allies.

Many of the problems with HR 1153 were pointed out by Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and other Democratic members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee during the committee debate on the bill, and the bill passed on a partisan vote. This makes it less likely that it will become law.

But that's not true of S 686, the RESTRICT Act, the Senate ''TikTok bill,'' which has significant momentum toward passage. S 686 has 21 bipartisan co-sponsors and has been endorsed by the Biden administration. The bill would grant the executive branch unprecedented new national security powers over commerce in information and communication technologies, and by extension, speech.

The Restrict Act requires the executive branch to prohibit or otherwise ''mitigate'' any transaction or activity in information and communications technologies by companies controlled by a ''foreign adversary,'' if the secretary determines that such a transaction poses any risk to U.S. national security.

The bill grants the president a wide range of civil and criminal options to enforce such mitigation, including forced divestment of assets, seizure of assets, and subpoenas for information. Under Section 12 of the bill, legal avenues to contest such actions are limited to rapid and direct constitutional challenges in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

The initial list of ''foreign adversaries'' in the bill includes China, Cuba, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea.The executive branch could add additional foreign adversary nations at will. This choice could only be overridden by a majority vote of both houses of Congress.

While these powers would be discretionary, and could theoretically be used in a restrained and measured way, there is no guarantee they would be. In effect, this bill would ban ownership of any widely used information and communications technologies within the U.S. market by foreign nations viewed as adversaries of the U.S. At the very least, such technologies could be subject to censorship at will.

This could have significant ramifications internationally and domestically. We may see retaliatory bans on the use of U.S. software and communications technologies in foreign countries targeted as ''adversary nations'' '-- possibly the beginning of the division of the world into rival information technology spheres protected by ''great firewalls'' like that imposed by China.

Domestically, Section 11 of the bill establishes draconian penalties for American citizens who violate it by attempting to evade or help others to evade new restrictions on foreign-owned information and communications technologies. While it is somewhat ambiguous how far this could go, it could lead to American citizens being prosecuted for accessing information on foreign-owned technology platforms such as WeChat.

This kind of censorship, based on foreign ownership rather than content, has not been tested under First Amendment law, but it could have profound implications. The ACLU has already stated its opposition to the bill on freedom of expression grounds.

In the end, it seems that there should be much easier ways to prevent Chinese government access to private user data on TikTok. But for those who wish to expand the power of the national security state, the sweeping nature of these proposals might be a feature, not a bug.

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 03:10

ENGLISHSUMMARYSUMMARY Short Title Short Title Interpretation Interpretation National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Reports to Parliament Reports to Parliament First Session, Forty-fourth Parliament,

70-71 Elizabeth II '' 1 Charles III, 2021-2022-2023

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

AS PASSED

BY THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

March 29, 2023

SUMMARYThis enactment requires the Minister of the Environment, in consultation or cooperation with any interested persons, bodies, organizations or communities, to develop a national strategy to promote efforts across Canada to address the harm caused by environmental racism. It also provides for reporting requirements in relation to the strategy.

Available on the House of Commons website at the following address:

www.ourcommons.ca

1st Session, 44th Parliament,

70 - 71 Elizabeth II '' 1 Charles III, 2021 - 2022 - 2023

HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA

BILL C-226

An Act respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice

PreambleWhereas the Government of Canada recognizes the need to advance environmental justice across Canada and the importance of continuing to work towards eliminating racism and racial discrimination in all their forms and manifestations;

Whereas a disproportionate number of people who live in environmentally hazardous areas are members of an Indigenous, racialized or other marginalized community;

Whereas the establishing of environmentally hazardous sites, including landfills and polluting industries, in areas inhabited primarily by members of those communities could be considered a form of racial discrimination;

Whereas the Government of Canada recognizes that it is important to meaningfully involve all Canadians '-- and, in particular, marginalized communities '-- in the development of environmental policy and that racial discrimination in the development of environmental policy would constitute environmental racism;

Whereas the Government of Canada is committed to assessing and preventing environmental racism and to providing affected communities with the opportunity to participate in, among other things, finding solutions to address harm caused by environmental racism;

And whereas the Government of Canada recognizes that collaboration and a coordinated national strategy are key to promoting effective change and achieving environmental justice;

Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title Short title 1 '‚ This Act may be cited as the National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act .

Interpretation Definition of Minister 2 '‚ In this Act, Minister means the Minister of the Environment.

National Strategy Respecting Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice National strategy 3 '‚ ( 1 ) '‚ The Minister must develop a national strategy to promote efforts across Canada to advance environmental justice and to assess, prevent and address environmental racism.

Consultation( 2 ) '‚ In developing the strategy, the Minister must consult or cooperate with any interested persons, bodies, organizations or communities '-- including other ministers, representatives of governments in Canada and Indigenous communities '-- and ensure that it is consistent with the Government of Canada's framework for the recognition and implementation of the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Content( 3 ) '‚ The strategy must include

(a) '‚ a study that includes

(i) '‚ an examination of the link between race, socio-economic status and environmental risk, and

(ii) '‚ information and statistics relating to the location of environmental hazards; and

(b) '‚ measures that can be taken to advance environmental justice and assess, prevent and address environmental racism and that may include

(i) '‚ possible amendments to federal laws, policies and programs,

(ii) '‚ the involvement of community groups in environmental policy-making,

(iii) '‚ compensation for individuals or communities, and

(iv) '‚ the collection of information and statistics relating to health outcomes in communities located in proximity to environmental hazards.

Reports to Parliament Tabling of national strategy 4 '‚ ( 1 ) '‚ Within two years after the day on which this Act comes into force, the Minister must prepare a report setting out the national strategy and cause it to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after it is completed.

Publication( 2 ) '‚ The Minister must publish the report on the website of the Department of the Environment within 10 days after it has been tabled in both Houses of Parliament.

Report 5 '‚ Within five years after the report referred to in section 4 has been tabled in both Houses of Parliament, and every five years after that, the Minister must, in consultation with the parties referred to in subsection 3 ( 2 ), prepare a report on the effectiveness of the national strategy that sets out the Minister's conclusions and recommendations, and cause the report to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after it is completed.

Published under authority of the Speaker of the House of Commons

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 03:07

Three Alabama school districts are suing Meta, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, alleging that the social media companies have created a ''youth mental health crisis.''

In a complaint filed on Tuesday in California state court, lawyers representing Baldwin County, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa City school systems called the platforms ''unreasonably dangerous'' and ''addictive'' products that are increasingly causing students to perform poorly in school.

''This youth mental health crisis is infecting all aspects of education,'' they wrote. ''Students are experiencing record rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues because of Defendants' intentional conduct. These students perform worse in school, are less likely to attend school, more likely to engage in substance use and to act out, all of which directly affects Plaintiffs' ability to fulfill their educational mission.''

The lawsuit, Baldwin County Public Schools v. Meta Platforms, is the latest to join a swath of social media litigation taking part in California, where the companies are based.

This complaint alleges public nuisance and negligence claims under Alabama law, and seeks financial compensation, punitive damages and ''equitable relief to fund prevention education and addiction treatment.''

''The harm created by social media companies has strained already limited school resources as educators attempt to combat the widespread problems caused by social media addiction,'' Beasley Allen attorney Joseph VanZandt, who represents the Alabama districts, said in a news release Wednesday. ''These lawsuits make it clear to social media companies that they will face consequences for their conduct not only from the adolescents they harmed but also from the people and institutions supporting our youth.''

As related suits over harmful social media content continue to play out in the court, school systems have remained largely quiet on the issue until this year.

Seattle Public Schools were among the first to sue the social media companies in January 2023, according to the Associated Press. Another Washington school district followed suit shortly after.

Experts recently told Chalkbeat that the stakes of these suits are ''enormous,'' and could radically reshape the internet if they succeed.

Still, the connection between social media use and anxiety or other forms of maladaptive behavior isn't quite clear, they said.

''Is social media, by itself, and just kids' normal use of it, solely responsible for the national trend we're seeing in youth mental health? Probably not,'' Mitch Prinstein, chief science officer at the American Psychological Association, told the outlet. ''From a scientific perspective we can't say that, nor do I know that we could ever say that.''

At the time of publication, none of the school districts involved have responded to AL.com's request for comment.

Read the full complaint below, or view it here.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

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Archived Version

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 00:35

The Sayings of King Lemuel 31 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him.

2 O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, 3 do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings.

4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol. 5 For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed. 6 Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress. 7 Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more.

8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

A Wife of Noble Character 10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. 14 She is like a merchant's ship, bringing her food from afar. 15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls.

16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. 18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.

19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. 20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. 21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.

22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. 23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders. 24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. 26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. 27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.

28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 29 ''There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!''

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. 31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 20:19

Mar 21Not a single attendee stopped to ask themselves, why is RdS handler Pushaw reaching out in *late 2021* to organize me/pull me into the RdS orbit.

They were so blinded by their own Insta-Selfie vanity, they never stopped to think about a bigger, more manipulative, play.

#Pride Pushaw, working on behalf of the Sea Island crew who organized the handling of DeSantis, kept pouring fuel on the fire of vanity and pride.

Trained in the dark arts of the Soros network (see Ukraine) She knew exactly what she was doing.

Blinded by massive ego, pride and a lust for affluence and influence, the entire "influencer" operation was easy for Pushaw to achieve. Greed, pride, ego and a lust for attention, and money is a dangerous combination.

Read 4 tweets

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Archived Version

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 17:31

Political fundraising and spending trends across the U.S.

A look at political fundraising and spending trends across the U.S. 08:11 About $513 million was raised through ActBlue, the Democratic Party's online fundraising platform for small dollar donors, between April 1 and June 30, according to numbers first shared with CBS News.

The platform brought in $20.6 million on the day the Supreme Court released its ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case , which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the question of whether abortion would remain legal back to states.

Overall, in the six days immediately following the June 24 decision, Democratic candidates, committees and progressive organizations brought in $89 million through ActBlue.

"The overturning of Roe v. Wade and the push in Republican-led states to restrict or eliminate abortion access and attack civil rights have rapidly mobilized small-dollar donors," said Erin Hill, the outgoing Executive Director of ActBlue. Hill is expected to depart from the organization at the end of the year.

"Donors are rallying around these issues '' from preserving LGBTQIA2S+ rights to voting rights and more '' they're getting engaged at the local level and focusing on competitive races ahead of November," she added.

Abortion-rights activists protest outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Monday, July 4, 2022. The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years, a decision by its conservative majority to overturn the court's landmark abortion cases. Jose Luis Magana / AP While the party faces headwinds this midterm cycle due to voter frustrations with the economy and inflation, as well as President Biden's low approval rating, ActBlue's numbers signal there has been strong energy surrounding two animating issues for their base: abortion rights and gun control.

The platform says that eight out of the 10 largest days for first-time donors occurred in the days after the Supreme Court's Dobbs draft opinion leaked, the Uvalde, Texas, shooting and after the Dobbs decision.

The huge sum is more than double the amount raised in the second quarter of the 2018 midterm cycle. The number of individual donors also doubled from that cycle: 2.79 million in 2022 versus 1.4 million in 2018. The average contribution this quarter was $43.31.

Cycle to date, more than $2.1 billion has been raised for Democratic candidates and organizations through ActBlue. By comparison, nearly $2.3 billion has been raised at this point in the 2020 cycle, a presidential election year.

By comparison, WinRed, ActBlue's main Republican online fundraising counterpart, processed $155.8 million in the second quarter of 2022. While ActBlue was first launched in 2004, WinRed was founded in 2019 but already has processed donations for more than 5,000 campaigns in its first three years, compared to ActBlue's more than 16,000 in the second quarter of 2022 alone.

ActBlue's numbers match up with a pattern of high fundraising numbers fby Democratic candidates and incumbents with tough races in November. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia raised $17.2 million in the second quarter, Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona raised $13.6 million, Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman of Pennsylvania raised $11 million and Rep. Val Demings of Florida raised $12.2 million for her run for the Senate.

"But the platform says there's also been a spike in non-federal and local donations from the beginning of this cycle through June. About 55% of the first time donors in that period gave to a non-federal campaign, committee or organization." Donors gave twice as much money for attorney general candidates this quarter compared to 2018, and three times as much for gubernatorial races. And the Democratic campaign arm focused on state legislative races also broke its second quarter cash haul record this year, with its best 48 hours of fundraising this cycle taking place after the Roe decision.

Sarah Ewall-Wice contributed to this report.

2022 Midterm Elections More More Aaron NavarroAaron Navarro is a digital reporter covering politics.

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:59

Top five innovations shaping the future Expand all

Collapse All') $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').eq(1).hide(); $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').on('click',function () { if ( $(this).index() == 0) { //expand $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').eq(0).hide(); $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').eq(1).show(); $(accordionID + ' .daccord-collapse').slideDown(daccordSpeed); $(accordionID +' .daccord-header').addClass('daccord-header-icon'); } if ( $(this).index() == 1) { //collapse $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').eq(1).hide(); $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').eq(0).show(); $(accordionID + ' .daccord-collapse').slideUp(daccordSpeed); $(accordionID +' .daccord-header').removeClass('daccord-header-icon'); } }); } //if a valid var from url exists override open item setting. var daccordUrlVar = $.getUrlVar('lawenforcement'); if ($.fn.daccordIsInt(daccordUrlVar)) { var urlInt = parseInt(daccordUrlVar); daccordUrlVar = urlInt; properties.openItem = daccordUrlVar; } //Build item object from AEM Vars var daccordItems = []; //Item 1 daccordItems[0] = { itemTitle: "1. Distributed sensing and virtual patrols", itemText: "

Combining emerging technologies to gain greater awareness, faster

Every investigative journey begins with collecting facts about the world. Traditionally, this work has been tough. It could mean relying on a officer's memory of a license plate to look out for, or long hours searching for the right pieces of information. It often means being there, to see, to hear, and to deter'--and no department can be everywhere. However, new technologies, like the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart sensors, can be there when needed.

Smart sensors can be used to compile many different types of information to help officers do their jobs faster and more effectively.2 New capabilities can log locations, listen for gunshots, stream video, flag license plates, scan databases, and go on virtual patrol, allowing officers unprecedented awareness in their environments.

These capabilities can provide the raw data which more detailed analytics can use to likely enhance efficiencies and expedite investigations. Most importantly, these technologies can help officers be in the right place, at the right time.

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Harnessing digital technologies to improve officer and citizen safety

IoT and distributed sensing are about leveraging new technology to gather information about the world, and point in the right direction. But what should officers do on the scene? New technologies and practices are developing that can help guide action in the world. Advances in areas such as 5G communication, electronics miniaturization, and augmented reality allow people to see, hear, and act in ways that were previously impossible.3

For example, an officer arriving at an unfamiliar situation can now use augmented reality glasses to see pertinent information about prior calls for service from this address, find exits from a building, or see the recent crime history on the block.4 With this information an officer could take precautions to protect themselves and even better serve the public.

If an officer first walking up to a house saw that the occupant has a history of medical conditions, she could immediately bring an Automated External Defibrillator saving time and possibly a life. New technology can also provide digital back up in the field. Small autonomous drones, for example, can be programmed to follow officers, scout locations, and provide video streams so that no officer ever has to go into any situation truly alone.

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Leveraging mountains of data to prevent crime

We live in a world awash in data. And as many departments deploy technology solutions like augmented reality, body cameras, license plate readers, and smart sensors, they will likely generate more data each day than in their entire analog histories.5 The success of future law enforcement strategies rests on being able to quickly and efficiently harness these immense volumes of data to support investigations and enforcement actions. But these mountains of data are too vast for any human to comb through, even if they dedicated an entire lifetime to searching.

To gain real insight, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will be key to future investigations.6 For example, each year more than eight million tips on the location of missing children must be analyzed by a team of just 25 investigators.7 AI is being deployed to help those investigators sift through the data and find the most likely leads to identify exploited children and reunite them with loved ones. AI is already demonstrating its value around the world by helping police in England analyze CCTV video, officers in India find 3,000 missing persons in just four days, and the Dutch to find promising leads in cold cases. 8

By analyzing patterns, sensor feeds, and databases of records, AI could help law enforcement identify critical places to be, find key linkages between suspects, and explore other insights hidden in a sea of data. However, with civil liberties group already calling for bans on technologies such as predictive policing and facial recognition, law enforcement needs to find uses of AI that are effective but also consistent with community expectations. 9

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Rigorously testing what works and scaling key insights

AI and machine learning can help find the clues to target a patrol or forward an investigation, using simple rule sets to test new hypotheses, identify what works, and scale successes. A similar approach'--evidence-based policing'--can also be applied to the methods of police work itself. Evidence-based policing includes using advanced forensic techniques to extract more information from the same amount of evidence, but it also goes beyond this to examine the heart of police activities.

Evidence-based policing can analyze data about the outcomes of police interactions to help find the most effective methods and tools while minimizing the use of tactics that tend to make situations worse.10 In an era when many police officers are being asked to do more and more with fewer and fewer resources, evidence-based policing seeks to pair them with outside assistance, such as academic researchers or computer programmers, to help focus their efforts on the most effective police work. That is exactly what the national police of New Zealand found when they established their Evidence Based Policing Centre.

Researchers are now able to comb through data and identify where enforcement actions could be most effective (for example, targeting drug distribution at the island nation's airports) and when officers' time could be better spent elsewhere (using traditional Māori-led decision making mechanisms to improve outcomes for young Māori).11 Using these methods, police were able to design more effective strategies to combat the most complex safety issues facing society, from domestic violence to cybercrime, while redirecting other issues to community support structures.

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Forging stronger local networks to improve public safety

The mission of law enforcement is the safety of the community, and a strong relationship with the community is critical to the success of every law enforcement organization. Building close ties within the community is about traditional police outreach and local involvement, but it's also about leveraging tools to help people communicate their needs and their risks directly. New technologies can help police develop their ties to the community, by enabling officers to be more aware of and responsive to the needs of their constituents.12

For example, many communities are now using apps where citizens can report minor issues such as graffiti or suspicious activity to police, giving police real time awareness, dynamic prioritization of calls, and the freedom to focus on the most pressing challenges.13 But human relationships cannot be managed by technology alone. Combining innovative approaches such as evidence-based policing can help to re-baseline these relationships by changing the ways and times officers interact with the populace.

Departments can create more opportunities for positive interactions, while working to leverage the expertise, resources, and local knowledge of key stakeholders in the community. Using both technology and training, departments could make it easier for constituents to support public safety, helping to make community-law enforcement relationships healthier and more productive.

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'); //set click events //accordions $(accordionID + ' .daccord-header').on('click',function() { var index = $(this).parent().prevAll().length; //stop (pause) all vids var daccordVidPlayers = $(accordionID + ' iframe.daccord-video'); $.each(daccordVidPlayers, function () { var daccordStopVid = YT.get($(this).attr('id')); daccordStopVid.pauseVideo(); }); if (!properties.expandCollapseAll) { //close open if (daccordSelected > -1) { $(accordionID + ' .daccord-collapse').eq(daccordSelected).slideUp(daccordSpeed); $(accordionID +' .daccord-header').eq(daccordSelected).removeClass('daccord-header-open'); $(accordionID +' .daccord-header').eq(daccordSelected).removeClass('daccord-header-icon'); } if (daccordSelected != index ) { //open selection - add selected state; daccordSelected = index; $(accordionID +' .daccord-collapse').eq(daccordSelected).slideDown(daccordSpeed); $(accordionID +' .daccord-header').eq(daccordSelected).addClass('daccord-header-open'); $(accordionID +' .daccord-header').eq(daccordSelected).addClass('daccord-header-icon'); } else { daccordSelected = -1; } } else { //set selected if collapse all daccordSelected = index; $(accordionID +' .daccord-collapse').eq(index).slideToggle( daccordSpeed ); $(accordionID +' .daccord-header').eq(index).toggleClass('daccord-header-icon'); //check number of items open/closed and set ui //daccord-header-icon var daccordOpenItems = $(accordionID +' .daccord-header-icon').length; //expand if 0 if (daccordOpenItems == 0) { $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').eq(0).show(); $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').eq(1).hide(); } //collapse if all opens if (daccordOpenItems == properties.numberOfItems) { $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').eq(1).show(); $(accordionID + '-controls .daccord-expandcollapse li').eq(0).hide(); } } }); //CTA analytics var elementClicked = false; $('#daccord-' + 'lawenforcement' + " a.daccord-header-bar").click(function(e) { try { var FragType = "FRG-048"; var FragID = "lawenforcement"; var ActionType = "click"; var ctaText = e.currentTarget.textContent.replace(/\s+/g, '-'); s.linkTrackVars = "prop1,prop2,prop3,prop4,prop5,eVar72"; s.eVar72 = PubID+FragType+":"+ActionType+":"+ctaText+":"+FragID; s.eVar72 = s.eVar72.toLowerCase(); s.prop1 = sc_country; s.prop2 = sc_language; s.prop3 = sc_country + ";" + sc_language; if(elementClicked != true) { s.linkTrackEvents = "event71,event72,event23"; s.events = "event71,event72,event23"; elementClicked = true; } else { s.linkTrackEvents = "event71,event23"; s.events = "event71,event23"; } s.tl(this, "o", s.eVar72); } catch(error) { console.error(error); console.log('analytics suite unavailable?'); } }); // hide html frag title/description var hideFragTitleDesc = "${hide-title-description}"; if (hideFragTitleDesc == "title") { $(accordionID).closest(".htmlfragment").find("h3.secondary-headline").remove(); } else if (hideFragTitleDesc == "description") { $(accordionID).closest(".htmlfragment").find("h3.secondary-headline").siblings("p").remove(); } else if (hideFragTitleDesc == "yes" || hideFragTitleDesc == "true" || hideFragTitleDesc == "both") { $(accordionID).closest(".htmlfragment").find("h3.secondary-headline").siblings("p").remove(); $(accordionID).closest(".htmlfragment").find("h3.secondary-headline").remove(); } // add top padding back for topic pages var templateType = dataLayer.page.attributes.pageTemplate; if (templateType == "Deloitte_Full_Topic_Page") { $(accordionID).closest(".standard-white-component").css("padding-top","20px"); } }; daccord(); });

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 14:12

By Michael Kern - Mar 28, 2023, 11:00 AM CDT The global community needs to invest four times more in renewable energy to meet climate change targets.IRENA report shows that $5 trillion should be invested in clean energy technology every year to mitigate the impact of climate change. Governments and private investors need to accelerate the pace of investments in renewable energy to avoid the devastating consequences of climate change.A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has found that we need to increase our annual investments in renewable energy by four times to meet climate goals.

According to IRENA, global investments in renewable energy technologies must exceed $5 trillion annually to align with the Paris climate accord's commitment to limiting temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

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Last year, investments in renewable energy reached a record of $1.3 trillion, but that is insufficient for tackling climate change.

IRENA highlighted that a total of $35 trillion is required for transition technology by 2030, which includes improving efficiency, electrification, grid expansion, and flexibility.

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By Michael Kern - Mar 02, 2023, 4:00 PM CST Oil and gas transition assets are investments that help bridge the gap between traditional fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, as the world moves towards a net-zero carbon future.Investors should consider these assets because they provide a way to participate in the energy transition while still generating financial returns.These assets are important because they can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to a more sustainable global energy system.As the world moves towards a net-zero carbon future, the oil and gas industry is facing a critical juncture. On one hand, there is a growing demand for renewable energy sources, which are rapidly becoming more affordable and accessible. On the other hand, oil and gas will continue to play a crucial role in meeting global energy needs for years to come.

Investing in oil and gas transition assets that can help bridge the gap between traditional fossil fuels and renewable energy sources is an essential step toward achieving net-zero emissions. In this article, we will explore what these transition assets are, why they matter, and how investors can get involved.

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What are Oil and Gas Transition Assets?Oil and gas transition assets refer to investments in technologies or infrastructure that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. These include:

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies: Carbon capture and storage involves capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes or power plants before they are released into the atmosphere. The captured CO2 can then be used for enhanced oil recovery or stored underground.Renewable natural gas (RNG): Renewable natural gas is produced by capturing methane emissions from landfills, wastewater treatment plants, or agricultural waste. It can be used as a low-carbon fuel source for transportation or heating.Green Hydrogen: The production of green hydrogen involves the process of electrolysis, which utilizes electricity generated from renewable sources like solar or wind power to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.Energy efficiency: Investments in energy-efficient technologies or practices can help reduce the amount of energy needed to produce or consume oil and gas.By investing in these transition assets, companies can reduce their carbon footprint while continuing to meet global energy needs.

Why Invest in Oil and Gas Transition Assets?

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:48

President Trump's victory in 2016 came as a shock to many Americans. National polls showed his opponent, Hillary Clinton, leading the race up until the election. Even the Clinton campaign was confident she would win. All data they were looking at seemed to predict her victory.

Mr. Trump, who thought little of data gathering, ended up carrying several key battleground states, including states Democrats thought were secure. By early Wednesday, November 4, 2016, he had won 289 electoral votes, compared to Clinton's 218, securing him the presidency.

Nearly four years later, that jarring difference between prediction and outcome is still front of mind, leading some to distrust or disregard political polling. Scott Keeter, senior survey adviser at the Pew Research Center, said there was "understandable surprise on the part of people."

"I think the profession did take a wake-up call," he said of the 2016 election.

National polling was accurate '-- Clinton ultimately won the popular vote '-- but according to Keeter, polls in states that proved to be pivotal, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, had problems.

Education was paramountOne of the key issues with 2016 polling was that much of it didn't account for a person's education.

An examination of the 2016 electorate by Pew found that Whites with a four-year college degree or more education made up 30% of all validated voters, while White voters who had not completed college made up 44%. Only 38% of college-educated Whites said they voted for Mr. Trump, whereas he won by more than two-to-one (64% to 28%) among white voters who had not completed college.

David Dutwin, chief scientist of survey panel AmeriSpeak at NORC at the University of Chicago, said most 2016 polls were not weighted by education, and therefore missed Mr. Trump's significant support from non-college-educated White males.

Weighting, a standard polling practice, is a process that gives more statistical value to groups pollsters know are being underrepresented in surveys. The American Association for Public Opinion Research, AAPOR, defines weighting as "an attempt to ensure that the sample more accurately reflects the characteristics of the population from which it was drawn and to which an inference will be made," noting that "it does not involve any changes to the actual answers to survey questions."

Pollsters weight for characteristics such as age, race, or gender to make sure that their polling sample matches up with census data for those groups in that area. But census data can only go so far, Dutwin said, and isn't adept at accounting for likely voters.

Pollsters were unprepared for White male non-college educated voters to turn out in droves for Mr. Trump '-- he beat Clinton in that group by the enormous margin of 72 to 23%. Mr. Trump also won among White, non-college-educated women 62 to 34%.

"In 2016 there was a strong correlation between education and presidential vote in key states. Voters with higher education levels were more likely to support Clinton," according to AAPOR's Evaluation of 2016 Election Polls. It also found that surveys were skewed just by who answered the phone.

"Recent studies are clear that people with more formal education are significantly more likely to participate in surveys than those with less education," according to the evaluation. "Many polls '' especially at the state level '' did not adjust their weights to correct for the over-representation of college graduates in their surveys, and the result was over-estimation of support for Clinton."

Never before has education level so explicitly swayed an election. "That hurt, whereas it hadn't really hurt in years prior," Dutwin said.

What's changing?According to J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, the 2016 election showed that accounting for education is now as important as race and gender for conducting an accurate poll. He said "the biggest lesson, especially in the Trump era, is educational attainment as a predictor of people's voting habits."

Keeter said the polling profession recognizes that education has "become a schism in our contemporary politics," and needs to be represented for accurate polls. "(Pollsters) are not going to let that happen again," he said of the 2020 election.

Polling in battleground states, however, is often left up to small institutions or universities that cannot easily adapt. In its 2016 evaluation, AAPOR wrote that state-level polling is "often under-budgeted."

"Errors in state polls like those observed in 2016 are not uncommon. With shrinking budgets at news outlets to finance polling, there is no reason to believe that this problem is going to fix itself," reads the evaluation. AAPOR recommended "well-resourced survey organizations" to collectively finance "high quality state-level polls so as to reduce the likelihood of another black eye for the profession."

"Unfortunately you kind of have to vet the polls as well," Coleman said.

CBS News has always weighted for education, according to Kabir Khanna, CBS News' senior manager of election analytics. Khanna said races in battleground states began to tighten as the 2016 election came to a close, prompting the CBS News polling unit to envision a scenario where Mr. Trump could win if he took the Rust Belt states '-- a scenario that then played out.

The unit takes every state into account, even those that aren't considered crucial for victory, to be ready for the unknown. Khanna said the logic is circular: People poll states they think are going to be competitive, which leads to a lack of data on states that are unexpectedly contentious.

"We only know what is going to be competitive if we have the data," he explained.

To prepare for the unknown, CBS News' Battleground Tracker uses data from neighboring states, or states with similar kinds of voters, to create a more accurate picture of states that have less polling.

In 2016, for example, scarce polling in certain states like Michigan or Wisconsin led some to believe they were not as competitive as they turned out to be. That picture might have been improved by considering that these states were full of the same kinds of voters shifting to the Republican Party elsewhere.

Undecided votersPredicting which candidate undecided voters would turn out for was another critical issue in 2016 polling.

Both Clinton and Mr. Trump were unpopular candidates, creating a large percentage of unpredictable voters close to the election. According to Keeter, about 15% of voters said they still hadn't decided who they would vote for late in the campaign.

Historically, Dutwin explained, undecided voters break close to the electorate as a whole. In 2016, however, Mr. Trump won a strong majority of voters who said they hadn't decided who they were voting for until Election Day.

The share of undecided voters appears to be much smaller in 2020, down to about 4 to 6% in battleground states. And according to Khanna, most voters have been sure of their choice since the summer.

Ahead of tomorrow's debate, combined our battleground state data from this month to see how many voters signal some level of persuadabilityA mere 4-6% per state say they're unsure between Trump and Biden '-- lower numbers than in '16

(Note: states polled in different weeks)

1/3 pic.twitter.com/kg2gdwgcCq

'-- Kabir K. (@kabir_here) September 28, 2020Decisive voters means less volatility on Election Day '-- but more polarization. "There's been an increasing trend in American politics to vote with your party," Khanna said.

Can Trump pull off another upset?Coleman described Mr. Trump's 2016 win as a "royal flush." Asked about what we could expect this year, he responded, "In cards you don't draw a royal flush every time."

In addition to increasing party loyalty, the lack of a popular third-party candidate could also create stability in this year's race. According to Coleman, third party candidates took 4 to 5% of the national vote in 2016, a share that is expected to go down this year.

CBS News polling has identified six "toss-up" states, and seven more that are leaning towards one candidate, but could still swing.

Coleman said North Carolina and Arizona are two states he is watching on election night.

Barack Obama narrowly carried North Carolina in 2008, and Democrats have been trying to win it again ever since. "If Biden can carry North Carolina, that's probably a sign that he's doing well across the country," Coleman said. Arizona is another state that Democrats have been eyeing. Phoenix's Maricopa County, which accounts for a majority of the state's total votes, was the largest county in the country to go for Mr. Trump in 2016, but the margin was slim, according to Coleman.

"If Biden can flip Maricopa county, that would be big," he said.

Dutwin, too, is watching North Carolina, as well as Pennsylvania and Florida.

Florida, a familiar toss-up on the East Coast, has already begun counting mail-in ballots, meaning it could produce some of the first results. Dutwin said that if Florida breaks for Biden it will be "very hard to see a victory path for Trump;" but if Mr. Trump takes the state, there are other ways for Biden to win the Electoral College. "(It's) a one-sided canary in the coal mine," he said.

The most unpredictable aspect of the 2020 election may be the coronavirus. Keeter called it the "wild card" this year.

According to CBS News polling from mid-October, people who are very concerned about the coronavirus cite it as a major factor in their vote '-- ahead of the economy '-- and they are backing Biden over Mr. Trump.

"We just do not know how well people are going to be able to act on their intention this year," Keeter said.

More people most concerned about the virus say they plan to vote by mail, rather than in person, and most of those who are doing so say they've usually voted in person in the past. Overall, a large proportion of the electorate is planning to vote by mail, or already has, with a distinct partisan split: Democrats prefer voting by mail, Republicans in person.

What remains to be seen is how quickly mail-in ballots will be counted, will there be significant roadblocks that prevents those ballots from being counted, and how many people will show up on Election Day itself.

"The big question is turnout," Khanna said. Adding, "there aren't many people left to persuade."

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:08

A producer of lab-grown meat unveiled an ancient appetizer that's perfect for your Paleo diet.

An Australian synthetic meat producer called Vow unveiled a meatball made from the genetic material of the woolly mammoth on Tuesday. The meatball was created using proteins synthesized from the mammoth genome, and is part of the company's mission to fight climate change using lab-grown meat. The company will unveil the creation at the NEMO science museum in Amsterdam Tuesday evening.

The mammoth meatball was created with the help of Ernst Wolvetang, a researcher at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering at the University of Queensland. Wolvetang synthesized mammoth muscle tissue using a DNA sequence for myoglobin, the protein responsible for the pigment and flavor of red meat. He then filled in a few gaps in the genetic material using DNA from the African elephant, a close relative of mammoths. The DNA was then implanted in myoblasts '-- the precursors to muscle cells'-- from a sheep. It was then replicated into about 20 billion cells, enough to produce 400 grams of mammoth meat.

''It was ridiculously easy and fast,'' Wolvetang told The Guardian. ''We did this in a couple of weeks.'' Wolvetang added that the original goal of the project was to create a chicken nugget out of meat from the Dodo bird, but the necessary DNA sequences do not exist.

But nobody has tasted the mammoth meatball, and it's very likely that nobody will. ''We haven't seen this protein for thousands of years,'' Wolvetang said. ''So we have no idea how our immune system would react when we eat it. But if we did it again, we could certainly do it in a way that would make it more palatable to regulatory bodies.''

Wolvetang said he could understand people initially being wary of such meat: ''It's a little bit strange and new '' it's always like that at first. But from an environmental and ethical point of view, I personally think [cultivated meat] makes a lot of sense.''

The company chose the mammoth specifically to push a message of the dangers of climate change. ''We chose the woolly mammoth because it's a symbol of diversity loss and a symbol of climate change.'' Vow co-founder Tim Noakesmith told The Guardian. Woolly mammoths died out at the end of the last Ice Age; it is not entirely known whether hunting by humans or habitat loss contributed to their extinction.

Lab-grown meat is also moving forward with regulatory approval in the U.S. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed its first pre-market consultation for a human food made from cultured animal cells in November, according to a press release. The FDA reviewed a synthetic chicken product made by Upside Foods, and said that it had ''no further questions'' about it. But the product still needs to be approved by the USDA.

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The mammoth meatball is not the only fossilized fare synthesized from the prehistoric DNA. In 2018, a company called Geltor used DNA from a mastodon, a distant relative of the woolly mammoth, to create gelatine from collagen proteins. That gelatine was then used to create elephant-shaped gummy candies.

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:04

Today's lower court decision in Hachette v. Internet Archive is a blow to all libraries and the communities we serve. This decision impacts libraries across the US who rely on controlled digital lending to connect their patrons with books online. It hurts authors by saying that unfair licensing models are the only way their books can be read online. And it holds back access to information in the digital age, harming all readers, everywhere.

But it's not over'--we will keep fighting for the traditional right of libraries to own, lend, and preserve books. We will be appealing the judgment and encourage everyone to come together as a community to support libraries against this attack by corporate publishers.

We will continue our work as a library. This case does not challenge many of the services we provide with digitized books including interlibrary loan, citation linking, access for the print-disabled, text and data mining, purchasing ebooks, and ongoing donation and preservation of books.

Statement from Internet Archive founder, Brewster Kahle:''Libraries are more than the customer service departments for corporate database products. For democracy to thrive at global scale, libraries must be able to sustain their historic role in society'--owning, preserving, and lending books.

This ruling is a blow for libraries, readers, and authors and we plan to appeal it.''

Stand up for libraries ''ŠStand up for the digital rights of all libraries! Join the Battle for Libraries: https://www.battleforlibraries.com/

Support the Internet Archive ðŸ'š Support the Internet Archive to continue fighting for libraries in court!

Stay connected ðŸ--—Sign up for the Empowering Libraries newsletter for ongoing updates about the lawsuit and our library.

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 12:58

The projector shut off just as Keirstin Erickson started to tear up. She had been watching Jesus Revolution, waiting for the pastor in the movie to baptize the leading man in the ocean. That's when someone ran into the room, saying that lightning had struck the theater. As the audience chattered among themselves, Erickson sat silent.

''I just remember having this burning sensation in my heart,'' Erickson, a 22-year-old training to become a missionary, recalls thinking.

Suddenly she rose from her seat near the front, turned to face the rest of the audience, and introduced herself, asking: ''Does anybody need prayer in this room?''

At first it was quiet. But then people started speaking up. A woman in the back confessed she had cancer. A mother revealed her two young sons were at prom that night and said, ''Pray for my boys that they will grow up to be godly men, and make good decisions.''

A woman who said she worked with ''kids on drugs'' poured out her heart with a quivering voice.

''People with addiction are so misunderstood and so judged, and we have hundreds of thousands of kids, including my own children, that are now sober,'' said the woman in a now-viral TikTok of the exchange.

''And I just would like you guys to pray for opening your minds to what exactly this movie showed,'' she continued. ''They're just seeking something, and it's God. Keirstin, you just give me hope, girl.''

These scenes, more common inside a place of worship, happened last month at Starlight Triangle Square Cinemas in Costa Mesa, California, at a screening of Jesus Revolution, a new movie depicting a real-life 1970s movement that saw thousands of hippies give up drugs for God. That crusade, led by Pastor Chuck Smith with the help of hippie preacher Lonnie Frisbee, coincidentally started at a Calvary Church just a few miles away from the theater where Erickson made her call to prayer.

Inspired by a 1971 Time magazine article about the movement (the codirector bought a copy of the magazine on eBay) and starring Kelsey Grammer as a straitlaced preacher and Joel Courtney as a hippie convert, Jesus Revolution is something of a Hollywood miracle: it's a religious movie that's actually a hit.

Made by Christian production house Kingdom Story Company and backed by mega distributor Lionsgate, the film earned back its $15 million budget the weekend it opened, when critics predicted it would gross closer to $6 or $7 million. That's a triumphant performance compared to the weekend debuts of recent blockbusters, like 65, a sci-fi flick with a $91 million budget that made just $12.3 million, and M. Night Shyamalan's thriller Knock at the Cabin, which brought in $14.1 million.

Since its release on February 24, Jesus Revolution has grossed $49 million in ticket sales'--besting many of this year's Oscar nominees combined at U.S. box offices.

''It is a very good story, well-told,'' says Roma Downey, who runs LightWorkers Media, a faith-based division of MGM. ''It didn't hurt that they have the name 'Jesus' in the title. For Christians, that's attention grabbing. It's a provocative title.''

Christian colleges and church groups around the country have been pouring into theaters. One couple in Madisonville, Kentucky, bought out an entire day's showings of the film earlier this month just so everyone in their town could see it for free.

Also, Downey said, ''People are hungry for goodness, people are hungry for change'''--especially after the pandemic. ''For a minute it looked like the world as we knew it was coming to an end, then what were the things that were important? I think it helped people refocus on family, faith'--those sort of values.''

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Jesus Revolution marks the sixth'--and most successful'--movie from Kingdom Story Company, a partnership between producer Kevin Downes, producer Tony Young, and brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin to make Christian entertainment exclusively for Lionsgate. The Erwin brothers, whose stated mission on their website is ''spreading the message of the Gospel through film,'' first got Hollywood's attention when their $7 million budget drama, I Can Only Imagine, grossed over $85 million in 2018.

Christians in Hollywood'--no, not an oxymoron, just an endangered species'--hope that its success means more Christian films will be greenlit. There's a desire to give the faith-based audience ''movies that they can embrace and enjoy,'' says Paul Dergarabedian, a media analyst at Comscore, an agency that records metrics on film and TV viewership. ''But you also have to be able to prove that you can make these films profitable to justify future investment. And Jesus Revolution really puts a fine point on that with its performance.''

Ever since Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ brought in over $600 million at box offices worldwide in 2004, studio executives have been trying to resurrect its success. In 2007, Sony launched its own faith-based studio, Affirm Films, which often teams up with Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the brothers behind profitable Christian movies like War Room and Fireproof.

Rich Peluso, who runs Affirm Films, says that Sony and other studios began investing more in faith-based movies once they saw that dramas like War Room'--which had a budget of $3 million but made almost $74 million'--could deliver massive returns.

''If they would have done Jesus Revolution five or ten years ago, they probably would have only been able to scrape up half the budget and it would have been half as good. For me that's the change'--that the studios, like for me, Sony Pictures, are willing to invest more. And whereas years ago, they weren't. The budgets were much, much more modest.''

Late next month, Affirm is set to release its highest budget film yet, Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World, based on the true story of the boxer-turner-preacher and starring Forest Whitaker of Black Panther fame.

A-list actors now routinely star in films with religious storylines'--like Mark Wahlberg, who played another boxer-turned-priest in the 2022 film Father Stu, and Hilary Swank, who's set to headline Kingdom Story Company's next project this fall, Ordinary Angels'--a film about a Kentucky hairdresser who helps cobble together money for a young girl's liver transplant. Jesus Revolution undoubtedly got a boost from its star, Kelsey Grammer, famous for TV hits like Cheers and Frasier, and his costar Joel Courtney'--a teen heartthrob who previously starred in The Kissing Booth, a successful mainstream teenage comedy on Netflix.

Angel Studios, a crowdfunded production house that has raised tens of millions, has also popped up to meet the demand for Christian content. Episodes of its streaming series The Chosen, a dramatic retelling of the life of Jesus, have been watched over 450 million times since 2019, when the first season became available on the show's free app'--but many studio executives, including Jared Geesey, who now oversees distribution at Angel Studios, initially passed on investing in the show.

''Everyone was passing on it, both in Hollywood and the faith industry because the model for Christian television was kind of broken and couldn't really fund a show like that,'' Geesey told The Free Press.

Now, he says Angel Studio's crowdfunding business model bypasses the ''gatekeepers'' of Hollywood, since its thousands of investors'--ordinary people'--vote on which projects to greenlight.

On March 31, Angel Studios will release its first film in theaters: His Only Son, a biblical drama covering God's command that Abraham sacrifice his beloved child. The filmmaker, David Helling, is a Marine veteran who put himself through film school on the G.I. Bill after returning from Iraq, and edited the film himself, completing its special effects and even designing the costumes.

''It looks like ten times the budget,'' Geesey says. ''It's this little indie film that again, nobody would've picked this up in the traditional model.''

Currently 1,900 screens are scheduled to show the movie across the U.S., but he says they're adding new theaters to the rollout every day.

Meanwhile, Roma Downey, who runs LightWorkers Media with her husband Mark Burnett, the creator of Survivor, is releasing a new Christian film on Amazon Prime called On a Wing and a Prayer, starring Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham, on April 7.

That doesn't mean that Hollywood has entirely made its peace with Christianity. On March 11, actor Rainn Wilson, most famous for his role as dweeby Dwight in The Office, tweeted about ''an anti-Christian bias in Hollywood,'' referencing the arc of a cult-like preacher on HBO's zombie series The Last of Us.

''As soon as the David character in 'The Last of Us' started reading from the Bible I knew that he was going to be a horrific villain,'' Wilson tweeted. ''Could there be a Bible-reading preacher on a show who is actually loving and kind?''

Jon Erwin, who co-helmed Jesus Revolution, says Hollywood's contempt for faith-based entertainment is something he's talked about with famed horror producer Jason Blum. ''He felt that horror was being disdained by the studios a couple of decades ago: 'They don't need real movies.' That's sort of the same thing that's happening with the faith, or the middle American audience right now,'' Erwin told MovieMaker.

David A.R. White, founding partner of Pure Flix, a Christian streaming service that Sony acquired in 2020, says he remembers sitting on his curb in Los Angeles with Downes, the Kingdom Story Company producer, decades ago, thinking: We can do better than what's out there. A young actor at the time, White was used to seeing Christian movies with low budgets and poor scripts.

''We were just thinking and dreaming going, 'Someday, wouldn't it be cool if the studios had faith divisions, and these movies were able to be in theaters, and people would look at it as an actual genre?''

He would go on to produce the God's Not Dead franchise, which White called a ''massive breakthrough'' when the first film came out in 2014, racking up over $60 million in ticket sales from a $1.1 million budget. Many film critics later called 2014 ''the year of the Bible.''

White points out how many Americans go to church'--about two-thirds of Americans identify as Christian, with about two-thirds saying they attend church at least monthly, according to the most recent data.

''That's a lot of people,'' White says. ''So to not have any faith-based movies, or even say it's a genre, I don't think it was fair. I thought it was just a marketplace that needed to be filled. And that's really where our passion was fueled to change the way Hollywood looked at these faith films.''

Back in Costa Mesa, Keirstin Erickson says Jesus Revolution is sparking a movement beyond theaters. After her screening ended, a group of college students came up to her in the hallway, crying, asking if they could pray together.

''They were telling me that because they saw me call strangers to prayer they believed that they could also stand up for what they believe,'' says Erickson. ''And that they could help their generation.''

''People were amazed and inspired by the movie, but it also sparked a revelation, that revival is happening right now,'' she added. ''And that we're living in it, and anybody can be a part of it.''

Read Olivia's recent piece about the Asbury revival in Kentucky here. Follow her on Twitter: @Olivia_Reingold. And send tips her way: olivia@thefp.com

And to support our journalism, become a Free Press subscriber today:

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 03:36

The unit, once seen as developing a new form of storytelling, had about 50 employees

Updated March 28, 2023 9:44 am ETMickey Mouse has left the metaverse.

Walt Disney Co. has eliminated its next-generation storytelling and consumer-experiences unit, the small division that was developing metaverse strategies, according to people familiar with the situation, as part of a broader restructuring that is expected to reduce head count by around 7,000 across the company over the next two months.

Headed...

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Mickey Mouse has left the metaverse.

Walt Disney Co. has eliminated its next-generation storytelling and consumer-experiences unit, the small division that was developing metaverse strategies, according to people familiar with the situation, as part of a broader restructuring that is expected to reduce head count by around 7,000 across the company over the next two months.

Headed by Mike White, a former Disney consumer-products executive, the division was tasked with finding ways to tell interactive stories in new technological formats using Disney's extensive library of intellectual property, the people said.

All of the team's roughly 50 members have lost their jobs, the people said. Mr. White remains at the company, although what his new role will be is unclear.

Mr. White couldn't be reached for comment.

Disney's former chief executive, Bob Chapek, hired Mr. White in February 2022, telling employees in an internal memo at the time that the goal was to ''create an entirely new paradigm for how audiences experience and engage with our stories.''

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Mr. Chapek, who was succeeded as CEO by Robert Iger in November, had described the metaverse as ''the next great storytelling frontier.''

Plans for Disney's metaverse strategy remained sketchy a year after the division was created, although the company had hinted that the new technology might have applications in fantasy sports, theme-park attractions and other consumer experiences.

Mr. White was also involved in an effort last year to design a membership initiative that in some ways resembled Amazon.com Inc.'s Prime program, which would integrate customer data across multiple Disney platforms, including streaming service Disney+, online retail operations and smartphone apps that visitors to Disney's theme parks use to buy food, merchandise and other products.

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That effort has also been abandoned, according to people familiar with the matter.

Disney shares fell 0.3% to $95.34 in Tuesday morning trading. Through Monday, the stock was up 10% in 2023.

Mr. Iger has been bullish about the metaverse. Last year, he invested in and joined the board of Genies Inc., a technology startup that sells tools allowing users to create elaborate online avatars for use in the metaverse.

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Disney is under pressure from investors to make cuts to nonessential businesses. Last year, the company hired consultants from McKinsey & Co. to help find cost-cutting opportunities, a move that angered some top content executives.

In February, Disney announced it would make $5.5 billion in cuts and cut about 7,000 jobs as part of a broader restructuring plan. Economic headwinds, stiff competition in streaming and dwindling revenues from cable TV and the cinematic box office have pressured many big media companies.

Slow growth in the popularity of the metaverse has frustrated tech companies that have bet on new entertainment formats. Meta Platforms Inc., the parent of Facebook and Instagram, has shifted billions in resources to the metaverse, only to find low demand and widespread confusion among users about how to use the technology.

A Meta spokesman has said the company's metaverse efforts were always intended to be a multiyear project. He said that it is easy to be a cynic about the metaverse, but that the company continues to believe it is the future of computing.

Write to Robbie Whelan at robbie.whelan@wsj.com and Joe Flint at Joe.Flint@wsj.com

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 01:24

Shortly after news broke Monday of a fatal shooting at a private Christian Nashville elementary school, police said the suspect was transgender. This detail, according to trans people in the state, has doused fuel on an already combustive environment that has led many of them to fear for their safety.

Police say Audrey Hale, who was killed by responding officers, fatally shot three 9-year-old students and three staffers at The Covenant School. Though police have said there is no known motive for the shooting, some conservatives have blamed the shooting on the suspect's gender identity.

Within 10 minutes of police saying that the suspect was transgender, the hashtag #TransTerrorism trended on Twitter. Around the same time, Republican lawmakers '-- including Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. '-- insinuated in social media posts that the shooter's gender identity played a role in the shooting. And by Tuesday morning, the cover of the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post read: ''Transgender killer targets Christian school.''

''We are terrified for the LGBTQ community here,'' Kim Spoon, a trans activist based in Knoxville, Tennessee, said. ''More blood's going to be shed, and it's not going to be shed in a school.''

Denise Sadler, a drag performer who is transgender, said she had already hired four armed guards before Monday's shooting to secure a drag show she is hosting at a gay bar in Nashville this weekend. Following the anti-trans rhetoric spawned by the shooting, Sadler said she is now planning to hire eight.

''You don't know if [the shooter's gender identity] is going to trigger a community of people who already hated us to come and try to shoot us to prove a point,'' Sadler said. ''At the end of the day, there's a lot of hurt going on, there's a lot of anger going on, there's a lot of confusion going on.''

During a press conference Tuesday, Nashville Police Chief John Drake said a motive for the shooting was still unknown. The day prior, however, his response when asked if Hale's identity was connected to the motive left the door open to speculation.

''There is some theory to that,'' Drake said. ''We're investigating all the leads.''

It is also unclear how police knew that the suspect was transgender.

Trans men are assigned female at birth and identify as men, while trans women are assigned male at birth and identify as women. When asked Monday whether Hale was a trans man or trans woman, Drake said ''woman,'' though Hale's LinkedIn account and interviews with those who knew Hale indicate otherwise.

Bill Campbell, the headmaster of The Covenant School from 2004 to 2008, said Hale attended the school as a child in 2005 and 2006 and identified as female during that time. As an adult, though, it appears Hale may not have identified as female. Hale's LinkedIn page, which has since been removed, states that Hale used ''he'' and ''him'' pronouns. And a friend of Hale's, Averianna Patton, who said Hale messaged her shortly before the shooting, said Hale signed the message ''Aubrey (Aiden),'' using Hale's given name along with a traditionally male name.

Aislinn Bailey, the acting president of Tri-Cities Transgender, a trans-led support and advocacy group based in Johnson City, Tennessee, said her initial reaction to news that the suspect was transgender was fear.

''I knew that as soon as anyone mentioned that, it was immediately going to become the center focus instead of what should be the focus, and that's gun violence in this country,'' Bailey said.

She condemned the choice by police to release information about the suspect's gender identity when they did not appear certain about it.

''I think it was unethical and highly suspect that information like that, which they had to have known could cause backlash on the trans community '-- releasing information like that without it being verified, that's unconscionable as far as I'm concerned,'' Bailey said.

She added, ''We were already fearing for our lives. Now, it's even worse.''

Over the last several years, historic numbers of bills targeting LGBTQ people have been introduced in state legislatures across the country, including in Tennessee's. This year, state lawmakers filed more than 400 such bills '-- more than half of them targeting trans people specifically '-- according to the ACLU and a separate group of researchers who are tracking the flow of legislation.

So far this year, Tennessee lawmakers passed two bills targeting LGBTQ people: A first-of-its-kind law that will criminalize some drag performances takes effect Saturday, and another that will ban gender-affirming care for the state's minors becomes effective July 1.

Nathan Higdon, the chief financial officer of Knoxville Pride Center, is helping organize protests against the new drag law in Nashville and Knoxville this upcoming weekend. Higdon said that while he and other organizers are ''scared sh''less'' that the conservative backlash over the shooter's suspected gender identity will prompt violence, they're going forward with the events as planned.

''The people who hate us are always going to hate us,'' Higdon said. ''We can't not do these things. We just can't not show up.''

Threats and attacks of violence directed at the LGBTQ community have spiked recently, with drag performances becoming a particularly popular target.

Last year, there were at least 140 incidents of protests and threats directed at drag events, which have deep roots in the queer community, according to the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD.

Just last week, one man was arrested and another was left bloodied as dozens of people protested a Drag Story Hour event in New York City, and on Sunday, an Ohio church alleged on its Instagram account that it had been vandalized with Molotov cocktails after advertising that it would be hosting a Drag Story Hour event in April.

Jace Wilder, the education director for the Tennessee Equality Project, a Nashville-based LGBTQ advocacy group, said the suspect's gender identity ''does not change the horror of what they did no matter their reasoning.''

''It is unfair and inappropriate to ask trans people to speak on this person and the lives they took,'' Wilder said in a message to NBC News. ''We, just like all other Tennesseans, are mourning. There is no politics I could possibly care about right now when children are dead. End of story. I pray and will stand with the families of all the victims and for peace for our community and I hope we can all show up for them and each other in this time.''

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Tue, 28 Mar 2023 23:43

Image source, Reuters Image caption, President Zelensky said he would not send his troops to the front lines without more tanks, artillery and Himars rocket launchers

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia cannot start until Western allies send more military support.

He told a Japanese newspaper he would not send his troops to the front lines without more tanks, artillery and Himars rocket launchers.

In an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, he said the situation in eastern Ukraine was "not good".

"We are waiting for ammunition to arrive from our partners," he said.

And when asked about the expected counter-offensive, he said: "We can't start yet, we can't send our brave soldiers to the front line without tanks, artillery and long-range rockets."

He added: "If you have the political will, you can find a way to help us. We are at war and can't wait."

There has been talk for some weeks of Ukraine launching a spring offensive against Russian forces. Ukrainian commanders have hinted it might be imminent. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, said this week it might come "very soon".

Some analysts say Ukraine's military is talking up the idea of a counter-offensive to discomfit their Russian counterparts. They want Russian commanders to spread their forces thinly along the front lines, ready for any attack, rather than concentrate them in particular places, such as the eastern city of Bakhmut.

Other analysts believe a counter-offensive is possible soon. A US-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, last week suggested that Russia's own offensive was potentially losing momentum and concluded: "Ukraine is therefore well positioned to regain the initiative and launch counter-offensives in critical sectors of the current front line."

But President Zelensky is more pessimistic. He has often warned that the war could drag on for years unless Western allies speeded up the delivery of weapons. But this is the first time he has actually said the counter-offensive itself might be delayed by the lack of Western equipment.

His remarks reflect not only his desire to encourage more speed, but also his frustration at what he sees as the lack of haste.

Ukraine's allies have promised more tanks, artillery and longer-range missile systems. But some countries are struggling to deliver what they pledged, while others are taking more time than expected to get the equipment to Ukraine.

Western officials say military support is arriving, but admit training and planning is taking time. They also point to other factors such as muddy terrain making it hard for any army to start manoeuvring easily and break through front lines.

Such is the speculation about Ukraine's counter-offensive - in particular, when and where it might come - that the defence ministry has urged people to stop discussing potential plans.

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar claimed on social media that only three people had the right to disclose military plans publicly - the president, the minister of defence, and the commander in chief.

"All others can only quote them," she wrote. "Please stop asking experts questions about a counter-offensive on the air, please stop writing blogs and posts on this topic, please stop publicly discussing the military plans of our army."

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Tue, 28 Mar 2023 22:16

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday was released from an inpatient physical therapy program after falling at a hotel in Washington earlier this month.

''I want to sincerely thank everyone for all the kind wishes," McConnell said in a statement. "I'm happy to say I finished inpatient physical therapy earlier today and I'm glad to be home."

The Kentucky Republican, who was treated for a concussion and a fractured rib, said he will work from home the next few days at the advice of his physical therapists and looks forward to returning to the Senate soon. However, it's unclear when that might be. McConnell is not expected to return this week, and Congress will take a two-week recess starting April 3.

McConnell, 81, tripped at a dinner event and was admitted to a hospital March 8, spokesperson David Popp told USA TODAY at the time.

His colleagues in the Senate from both political parties offered well wishes.

"I join every single one of my colleagues in wishing Leader McConnell a speedy and full recovery," Senate Majority Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor earlier this month.

President Joe Biden, who has a decades-long friendship with McConnell, said he had spoken with McConnell's family and wished him a "speedy recovery."

McConnell served as majority leader from 2015 to 2021. In 2019, he tripped and fell at his home in Louisville, suffering a shoulder fracture.

He was one of three senators out for medical reasons. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is being treated for depression at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein is recovering after being hospitalized for shingles.

Absences in the 51-49 Senate, which has a Democratic majority, can impact the timing and outcome of votes in the chamber.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:46

The Facts Inside Our Reporter's NotebookSpecial Counsel John Durham is revealing new smoking gun evidence, a text message that shows a Clinton campaign lawyer lied to the FBI, while putting the courts on notice he is prepared to show the effort to smear Donald Trump with now-disproven Russia collusion allegations was a "conspiracy."

In a bombshell court filing late Monday night, Durham for the first time suggested Hillary Clinton's campaign, her researchers and others formed a "joint venture or conspiracy" for the purpose of weaving the collusion story to harm Trump's election chances and then the start of his presidency.

"These parties acted as 'joint venturer[s]' and therefore should be 'considered as co-conspirator[s],'" he wrote.

Durham also revealed he has unearthed a text message showing Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann falsely told the FBI he was not working on behalf of any client when he delivered now-discredited anti-Trump research in the lead-up to the 2016 election. In fact, he was working for the Clinton campaign and another client, prosecutors say.

The existence of the text message between Sussmann and then-FBI General Counsel James Baker was revealed in a court filing late Monday night by Durham's team. Prosecutors said they intend to show Sussmann gave a false story to the FBI but then told the truth about working on behalf of the Clinton campaign when he later testified to Congress.

"Jim '' it's Michael Sussmann. I have something time-sensitive (and sensitive) I need to discuss," Sussmann texted Baker on Sept. 18, 2016, according to the new court filing. "Do you have availability for a short meeting tomorrow? I'm coming on my own '' not on behalf of a client or company '' want to help the Bureau. Thanks."

Prosecutors said the text message will become essential evidence at trial to show Sussmann lied to the FBI.

You can read the court filing.

"The defendant lied in that meeting, falsely stating to the General Counsel that he was not providing the allegations to the FBI on behalf of any client," Durham's motion said. "In fact, the defendant had assembled and conveyed the allegations to the FBI on behalf of at least two specific clients, including (i) a technology executive ("Tech Executive-1") at a U.S.-based Internet company ("Internet Company-1"), and (ii) the Clinton Campaign."

The prosecutor noted that in House testimony a year later Sussmann admitted he made the FBI approach at the instruction of his client.

"We had a conversation, as lawyers do with their clients, about client 1 needs and objectives and the best course to take for a client," Sussmann testified in a deposition taken by then-House Intelligence Committee Republican investigative counsel Kash Patel. "And so it may have been a decision that we came to together. I mean, I don't want to imply that I was sort of directed to do something against my better judgment, or that we were in any sort of conflict."

Durham also told the court he plans to present evidence that Sussmann worked with the Clinton campaign, tech executive Rodney Joffe, identified as Tech Executive-1, and others in a "joint venture" to promote a now-disproven story that Donald Trump had a secret computer channel at the Moscow-based Alfa Bank with the Kremlin to hijack the election.

"As an initial matter, the Government expects that the evidence at trial will show that beginning in late July/early August 2016, the defendant, Tech Executive-1, and agents of the Clinton Campaign were 'acting in concert toward a common goal,' ... namely, the goal of assembling and disseminating the Russian Bank-1 allegations and other derogatory information about Trump and his associates to the media and the U.S. government," Durham's team said.

"The evidence of a joint venture or conspiracy will establish," according to the prosecutors, "that in November 2016, soon after the Presidential election, Tech Executive-1 emailed a colleague, stating, "I was tentatively offered the top [cybersecurity] job by the Democrats when it looked like they'd win.'"

"In sum," the special counsel concludes, "the above evidence, public information, and expected testimony clearly establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant and Tech Executive-1 worked in concert with each other and with agents of the Clinton Campaign to research and disseminate the Russian Bank-1 allegations."

Patel, who helped unravel the false Russia collusion narrative with former Rep. Devin Nunes, said the new filing by Durham is one of the most significant in the entire investigation to date.

"Durham has just shown the whole world what major pieces of our Russiagate investigation revealed," Patel said. "Hard evidence, emails and text messages, showing the Clinton Campaign, Fusion GPS, Perkins Coie, Joffe, and the media were all synced in August of 2016 pushing the false Alfa Bank server story, while also all working on the Steele Dossier matter. Durham submits all this evidence as 'joint venture conspiracy' under the rules of evidence."

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Archived Version

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:40

Decades of American squealing about a free and open Internet devolved into an elaborate complaint not only for open access but ''net neutrality,'' and then a further demand of non-interference by network providers... was this all forgotten overnight?

Well, not by anyone who's paying attention.

Now our legislators (Republicans and Democrats), President Biden, the Army, everyone in government, private sector pundits, two-bit professors, tech billionaires, CEOs, and a pitchfork-wielding angry mob are all demanding that the evil TikTok app be banished, shuttered, banned for good. You know, like those evil authoritarian anti-net governments would have done by now.

And why is this?

They tell us that TikTok is spying on children and everyone else. For China! Nobody has studied TikTok in isolation to prove any of this. So there is no proof and it's not happening now. But it could happen!!

And that's besides the point because the app could be used by the Chinese (I did mention that there is a connection to China, right?) to propagandize our pudding-headed youths to ''hate America!'' I guess that somehow TikTok could do a better job of that than literal Marxist teachers in the schools? Nothing is being done to root them out, but TikTok needs to go!

Generally speaking, the ''free and open'' Internet stops short when there is illegal activity. And over the years, the FBI has shut down sites selling stolen property or drugs. Various scam sites get shuttered. But TikTok is not a scam site. It is not that different from Twitter, YouTube, or any number of sites posting short videos provided by users.

It's the user-generated content that interests a good portion of the bored masses. It sells advertising to support the site and its success seems to be at the real center of the controversy. TikTok is taking revenue away from the anointed ones: Facebook, Google, Twitter, YouTube, etc.

The China angle will convince the public that this is virtuous. While becoming dependent on China for everything from bolts to iPhones, Americans will still see the Chinese as horrible authoritarians. So scapegoating is an easy sell. Could it be that simple?

A lot of crazy anomalies have cropped up, too. For example, the Biden administration has made a fuss and demanded that TikTok be taken off all government-provided mobile phones.

Has anyone asked why a government-provided mobile phone would have TikTok on it in the first place? Isn't such a device supposed to only be used for official business, not for wasting time watching videos or playing games? Why doesn't anyone point this out as nuts? What else is on these phones?

Another ignored aspect to this is the fact that the anointed ones, especially Facebook, all provide our government with scraped intelligence on each one of us. Pointing the finger at TikTok ignores the real weakness in privacy protection laws in general.

Facebook, for example, can provide a detailed roadmap of someone's family, desires, likes, and dislikes. So what, exactly, can TikTok provide insofar as important ''intelligence'' is concerned?

I'm not shaking in my boots over it, that's for sure. '--- jcd

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Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:34

The Internet Archive has pledged to appeal a judge's decision in a landmark copyright case brought against it by major publishers. In the case, the judge determined that the Internet Archive is liable for copyright infringement for a book lending library that became popular during the early stages of COVID-19.

Three years ago, the Internet Archive lifted one-to-one lending limits for 3.6 millions books to help countless teachers and students access materials that no one expected would suddenly become unavailable because of widespread COVID-19 lockdowns. This prompted four of the largest book publishers in the world to retaliate, suing the Internet Archive for copyright infringement.

Friday afternoon, Judge John G. Koeltl had found that the Internet Archive's legal defense did not demonstrate how the nonprofit library's actions excused them from infringing on publishers' and authors' copyrights.

Within hours of receiving the news, the Internet Archive announced its plan to appeal. Digital rights advocates, copyright lawyers, authors, and just overall fans of the Internet Archive have been quick to raise their fists in solidarity.

The decision is a major blow. The Internet Archive, which has become the poster child of a revolution on behalf of all libraries' rights to own, lend, and preserve digital books, lost its motion for summary judgment .

This means that a new legal precedent has been set in U.S. case law that will affect how courts interpret exceptions to copyright infringement as they apply to how libraries lend digital books. This will also affect the overall perception of controlled digital lending, the legal framework that over 70,000 daily Internet Archive book borrowers have come to rely on.

The Internet Archive isn't the only library that practices controlled digital lending, or book digitization. Many libraries practice controlled digital lending, which doesn't always include scanning an entire book. To determine whether a certain application of controlled digital lending is fair use, a judge has four factors to go off: the purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is commercial or educational; the nature of the copyrighted work; the amount and substantiality of the portion taken; and the effect of the use upon the potential market.

In Hachette vs. the Internet Archive, Koeltl ruled that the publishers had a stronger claim to all four factors.

''What happened here is their fair use argument was just terrible,'' Devlin Hartline, legal fellow for Hudson Institute's Forum for Intellectual Property, told Motherboard. ''What really got them was the first factor [of fair use] which looks at the purpose and character of the use, and in the second circuit, that's essentially turned into one test, is it transformative.''

Both the publishers and the Internet Archive thought the fourth factor would work out in their favor. Ahead of the oral arguments, Joe Gratz, partner in Morrison Foerster's Copyright Group and co-counsel to the Internet Archive told Motherboard that lending data from OverDrive, a leading ebook vendor for libraries, demonstrated exactly how many times a given book was lent in a given month is what led the defense to be able to conduct their own analysis. That lending data from OverDrive remains sealed to the public.

''[The plaintiffs] didn't present any economic sort of quantitative analysis of how this affected them at all,'' Gratz told Motherboard. ''In fact, they told their experts not to conduct their own quantitative analysis of how much this affected them. They just sort of came up with reasons they didn't think our analysis was fully reliable, or ways that it could be improved.''

Koeltl wrote ''It is no answer for [Internet Archive] to argue that the Publishers have provided ''no concrete evidence'' of past market harm'... That is not the Publishers' burden. A rightsholder bears only '''some initial burden of identifying relevant markets.''' The plaintiffs satisfied this, according to the judge, by pointing to the fact that a market for ebook licensing exists, and it is OverDrive. Whether or not that marketplace is viable, the judge determined, is another question that is beyond the scope of Hachette v. Internet Archive.

Ebook licenses for libraries is of real concern, particularly for because it inhibits preservation efforts, but also because the prices of these digital materials consume a large part of libraries' budgets.

''Ultimately, what ends up happening is that libraries spend more of their money on licensing things that they don't own, which can be taken away at any time that are more expensive to begin with than buying hard copies in order to serve a segment of their population that uses ebooks, and that you ended up with a much smaller selection of materials, because the budget gets eaten so much faster,'' Lynne M. Thomas, an academic librarian and magazine editor, told Motherboard.

The Internet Archive doesn't pay to license from vendors like OverDrive. So librarians didn't take well to a statement from Brewster Kahle, founder and executive director of the Internet Archive after the judge's opinion was published on Friday: ''Libraries are more than the customer service departments for corporate database products. For democracy to thrive at global scale, libraries must be able to sustain their historic role in society'--owning, preserving, and lending books.

This ruling is a blow for libraries, readers, and authors and we plan to appeal it.''

Ahead of the oral arguments, a gaggle of academic librarians by trade wrote for Inside Higher Ed that because publishers are hellbent on discrediting the Internet Archive as ''not a real library,'' all librarians should stand with the Internet Archive ''as it fights for the right to buy, preserve and lend books, which is what libraries do.'' Not all librarians felt behind that message, in part because while California officially recognized the Internet Archive as a ''special library'' in 2007 , that designation is enough to separate them from some of the harassment librarians have faced as book bans have doubled since last year across the country.

''The Internet Archive is interested in being a library when it suits them to be a library, but they feel like they are tech disruptors when it doesn't interest them to be a library'' she said. ''They have different funding models and I think that the Internet Archive tends to work more with academic libraries and not as much with public libraries, and sadly, public libraries are the ones that are going to be the most affected by the choices that Internet Archive occasionally makes because public libraries have the most limited budgets and are the most under attack right now.''

In a response from Kahle, he affirmed that the Internet Archive just doesn't want to see a world where librarians become completely beholden to databases that publishers sell libraries access to.

''The idea is that all libraries need to be able to continue to lend books, preserve old editions of books, and protect patrons' privacy,'' Kahle told Motherboard. ''All libraries are fighting these fights against corporate publishers.''

It's unclear at this point how the decision will impact libraries and digital ownership rights moving forward, but one thing is for sure: The fight will continue.

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Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:33

Workplace woes are taking a toll on the National Audubon Society.

The 118-year-old bird conservation group, one of the oldest and best-known environmental advocacy groups in the country, has had a tumultuous few years.

Staff complaints of a toxic work environment spilled into the news. The organization enraged workers when it laid off staff on Earth Day. The group's longtime leader resigned under pressure. Employees unionized.

But despite new leadership's pledges to rebuild morale and promote diversity, equity and inclusion inside the nonprofit, problems persist. The organization has churned through leaders of its diversity office, including the most recent who resigned in December. Staffers accuse management of slow-walking union negotiations and failing to stem employee turnover in recent years.

The nonprofit is also facing pressure to change its name to distance itself from John James Audubon, an enslaver. Some employees don't think the organization has been transparent enough about how it will make its decision.

Staff and management at the New York-based conservation group have expressed worry that the internal difficulties could hamper the organization's mission to protect birds and the places they need. Audubon is a behemoth in the environmental community, employing more than 700 people spread across the country. The group's revenue in 2022 was $152.3 million.

Audubon isn't the only big green group with morale problems. It's one of many environmental organizations that have faced internal turmoil in recent years, intensified by the Covid-19 pandemic and the racial justice reckoning that followed the murder of George Floyd in 2020. It's also one of several major environmental organizations where staff unionized in recent years and contract bargaining remains contentious.

'We owe it to the birds'At Audubon, the issues are aired in all-staff emails.

Audubon's CEO Elizabeth Gray '-- an ornithologist who's been leading the organization since her predecessor resigned under pressure in May 2021 '-- detailed some of her group's ongoing struggles in a year-end message to staff in December.

''I worry that our internal challenges may hold us back or slow us down. We owe it to the birds, our colleagues, the communities we work with, and the planet that sustains us not to let that happen,'' Gray wrote in the email obtained by E&E News.

''The difficulties we have experienced recently weigh heavily on me. Every employee has a role in shaping Audubon's culture. Every employee sets the tone, including me and the leadership team. It is time for us to begin living our organizational values and co-creating a positive, supportive work environment of caring, belonging and impact.''

In that same December email, Gray announced the departure of Andr(C)s Villalon, who was leading Audubon's office of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging after the office's former leader, Jamaal Nelson, left earlier last year.

Gray thanked Villalon (who uses they/them pronouns) for their work on a task force exploring John James Audubon's legacy and its relevance to the organization's name. Gray also lauded Villalon for their work on a pilot program to address instances of harm at work, for leading trainings and workshops, and for being ''a trusted partner across the organization.''

Villalon's own exit email, sent to staff later that day, offered a less rosy view of their departure.

''In recent months, I have heard from all levels of the organization, including the Board, that we want a culture where we do not tolerate behavior that is inconsistent with our values '-- that we should speak up, ask the hard questions and embrace constructive dialogue. It is in that spirit that I share why I am leaving,'' Villalon wrote.

When Villalon took the job, they added, ''I understood Audubon to be an organization where equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, anti-racism and a justice-oriented outlook were essential parts of our values and organizational strategy.'' But during their time at Audubon, they added, ''I experienced moments where the organization did not live up to those values as well as challenges at the leadership level with discussing and addressing what gets in the way of living those values.''

Villalon said they believed in the desire of leadership and staff to deal with those topics in an ''honest and constructive way,'' and that they remained open to supporting Audubon from outside the organization, according to the email obtained by E&E News.

Gray replied to the full staff, thanking Villalon for ''sharing so openly and honestly.'' She wrote, ''It was heavy for me to read, as I am sure it was for many staff. I want to acknowledge that we have work to do to live up to our values. I am committed to ensuring that Audubon becomes more equitable and diverse, and that we are fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging.''

Gray declined an interview request for this story.

''Audubon has been through several major changes over the past few years, including new leadership,'' she said in an emailed statement in response to questions for this story.

''Change is difficult, even when that change is greatly needed. I understand that some may wish that the pace of our transformation is faster, but I am proud of the steps we have taken to ensure Audubon's culture reflects our values,'' Gray added. ''Our entire leadership team is wholly committed to following this work through so that Audubon is a best-in-class workplace where all staff thrive.''

Villalon declined to comment for this story.

An identity crisisPrior to their departure, Villalon was involved in Audubon's ongoing consideration of whether to rename the organization, which was named after the bird artist and enslaver, John James Audubon.

The organization in 2020 condemned Audubon's history as a slave owner and announced it was partnering with leading historians and journalists to ''grapple'' with his legacy. Some Audubon affiliates have ditched the namesake from their organizations' names recently, citing his racist history. Seattle Audubon decided to change its name last summer; the Maryland-based group formerly called the Audubon Naturalist Society adopted the new name Nature Forward in October.

The National Audubon Society launched a process to analyze its name, but it hasn't yet announced any conclusions. Audubon's board of directors commissioned a task force to gather the perspectives of staff, donors, volunteers, members and others through a series of surveys and listening sessions.

Audubon's board is set to begin its deliberations on the renaming issue at a meeting next month, according to the group.

The Audubon name is a contentious issue inside the organization. In September, Villalon sent an all-staff email providing an update on the naming task force's work.

''Just so I'm clear, all of this, energy, and resources are going to be invested to determine whether or not our aspiring anti-racist organization should continue to be named after a slave owner/slave trader/painter?'' replied Marcos Trinidad, director of the Audubon Center at Debs Park in Los Angeles.

''Maybe it's just me, but I'm having a hard time understanding how [equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging] values are applied to a thoughtful process to determine if and should this happen. My thinking is that EDIB values would be more in line with how and when.''

Trinidad, who has led the Audubon center for about six years, told E&E News in a recent interview that Audubon has been ''nothing but supportive'' for him and his work, although he called it unfortunate that other employees have had ''less than desirable experiences.''

Trinidad, who is a person of color, said Audubon isn't alone when it comes to struggling with diversity and inclusion issues.

''I don't think you can point to any organization that has those qualifications of being the oldest and one of the most successful conservation organizations and say, 'Wow, they're really doing it right,''' he said. People of color were long ignored by big green groups, he said. ''So for us to have these expectations of things changing overnight is unrealistic.''

Ultimately, Trinidad said, he isn't a part of Audubon because of its name. ''You can call us Audubon, you could call us Bird Brains, you can call us anything you want,'' he said. ''I'm here for the community, and I'm here for the mission.''

Rodrick Leary, an Atlanta-based data scientist for Audubon, wants to see the organization renamed.

''Based on what we know about John James Audubon, I think it's in everyone's best interest to change the name,'' said Leary, a person of color. ''It's not just changing the name that's important, but it's also that Audubon needs to change its working processes with communities of color as well.''

If Audubon changes its name, ''but doesn't change where it's working, in terms of communities of color or poor working-class communities, then the name change is going to be all for naught,'' he said.

One former Audubon staffer, who is Black, said that wearing a shirt with the organization's name on it felt like being ''branded with his name.''

That former staffer, who was granted anonymity to protect professional relationships, added, ''Knowing that John James Audubon was an enslaver, knowing that he was a liar and knowing that he brutalized humans for the sake of bird art doesn't '-- that doesn't make me feel proud to stand next to that or to stand with that on a T-shirt.''

Another former Audubon employee, who is white, said it ''would be a shame if they do rename it.'' The organization is now ''one of the most recognized conservation brands in the United States.'' That brand is ''more than someone's name,'' that former employee said.

That person said the organization could make a stronger statement by keeping the name in place and using it to discuss the history of the United States and the fact that the country was built on slave labor.

Years of internal discordVillalon's departure and the internal divisions surrounding John James Audubon's legacy follow years of publicly documented workplace complaints at the environmental group.

The organization's former president and CEO, David Yarnold, resigned under pressure in 2021, following POLITICO's reports of widespread staff dissatisfaction at Audubon, especially among workers of color and the LGBTQ community (Greenwire, April 21, 2021).

An external audit later substantiated some of those claims, and pointed to widespread cultural problems. ''Nearly all of the women we interviewed and many of the men commented that implicit bias toward women and people of color is prevalent at Audubon,'' the audit found (Greenwire, May 6, 2021).

Villalon's former boss, Nelson, stepped down from his post last summer, citing personal reasons. In Nelson's farewell email, he praised Gray's leadership and said that the organization had ''collectively forged a new culture where it feels safe to have difficult conversations.''

Nelson wrote last July, ''I have felt a sense of belonging here and know it is a place where BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and people of color] people belong and can thrive. And while we have tremendous work to do, I believe we are on the right road and moving in the right direction.''

Nelson did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Prior to Nelson's arrival in early 2021, Audubon had already experienced turnover among its top diversity officials. Devon Trotter, a senior specialist for equity, diversity and inclusion, resigned from Audubon in 2020, telling POLITICO that he had faced ''intimidation and threats,'' including from Yarnold himself. Yarnold denied threatening Trotter.

Deeohn Ferris '-- who served as Audubon's vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion from 2017 until March 2020, according to her LinkedIn profile '-- resigned after publicly disagreeing with Yarnold on diversity and equity efforts, POLITICO reported.

Gray, who was promoted from ''acting'' to permanent CEO in late 2021, has stressed that rebuilding morale and improving diversity and equity within the organization are among her top priorities. ''We have been doing a lot of things to build a culture of workplace excellence,'' Gray told E&E News in an interview soon after she officially took the helm at Audubon. ''It's really important to me that we put people first in this organization'' (Greenwire, Nov. 22, 2021).

The group has made strides in recent years on diversifying its staff, according to data compiled by the group Green 2.0, which aims to boost the diversity of the environmental movement. Audubon's staff was 82 percent white in 2017, compared to 63 percent white in 2022. Senior staff at the organization was 93 percent white in 2017, but that had dropped to 78 percent by 2022.

Audubon has also added more women to its leadership, the group said, and the majority of its executive team members are now women.

Turnover 'affecting people's work'Audubon employees formed a union in 2021, following a contentious yearlong campaign (E&E News PM, Sept. 23, 2021).

More than a year later, union members are accusing Audubon's management of dragging its heels on contract negotiations and slashing workers' benefits.

Morale among the staff is ''extremely low,'' said Hannah Waters, a senior editor for Audubon Magazine. ''The high turnover is really affecting people's work.''

The union sent a document to the organization's board members last June warning that ''high turnover is gutting Audubon.'' The document said that more than 120 staff had left Audubon in just over a year, dating back to the previous May.

Audubon said its turnover rate is better than the industry standard. The organization saw 17 percent of its staff leave last year, the group said, pointing to a report showing that turnover in the nonprofit industry was 22 percent in 2021.

Union members have criticized management for its negotiation tactics, including hiring the law firm Littler Mendelson PC, which bills itself as a ''union avoidance'' expert that pledges to ''bargain tenaciously'' on behalf of its unionized clients.

Audubon retained the firm ''to advise the organization to ensure we are meeting all our legal obligations to employees during this process,'' the group said in an email. Audubon hasn't worked with Littler on any union bargaining or strategy issues since March 2022, the group said.

''Audubon is 100% committed to working constructively with the union to achieve a mutually agreeable collective bargaining agreement, and we have made progress in a number of areas towards that goal,'' Gray said in a statement.

As the negotiations continue, Audubon workers represented by the Communications Workers of America have filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board. The union alleges that the Audubon Society unlawfully changed employees' health care benefits and refused to provide information requested by the union about workers' salaries (Greenwire, Dec. 20, 2022).

Audubon's management said the organization followed the law when it implemented the health care change. ''Facing significantly rising costs, Audubon negotiated with our insurance carrier for a 2023 plan with a gross cost increase of just over 2%,'' J.J. Blitstein, Audubon's director of labor relations, said in a statement last year.

Waters said the turnover at the organization is hurting staff's ability to do its job. ''People are feeling like they have to leave because of either health care reasons or financial reasons, or if they no longer feel supported, and they don't feel like their efforts are heading in the right direction,'' she said.

''I think the turnover is probably really making the mission suffer,'' Waters said.

Refugio Mariscal, a former geographic information systems analyst in Audubon's Great Lakes regional office, said that management at the national level had ''almost gotten worse since Yarnold left.''

''I would say as a person of color, there's still a lot of issues that Audubon needs to deal with,'' he said.

Mariscal left Audubon in January for a job at another environmental nonprofit. He said workplace issues at Audubon, plus better pay at the new job, factored into his decision.

''The general culture within Audubon is not very welcoming to staff,'' he said in January. ''They seem to have a tough time letting go of their old ways of doing things.''

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Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:33

Three members of the National Audubon Society's board of directors resigned Wednesday in response to the conservation group's announcement that it will retain its current name tied to the enslaver and bird artist, John James Audubon.

The national conservation organization is facing an internal backlash after publicly announcing that its board of directors decided to keep its current name after a yearlong deliberation. The decision outraged employees, prompted an uncomfortable all-staff meeting and drove three board members to resign in protest.

Stephen Tan, a vice chair of Audubon's board, and two other board members '-- Sara Fuentes and Erin Giese '-- resigned over the decision, according to a person who was informed about the resignations and was granted anonymity to discuss personnel moves that haven't been publicly announced.

Tan, Fuentes and Giese did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tan is a partner at the Seattle-based law firm Cascadia Law Group, Fuentes is vice president of government affairs for the nonprofit Transportation Institute, and Giese works at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay's Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, according to their profiles on Audubon's website.

Tan was the leader of a task force commissioned by the Audubon board to consider whether to rename the group, according to the person who was informed about their resignations. Fuentes was a member of that task force.

Audubon Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Betty Su declined to say which three of the 26 board members resigned yesterday, citing ''respect for board members who have not announced their decision publicly'' in a statement.

Stephen Tan, Erin Giese and Sara Fuentes resigned from Audubon's board of directors. | National Audubon Society''While the Board is disappointed to lose these Directors and the wisdom and dedication they brought to the Board, we respect their decision,'' Susan Bell, the chair of the National Audubon Society's board, said in a statement. ''We also value tremendously the many diverse and reasoned perspectives that these Directors '-- and others '-- have brought to this difficult conversation for our organization.''

Some Audubon staffers, who had been waiting to hear about a decision about the group's name, were frustrated to learn about the outcome from news reports prior to hearing from leadership. Audubon's leadership alerted staff to the decision in a 9 a.m. email Wednesday, at the same time The Washington Post released a story including interviews with Audubon's leaders.

Bell and Audubon CEO Elizabeth Gray hosted a tense all-staff Zoom meeting in the afternoon, where they defended the decision to keep the name and fielded questions from frustrated staffers.

''It was a rough all-staff,'' said one Audubon employee who was granted anonymity to discuss the internal conversation. That person said the leadership began the meeting with statements that felt ''pretty canned'' before opening up the discussion to questions.

''There was no shortage of people questioning the rationale, questioning how Audubon can claim to be anti-racist while retaining the name of a white supremacist slave owner,'' that employee said.

''It was jarring to hear the defense for this decision,'' said Shyamlee Patel, an Audubon employee and member of the organization's staff union.

Audubon announced this week that the board made its decision after an evaluation process that spanned more than a year and included input from more than 2,300 people from Audubon's network and beyond. The organization said it commissioned ''historical research that examined John James Audubon's life, views, and how they did '-- and did not '-- reflect his time.''

Ultimately, the group's leaders said, the board determined that keeping the name was the best way to fulfill its mission to protect birds and the places they need.

''Based on the critical threats to birds that Audubon must urgently address and the need to remain a non-partisan force for conservation, the Board determined that retaining the name would enable [the National Audubon Society] to direct key resources and focus towards enacting the organization's mission,'' the organization said in an explainer posted on its website.

''The Board's decision enables the organization to focus its time, resources, and capacity on the organization's new Strategic Plan and putting its equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging (EDIB) commitments into action,'' the explainer said.

Also Wednesday, Audubon announced plans to devote $25 million over five years to fund equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging work both internally and through conservation programs.

Audubon has experienced turnover within its diversity office in recent years.

Andr(C)s Villalon, resigned from the organization in December after leading Audubon's office of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. Villalon wrote to colleagues in a farewell email that the organization at times failed to live up to its stated values.

''I want to know who is actually going to be in charge of spending that money and where does it go?'' Patel said Thursday of the $25 million commitment. ''I see this as honestly trying to buy us off.''

Audubon employees are also frustrated that the organization won't release the data it compiled while making its decision to keep its current name.

Leadership wouldn't answer questions during the all-staff call about how the information was considered, Patel said. ''Did they weigh certain members more? I don't know.''

''The Board will not be sharing the research, as they are less indicative without important context and knowledge that factored into the Board's decision,'' Bell said in a statement.

Staffers were also concerned that the Audubon board did not reach out directly to Audubon's affinity group for Black employees prior to making its decision.

Bell said in a statement, ''All Audubon staff members were invited to share their perspectives with the Board through a survey. Individual members of Audubon's Executive Team were also invited to meet with the Task Force to represent the views of their teams and constituents '-- this included the head of the EDIB (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging) team who presented EDIB perspectives.''

The announcement is taking a toll on morale in an organization that has already had a tumultuous few years, employees said.

''This makes my work harder,'' said the employee who was granted anonymity. That person criticized the group's leaders of ''doubling down on being named after a racist slaveholder.''

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Archived Version

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 21:12

"Lois Lerner ain't got shit on me..."

Sometimes the hubris and self-delusion just goes too far...

It has been eleven years since Lois Lerner presided over (and then apologized for) the IRS targeting of conservatives during the 2012 election.

But her "inappropriate... error of judgment" may just have been turned up to '11' as during the day when independent journalist Matt Taibbi was in Washington DC delivering testimony to the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on March 9, an IRS agent visited his home in New Jersey, leaving a note demanding he contact the agency within four days.

That's very odd

'-- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2023"Odd" indeed, Mr. Musk.

As The Wall Street Journal reports, Mr. Taibbi was told in a call with the agent that both his 2018 and 2021 tax returns had been rejected owing to concerns over identity theft.

The journalist has provided House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan's committee with documentation showing his 2018 return had been electronically accepted, and he says the IRS never notified him or his accountants of a problem after he filed that 2018 return more than four-and-a-half years ago.

He says the IRS initially rejected his 2021 return, which he later refiled, and it was rejected again - even though Mr. Taibbi says his accountants refiled it with an IRS-provided pin number.

Mr. Taibbi notes that in neither case was the issue ''monetary,'' and that the IRS owes him a ''considerable'' sum.

The bigger question on everyone's minds (most of all Rep. Jordan) is simple - since when did the IRS dispatch agents for surprise house calls? Is this the new $80 billion budget being well spent to 'send a message' to a reporter telling the truth?

The coincidental timing of this unannounced IRS agent visit prompted Rep. Jordan to write to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, demanding answers:

"In light of the hostile reaction to Mr. Taibbi's reporting among left-wing activists, and the IRS's history as a tool of government abuse, the IRS's action could be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate a witness before Congress. We expect your full cooperation with our inquiry."

Jordan added that "the circumstances... are incredible," and "demand a careful examination by the Committee to determine whether the visit was a thinly-veiled attempt to influence or intimidate a witness before Congress."

And the committee Chair demanded that the IRS and Treasury provide the following documents and information:

1. All documents and communications referring or relating to the IRS's field visit to the residence of Matthew Taibbi on March 9, 2023;

2. All documents and communications between or among the IRS, Treasury Department, and any other Executive Branch entity referring or relating to Matthew Taibbi; and

3. All documents and communications sent or received by Revenue Officer [James Nelson] referring or relating to Matthew Taibbi.

Yellen and Werfel were given until April 10th to comply with the request.

Will this arrogant show of disdain for democracy - this clear and present danger exposed of government agency 'weaponization' at its very apex - be the Alonzo Harris' undoing of 'untouchable' Democratic Party's grip on power?

We will have to wait and see if Rep. Jordan's demands for documents are met?

* * *

Read Rep. Jordan's full letter to The IRS and Treasury below:

Loading...

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 20:37

The widow of the late rock singer Del Shannon has filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Eli Lilly & Co., maker of the anti-depressant drug Prozac, alleging that it caused him to commit suicide at his Santa Clarita home last year.

LeAnne Westover alleges in the suit that the Indianapolis-based firm did not properly test the drug prior to marketing it and failed to warn doctors of its possible side effects. The suit, filed Friday, seeks punitive damages, which under California law cannot be specified.

Shannon, whose actual name was Charles Westover, shot himself in the head Feb. 8 with a .22-caliber rifle.

''We are charging Eli Lilly with the same degree of culpability as if it was Eli Lilly's finger around the trigger of the weapon that shot the bullet that ultimately took Del Shannon's life,'' said Leonard L. Finz, a New York-based attorney representing Westover. Finz said his firm is participating in more than 50 lawsuits against Lilly based on Prozac's alleged harmful effects.

Lilly spokesman Edward West said testing of the drug had been adequate, involving more than 25,000 people. Prozac's ''safety and effectiveness in the treatment of depression has been well established'' by its use on more than 3 million people, he said.

Finz said Shannon had suffered from mild bouts of depression prior to consulting a doctor who prescribed Prozac in January, 1990. He had been taking the drug for about two weeks prior to his death.

''It was immediately detected by his wife that he seemed strange,'' Finz said. He would stare off in space for hours, and was very nervous and unable to sleep, she said.

The singer, who had such hits as ''Runaway,'' ''Keep Searchin (We'll Follow the Sun)'' and ''Do You Want to Dance,'' was 55 when he died. Most of his success came in the early '60s. In later years, he fell on hard times, although he remained in the music business as a producer and continued to enjoy popularity in England as a performer.

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Archived Version

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 19:30

First published on

Dive Brief:Despite security concerns and the possibility of a ban by the U.S. government, three in four marketers expect to increase spending on TikTok in the next 12 months, according to a Capterra survey of 300 marketers at businesses in the U.S.A TikTok ban would have a moderate to significant impact on achieving social media marketing or advertising objectives, according to 82% of respondents, with 70% expecting to expand in other digital channels outside of social media in the event of a ban.As the battle over the future of TikTok intensifies, more than half (56%) of respondents believe it is highly or somewhat unlikely that the federal government will ban TikTok or prevent it from operating in the U.S., and most (87%) still believe it is a viable platform for long-term marketing strategies.Dive Insight:The Capterra survey paints a picture of a marketing industry that is committed to TikTok, despite threats of a ban by federal and state governments, with many planning to increase spending on the platform in the next year.

This bullishness comes even as survey respondents largely agree with concerns about the Chinese-owned platform's security issues: 60% say concerns over its data privacy and national security are justified, 47% believe its algorithm are not transparent and 45% believe TikTok spies on U.S. users. Despite these concerns, just 31% say brand safety is a top challenge of using TikTok.

While marketers are roughly evenly split on whether federal or state and local governments will actually ban or restrict TikTok, most would diversify their digital marketing strategy in the event of a ban. Digital media channels outside of social media, like email and video, could stand to benefit, with Facebook (80%) and YouTube (79%) being the most popular social media platforms for marketers seeking TikTok alternatives.

In the event of a TikTok ban, the industry consensus seems to be that Meta, YouTube and Snap could see spikes in revenue.

"This news does create more opportunities for other platforms to capitalize,'' said Permele Doyle, president and co-founder of influencer agency Billion Dollar Boy, in emailed comments. ''An immediate solution for brands and creators is to pivot to Instagram and YouTube's equivalent short form video content formats '-- Reels and Shorts, respectively '-- which are increasing in popularity."

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to testified on Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The Biden administration has demanded that TikTok divest itself from parent ByteDance or face a ban, a move that China would strongly oppose, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Chew this week made a direct appeal to TikTok's user base, posting a video to the platform's official channel, which has more than 69 million followers. Chew spoke about the "pivotal moment" for the platform, which he claimed is used by more than 150 million Americans and 5 million U.S. businesses.

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Archived Version

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 19:23

LONDON (Reuters) -Scottish nationalists picked Humza Yousaf to be the country's next leader on Monday after a bitterly fought contest that exposed deep divisions in his party over policy and a stalled independence campaign.

The 37-year-old practicing Muslim will succeed Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the governing Scottish National Party (SNP) and, subject to a vote in the Scottish parliament, take over as head of the semi-autonomous government.

Yousaf's victory was confirmed at Edinburgh's Murrayfield rugby ground on Monday afternoon after a six-week campaign where the three candidates spent much of the contest criticising each other's record in a series of personal attacks.

The SNP's unity, which had been one of its strengths, broke down over arguments about how to achieve a second independence referendum and the best way to introduce social reforms such as transgender rights.

Yousaf takes over a party with an overriding objective to end Scotland's three-centuries-long union with England.

But while about four in 10 Scots still support independence, according to a poll this month, the departure of Sturgeon '' a charismatic and commanding leader '' may slow some of the momentum behind a break up of the United Kingdom.

There is no agreed strategy for how to force a new referendum '' one of the reasons Sturgeon resigned.

The often bad-tempered leadership contest has relieved some pressure on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is dealing with divisions in his own party, waves of industrial action and high levels of inflation.

FRONTRUNNER

Yousaf won 24,336 of the votes of the SNP's members in the first round, while his main rival Kate Forbes 32, Scotland's finance minister, came second with 20,559 votes. Ash Regan, who quit the government because of her opposition to proposed changes to gender recognition, was third with 5,599 votes.

The frontrunner to replace Sturgeon, Yousaf has stressed continuity with her record, including her push to make it easier for transgender people to gain official recognition to change their gender.

Yousaf has spoken of the need to focus on building the case for independence and achieving consistent support for the movement, adding that he was open minded on which process to pursue once that level of support was achieved.

Yousaf pointed to his own background '' born in Glasgow, with a father from Pakistan and mother from Kenya '' and views as examples of the inclusive, socially liberal and multi-ethnic Scotland that the SNP has promoted.

During the campaign, Yousaf appeared more relaxed than Forbes, a member of the Free Church of Scotland, in balancing his religious views with the party's socially progressive policies.

While Forbes faced criticism when she announced her opposition to same-sex marriage, Yousaf said he supports it. In 2016, Yousaf took his oath of allegiance in the Scottish parliament in Urdu while wearing a kilt.

Yousaf also said during the campaign an independent Scotland should look at ditching the British monarchy.

Read More: Humza Yousaf wins race to replace Sturgeon

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Archived Version

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 18:52

Ask a Question

25

Highlights1

Substack's mission is to build a new economic engine for culture.

2

Substack is a subscription network based on writing, podcasting, community, and other forms of culture-making.

3

The network has more than 35 million active subscriptions, including 2 million paid subscriptions.

4

The Substack network now drives 40 percent of all subscriptions and 15 percent of paid subscriptions on the platform.

5

Cumulatively, readers have paid writers more than $300 million through Substack.

Our Team Building a new economic engine for culture >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We started Substack because we believe that what you read matters and that the stories and ideas you spend time with shape how you think and who you are. On Substack, readers and writers, rather than the companies that want to sell them stuff, are the customers. Writers and creators can publish their work and make money from paid subscriptions while readers and consumers can directly support the work that they deeply value. With this approach, we work to realize our mission: to build a new economic engine for culture.

Some of the world's most beloved writers are on Substack'--Margaret Atwood, George Saunders, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Matt Taibbi, Bari Weiss, Astral Codex Ten, Andrew Sullivan, Roxane Gay, Alison Roman, Chuck Palahniuk, Anne Helen Petersen, Matt Yglesias, Robert Reich, Michael Moore, Jonathan Haidt, and Patti Smith, to name a few'--and they have been joined by a new generation of writers who are building their livelihoods and communities on the platform.

Substack's simple publishing tools have helped thousands of writers start thriving businesses that wouldn't otherwise have existed, and its network effects are driving the development of a media economy unlike any the world has ever known'--an economy where value is measured not only in dollars but also in quality, in good-faith discourse, and in creating an internet that celebrates and supports humanity.

Substack is a startup on an extremely ambitious mission, which is inherently risky. You should not invest any funds in this community round unless you can afford to lose your entire investment.

But if you share our belief that Substack can grow its financial impact alongside its cultural impact, we invite you to come along for the ride.

Chris, Hamish, and Jairaj in 2019

How we've built Substack into a network

With the Substack model, independent publishers own their content and relationship with their subscribers. They have complete editorial control, and they keep the lion's share of the revenue generated on the platform.

When a reader pays for a subscription on Substack, an average of 86% of the money goes to the writer and the remainder covers our revenue share and Stripe's payment processing fees. Since we only make money when publishers make money, our interests remain aligned. In turn, the publishers make money only when their subscribers feel they are getting something of value, meaning incentives are aligned all the way through the system.

Here's a snapshot of our first few years:

2017Founded Substack.

2018Graduated from Y Combinator (W18). Raised $2 million in seed funding.

2019 Raised a $15 million Series A, led by Andreessen Horowitz.

2020Hit 100,000 paid subscriptions.

2021 Hit 1 million paid subscriptions. Raised a $65 million Series B, again led by Andreessen Horowitz.

2022 Added support for podcasts, video, and Chat. Launched the Substack app. Introduced Recommendations.

We raised money from major investors to build a foundation for a network that helps writers and creators grow, helps readers develop relationships with writers and creators they trust, and gives Substack a compounding advantage.

We have used our funding to build a team drawn from the best tech and culture companies in the world, and to develop a category-defining product that continues to evolve rapidly. We also used financing to attract some of the world's best writers to Substack, who in turn have brought many millions of readers into the system, kickstarting a network that has become known for quality and depth. The best writers want to be where the best writers are, and the best writers are on Substack. This strategy has helped stave off competition from deep-pocketed incumbents and has established Substack as a brand that has become synonymous with independent subscription publishing.

Today, there are more than 35 million monthly active subscriptions and 2 million paid subscriptions to writers on Substack.

The Substack network now drives 40 percent of all subscriptions and 15 percent of paid subscriptions on the platform.

A new generation of writers are making their livelihoods on Substack, and others are building new institutions from scratch. More than 17 thousand writers are earning money on Substack, with the top 10 publishers on Substack collectively making more than $25 million annually.

Cumulatively, readers have paid writers more than $300 million through Substack.

The pool of talent on Substack is diverse and deep. Historians, academics, and red carpet fashion experts are all on the platform. Substack writers have broken major news stories, spurred a renaissance in culture writing, and pushed the bounds of recipe development. The platform has become a home to podcasters, comics creators, finance experts, and rock stars, as well as a slew of new media institutions, including The Free Press, The Mill, and The Ankler.

We've advanced a new monetization model for podcasting, started an expansion into video, and launched Chat to make it easier for writers to bring their community to life and deepen relationships with their subscribers.

But this is just the beginning.

The opportunity for subscription networks >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The last couple decades of the internet have created a media system in which writing has been economically devalued and advertisers have been served above all others. We believe that the internet's powers, married to the right business model, can be harnessed to create a better media economy that gives more control to writers and readers, protects free speech and a free press, and promotes the creation of amazing works that wouldn't have been possible in other systems.

To realize this mission, we are building a subscription network, founded on deep relationships, trust, and creator ownership. Subscription networks represent a step forward from social networks. We think they will play a major role in the internet's next chapter.

While social networks are associated with advertising and attention, subscription networks are about direct payments and trust. While social networks facilitate shallow connections, subscription networks foster deep relationships. While social networks are about lock-in and platform ownership, subscription networks are about freedom to move and creator ownership.

As Substack grows to accommodate more writers, podcasters, videomakers, musicians, scientists'--and culture-makers of all kinds'--we see a path to hundreds of millions of subscriptions and a significant cultural impact, which will in turn provide ample financial opportunity.

Building together

When we raised our last round of funding, in March 2021, we explored how we might make it possible for a large group of writers to invest alongside the traditional investors, but it ultimately proved too complex. Most importantly, it was difficult to include people who were not already accredited investors'--a qualification determined largely by wealth. But the idea never left our minds.

We are serious about building Substack with writers, and this community round is a good way to concretize that ideal. We're doing this because the dynamics of a platform like Substack change if the people who are building their businesses on it are owners of it, too. And we're doing it because it not only provides a good for our company, but it also presents an opportunity for the people who use Substack to participate in the benefits that come from building this network'--including the financial upside

In recent years, doing a community round like this one has become more viable because of regulatory changes and the rise of companies like Wefunder, which makes the process simple.

We're delighted that Bill Bishop'--the first-ever writer on Substack (proof!), and an expert on US''China relations'--is leading our community round, joined by Ted Gioia, Heather Havrilesky, Suleika Jaouad, Anthony Pompliano, and Polina Pompliano. We are even more excited to enable thousands of others to invest alongside this group.

We want to make it clear, however, that just because you can invest in Substack, it doesn't mean you should. Investments are risky'--especially in startups, which have a habit of dying, pivoting, or simply not making enough money. Substack is only five-years-old and we are still proving that there is a large market for subscription-based writing and culture. If you don't have money to spare, don't spend it on this.

If, however, you share our belief that Substack can grow its financial impact alongside its cultural impact, then this investment could be worth a shot. We are at the dawn of the era of the subscription network. This work will be ambitious and exciting, and it will be meaningful. We'd love to have you by our side as we build this new economic engine for culture together.

FAQ

Do I have to be an accredited investor to invest?

No. Wefunder allows you to invest without being an accredited investor. All you have to do is sign up and invest.

What is the minimum amount I can invest?

$100.

What's the maximum I am legally allowed to invest?

Through Regulation Crowdfunding everyone can invest at least $2,200. How much you're able to invest above that depends on your net income and net worth. You can see how much you're allowed to invest by entering those two numbers under "Investor Limits" here (once you've created and logged in to a Wefunder account).

While you may be legally able to invest more, your investment may be lowered depending on the interest we receive in this round.

Am I guaranteed to get the amount that I signed up for?

No. If we are oversubscribed, we may not be able to accept all investments and may reduce individual investments - in which case you'll be refunded for the difference. If we're oversubscribed, we'll prioritize the following groups in this order and by tenure:

Substack writers who have turned on paid subscriptionsPaying subscribersFor that reason, we recommend you sign up for Wefunder using the same email address as your Substack account.

Can I invest if I don't live in the United States?

With a few exceptions, investments can be accepted from international investors as long as you represent that you are complying with the law in your country. Here's a step-by-step guide on investing from outside the US.

The only exceptions are the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta which have requested that Wefunder bar their residents from investing on Wefunder's platform, as well as certain sanctioned countries.

For accredited investors from one of those Canadian provinces, we're looking into creating an opportunity to invest. You can email [email protected] to express your interest.

What fees to investors pay?

For payments made by bank ACH, wires, or checks, Wefunder charges investors a transaction fee of 2%, with a minimum of $8 and a max of $100. For credit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, Wefunder charges a 5% fee, with a minimum of $8 and no maximum.

Investors can get their first investment fee-free by completing the welcome sequence when creating their account (www.wefunder.com/welcome) and using their ACH bank account (US banks only) or a wire. Just so you know, this only applies to first investments.

Fees are one-time and are not reoccurring.

How will I make a return on my investment, and when?

We're not able to make lots of future projections, but we have big ambitions for the company. We are working on a new economic engine for culture. We think the best way to achieve that is to build a successful independent company, which could involve going public one day, but for now we are focused on building.

Right now our (pre-money) valuation is $585M. If we have a successful exit in the future (like an IPO, merger, or acquisition) for more than that amount, you'll see a return on your investment. Since we're selling the same class of stock we sold to venture capitalists in our Series B, you'll get paid out at the same time that they do.

Where can I ask a question?

You can ask any questions you have in the ''Ask A Question'' section of this page.

Link to Article

Archived Version

Tue, 28 Mar 2023 18:43

LinkedIn/Facebook (Norman Hale) Audrey Hale.

Audrey Hale was the 28-year-old former art student accused of fatally shooting three students and three adult staff members at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 27, 2023, according to Nashville police.

At 9:57 a.m., just minutes before the shootings, Hale's former middle school basketball teammate received a message from Hale that read, ''so basically that post I made on here about you, that was basically a suicide note. I'm planning to die today. THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!! You'll probably hear about me on the news after I die,'' according to News Channel 5.

At 9:57 a.m., a former middle school basketball teammate of Audrey Hale looked at her phone to find a message from The Covenant School shooter on Instagram. https://t.co/JbJET68hj0

'-- NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) March 28, 2023

Hale, whose post used the name Aiden, wrote, according to News Channel 5, ''This is my last goodbye. I love you. See you again in another life.'' The friend responded, ''Audrey! You have so much more life to live. I pray God keeps and covers you.'' Hale responded, the station reported, ''I know but I don't want to live. I'm so sorry. I'm not trying to upset you or get attention. I just need to die. I wanted to tell you first because you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen and known all my life.''

The post continued, according to the outlet, ''My family doesn't know what I'm about to do. One day this will make more sense. I've left more than enough evidence behind. But something bad is about to happen.''

In a Tuesday news conference, Police Chief John Drake said police received the first call at 10:13 a.m. and had engaged the suspect by 10:24 a.m. on March 27, 2023. He said police cars had been struck by gunfire, and the suspect was at a higher level.

Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a Nashville resident who once attended the private Christian school, is also dead, police said. Five of the six victims were rushed to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead, while the sixth was pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials.

Officer Rex Engelbert, a four-year Metropolitan Nashville Police Department veteran, and Officer Michael Collazo, a nine-year MNPD veteran, shot and killed Hale, police said in a news release.

Police released video from inside the school. The video shows a person police say is Hale shooting out the school's glass doors before walking around the school opening doors while wearing a vest, camouflage pants and a red baseball cap and carrying a gun.

Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to Covenant Church/School in her Honda Fit this morning, parked, and shot her way into the building. She was armed with 2 assault-type guns and a 9 millimeter pistol. pic.twitter.com/mIk2pDmCwQ

'-- Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 28, 2023

A total of seven people, including the shooter, were killed at the school, police said. The victims have been identified by police on Twitter as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9, along with 61-year-old Cynthia Peak, 60-year-old Katherine Koonce and 61-year-old Mike Hill. Koonce was the head of school, Hill was a custodian, and Peak was a substitute teacher.

Drake said Koonce was discovered shot to death in the hallway by herself. The custodian, Hill, was struck when Hale fired rounds through the glass, Drake said. Hale ''met the head person in the hallway,'' Drake said. The other victims were ''spread out in different locations,'' the chief said. Students were ''randomly targeted,'' Drake said.

Read more about the victims here.

Nashville police released body cam video showing the moment officers shot Hale to death. Be forewarned that it is graphic. The video shows officers clearing classrooms and bathrooms before confronting Hale on the second floor.

Covenant School Active Shooter Case''MNPD Body Camera Footage MNPD Officers Rex Engelbert, a 4-year veteran, and Michael Collazo, a 9-year veteran, were part of a team of officers who responded to the Covenant Church/School campus Monday morning and immediately entered the building. Both of those officers fired on the shooter, who was killed. This is their body camera footage. 2023-03-28T13:59:18Z

While police called the suspect a female and a woman and used she/her pronouns during their first press conferences, on LinkedIn, Hale indicated the use of he/him pronouns. Nashville Police Chief John Drake said in a later press conference that Hale did identify as transgender.

Hale fired a number of rounds inside the Covenant Church/School building. She was armed with these 3 guns and significant ammunition. pic.twitter.com/3LYOU2r0sh

'-- Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 28, 2023

Hale's family and friends have not commented on whether Hale was transgender or had transitioned from female to male or just preferred he/him pronouns. LinkedIn also indicated Hale had used the name Aiden Hale, including links to a now-deleted Instagram page under the name ''creative.aiden,'' and a Facebook page with the name ''Aiden Creates,'' along with a now-deleted RedBubble site with the same name. Hale used the name Audrey Hale on a personal website. The word Aiden was scribbled on one of the suspect's guns in a photo released by police.

Active shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, drove this Honda Fit to the Covenant Church/school campus this morning and parked. MNPD detectives searched it and found additional material written by Hale. pic.twitter.com/ftGX74ecKr

'-- Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 28, 2023

Police said they were searching a home connected to Hale in the Nashville area and that a vehicle at the scene helped lead them to identify the suspect.

Drake said in a news conference that the suspect lived in the Nashville area and was a former student at the school. Officials have not said when Hale attended the school or for how long.

UPDATE: 3 students & 3 adult staff members from Covenant School were fatally shot by the active shooter, who has now been identified as a 28-year-old Nashville woman.

'-- Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 27, 2023

According to its website, The Covenant School is a private Presbyterian Christian school for students from preschool to sixth grade. The school's website quotes Head of School Dr. Katherine Koonce, who was killed in the shooting, as saying, ''At the Covenant School, we are about more than simply educating our students '-- we are participating in the miracle of their development and seeing them transform into who they will be. Impactful teaching methods and programs, daily all-school chapel, and school-wide service-learning are the backdrop for the real work '-- helping children become who God intends them to be.'' The school's motto is, ''Shepherding Hearts, Empowering Minds, Celebrating Childhood.''

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has set up a donation page to help survivors.

Here's what you need to know about Audrey Hale, The Covenant School shooting suspect:

1. Audrey Hale, Who Police Say Left Behind Detailed Maps of School Surveillance & a 'Manifesto,' Was Described as 'Always an Outcast' Facebook (Norma Hale) Audrey Hale.

''Audrey and I ran track together in highschool, we had art classes together,'' wrote Hope Tavares on Facebook. ''She was sweet and funny and shy but always an outcast. This really proves that anyone can be pushed over the edge when they don't recieve the right mental health care. I haven't seen Audrey in years and have no idea what they were going through'... but this. This is heart wrenching.''

Sean Brashears, who grew up next door to the Hales, told the Daily Beast the family was ''our neighbors for basically ever on that street. As long as I can really remember growing up as a kid.''

Hale was a ''normal, nice person. Maybe a little quiet,'' he told the site.

''We have investigations ongoing now at the residence on Brightwood Avenue and we have made contact with the father that lived at that residence and are putting together more information,'' Drake said in a press conference. ''We've also determined there were maps drawn of the school in detail, surveillance, entry points, etc. We know and believe that entry was gained through shooting through one of the doors is how they actually got into the school.''

The Brightwood Avenue home is owned by Robert Hale and Norma Fort Hale, Audrey Hale's parents, according to police and property records reviewed by Heavy.

Nashville police discuss school shooting that killed 3 children, 3 adults | full video Nashville police said three children and three adults were killed when a female shooter opened fire at The Covenant School, a private Christian grade school, on Monday. The suspected shooter is dead, police said. #news #nashville #breakingnews CBS News Streaming Network is the premier 24/7 anchored streaming news service from CBS News and Stations, available'... 2023-03-27T17:30:11Z

In a written statement, Nashville police wrote that writings ''recovered from Hale revealed that her attack was calculated and planned.''

Asked whether Hale was autistic, the police chief said in a Tuesday, March 28, 2023, news conference that he had heard that but could not confirm it.

Asked by a reporter whether the school was targeted for religious reasons, Drake said he ''could not confirm any of that'' and did not know why Hale targeted Covenant but noted Hale was a student there in the past.

The active shooter call came at 10:13 a.m., police said at a press conference.

Surveillance video released by police shows Hale entered the school by shooting through a side door. There was no school resource officer on site at the school, but the school did have an active shooter protocol, police said.

The Metro Nashville Police Department tweeted at 11 a.m., ''An active shooter event has taken place at Covenant School, Covenant Presbyterian Church, on Burton Hills Dr. The shooter was engaged by MNPD and is dead. Student reunification with parents is at Woodmont Baptist Church, 2100 Woodmont Blvd.''

Nashville police tweeted, ''Two MNPD officers who entered the building and went to the sounds of gunfire engaged the shooter on the second floor and fatally shot her.''

Officers ''entered the first story of the school, began clearing it,'' Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron said in a noontime news conference. ''They heard shots coming from the second level. They immediately went to the gunfire. When the officers got to the second level they saw a shooter, a female, who was firing. The officers engaged her. She was fatally shot by responding police officers.''

Aaron added, ''There was a five-member team that was on the second floor at that time. Two individuals from that five-member team opened fire on the shooter. '... By 10:27, the shooter was deceased. The officers had engaged the shooter by 10:27 and she was deceased. Again, I said the first call came in at 10:13 this morning.''

The police chief said he had hoped if there was ever such an active shooter situation that ''we would not wait, we would immediately go in, and we would immediately engage the person perpetrating this horrible crime.''

''At the scene, scores of parents and onlookers gathered in a parking lot, awaiting updates, as helicopters circled the area, surrounded by a residential and busy businesses district,'' according to The Tennessean.

Mother confronts officials in Nashville after school shooting "Aren't you tired of this?" the woman said in the wake of a school shooting in Nashville that killed at least 3 children and 3 adults. SUBSCRIBE to ABC News on YouTube: bit.ly/2vZb6yP Latest updates: abcnews.go.com/ Watch FULL EPISODES on Hulu: abcn.ws/3bzvQQn #news #nashville #covenantschool #gunviolence #abcnews 2023-03-27T18:26:47Z

Drake said the shooting was a ''targeted attack.'' He also said, ''We have a manifesto, we have some writings that we are going over that pertain to this date of the actual incident. We have a map drawn out of how this was also going to take place. There is right now a theory that we may be able to talk about later, but it is not confirmed. We'll put that out as soon as we can.''

Drake told NBC anchor Lester Holt that police believe Hale harbored some ''resentment for having to go to that school,'' but he did not share additional details. Drake said Hale ''targeted random students and persons'' in the school.

The manifesto has been turned over to the FBI, Drake told NBC. ''It indicates there was going to be shootings at multiple locations and the school was one of them. There was actually a map of the school,'' Drake said.

He added, ''Our investigation tells us she was a former student at the school. I don't know what grade she attended, or grades, but we do firmly believe she was a student there.'' He said the suspect identifies as transgender and as a woman, but did not provide any other details about Hale's gender identity and pronouns. Drake said ''there is some theory'' they are investigating about whether Hale's gender identity connects to the motive for the shooting, but he said he would provide that at a later date.

An active shooter event has taken place at Covenant School, Covenant Presbyterian Church, on Burton Hills Dr. The shooter was engaged by MNPD and is dead. Student reunification with parents is at Woodmont Baptist Church, 2100 Woodmont Blvd. pic.twitter.com/vO8p9cj3vx

'-- Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) March 27, 2023

Five of the six victims were taken to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, according to WSMV. The sixth victim was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The shooter was also pronounced dead at the school, according to police.

2. Audrey Elizabeth Hale Was an Illustrator & Graphic Designer & an Art Student at Nossi College of Art in Nashville, According to LinkedIn Audrey Hale/Instagram Audrey Hale also used the name Aiden Hale, according to social media pages.

According to Hale's LinkedIn profile, which was deleted after the shooting, Hale was an illustrator and graphic designer based in Nashville. Hale was also a student at the Nossi College of Art in Nashville, studying illustration and graphic design. Hale's LinkedIn indicated a graduation year of 2022. Nossi College has not yet commented about whether Hale graduated from the school.

At Nossi, Hale was honored as the ''most improved'' student in 2015, according to the Daily Beast. Numerous awards come up on the Google cache of Nossi webpages under Audrey Hale's name, but the pages either time out or her name no longer appears. A photo of Hale receiving an award is still visible on the school's website.

Hale worked as a freelance graphic designer, a cat sitter and a grocery shopper for Shipt, according to Hale's LinkedIn profile. Hale also created a children's book about a support dog named Millie, according to the now-deleted LinkedIn profile.

On a personal website, Hale used the name Audrey Hale to advertise commercial illustration and graphic design, writing on the about page:

Hello, my name is Audrey Hale. I am a freelance Illustrator and Graphic Designer who creates logos for businesses. I primarily work with clients that desire a brand personality. I provide illustrations and designs that will help tell a company's story. My illustrations usually bring a whimsical and light-hearted feel. Aside from art, I enjoy binging on video games, watching movies, and playing sports. There is a child-like part about me that loves to go run to the playground. Animals are my second passion, so I also enjoy spending time with my two cats. You can follow me on Instagram @creative.aiden.

Bill Campbell, a headmaster of The Covenant School from 2004 to 2008, told NBC News that he remembers Hale.

''I've looked back in my annuals, and I do remember her as a former student,'' Campbell told NBC, adding that he thinks Hale transferred. ''She was just one of our young ladies.''

Lines on police cruisers sit near the scene of the active shooter situation at the Covenant school at the Covenant Presbyterian Church here in Nashville. Students are being bused to their parents. pic.twitter.com/r9vLzUjFQR

'-- Kelsey Gibbs (@kelseymgibbs) March 27, 2023

Police have not released any information about a possible motive for the shooting. According to police, surveillance video from the school shows part of the incident and investigators were reviewing that footage ''to try to learn exactly how all of this happened.''

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is assisting in the investigation, the agency tweeted.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also responded, the agency shared on Twitter.

3. Audrey Hale's Mother Posted About Gun Control & School Shootings on Her Facebook Page Norma Hale/Facebook A post on the Facebook page belonging to the Nashville suspect's mother.

Before the shootings, Hale was seen leaving the parents' residence with a red bag, Drake said in the Tuesday news conference, adding that Hale's mother asked what was in the bag, but didn't look in the bag because the parents didn't know Hale ''had any weapons.''

Hale's mother deleted her Facebook page after Hale was publicly identified as the suspect in the shooting. Posts viewed by Heavy show that Norma Fort Hale had posted about gun control and school shootings in the past. Hale's mother, father and brother could not be reached for comment by Heavy and her family has not issued a public statement. Norma Hale told ABC News, ''It is very, very difficult right now. I think I lost my daughter today,'' and asked for privacy, the news network reports.

According to her Facebook page, Hale's mom is ''Coordinator at The Village Chapel'' and ''Former Meals Ministry Coordinator & Volunteer Coordinator at The Village Chapel.'' She lives in Nashville. Many of her top posts congratulate her son on his academic career.

In 2019, she wrote, ''Found this in a devotional book I loaned to Audrey'....''¤¸ #divinediscovery #perfecttimingofcourse.''

Facebook (Norma Fort Hale) A Facebook post by Audrey Hale's mother.

In March 2018, she shared a link to a Sandy Hook Promise petition to ''keep guns out of schools,'' and wrote in the caption on the post ''So important!'' In February 2018, Norma Hale, the suspect's mom, shared another link to a Sandy Hook Promise petition to ''make large-capacity gun magazines illegal,'' without any additional comment.

Hale's mother shared a photo of a drawing that said ''I [heart] God,'' and wrote in the caption, ''Found this in a devotional book I loaned to Audrey'....#divinediscovery #perfecttimingofcourse.''

''If I had to imagine, Audrey's parents are probably just as shocked as everybody in the neighborhood is. '... It just doesn't seem real,'' the former neighbor, Brashears, told the Daily Beast. ''There's nothing that would have led me to believe that she was capable of such a thing or that she or anybody in that family would have access to, much less ever used, a gun. They just don't seem like the family that, like, is around guns. They're not talking about going to a gun range or they're not going hunting.''

4. Audrey Hale, Who Had No Criminal History, Was Armed With Assault Rifles & May Have Conducted a 'Threat Assessment' on Another Location, Police Say Facebook/Norma Hale Audrey Hale.

Drake said in the Tuesday news conference that police interviewed the parents of Audrey Hale and determined Hale purchased seven firearms from five different local gun stores legally. ''They were legally purchased,'' he said. ''Three of those weapons were used yesterday during this horrific tragedy that happened.''

The parents felt that Hale had one weapon but sold it and was under a doctor's care for an emotional disorder, Drake said. Hale's parents felt that Hale should not own weapons, according to Drake, but they told police they were under the impression when Hale sold the weapon that Hale didn't have firearms anymore. Hale had been ''hiding'' the weapons, the chief said. Law enforcement was also not aware of this or even ''who this person was,'' according to Drake, referring to Hale.

There are ''several different writings of other locations,'' according to Drake. ''There was a drawing of potentially how she would enter and the assaults that would take place.'' Drake said he had not read the entire manifesto.

The police spokesman said in a Tuesday news conference that there is no evidence that individuals were specifically targeted in the mass shooting.

According to Drake, another location was a possible target in the Nashville area, but the suspect decided not to attack that location because a ''threat assessment'' conducted by Hale showed there was ''too much security'' there in the area. He said he believes Hale was a ''lone assailant.''

Drake also said police believe at least two of the guns used in the shooting were purchased legally in the Nashville area. Hale does not have a criminal history ''at all,'' Drake said. He also said polices are not aware of a history of mental illness but said they are looking at that.

In a later written statement, Nashville police wrote that Hale ''was heavily armed with three guns, two of them assault-type weapons, and, as seen in surveillance video, shot her way into the church/school through doors on the side of the building.'' They wrote:

The first call to 911 about shots being fired in the building came in at 10:13 a.m. Officers rushed to the campus, made entry and began clearing the building. Shots were heard coming from the second level. It was on the second floor, in a common area, that a team of officers encountered Hale shooting (she had been firing through a window at arriving police cars). Two members of an officer team fired on Hale and fatally wounded her. Those two officers are Officer Rex Engelbert, a four-year MNPD veteran, and Officer Michael Collazo, a nine-year MNPD veteran.

''A search warrant executed at Hale's Brightwood Avenue home resulted in the seizure of a sawed-off shotgun, a second shotgun, and other evidence,'' they wrote.

NBC News reported that police believe Hale fired on arriving officers.

Aaron, the police spokesman, said Hale, ''was armed with at least two assault-type rifles and a handgun.'' Aaron did not provide any other information about the weapons, other than saying the shooter had two rifles and a pistol. He did not say if the guns were purchased legally or how the suspect obtained them.

Hale ''entered the school through a side entrance and traversed her way from the first floor to the second floor, firing multiple shots. We now know that there are three students who were fatally wounded as well as three adults inside the school.'' According to Aaron, ''an officer had a wound from cut glass. That is the only other injury that I'm aware of.''

Aaron said there were not any armed officers or security at the school. ''This is a church that operates a private school,'' Aaron told reporters. ''There was no Metro Police personnel assigned to that building at any time.'' He said the shooting happened in an upper level of the school in an area he described as ''kind of a lobby-type area. It was not in a classroom per se.''

Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee tweeted, ''I am closely monitoring the tragic situation at Covenant, & the @TNDeptofSafety & @TNHighwayPatrol are assisting local law enforcement & first responders at the scene. '... As we continue to respond, please join us in praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community.''

Republican U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn tweeted, ''Chuck & I are heartbroken to hear about the shooting at Covenant School in Nashville. My office is in contact with federal, state, & local officials, & we stand ready to assist. Thank you to the first responders working on site. Please join us in prayer for those affected.''

Fellow GOP U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty added on Twitter, ''Devastated and heartbroken about the tragic news at Covenant School. I'm grateful to law enforcement and first responders for their heroic actions. I am monitoring the situation closely, and my office is in contact with local officials & available to anyone needing assistance.''

''I was literally moved to tears to see this as the kids were being ushered out of the building,'' Drake said in the news conference.

5. Audrey Hale's Neighbor Said the Mass Shooting Was 'Tragic for Everybody'A neighbor, Sandy Durham, told the Daily Beast she was a Hale family friend.

''I do know Audrey, I've known her since she was a baby. I had just gotten out of the shower when all of this started happening. I didn't really know anything more than that. Something was going on next door. It's just tragic for everybody. The sweet children that were hurt, killed, the adults. All of it,'' she told the Daily Beast.

According to The Covenant School's website, it was founded in 2001 ''as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church.'' The school has an enrollment of between 195 to 210 students in recent years, according to the website. The school has a teaching faculty of 33, its website says. Police said there about 10 or so other staff members in the school on a typical day.

The school's website adds, ''The Covenant School graduates attend the area's best secondary schools, where they establish themselves as leaders, problem solvers, and collaborative learners. The Covenant School students are sought out and recognized at their next school for their sterling character, integrity, and their desire to learn and serve others.''

Koonce, the head of the school, who was among the victims killed, wrote on the website, ''Ours is a unique challenge '-- to educate twenty-first-century children in a way that prepares them to impact their culture and think in accordance with timeless Truth. Never before have we known more about the skills and experiences students need to be successful and develop skills. But, we must be about more. As we capture our children's attention and their minds for learning, we also want to capture their hearts in relationships that challenge their thinking and help them learn critical skills. Our graduates attend the finest schools in the Nashville area, where they not only excel academically, but also act with character that comes from authentic faith in Jesus.''

The school's website adds, ''The beauty of a PreSchool-6th school is in its simplicity and innocence. Students are free to be children '-- they can feel fully and safely known by our faculty and become leaders under their guidance. The Covenant School begins coaching our students to be leaders at an early age. Fifth and sixth grade students practice their leadership skills with younger students as they mentor them under the direction of a trusted adult. Every year, the faculty nurtures relationships and purposefully encourages healthy bonding between students, so they may better understand their role in strengthening the school community.''

According to The Covenant School, ''Academically, a PreSchool-6th school allows curriculum to be more specialized, so students have the potential for outstanding academic achievement. When the time comes to make a decision about higher education, the Covenant School works closely with each family '-- we consider each child as an individual and counsel them throughout the application process, so they can transition to their next school with confidence.''

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 2021, the FBI ''designated 61 shootings as active shooter incidents. In these incidents, 103 people were killed and 140 wounded, excluding the shooters. For the period 2017''2021, active shooter incident data reveals an upward trend.''

Only one of those shooters was a female, according to the FBI. Only 3.8% of active shooters were women in another FBI study of incidents from 2000 to 2013.

READ NEXT: Plastic Surgeon Accused of Murdering Missing Florida Lawyer

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בר ×(C)×'-אור Bar Shem-Ur : × ×ª× ××--ו ור×××תו במ×××'ת מ×'ון ××‘×•× ×‘×'×•× ×'ון ×--×ו×' ר×'× ×'×¤× × ×--פ×'× ×ª ×--×× ×§ ב××(C)רא×'. וא×ז×-- ×'וב××ר ×× ×§ בפר×××' https://t.co/ChE6yOWh6V

Sat Mar 25 11:36:45 +0000 2023

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JNS) After months of increasingly strident mass protests against his government's plans to reform Israel's out-of-control and highly partisan judicial system, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have given in to the pressure. He said he was going to be ''delaying judicial reform to give real dialogue a chance.'' But it's highly doubtful that this will merely be a timeout that will help his supporters regroup and enable opponents to calm down and accept a compromise on the issue.

On the contrary, Netanyahu is waving the white flag on judicial reform'--and everyone knows it. And since the ultimate goal of the protests was not just preventing legislation from being passed but to topple the government, it's far from clear whether the prime minister can long stay in power after this humiliation since his allies are shaken and his opponents won't be satisfied until he's ejected from office.

Whether that will happen remains to be seen. But the one thing that is clear is that the consequences of the events of the last months go far beyond the future of the Israeli legal system.

Netanyahu's announcement is leading to celebrations on the Israeli left as well as among their foreign supporters, especially in the Biden administration and liberal Jewish groups. And they have good reason to celebrate. The anti-Bibi resistance was able to sell the world a false narrative about their efforts being nothing more than a successful effort to defend democracy against the efforts of would-be authoritarians who wanted to create a fascist theocratic state.

But the notion that an uprising of the ''people'' has stopped a ''coup'' by Netanyahu and his allies is pure projection. What the world has just witnessed was itself a soft coup. Fueled by contempt for the nationalist and religious voters whose votes gave Netanyahu's coalition a clear Knesset majority in November and imputing to them their own desire for crushing political opponents, the cultural left has shown that it has an effective veto over the results of a democratic election.

In exercising that veto, they have given Israel's enemies, who don't care how much power the courts have or who the prime minister of the Jewish state is, ammunition that will make their international campaign to isolate their country more effective.

More importantly, they've broken rules and set precedents that will impact future Israeli governments no matter who is leading them. They've shown that not even an election can be allowed to break the left's stranglehold on effective power via a system of courts and legal advisors that have effectively made Israel a juristocracy rather than a country ruled by the representatives of the people. That sends a dangerous message to the people whose votes determined the outcome of the election'--that their views don't matter and that they should lose faith in the ability of political action to have an impact on society.

The opposition didn't play by the rules

Netanyahu and his fellow coalition members made a lot of mistakes in the last few months. The prime minister was inhibited by an outrageous ruling from the attorney general that effectively silenced him on the most important issue facing his country. Still, by concentrating most of his efforts on trying to rally reluctant Western nations to face up to the threat of Iran, he was distracted from what was going on at home.

He had been criticized for trying to force fundamental change to the justice system via a relatively narrow partisan majority without a national consensus. But those who say this are hypocrites. A left-wing Israeli government forced the disastrous Oslo Accords with an even narrower majority. Democrats like President Joe Biden, who make the same claim, also seem to be forgetting that the Obama administration he served did the same thing with health care despite the lack of a consensus or even making minimal gestures towards compromise.

Given the way his opponents have been willing to go to any length to defame or delegitimize him and even to drag him into court on trumped up flimsy charges of corruption, Netanyahu underestimating his opponents is hard to fathom. Having broken a three-year-long political stalemate by gaining 64 seats in the Knesset to form the first clear majority since he won in 2015, the prime minister somehow thought his foes would play by the rules and let him govern.

He failed to understand that'--like the willingness of the American political left to do anything to defeat former President Donald Trump, even if meant dragging the country through three years dominated by the Russia collusion hoax'--his opponents were prepared to set the country on fire, destabilize its economy and even weaken its national defense to throw him out. The notion that restraining the power of the court'--something that opposition leader Yair Lapid used to support before he realized that latching on to the resistance would give him a chance to erase his defeat last year'--was the point of the protests was always false. The same could be said of the claim that preventing the courts from selectively exercising unaccountable power without any basis in law was the end of democracy or the first step towards the creation of a theocratic state.

With the chaos in the streets'--with the financial, legal, cultural, media and academic establishments joining with the left-wing opposition'--the prime minister already had his back to the wall. But the widespread refusal of many reservists, especially among those with skilled positions such as pilots, to refuse to report for reserve duty threatened the country's national security. Along with general strikes that forced closures at airports and shutdowns of medical services, that proved to be the last straw and led already shaky members of the coalition to lose heart.

The coalition was slow to mobilize its own voters, who, after all, did outnumber the opposition in the recent election. The government's supporters were forced to watch impotently as their leaders faltered, feuded among themselves and failed to act decisively to fight the battle for public opinion.

Going forward in the face of a resistance that was ready to trash even the most sacred of Israeli civic traditions involving national defense in order to gain a political victory became impossible. And with his own party losing discipline, and the U.S. government and many leading institutions of American Jewish life similarly backing the opposition, Netanyahu had no choice but to try and prevent any further damage.

Netanyahu has made a career out of repeatedly proving wrong those who have written his political obituary. Still, if the protests continue'--and there is no reason to believe they will fully stop until a new election date is set'--the government can try to reset the debate as being one about the left's appetite for power and not their supposed devotion to democracy.

Whether they succeed is not as important as the implications of a political battle in which large numbers of people were prepared to sabotage the country in order to preserve the establishment's power to determine policy regardless of who wins elections.

Implications for the future

Will that happen every time the right wins an election from now on? Probably. That means not only will the juristocracy defend its power, but its supporters are permanently committed to thwarting the will of voters who may continue to outnumber them in the future.

And how will a theoretical government of the left'--assuming, as many now do, that Lapid and his allies can win the next election'--react if large numbers of right-wing opponents try to play the same game? If the debate over the disastrous Oslo Accords and the 2005 Gaza withdrawal are any gauge of their behavior, they will crack down on their opponents in ways that Netanyahu hesitated to do this year with widespread jailing of dissidents. Dismissals from the army of those who refuse orders rather than the gentle lectures the anti-Bibi refuseniks got will also be likely.

While the left threatened violence against their opponents and even civil war if they didn't get their way about judicial reform, who really believes they will hesitate to initiate one if they are in power and the right rises up in the streets the way we've just witnessed?

Similarly, the implications for Israel's foreign relations are equally ominous. The opposition has essentially legitimized American involvement in Israel's domestic politics even on an issue that had nothing to do with the questions of territory and peace. That weakens the country's independence at a dangerous time when, as Netanyahu has been trying to point out, the threat from Iran is growing.

What's more, Netanyahu's opponents have (whether they realize it or not) also legitimized arguments aimed at denying that Israel is a democracy. While his foes think that this will only apply to times when the right wins elections, they may come to realize that to the antisemites who assail the Jewish state in international forums and in American politics where the intersectional left is increasingly influential, that will also apply to governments led by parties not named Likud.

Ultimately, Israel's citizens'--whether through democratic elections or mob actions that break governments and Knesset majorities'--will determine their own fate. And those who look on from abroad must accept the outcome of these struggles and continue to support the Jewish state against its enemies.

Yet far from defending Israel from authoritarian forces, the protesters have established a precedent that will haunt future governments of all kinds and shake the foundation of its democracy. Whether that damage can be undone remains an open question.

Jonathan S. Tobin is editor-in-chief of JNS (Jewish News Syndicate). Follow him on Twitter at: Jonathans_tobin.

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Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:59

Louisville, Ky.-based UofL Health is the latest health system to face a proposed class-action lawsuit over its use of the Meta Pixel consumer-tracking tool, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported March 24.

The mother of a pediatric psychiatric patient filed the lawsuit in a local circuit court alleging UofL Health's website unlawfully transmitted private health data to Facebook parent company Meta Platforms, according to the story. Several other health systems around the country have been hit with similar complaints.

A UofL Health spokesperson told the newspaper the organization does not comment on pending litigation but that its website does not give Meta Pixel access to patient health information.

Meta told the Courier-Journal in a statement that it filters out sensitive health data such as medical conditions, procedures and treatments. "We don't want websites or apps sending us sensitive information about people," the statement read.

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Mon, 27 Mar 2023 15:51

Brussels proposes exception for e-fuels cars from 2035Germany still examining EU draft proposalBerlin sees technology condition as problematicGoal to reach decision by ThursdayBERLIN/BRUSSELS, March 21 (Reuters) - The European Commission has drafted a plan to allow sales of new cars with internal combustion engines after 2035 if they run only on climate neutral e-fuels, as it tries to resolve a spat with Germany over moves to phase out combustion engine cars.

The draft proposal, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, suggests creating a new type of vehicle category in the European Union for cars that can only run on carbon neutral fuels.

Such vehicles would have to use technology that would prevent them from driving if other fuels are used, the draft said.

The proposal could offer a route for carmakers to keep selling combustion engine vehicles after 2035, the date when a planned EU law is set to ban the sale of new CO2-emitting cars.

After months of negotiations, EU countries and the European Parliament agreed the law last year. But Germany's Transport Ministry surprised other countries this month by lodging last-minute objections to the law, days before a final vote that would have seen it enter into force.

The Ministry's core demand is that the EU allow sales of new cars running on e-fuels after 2035. On Tuesday, it said it was in contact with the Commission to try to reach a solution on an issue being closely watched by Germany's powerful car industry.

"We are interested in a quick clarification, but it must be resilient and binding. We are currently examining this carefully," a spokesperson said.

Two sources familiar with the matter said the Commission's condition that cars must be able to recognise CO2-neutral fuels from fossil fuels was problematic for Germany because it would largely force automakers to develop new engines.

German Transport Minister Volker Wissing did not want to completely reject the Commission's proposal, but rather make some improvements to it, the sources told Reuters.

The parties are aiming to secure an agreement by Thursday's EU summit.

A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the draft document, but referred to comments by EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans, who said last week any solution must comply with the 2035 phaseout law agreed last year.

"The talks are ongoing between the Commission and the German authorities," the spokesperson said.

An EU official told Reuters on Monday that any proposal on registering e-fuel cars would only be made after the combustion engine phaseout law was finally adopted.

E-fuels are made by synthesizing captured CO2 emissions and hydrogen produced using CO2-free electricity.

They are not yet produced at scale. A study published on Tuesday by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research found that all planned e-fuel projects worldwide would only produce enough fuel to cover 10% of Germany's demand for e-fuel use in aviation, shipping and chemicals in the next few years.

Reporting by Markus Wacket, Kate Abnett and Riham AlkousaaEditing by Rachel More and Mark Potter

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Frequently Asked QuestionsWhy did the National Geographic Society choose to permanently discontinue the GeoBee?

While we are proud of the National Geographic GeoBee's 33-year legacy, we believe that this moment presents an opportunity to reimagine geography education and empower young people around the world as solution-seekers to confront our century's most pressing challenges. In addition to the drop in GeoBee registration in 2020, important shifts'--from the COVID-19 pandemic to an increased focus on racial injustice'--challenge us to find new, transformative, meaningful ways to engage young people globally in geography.

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Thank you for all that you do. Educators are integral to National Geographic's mission. We encourage you to join our community @NatGeoEducation on Twitter and Facebook for ongoing opportunities to engage, learn and lead.

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Another 3,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division will move to Europe in the coming days, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is temporarily repositioning 160 troops training Ukraine's military out of the country.

The moves come in the face of further signs of Russian escalation on its borders with Ukraine, said Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden's National Security Advisor. Sullivan spoke at the White House, yesterday.

"As we've said before, we are in the window when an invasion could begin at any time should [Russian President] Vladimir Putin decide to order it," the national security advisor said. Sullivan said this new invasion of Ukraine '-- Russia invaded the country in 2014 and illegally annexed Crimea '-- could come at any time."

Sullivan said the United States is ready no matter which decision Putin makes. The United States will negotiate if the Russian leader so chooses, or "we are also ready to respond decisively, alongside those allies and partners, should Russia choose to take military action," he said.

The response to a Russian invasion would include severe economic sanctions, with similar packages imposed by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries, Sullivan said. "It would also include changes to NATO and American force posture along the eastern flank of NATO, and it would include continued support to Ukraine," he said.

A total of 160 members of the Florida National Guard have been deployed to Ukraine since late November training and advising and mentoring Ukrainian armed forces. The troops, assigned to the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, are part of the Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine.

"They are departing Ukraine and will reposition elsewhere in Europe," Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said in a written statement Saturday. "The secretary made this decision out of an abundance of caution '-- with the safety and security of our personnel foremost in mind '-- and informed by the State Department's guidance on U.S. personnel in Ukraine."

Yesterday, a senior defense official confirmed that another 3,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will deploy to Europe. "This second tranche of airborne soldiers will join in Poland the first tranche of 1,700 soldiers and key enablers that Secretary Austin ordered there on February 2nd," said the senior defense official speaking on background. "Nearly two-thirds of this first tranche has already arrived. They are commanded by Army Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue."

Deployment of 300 members of the 18th Airborne Corps headquarters element to Germany has been completed, the official said. That element is led by Army Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla.

"All told, these 5,000 additional personnel comprise a highly mobile and flexible force, capable of multiple missions," the official said. "They are being deployed to reassure our NATO allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO's eastern flank, train with host-nation forces and contribute to a wide range of contingencies. They will report to Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, the commander of U.S. European Command."

There are more than 80,000 American service members in Europe.

Diplomacy continues. Biden spoke with Putin this morning. A White House release said Biden spoke very plainly about the costs of another Russian invasion of Ukraine. "President Biden was clear that, if Russia undertakes a further invasion of Ukraine, the United States together with our allies and partners will respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia," the report said. "President Biden reiterated that a further Russian invasion of Ukraine would produce widespread human suffering and diminish Russia's standing. President Biden was clear with President Putin that while the United States remains prepared to engage in diplomacy, in full coordination with our allies and partners, we are equally prepared for other scenarios."

Yesterday Biden participated in a conference with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Poland, Romania, the Secretary General of NATO and the Presidents of the European Union. "We have achieved a remarkable level of unity and common purpose '-- from the broad strategy, down to technical details," Sullivan said. "Whatever happens next, the West is more united than it's been in years. NATO has been strengthened. The alliance is more cohesive, more purposeful, more dynamic than at in any time in recent memory."

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NEW YORK -- Across the country, there's a silent frustration brewing about an age-old practice that many say is getting out of hand: tipping.

Some fed-up consumers are posting rants on social media complaining about tip requests at drive-thrus, while others say they're tired of being asked to leave a gratuity for a muffin or a simple cup of coffee at their neighborhood bakery. What's next, they wonder -- are we going to be tipping our doctors and dentists, too?

As more businesses adopt digital payment methods, customers are automatically being prompted to leave a gratuity '-- many times as high as 30% '-- at places they normally wouldn't. And some say it has become more frustrating as the price of items has skyrocketed due to inflation, which eased to 6.5% in December but still remains painfully high.

''Suddenly, these screens are at every establishment we encounter. They're popping up online as well for online orders. And I fear that there is no end,'' said etiquette expert Thomas Farley, who considers the whole thing somewhat of ''an invasion.''

Unlike tip jars that shoppers can easily ignore if they don't have spare change, experts say the digital requests can produce social pressure and are more difficult to bypass. And your generosity, or lack thereof, can be laid bare for anyone close enough to glance at the screen '-- including the workers themselves.

Dylan Schenker is one of them. The 38-year-old earns about $400 a month in tips, which provides a helpful supplement to his $15 hourly wage as a barista at Philadelphia caf(C) located inside a restaurant. Most of those tips come from consumers who order coffee drinks or interact with the caf(C) for other things, such as carryout orders. The gratuity helps cover his monthly rent and eases some of his burdens while he attends graduate school and juggles his job.

Schenker says it's hard to sympathize with consumers who are able to afford pricey coffee drinks but complain about tipping. And he often feels demoralized when people don't leave behind anything extra '-- especially if they're regulars.

''Tipping is about making sure the people who are performing that service for you are getting paid what they're owed,'' said Schenker, who's been working in the service industry for roughly 18 years.

Traditionally, consumers have taken pride in being good tippers at places like restaurants, which typically pay their workers lower than the minimum wage in expectation they'll make up the difference in tips. But academics who study the topic say many consumers are now feeling irritated by automatic tip requests at coffee shops and other counter service eateries where tipping has not typically been expected, workers make at least the minimum wage and service is usually limited.

''People do not like unsolicited advice,'' said Ismail Karabas, a marketing professor at Murray State University who studies tipping. ''They don't like to be asked for things, especially at the wrong time.''

Some of the requests can also come from odd places. Clarissa Moore, a 35-year-old who works as a supervisor at a utility company in Pennsylvania, said even her mortgage company has been asking for tips lately. Typically, she's happy to leave a gratuity at restaurants, and sometimes at coffee shops and other fast-food places when the service is good. But, Moore said she believes consumers shouldn't be asked to tip nearly everywhere they go '-- and it shouldn't be something that's expected of them.

''It makes you feel bad. You feel like you have to do it because they're asking you to do it,'' she said. ''But then you have to think about the position that puts people in. They're paying for something that they really don't want to pay for, or they're tipping when they really don't want to tip '-- or can't afford to tip '-- because they don't want to feel bad.''

In the book ''Emily Post's Etiquette,'' authors Lizzie Post and Daniel Post Senning advise consumers to tip on ride-shares, like Uber and Lyft, as well as food and beverages, including alcohol. But they also write that it's up to each person to choose how much to tip at a caf(C) or a take-out food service, and that consumers shouldn't feel embarrassed about choosing the lowest suggested tip amount, and don't have to explain themselves if they don't tip.

Digital payment methods have been around for a number of years, though experts say the pandemic has accelerated the trend towards more tipping. Michael Lynn, a consumer behavior professor at Cornell University, said consumers were more generous with tips during the early days of the pandemic in an effort to show support for restaurants and other businesses that were hard hit by COVID-19. Many people genuinely wanted to help out and felt sympathetic to workers who held jobs that put them more at risk of catching the virus, Lynn said.

Tips at full-service restaurants grew by 25.3% in the third quarter of 2022, while gratuities at quick or counter service restaurants went up 16.7% compared to the same time in 2021, according to Square, one of the biggest companies operating digital payment methods. Data provided by the company shows continuous growth for the same period since 2019.

As tip requests have become more common, some businesses are advertising it in their job postings to lure in more workers even though the extra money isn't always guaranteed.

In December, Starbucks rolled out a new tipping option on credit and debit card transactions at its stores, something a group organizing the company's hourly workers had called for. Since then, a Starbucks spokesperson said nearly half of credit and debit card transactions have included a gratuity, which - along with tips received through cash and the Starbucks app - are distributed based on the number of hours a barista worked on the days the tips were received.

Karabas, the Murray State professor, says some customers, like those who've worked in the service industry in the past, want to tip workers at quick service businesses and wouldn't be irritated by the automatic requests. But for others, research shows they might be less likely to come back to a particular business if they are feeling irritated by the requests, he said.

The final tab might also impact how customers react. Karabas said in the research he did with other academics, they manipulated the payment amounts and found that when the check was high, consumers no longer felt as irritated by the tip requests. That suggests the best time for a coffee shop to ask for that 20% tip, for example, might be on four or five orders of coffee, not a small cup that costs $4.

Some consumers might continue to shrug off the tip requests regardless of the amount.

''If you work for a company, it's that company's job to pay you for doing work for them,'' said Mike Janavey, a footwear and clothing designer who lives in New York City. ''They're not supposed to be juicing consumers that are already spending money there to pay their employees.''

Schenker, the Philadelphia barista, agrees '-- to a certain extent.

''The onus should absolutely be on the owners, but that doesn't change overnight," he said. "And this is the best thing we have right now.''

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Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:21

CSPAN : .@thejointstaff Chair Gen. Mark Milley: "Iran could produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon in less th'... https://t.co/QGQhqimbtG

Wed Mar 29 14:52:34 +0000 2023

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Jesse Watters : I break the news to Lindsey Graham that he co-sponsored a bill he doesn't support https://t.co/zGze0NreCD

Wed Mar 29 23:46:53 +0000 2023

Just say whoa : @JesseBWatters Was priceless 🤣🤣🤣🤪

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Call me Ishmael : @JesseBWatters Uni party strikes again

Thu Mar 30 14:01:14 +0000 2023

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Thu Mar 30 14:00:39 +0000 2023

EnuffBS : @JesseBWatters It's clear that @LindseyGrahamSC doesn't read what he supports.....just wondering.

Thu Mar 30 14:00:32 +0000 2023

Billy Oltmann : @JesseBWatters I think Jesse got Him on this one?You would think the Sen. knew what he was sponsoring?

Thu Mar 30 14:00:13 +0000 2023

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Thu Mar 30 13:58:35 +0000 2023

Stephen Jackson : @JesseBWatters He is a liar! @LindseyGrahamSC could care less about the constitution. His actions over the years'... https://t.co/ul7FHM5Jmj

Thu Mar 30 13:58:23 +0000 2023

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Leftism : *Trans person murder 3 little kids and 3 adults*Leftists: "Actually the trans person was a victim."Leftism for u. https://t.co/QtIFFIjHUy

Wed Mar 29 09:07:28 +0000 2023

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Chief Nerd : NEW '' Elon Musk & Tech Leaders Call for a Pause on Advanced AI Systems Citing 'Risks to Society'"AI systems with'... https://t.co/tTdG7ZDWID

Wed Mar 29 13:44:26 +0000 2023

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Thu Mar 30 12:59:32 +0000 2023

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A major Australian bank has canned over-the-counter cash transactions in some branch locations, in a move towards a cashless society.

ANZ said it decided to scrap in-branch transactions as demand had halved in the past four years.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: major bank scraps in-branch transactions.

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The ''small number'' of affected branch locations, which were not disclosed, have smart ATMs where such transactions can be performed, ANZ told 7NEWS.com.au.

''Cash and cheque deposits and cash withdrawals can continue to be made by using our Smart ATM and coin deposit machines,'' ANZ said.

Swinburne University technology professor Steve Worthington dubbed the future-forward move as exclusionary.

''Senior citizens, new migrants, people who are disabled, they do need face-to-face help, there's a danger here of excluding some elements of our society,'' he told 7NEWS.

But ANZ told 7NEWS.com.au: ''We have staff on hand to help customers who might be using (smart ATMs) for the first time.''

The bank is not the only one moving towards a cashless society '-- but ANZ's recent step away from cash handling was thrust into the spotlight when a Melbourne 3AW talk back radio host responding to an email from a concerned listener.

7NEWS understands ANZ has been dealing with fewer cash transactions nationally, not just in the branches which have called it quits on face-to-face transactions.

Over-the-counter cash transactions are quietly disappearing from some ANZ branches in a move towards a cashless society. Credit: Sergio Dionisio / AAP Banking for millions of Australians has changed over the past four years, with 50 per cent fewer ANZ customers now opting for in-person transactions.

Scrapping in-branch transactions is not new, and comes as 30 per cent of bank branches across the nation's major capital cities have closed down all together '-- dropping from 3,335 in 2017 to 2,332 in 2022, according to Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).

7NEWS understands only 8 per cent of ANZ customers, and 3 per cent of NAB customers, rely solely on branches.

ANZ said, nowadays, most customers who visit bank branches are there to discuss ''more complex and big financial decisions, such as borrowing for a new home or establishing business accounts for a new business''.

7NEWS understands ANZ's decision to scrap face-to-face cash transactions frees up staff to have those conversations.

Regional closures have rural Aussies beggingBut as Australia's banks move towards a cashless society, rural Australians are being left in the lurch.

Many rural Australians are making treacherous trips through winding mountain ranges to get to the nearest bank, taking days off work to manage their finances, and live in fear of being left behind if they cannot access cash.

More than 150 people and organisations have written to a Senate inquiry into the closure of country bank branches, describing the effects of losing their essential local services.

The inquiry is examining increasing branch closures across regional Australia, as more than 650 branches have shut in the five years to June.

Many people have pleaded with governments and the big four banks to back country people and their communities.

''Please, I beg of you, do not allow this matter to be swept under the rug, for the sake of this nation's future,'' Jim Seymour, a former resident of Tenterfield in northern NSW, wrote.

One bank customer told 7NEWS his local branch ''shut down 12 months ago'' and he now travels to South Melbourne to do his banking, but says he ''doesn't know what he'll do'' if that branch closes, too.

One bank customer told 7NEWS his local bank branch had closed a year ago, and he now travels to South Melbourne to do his banking. Credit: 7NEWS The community of Alexandra, in regional Victoria, was concerned for its elderly people, who will have to travel 68km to Healesville to do their banking when NAB closes its branch in May.

The direct route to Healesville is via the Black Spur Drive, a scenic road known for its hairpin turns.

''The Black Spur is very windy and steep, has a lot of wildlife crossing it, has buses, log trucks and many tourists ... using it,'' one resident wrote.

''The road is often shrouded in fog, covered in ice.''

Many carers and elderly people have written about their fears of online scammers if they use digital services and being shut out from society if they cannot access cash.

Submissions to the inquiry close on Friday.

- With AAP

Why power prices are going up and how to save money on your energy bills

Why power prices are going up and how to save money on your energy bills

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Wed, 29 Mar 2023 17:40

Merissa Hansen '¸ðŸ‡ºðŸ‡¸ : 🚨 BREAKING: Shejack confirms every Houstonians nightmare, she will be running for Mayor of Houston. https://t.co/hP2qRlOXVc

Mon Mar 27 15:12:54 +0000 2023

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Way off in the Land Down Under, former President Barack Obama blamed his White House successor Donald Trump for China's increasingly antagonistic behavior.

Obama talked foreign policy during a paid speaking tour appearance Tuesday in Sydney '-- part of a lucrative arrangement that reportedly could net him upwards of $1 million.

In talking with former Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop, Obama said Chinese leader Xi Jinping has a ''forceful and confident'' demeanor, according to reporting by Daily Mail Australia and NCA Newswire.

The Democrat said China began to change ''once I left office'' in 2017 when Trump entered the White House following his victory over Obama's preferred candidate Hillary Clinton.

''With my successor coming in, I think he saw an opportunity because the U.S. president didn't seem to care that much about a rules-based international system,'' Obama said of Xi.

''And so as a consequence, I think China's attitude as well, we can take advantage of what appears to be a vacuum internationally on a lot of these issues,'' Obama said.

Even as he worked to strike a deal, Trump waged a trade war against China during his four years in office, which included steep tariffs on imports in what he said was an effort to reverse a deficit that disadvantaged the United States. In Trump's stated view, it was his predecessors, including Obama, who allowed China to become so powerful.

''They took advantage of us for many, many years,'' Trump told Fox News host Steve Hilton in 2019. ''And I blame us, I don't blame them. I don't blame President Xi. I blame all of our presidents, and not just President Obama. You go back a long way. You look at President Clinton, Bush '-- everybody. They allowed this to happen, they created a monster. We rebuilt China because they get so much money.''

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Now, more than two years into the presidency of Joe Biden, who served under Obama as vice president, U.S. intelligence officials are warning that China has become the biggest national security threat to the United States. Last week, more than a year into Russia's war in Ukraine, Xi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where they struck deals that further cemented economic ties between their two countries.

During the event in Australia, Obama reportedly observed that relations between the United States and China are ''significantly strained'' and predicted that tensions are not ''going to go away anytime soon.''

''Nor should they, because I think there are some fundamental differences in terms of how we operate when you look at the South China Sea,'' Obama said, referring to Beijing's territorial dispute with many of its neighbors in Asia.

''The fact of the matter is, is that if China starts claiming what had previously been international waters that is going to make life difficult for its neighbors, and for everyone, long term, I don't even think it's going to be good for China,'' Obama said.

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ON A TRAIN FROM SUMY TO KYIV, Ukraine (AP) '-- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Tuesday that unless his nation wins a drawn-out battle in a key eastern city, Russia could begin building international support for a deal that could require Ukraine to make unacceptable compromises. He also invited the leader of China, long aligned with Russia, to visit.

If Bakhmut fell to Russian forces, their president, Vladimir Putin, would ''sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran,'' Zelenskyy said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press.

''If he will feel some blood '-- smell that we are weak '-- he will push, push, push,'' Zelenskyy said in English, which he used for virtually all of the interview.

The leader spoke to the AP aboard a train shuttling him across Ukraine, to cities near some of the fiercest fighting and others where his country's forces have successfully repelled Russia's invasion. The AP is the first news organization to travel extensively with Zelenskyy since the war began just over a year ago.

Since then, Ukraine '-- backed by much of the West '-- has surprised the world with the strength of its resistance against the larger, better-equipped Russian military. Ukrainian forces have held their capital, Kyiv, and pushed Russia back from other strategically important areas.

But as the war enters its second year, Zelenskyy finds himself focused on keeping motivation high in both his military and the general Ukrainian population '-- particularly the millions who have fled abroad and those living in relative comfort and security far from the front lines.

Zelenskyy is also well aware that his country's success has been in great part due to waves of international military support, particularly from the United States and Western Europe. But some in the United States '-- including Republican Donald Trump, the former American president and current 2024 candidate '-- have questioned whether Washington should continue to supply Ukraine with billions of dollars in military aid.

Trump's likely Republican rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, also suggested that defending Ukraine in a ''territorial dispute'' with Russia was not a significant U.S. national security priority. He later walked that statement back after facing criticism from other corners of the GOP.

Zelenskyy didn't mention the names of Trump or any other Republican politicians '-- figures he might have to deal with if they prevailed in 2024 elections. But he did say that he worries the war could be impacted by shifting political forces in Washington.

''The United States really understands that if they stop helping us, we will not win,'' he said in the interview. He sipped tea as he sat on a narrow bed in the cramped, unadorned sleeper cabin on a state railway train.

The president's carefully calibrated railroad trip was a remarkable journey across land through a country at war. Zelenskyy, who has become a recognizable face across the world as he doggedly tells his side of the story to nation after nation, used the morale-building journey to carry his considerable clout to regions close to the front lines.

He traveled with a small cadre of advisers and a large group of heavily armed security officials dressed in battlefield fatigues. His destinations included ceremonies marking the one-year anniversary of the liberation of towns in the Sumy region and visits with troops stationed at front-line positions near Zaporizhzhia. Each visit was kept under wraps until after he departed.

Zelenskyy recently made a similar visit near Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been locked for months in a grinding and bloody battle. While some Western military analysts have suggested that the city is not of significant strategic importance, Zelenskyy warned that a loss anywhere at this stage in the war could put Ukraine's hard-fought momentum at risk.

''We can't lose the steps because the war is a pie '-- pieces of victories. Small victories, small steps,'' he said.

Zelensky's comments were an acknowledgement that losing the 7-month-long battle for Bakhmut '-- the longest of the war thus far '-- would be more of a costly political defeat than a tactical one.

He predicted that the pressure from a defeat in Bakhmut would come quickly '-- both from the international community and within his own country. ''Our society will feel tired,'' he said. ''Our society will push me to have compromise with them.''

So far, Zelenskyy says he hasn't felt that pressure. The international community has largely rallied around Ukraine following Russia's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion. In recent months, a parade of world leaders have visited Zelenskyy in Ukraine, most traveling in on trains similar to the ones the president uses to crisscross the country.

In his AP interview, Zelenskyy extended an invitation to Ukraine to one notable and strategically important leader who has not made the journey '-- Chinese President Xi Jinping.

''We are ready to see him here,'' he said. ''I want to speak with him. I had contact with him before full-scale war. But during all this year, more than one year, I didn't have.''

China, economically aligned and politically favorable toward Russia across many decades, has provided Putin diplomatic cover by staking out an official position of neutrality in the war.

Asked whether Xi would accept an invitation from Zelenskyy '-- or whether one had been officially extended '-- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters she had no information to give. She did say that Beijing maintains ''communication with all parties concerned, including Ukraine.''

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked whether a meeting between Xi and Zelenskyy would be useful to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, said Russian authorities ''highly appreciate'' China's balanced position on the issue and ''have no right to come up with any advice'' on whether the two should meet. ''The Chinese leader himself decides the appropriateness of certain contacts,'' Peskov said during his daily conference call with reporters Wednesday.

Xi visited Putin in Russia last week, raising the prospect that Beijing might be ready to provide Moscow with the weapons and ammunition it needs to refill its depleted stockpile. But Xi's trip ended without any such announcement. Days later, Putin announced that he would be deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, which neighbors Russia and pushes the Kremlin's nuclear stockpile closer to NATO territory.

Zelenskyy suggested Putin's move was intended to distract from the lack of guarantees he received from China.

''What does it mean? It means that the visit was not good for Russia,'' Zelenskyy speculated.

The president makes few predictions about the biggest question hanging over the war: how it will end. He expressed confidence, however, that his nation will prevail through a series of ''small victories'' and ''small steps'' against a ''very big country, big enemy, big army'' '-- but an army, he said, with ''small hearts.''

And Ukraine itself? While Zelenskyy acknowledged that the war has ''changed us,'' he said that in the end, it has made his society stronger.

''It could've gone one way, to divide the country, or another way '-- to unite us,'' he said. ''I'm so thankful. I'm thankful to everybody '-- every single partner, our people, thank God, everybody '-- that we found this way in this critical moment for the nation. Finding this way was the thing that saved our nation, and we saved our land. We are together.''

___

Julie Pace is senior vice president and executive editor of The Associated Press. Hanna Arhirova is a Ukraine-based AP correspondent. Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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ON THIS SITUATION? WELL, JENNIFER, IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT UPSTREAM FROM OUR LOCATION HERE AND AS YOU CAN SEE NOW, LIVE FROM WLKY CHOPPER HD, ONE OF THOSE BARGES IS STUCK AGAINST THE DAM AND PARTIALLY UNDER WATER. LOUISVILLE EMERGENCY MANAGER BEN SAYS IT'S CARRYING 1400 TONS OF METHANOL. AND ACCORDING TO THE CDC, METHANOL IS A TOXIC ALCOHOL. HOWEVER, LOUISVILLE WATER SAYS THIS INCIDENT IS DOWN RIVER FROM WATER INTAKE. THERE IS NO IMPACT TO LOUISVILLE WATER'S WATER INTAKE OR WATER QUALITY. SO YOUR WATER IS SAFE TO DRINK AND USE. THE REST OF THE BARGES, BY THE WAY, CARRYING SOYBEANS, CORN AND OIL. LOUISVILLE FIRE HAS THE SPORT HAS DEPLOYED HAZMAT MONITORING AND LMPD AND LAPD ARE SURVEYING THE AREA UNTIL THE BARGES PRIVATE COMPANY ARRIVES ON SCENE. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS TELLS US THEY ARE COORDINATING WITH THAT PRIVATE BARGE COMPANY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CLEAN UP THIS MESS AND GET THOSE BARGES OFF THE DAM AND OUT OF THE RIVER. AND WE ARE LIVE TONIGHT AT MACK OPEN DAM. I'M RANDAL

Several barges loose on Ohio River in Louisville, 1 carrying methanol is sinking

Ten barges broke free on the Ohio River, emergency crews confirmed, and one carrying methanol is sinking.The Kentucky Emergency and Environment cabinet said 10 of 11 barges got loose from the tug Tuesday.Three barges are stuck at the McAlpine Dam. They said the one of those is partially underwater and is carrying 1,400 tons of methanol. The CDC says methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source.It's unclear whether the methanol is leaking, but the EEC says if it is, it should dilute quickly. However, they would expect some fish to die. Louisville Water says this incident is downriver from water intake, and that there is no impact to water quality and water is safe.The rest of the barges were carrying soy bean oil and corn. The state's emergency management team and the coast guard will determine the next steps. Louisville Fire has deployed hazmat monitoring and LMPD and LFD are surveying the area until the barges' private company arrives on scene.It could take awhile to get all the barges out. There was a similar incident near Louisville on Christmas Day 2018. It took six months to get all 15 barges out of the water.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. '--Ten barges broke free on the Ohio River, emergency crews confirmed, and one carrying methanol is sinking.

The Kentucky Emergency and Environment cabinet said 10 of 11 barges got loose from the tug Tuesday.

Three barges are stuck at the McAlpine Dam.

They said the one of those is partially underwater and is carrying 1,400 tons of methanol. The CDC says methanol is a toxic alcohol that is used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, and alternative fuel source.

It's unclear whether the methanol is leaking, but the EEC says if it is, it should dilute quickly. However, they would expect some fish to die.

Louisville Water says this incident is downriver from water intake, and that there is no impact to water quality and water is safe.

The rest of the barges were carrying soy bean oil and corn.

The state's emergency management team and the coast guard will determine the next steps.

Louisville Fire has deployed hazmat monitoring and LMPD and LFD are surveying the area until the barges' private company arrives on scene.

It could take awhile to get all the barges out. There was a similar incident near Louisville on Christmas Day 2018. It took six months to get all 15 barges out of the water.

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Rep. @jeffjacksonnc (D-N.C.) uses #TikTok to reach his #NorthCarolina constituents. Does he plan to stop given the calls for a U.S. ban in #Congress? The #congressman discusses the #socialmedia app on the latest episode of the Toddcast. #jeffjackson original sound - Meet the Press meetthepress Meet the Press · 1d ago 3215 comments

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Collin Rugg : BREAKING: Fox News cuts to Joe Biden expecting him to speak on the Nashville shooting, instead finds him ranting ab'... https://t.co/G7BH4Ar8q9

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President Biden acknowledges the Covenant School shooting that left three children and three adults dead, as well as the 28-year-old female shooter, during SBA Women's Business Summit event at the White House. UPDATES: https://abcn.ws/40lLfdN#schoolshooting #nashville #gunviolence #biden

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''Whoever can control the Department of Dirty Tricks is able to use it to remove all opposition,'' says Mike Benz.

He is the executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online and a former State Department diplomat under the Trump administration.

The Twitter Files were just the tip of the iceberg, says Benz, who has been tracking the rise of the West's censorship industry for years.

''22 million tweets were categorized as misinformation for purposes of takedowns or throttling through [the Election Integrity Partnership],'' Benz said.

''It wasn't just government individual takedown requests. It was government pressure '... to create whole new categories of things to censor and then arming them with the artificial intelligence to then automatically scan and ban the new thought violations.''

In this comprehensive two-part interview, Benz breaks down the major players in today's censorship regime and how tactics once used abroad were deployed to target Americans and so-called election ''delegitimization'' or COVID ''misinformation'' online.

''Graphika was immediately working with NATO's essentially psychological warfare branch'--the Hybrid Center of Excellence'--in January 2020 '... They had this sophisticated typography of what right-wing media was saying, what left-wing media was saying, what was being shared, the nodes and links between nodes of all the different narrative discourses on social media.''

''They will have a revolving door at the professional level. That is, people who are in government roles, for example, in Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation at DHS, will get their next jobs at the German Marshall Fund or the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab '... It is a career path. It is a path to power,'' Benz says.

WATCH PART TWO HERE

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Jan Jekielek:

Mike Benz, it's such a pleasure to have you on ''American Thought Leaders''.

Mike Benz:

Thanks for having me.

Mr. Jekielek:

Mike, in our conversations, you told me that you have a mission of fostering a free and open internet. Where are we at now? You're basically saying that this is not the case here.

Mr. Benz:

We're very far removed from the days of what I consider to be the golden age of the internet between 2006 and 2016, when you had this combination of a mature social media ecosystem where people could share information, basically a pure information meritocracy. After that, the political turbulence of the events of 2016, instituted a revenge of the gatekeepers, an increasingly, incrementally more regimented system of censorship that we are now in the process of negotiating our opposition to.

Mr. Jekielek:

You're saying that something profound happened in 2016 that changed the ecosystem dramatically. You said it was political turbulence, but what actually happened? How did the system change?

Mr. Benz:

There were two enormous and unexpected political events that year. In June 2016, you had Brexit. Brexit at the time was not just a small isolated domestic issue within the United Kingdom, it was viewed as an existential threat to the integrity of the European Union. Because at the time there was a fear that France would then go through Frexit with Marine Le Pen's movement. Italy would go through Italexit with Matteo Salvini's movement. You would have Grexit in Greece, and Spexit in Spain. The EU would come undone, and NATO would fall apart. The entire rules-based international order would collapse if something urgent wasn't done about it.

And then, in quick succession, you had a candidate who at the time was an almost 20 to one underdog in the New York Times. On the morning of the 2016 election, you had Trump at about 5 per cent and Hillary Clinton 90 per cent, and a little bit left for the stragglers. But basically, it was this idea that this couldn't happen, and yet it did. And it seemed like everything was going to fall apart with the rules-based international order unless the information ecosystem was radically and permanently altered. Because both of these events were viewed as being internet elections, if you will.

Social media was the reason that Nigel Farage developed the popularity of the Brexit movement. It was through his viral YouTube speeches to the European Parliament. It was the domination of Twitter hashtags and Facebook groups that were responsible for Donald Trump's popularity at the base level. So, you had an organized effort to contain populism by containing the means through which populists could distribute their messaging and mobilize politically.

Mr. Jekielek:

Populist seems like a catchall term. Is it actually populists that we're talking about?

Mr. Benz:

That's their terminology. It's fair to use because it captures the idea that base level opposition to elite institutions can come from both the Right and the Left. It's not necessarily a Right-wing or a Left-wing thing. Left-wing populists like Bernie Sanders in the U.S. or Jeremy Corbyn in the UK were targeted with equal ferocity. It's just that they didn't come as close to power as Trump and the Brexit movement did.

Mr. Jekielek:

Why don't we just sketch out where we are today? You describe it as a whole of society effort, which just sounds massive and unbelievable. You're saying that a lot of people are beginning to understand what this is. They might know, ''Oh, the Twitter files have exposed a lot of censorship.'' They might have themselves experienced something, but they can't necessarily see the whole picture. The whole of society, what does that mean?

Mr. Benz:

That's actually the terminology of basically every mainstream censorship industry professional.

Audio:

Addressing disinformation requires a whole of society approach.

This information is not going to be fixed by governments acting alone. I think we've seen that a whole of society effort is really key to the solution.

This is a whole of society challenge.

A whole of society approach. This is a whole of society problem.

Mr. Benz:

This is something that is now such a well-worn phrase within the censorship industry, that they often apologize at conferences for using the term, because it's so well worn at this point. What it means is four categories of institutions in society all working together towards the common goal of censorship. You've got government, the private sector, civil society, and then news media and fact checking. So, let's break down these four elements.

You've got DHS, FBI, DOD, the State Department, the National Science Foundation, the CIA, and National Endowment for Democracy. On issue-specific issues like Covid censorship, you've got HHS, NIH, CDC, and NIAID, all of these playing various roles at the government level.

Then, you've got the private sector, and you've got the tech platforms where the censorship actually occurs. That is where the button gets pressed, so to speak, or where the algorithms play out. You've also got private sector censorship technology development, which is the private companies whose job is to create machine learning and artificial intelligence to incorporate the training data to create the tools that are used for the active censorship.

And then, you've got corporate social responsibility, the CSR money that pours into it from the private sector. In fact, there's a whole new impact investing angle, VCs investing in censorship companies, because there's such a gold rush into this field. On the civil society side, you've got universities, NGOs, activists, nonprofits and foundations.

And then finally, at the news media and fact checking level, you've got the politically like-minded within the media who are propped up by the government, by the private sector, and by the civil society so that they can manage public narratives about various issues and can amplify pressure for censorship, by creating negative press on the tech companies, for example. You've got the fact checking conglomerates within those who flag the individual posts for the tech companies to manage. So, all four of those in concert have all been fused into basically the nucleus of a single atom.

Mr. Jekielek:

It's hard to conceive how all of this works.

Mr. Benz:

When they have disinformation conferences, there will be representatives from all four institutions there. They will negotiate what their own preferences and needs are, and they will talk with each other about doing favors for favors. They will work out common terminologies, and common problems that they're having.

They will have a revolving door at the professional level. People who are in government roles in misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation at DHS will get their next jobs at the German Marshall Fund, at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensics Research Lab, or at the Alliance for Securing Democracy. Stanford University has a fellowship there.

It is a career path; it is a path to power. We're now going on essentially year five or six of this industry being created, so it's reaching a stage of maturity, as it would for a technology space or an energy space. It's becoming much more seamless as these roles become more interchangeable.

Mr. Jekielek:

What is it that unites these people, is it ideology?

Mr. Benz:

Different people are in it for different reasons. What I find most fascinating is the young people. It's my contention that censorship is the fastest growing major on college campuses for ambitious young people who want jobs in Washington DC, or in Silicon Valley. Often, a top career path was you would go to Georgetown, you would major in international relations, and you would aspire to get a job on the Hill, and then work your way up, and/or maybe you'd start in finance and then transition over.

What has happened with the rise of the censorship industry, basically they don't call it that, you don't get your degree in censorship, you'll get it in something like computational data science, advanced linguistics, the internet research lab, or the media lab. There are so many different ways to launder the concept, but essentially what they're doing day-to-day in these majors and in these PhDs is they are fusing the social sciences with the computer sciences to help both Silicon Valley and big government control public discourse and control the political momentum of various ideas.

This puts young people right at the nexus of Google, Facebook, Washington DC, and Congress. So, you can shortcut making a tiny salary at the Hill out of Georgetown. You can take that pedigree into long term by going directly over to Google's content moderation team or public policy team and working directly with Congress there, or essentially working directly with congressional cutouts. It is a path to power that is stunning in both the salaries these folks make and in how glitzy it is.

You really do get the cocktail party invitations, you really do get access to a beautiful life, and you get impact. You're not a sort of desk jockey who's correcting typos for the first five years of your career, you're in the action. So, I think it's very exciting for people, and I think they become very intoxicated with the power, the god-like power, if you will, that total censorship capacity gives you.

Mr. Jekielek:

As I'm listening to you speak, I'm still having trouble imagining how in 2016 this whole industry suddenly launches or is created. You're saying it's not out of nothing. You're saying it's maturing at this time, and it happened without most people being entirely aware, even though they were aware that there was more censorship, especially if they were targeted, of course. But you never imagined it would be something so grand as what you're portraying here.

Mr. Benz:

These things were not on the front page of the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. You pick it up in strange vibrations. For me, I came to it through the artificial intelligence space. I was an avid chess player as a kid, and I lived through that period when computers overtook humans in the capacity to play chess well.

I remember all the naysayers saying, ''Chess computers will never be able to beat Garry Kasparov,'' or ''There will always be this ability to have the purity of the human spirit pierce through the dead soul of a chess computer.'' And then, I remember the existential dread that came over the chess community when Garry Kasparov lost to Deep Blue, and it was like humans would never be able to compete against computers again. It was like this existential question, ''What do we do in a world where you've got no hope?''

I remember in late 2016, when I first came across literature around the deployment of artificial intelligence for purposes of content moderation, it gripped me. I became fixated at the cognitive level on the existential threat that this posed. Every time I would try to have conversations with folks about it, both socially and politically, nobody took the concern seriously and laughed it off, in a very similar way that people did in 1996 before the Garry Kasparov match.

And so, for me, none of what's happened has been a surprise to me. I only wish that folks had taken the issue much more seriously before the infrastructure became consolidated. Because now, it's like trying to stop a cancer once it has already metastasized into the brain and the lungs, it's much harder to do. It's still essential to do, and that's what I consider to be my purpose.

Mr. Jekielek:

What is it that you saw exactly? What did you realize that no one else realized?

Mr. Benz:

The power of control over words was very similar to the power of control over chess pieces. The way chess computers work for algorithms is they condense everything into a number system, so that you can grade every aspect of a chess position on a number scale to spit out a clean number that tells you who's winning by and by how much. For example, if the computer says the position is -0.5, it means that the computer assesses the person who's playing the black pieces to be up by approximately half of a pawn.

When I started looking into what was being done with artificial intelligence and natural language processing and machine learning training models that were being developed, they were using a very similar system to map linguistically what was happening in the human language on social media. If someone was talking about a Trump policy, you could map the linguistic topography of that narrative and you could grade all the different words and slogans and memes and concepts into essentially what looked like a chess computer readout for whether you want to play knight to F3 or bishop to C5.

The power this gives you is to be able to automatically trip varying levels of interventions, as they call it, which means censoring things. If the threshold goes above 1.5, this thing just gets banned. If it's between 1 and 1.5, we're going to shadow ban it. If it's between .5 and 1, we're going to just affix a fact checking thing to it. It gives you perfect control over the ability to determine the popularity of a narrative.

Mr. Jekielek:

Let me talk about the Twitter files. Okay, we've known about censorship for a while. At the Epoch Times, we've experienced hit pieces, and the deplatforming and demonetization associated with such hit pieces. This is some of what we've been talking about here. But what the Twitter files revealed to me was that there is censorship happening.

The thing that really hit me at one point as we were looking at these dumps is there is the ability to shape the perceptions of a whole significant portion of society by just excluding information. This is what you're making me think of right now as you describe this chess analogy. But you say that the Twitter files are just kind of the tip of the iceberg?

Mr. Benz:

A very tiny tip of it. The fact is, my foundation, the Foundation for Freedom Online, had already covered a lot of the things that ended up coming out in the Twitter files. A lot of this was available just by listening to these folks involved in their own public meetings. A lot of these things were done on YouTube, or were added as Facebook videos, or were on their own websites. What the Twitter files revealed was basically the presence of censorship operatives at virtually every national security-related institution in the U.S. government, as well as in the intelligence and public health spheres.

There were Twitter files for the FBI, for the DHS, for the DOD, and for the State Department. I saw that at the State Department myself, everything from funding censorship-themed video games to promoting censorship of populist groups around the world, often with a conscious view of it having a boomerang effect on limiting the popularity of populist groups in the U.S. What the Twitter files tended to focus on, even in their most explosive cases, were one-off requests for censorship takedowns.

For example, the FBI would send a message to the Twitter Trust and Safety Team saying, ''Here's a batch of six or seven tweets that we don't like, and we want you to take down. They violate your terms of service, so you may want to take them down.'' That only captures the tiniest fraction of censorship that was actually done in each of the major geopolitical events that we've experienced in the past few years.

Look at these six or seven takedowns in the context of something like the Election Integrity Partnership [EIP], which had a formal partnership with the Department of Homeland Security to operate as their formerly designated disinformation flagger. 22 million tweets were categorized as misinformation for purposes of takedowns or throttling through the EIP.

Compare that to the six or seven tweets highlighted in a Twitter files dump. These are six or seven orders of magnitude, it's not even the same ballpark. This is because it wasn't just government individual takedown requests, it was government pressure and coordination with the changing of the policies in the private sector themselves to actually coerce the tech companies to create whole new categories of things to censor, and then arming them with the artificial intelligence to then automatically scan and ban the new thought violations that they themselves had helped install. So, they did a one-two punch behind the scenes that the Twitter files still have not even come close to touching.

Mr. Jekielek:

How are you cataloging all this? Where are you discovering all this, and the evidence of this happening?

Mr. Benz:

What we just covered was stated very frankly and directly by an individual named Alex Stamos, who was the head of the Stanford Internet Observatory, the anchor entity of the Election Integrity Partnership.

Speaker One:

My suggestion is if people wanted to get the platforms to do stuff, first you got to push for written policies that are specific and that give you predictability. And so, this is something we started in the summer in August, is as Kate talked about, Carly Miller led a team from all four institutions to look at the detailed policies of the big platforms and to measure them against situations that we expected to happen. Now, we're not going to take credit for all the changes they made, but we had to update this thing like eight or nine times, right? And so, like putting these people in a grid to say, ''You're not handling this, you're not handling this, not handling this,'' creates a lot of pressure inside of the companies and forces them to kind of grapple with these issues because you want specific policies that you can hold them accountable for. The second is when you report stuff to them, report how it's violating those written policies, right? So, there's two steps here, get good policies and then say, ''This is how it's violating it.'' We will have our statistics, right? But I think we were pretty effective in getting them to act on things that they hadn't act on it before.

Mr. Benz:

The November 9th, 2022 report has about 20 to 25 embedded videos of censorship professionals confessing what they did. What I just cited here is how EIP, using DHS's clout and pressure on the backend, coerced the tech companies to create a new category of censorship called delegitimization, which was anything in the 2020 election that delegitimized public faith or confidence in mail-in ballots, early voting drop boxes, or ballot tabulation issues on election day. 100 per cent of their targets were Trump voters and Right-wing populist groups.

It was the tech companies that didn't want to do these policies initially, but they were coerced by EIP and EIP's friends in the legislature; Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Mark Warner, Adam Schiff, and this whole intelligence committee, foreign affairs committee faction, as well as from others in the DNC to put pressure on the tech companies to create the censorship category.

And then, he laid out in that video the two-step process, which is one; you get them to change the policies by putting them in the grid and threatening and then creating negative news media. And then two; you engage in this mass documentation and assist with the actual development of the capturing of all the violations of the new policies you just got put in. Now, the reason they do all these confessions on video is because you have to understand censorship is not just an industry, it is a mercenary business.

Everyone in the censorship industry is competing for the same pool of government grant funds and donor dollars. It is a competitive industry at this point, we're not in 2018, 2019 anymore. It is a mature industry with many players in it. You need to stand out. You need to prove what a good mercenary you are, what a good censor you are, how effective you are at silencing the opposition to the donors and the grant organizations.

You need to brag about it on video, so that you are more qualified than your opposition and your competitors at getting more government grants. In fact, right after Alex Stamos made this confession, not just on video, but in a 292-page public report, he, and the lab that he partnered with, got a $3 million government grant from the Biden administration. They became government-funded for the first time ever right after he made that confession.

Mr. Jekielek:

So many things are coming out of what you just said. But the first one is that this is now actually a competitive market for censorship that you're talking about.

Mr. Benz:

It is an industry. It is a business subsidized by the federal government and by large entrenched commercial and political interests who all have varying investment in neutralizing opposition to their concerns, which can be done through censorship. Because social media is the great equalizer when it comes to creating social and political momentum.

Mr. Jekielek:

What is really interesting is what you're describing. You're talking about it in the context of election integrity, you used that term. It also applies directly when it comes to Covid misinformation, similarly. Is it the exact same tools that are essentially being used in the same way?

Mr. Benz:

Actually, it's funny you say that, because we just covered the Election Integrity Partnership, EIP. It's the entity that DHS formerly partnered with as their disinformation flagger. When the 2020 election ended, they had censored their 22 million tweets. They had 120 staffers censoring the Trump supporters for the 2020 election for DHS. There was no more election cycle until 2022, when they came back and partnered with DHS again for the midterms.

But in between then, they folded up briefly and then rebranded and renamed themselves as a new entity consisting of the same censorship entities. But instead of calling themselves EIP, they called themselves VP, the Virality Project. They did the exact same system of coordinating the government, the civil society, the private sector, and the news media and fact checking organizations.

Instead of doing election censorship, they did Covid censorship, but they did it with the exact same ticketing system. They had the exact same relationships with Facebook, with Google, with YouTube, with Twitter, with TikTok, with Reddit, and with the 15 different platforms they monitored. They had the same system of chopping conceptual opposition, which was in the election context, opposition to mail-in ballots and drop boxes and ballet tabulation. It then became censoring opposition to Covid origins, to vaccine efficacy, to mask mandates, or to narratives about Bill Gates or Anthony Fauci.

In fact, in their own after-action report, they detailed how they micro-targeted 66 distinct narratives about Covid and chopped all of them up into all of the different component claims. Then, they basically helped advise on the artificial intelligence censorship, helped the reporting and flagging, and coordinated the censorship army that was trained on censoring Covid. So, it was a seamless transition from election censorship to Covid censorship.

Mr. Jekielek:

So, basically, all you need to do this is to know what the correct view is. Is this what you're telling me? And then, you just basically engage the system, and you're good to go?

Mr. Benz:

It's an evolutionary process as well. One of the things that was onboarded several years ago into the censorship industry was this concept of subject matter experts on a narrative-by-narrative basis who can help do the linguistic mapping and monitoring the rise of new memes, and of new ways of talking about an issue, and then continually fold that into the censorship paradigm that you've established.

I do want to quickly say though, that I highlighted EIP turning into VP for Covid censorship after the 2020 election. But Covid started at the end of 2019, and actually the Covid censorship consortium began immediately, I mean really immediately.

For example, Graphika is one of the four component entities of the EIP censorship consortium that DHS partnered with. Graphika is essentially a U.S. Department of Defense-funded censorship consortium. They were initially funded to help do social media counterinsurgency work effectively in conflict zones for the U.S. military. Then, they were redeployed domestically both on Covid censorship and political censorship. Graphika was deployed to monitor social media discourse about Covid and Covid origins, Covid conspiracies, or Covid sorts of issues.

In January 2020, they began their first formal domestic campaign. COVID-19 didn't even have the name COVID-19. In January 2020, it was still called Coronavirus at the time. And yet, Graphika was immediately working with NATO's psychological warfare branch, the Hybrid CoE, Hybrid Center of Excellence in January 2020. Immediately, they were doing social media network graphs on Right-wing social media, and they did this along political lines.

They had this sophisticated topography of what Right-wing media was saying, what Left-wing media was saying, about what was being shared, the nodes and links between nodes of all the different narrative discourses on social media for the purpose of handing that to the government to say, ''Here's what people are saying, what should we do to stop it?'' So, the censorship set in right away.

Mr. Jekielek:

You're reminding me of something I read that I wanted to get you to comment on, which is the foreign to domestic disinformation switcheroo. It sounds like you're touching on something about this, so what is that? I think it's very important to this whole picture.

Mr. Benz:

This is so important for understanding the history and chronology of how we got here, and it's something that many commentators to the Twitter files are discovering for the first time now. Matt Taibbi has spilled a lot of ink in the past several weeks talking about how shocking it is, the Russian disinformation predicate, how central that was in retrospect, as he's been writing about the normalization of domestic censorship. This is something I've been screaming about for five years now.

What happened was before 2016, the idea of domestic censorship in the U.S. was not just rare, isolated, and frowned upon'--it was a sacred existential attack on everything American. Censorship was the one thing that really distinguished at the governmental and at the social contract level the United States of America from every other country on the face of the planet. No other Western democracies have a First Amendment.

We look at liberal democracies like Canada or the United Kingdom as being just like America in the Western tradition of governmental democracies. But what makes America distinct is that we have total free speech in this country, at least that's what it was billed as. Now, we are going directly from that into this system of mass domestic censorship, where if you challenge mail-in ballots in a Twitter post on a Thursday night, the Department of Homeland Security has an entire division sitting there who when they see your tweet will categorize you as conducting a cyberattack on U.S. critical infrastructure, because you've undermined public faith in the elections.

This is something that needed an intermediary step, and that intermediary step was the foreign predicate. Now, this is something that the U.S. foreign policy establishment has been doing since time immemorial, but essentially since the 1940s, when the national security state was established and consolidated with the 1947 National Security Act. The American foreign policy establishment basically came to a consensus opinion that if we want the 20th century to be the American century, we're going to need a Department of Dirty Tricks. We're going to need to play rougher on the world stage than we've been used to.

We will still have constitutional protections for Americans, we'll still have free speech in America, and we'll still have due process in America. But we're going to empower our foreign intelligence in our foreign influence capacities with much more ruthless and dirty capacities than we have at home. This is because it's a tough world out there. The Bolsheviks are going to do it if we don't do it. There is this whole new order coming out of World War II that is going to need some tough love to consolidate.

Even in the 1960s, when there were opposition movements to the bipartisan consensus on several things, including on war and foreign policy, the counterintelligence division at the FBI often deployed this Department of Dirty Tricks to neutralize anti-war protestors, or some of the more stringent elements of the civil rights protest. Martin Luther King, for example, was targeted by the FBI formally because of his connection to Stanley Levison, who had these affiliations with communism.

And so, you could wiretap Martin Luther King's phone, you could have COINTELPRO [Counterintelligence Program] write nasty telegrams, and death threat letters, because there was a foreign predicate. If you simply conflated the domestic with the foreign, then it wasn't really the classical type of deprivation of due process, this is just being really aggressive about countering Russian influence.

So, it's a way of laundering, of bringing the Department of Dirty Tricks that's supposed to stay overseas and bringing it home. If you think of it as a war between two political factions, it's a sneak attack by bringing in powers that aren't supposed to be there for this game. They did that in the censorship industry through the creation of a Russian boogeyman that was said to have hacked the 2016 election, that was said to have interfered on U.S. social media, that was said to have created these sophisticated bot farms and troll farms and Facebook pages and this enormous network tapestry that magically disappeared right before the 2020 election.

Somehow, in 2016, it was said to be enormous. Of course, all the digital forensics were a total hoax. They were done by the same disinformation experts as Graphika and the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensics Research Lab that ended up becoming massively discredited in subsequent years when they completely made up results. They called real people Russian bots, and those people went on TV and read their name, rank, and serial number.

It was a hoax from the start, but it was a useful one, because it allowed the handoff of the censorship infrastructure on the foreign side to be grafted on to the domestic side. We've talked about the Department of Homeland Security and how it became this hub within the U.S. federal government for coordinating whole society censorship.

At the time, before the Biden administration and for the 2020 election, the only thing that existed at the time to partner with EIP to outsource all this censorship, to coordinate the domestic censorship of the U.S. election in 2020, was technically a group within DHS called the Countering Foreign Influence Task Force.

The Countering Foreign Influence Task Force was technically the coordinating wing for censorship of you, and of people in Ohio talking about how it was a little weird that early voting drop boxes were open for six weeks before an election, and you can imagine what might go wrong with that. In the very first week Biden took office, this was in January 2021 before the calendar even hit the word February, one of the first courses of action that Biden's DHS did was they revamped the Countering Foreign Influence Task Force with the same personnel and the same staffers. They simply went from countering foreign influence to ''MDM,'' misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation as a general catchall, with no distinction between foreign and domestic. That way it could paper over the fact that they weren't supposed to be operating on domestic soil.

Mr. Jekielek:

As you're describing all this, readers of The Epoch Times and viewers of this program just keep thinking Russiagate, Russiagate, Russiagate. Underpinning Russiagate was this idea that there were Russians who had hacked the election. In fact, there's still Americans that believe that Russians hacked the 2016 election. And then, there was the whole weaponization of the Pfizer warrants, which is what you're alluding to and what you're speaking about. Perhaps this is Matt Taibbi's realization in the last few weeks'--no one imagined that the whole system could be somehow engaged in all of this at the same time. Does this make sense? It's still straining credulity that everyone, all these different institutions are working in lockstep.

Mr. Benz:

Unfortunately, real people with real names at real meetings were very cognizant of this. In fact, it's my belief based on compelling evidence that I've assembled that this is actually very conscious from the very start. Take for example, in early 2017, you had the foreign policy establishment trying to reconcile the fact that an essentially uniparty apparatus that had existed from Truman until Trump on foreign policy. It had this shared left-hand, right-hand understanding that there would not be any sort of partisan disagreement on foreign policy grounds.

We may disagree on whether it should be high taxes or low taxes, we may disagree on something like pro-life or pro-choice, or civil rights, but when it comes to what are we going to do about Venezuela, what are we going to do about Southeast Asia, there's not going to be any sort of intense existential Right or Left distinction. Because that's what keeps Washington unified, and part of that is because of the commercial interest around that.

But when populism emerged and became powered by social media, it threatened the very bedrock of those institutions, because now domestic manufacturing concerns may actually impede the political will of these multilateral institutions that form the basis of the consensus architecture. This is what happened when they were negotiating the response to the threat of social media in the very beginning.

I'll give an example. Ambassador Daniel Fried is one example of this. Now, I don't know Ambassador Fried, I assume he's a very nice person in his personal life. He has a certain grace with which he conducts diplomacy, but he was part of the architecture of the censorship industry's development on this Russiagate issue in a way that I find to be profoundly disturbing.

Ambassador Fried was a 40-year diplomat at the U.S. State Department. He's on the board of the National Endowment for Democracy. In February 2017, he left the State Department in order to take his talents for coordinating government responses to sanctions. He was the sanctions coordinator for the Obama administration after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. After the Crimea referendum, he did the roadshow in Europe to get all the different NATO countries to pass what were for themselves painful sanctions on Russia over the Crimea annexation.

A lot of European countries didn't want to do these sanctions, because of the economic impact it would have on their own populations. But Ambassador Fried took his State Department and network clout to put pressure on Europe to do sanctions on Russia for purposes of this Crimea response. He then turned around after the 2016 election and took those same connections, those same power networks and organized all these disinformation conferences, these whole of society meetings and mobilizations. The same thing that he did on sanctions coordination, he did on censorship coordination.

He was a part of this network that helped pressure and contort the European regulatory climate to passing new censorship laws. Like, for example, Germany's NetzDG [Network Enforcement Act] passed in August 2017. Germany is the industrial powerhouse of Europe and when they passed NetzDG, it compelled Facebook and YouTube to adopt artificial intelligence censorship techniques in order to comply with $54 million fines for leaving various kinds of content on their platforms that violated this new German law.

And so now, Facebook and YouTube had to adopt all this new AI that had an immediate impact on that AI being redirected inward in the U.S. context, and in the UK context to counteract Brexit support. Now, Ambassador Fried was talking openly about this at his own disinformation conferences with European regulators, with national security officials, and with extremely important and influential people. At the time they were saying, ''Ambassador Fried, that sounds like a great idea, but it's just not enough. The Russians are only one component of these populists. They've taken on a life of their own, and they seem to have their own independent interests.'' Ambassador Fried is in the room telling them, ''Listen, I understand, I understand. But in America, we can't just go from zero to one, we have to boil the frog.''

Speaker Two:

As an old diplomat, the thing to do is to set up an informal mechanism, maybe formal, but start informally between the U.S., the EU key shareholders and bringing in the civil society. And then use that to have a conversation with the social media companies. Like we've got a lot of leverage, we can use it, and they will adjust, their culture is malleable. They will respond to the incentive structure that we set up if we do our job.

Mr. Benz:

If you do your thing in Europe, it will help the Trans-Atlantic Alliance merge towards a common set of norms and values with respect to social media speech. And in the creation of this counterintelligence infrastructure, it will naturally gravitate, as the Mueller investigation is ongoing, as pro-Trump groups are seen more and more as an arm of Russians themselves, it will be easier to simply consolidate those two concepts into one: Trump, Russia.

If you simply create a censorship infrastructure for Russia, as Trump gets merged into Trump, Russia, the two become one and the same. And then suddenly, no one is crying tears if a suspected Russian propagandist who happens to be some 17-year-old high school kid in Wisconsin who has an opinion about the border wall, when they get taken down as part of a 10,000-person roundup of suspected Russians, no one is going to cry tears, because at least you're aggressively dealing with a national security threat. So, they were aware of this. This is February 2017; this is right at the outset. We should be far past the spotter stage at this point.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:57

The teacher, whom parents have identified as a Mounds View public school teacher, explained that some of her students can't tell if she's a boy or a girl. "That's the goal," she said. (Inside the Classroom/Twitter)An undated video has surfaced of a public school teacher saying that her goal is to confuse kids about gender. The teacher, whom parents have identified as a Mounds View Public Schools teacher, explains in the video that some of her students can't tell if she's a boy or a girl.

This teacher @VHelementary brags about her goal of confusing children. pic.twitter.com/xoidH13OQf

'-- Inside The Classroom | Trans-Cult Enemy (@EITC_Official) January 23, 2023

Alpha News reached out to the district multiple times to confirm the identity of the teacher but received no response.

In the video, the teacher is wearing a school lanyard reading ''Valentine Hills Elementary.''

''The students asked the other teacher if I'm a boy or a girl,'' she says in the video. The ''other teacher'' allegedly asked the students if this really mattered, to which one student responded, ''No, I just can't figure it out. It's just so hard. I can't figure it out.''

''And I was just like, yes, that's the goal,'' the teacher says in the video.

The woman in the video has been identified by parents and former students as Kourtney Ryan, a Valentine Hills Elementary school music teacher. One parent said she believes the 2021-22 school year was Ryan's first year at the school.

''I am very upset that this teacher is saying that her goal is to confuse kids. Her personal life has no place in an elementary school,'' the parent told Alpha News. ''She is wearing a mask and her lanyard, which she wears while on the clock as a teacher paid by taxpayers.''

The parent shared that her only concern about the teacher when her children attended the class was a project they did about protest through music, related to the book ''Change Sings'' by Amanda Gorman. The parent recalled that the two choices for topics were a prison hunger strike and Colin Kaepernick. ''This project felt more appropriate at the middle school or high school level,'' she said.

A second parent of another former student of Ryan's told Alpha News that he pulled his youngest daughter from Valentine Hills because of teachers and lesson materials like this. ''These are discussions about life, sexuality, and human development that parents should have with their children,'' he said.

He told Alpha News that the parent-child relationship is one of the most important and fundamental relationships for a child's growth and development. ''When an elementary teacher injects herself into that relationship between a parent and a child by making the child confused about gender and sexuality, they are violating the trust and relationship between a parent and child,'' he said.

''When a school allows professional staff to behave this way there are negative consequences in learning,'' the parent added. ''The classroom is no longer an equal and safe place for everybody.''

Ryan did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Hayley Feland

Hayley Feland previously worked as a journalist with The Minnesota Sun, The Wisconsin Daily Star, and The College Fix. She is a Minnesota native with a passion for politics and journalism.

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Mon, 27 Mar 2023 13:54

A conversation with President Joe Biden's climate czar John Kerry took off when it turned to the use of private flights, a sore topic for jet-setting world leaders pushing the fight against global warming.

Ben Adler, senior climate editor at Yahoo News, broached the issue during an interview posted online on Friday, saying he read that Kerry ''recently switched'' from flying private to flying commercial.

''No, I didn't fly private while I was in this job,'' Kerry said, flatly rejecting the assertion. ''It's just a misnomer.''

"You recently switched, I read, from flying private to flying commercial'..."

JOHN KERRY: "No I didn't fly private" pic.twitter.com/60R5BJXupV

'-- RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 25, 2023

Kerry, who became the nation's first special presidential envoy for climate at the start of the Biden administration, said he has had ''one, maybe two private flights, which were military flights in order to get to China during COVID.''

''We were forced into that,'' he insisted before adding, ''I fly commercially.''

Fox News reported last month that Kerry's family sold their private jet, a Gulfstream GIV-SP, to a New York based-hedge fund after it made headlines for how many trips it took and its estimated hundreds of metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions since the start of the Biden administration.

Adler also pressed Kerry to respond to critics who say there is hypocrisy in world leaders at the forefront of the climate agenda who also fly private jets to major climate events in places such as Davos.

''I've talked to them about it,'' he replied, in reference to his contemporaries. ''They offset '-- they buy offsets, they offset, and they are working harder than most people I know to be able to try to effect this transition.''

John Kerry defends global elites flying their private jets to fight climate change in Davos because they're "working harder than most people I know to be able to try to effect this transition." pic.twitter.com/XEa2uKkhtD

'-- RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 25, 2023

The Republican National Committee, which shared clips of the interview on Twitter, highlighted these remarks as Kerry defending ''global elites'' who fly private while advocating for climate action.

Carbon offsets are ''tradable 'rights' or certificates linked to activities that lower the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere,'' according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Climate Portal website. ''By buying these certificates, a person or group can fund projects that fight climate change, instead of taking actions to lower their own carbon emissions. In this way, the certificates 'offset' the buyer's CO2 emissions with an equal amount of CO2 reductions somewhere else.''

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Kerry further argued that even as there is a push for climate-friendly changes, including the toward the increased use of what the Energy Department describes as low-carbon sustainable aviation fuels, people should be ''thoughtful'' about how impractical it would be to suddenly wipe out every aircraft in the world that relies on fossil fuels.

Kerry, the Democrats' failed 2004 presidential nominee, previously served as U.S. senator and as secretary of state under former President Barack Obama. Kerry helped negotiate the Paris climate agreement and in 2019, when he faced criticism for his use of a private jet for a trip to Iceland to receive an award for climate leadership, defended himself by saying, ''If you offset your carbon, it's the only choice for somebody like me who is traveling the world to win this battle.''