FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—More nonprofits are urging the software company Benevity—which hundreds of companies use to allow employees to donate their time and money to charities—to stop systematically blacklisting conservative nonprofits. Twelve organizations first sent a letter to Benevity in October following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. The new letter, sent Monday and exclusively provided first to the Daily Signal, will feature three new signatories: Turning Point USA, PragerU, and Focus on the Family. “Charitable giving programs should empower generosity, not enforce political conformity,” Douglas Napier, executive chairman and CEO of 1792 Exchange, which helped organize the letter, told the Daily Signal in a statement Friday.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ “Benevity must immediately end its use of Southern Poverty Law Center’s defamatory ‘Hate List’ and ‘Hate Map’ to block mainstream charitable organizations like Turning Point USA and Focus on the Family.” “1792 Exchange’s research found that hundreds of major corporations rely on Benevity’s platform, making this a critical moment for corporate leadership to reject ideological gatekeeping,” Napier added. “Benevity must completely remove any use of the SPLC filter, adopt a viewpoint-neutral process, and restore full access to the organizations it has unjustly excluded.” “For far too long, major corporations have been relying on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s nefarious ‘Hate List’ to decide what organizations and charities their employees may give to as part of their corporate giving programs,” Paul Batura, vice president of communications at Focus on the Family, told the Daily Signal. “These entities have been relying on a distorted definition of ‘goodness.’” “In fact, citing and sourcing the SPLC is the equivalent of a company promising clean water drawing their water from a polluted or toxic aquifer,” Batura added. “It’s our privilege to join the 1792 Exchange’s growing coalition in urging companies to stop making decisions and recommendations based on information from the SPLC.” Benevity Keeps Using SPLC The issue gained renewed salience after a federal grand jury handed down 11 criminal charges against the SPLC for allegedly funding the very hate groups it tells donors it exists to “dismantle.” The Daily Signal reached out to Benevity last month to see if the company would disavow the SPLC in light of the indictment. “Benevity is not directly affiliated with the SPLC,” the company’s spokesperson told the Daily Signal. “Benevity clients have the option to use the list of nonprofit organizations included on the SPLC’s annual Hate Map to determine nonprofit eligibility within their programs. The use of this option is not a default setting and is at the sole discretion of clients.” According to its website, Benevity connects “nearly 1,000 enterprise companies” to a network of 513,000 nonprofits after vetting 2.2 million of them. It says it has managed $16 billion in grants and 99 million employee volunteer hours. In 2023, more than 2.3 million people donated through the Benevity platform, representing $3.2 billion. “Benevity’s denial that it defaults to the SPLC filter is hard to square with its own history,” Greg Scott, executive vice president at 1792 Exchange, told the Daily Signal in response to the Benevity statement. Benevity’s former CEO, Kelly Schmitt, delivered a PowerPoint presentation in 2021 explicitly stating that the company had “vetted” almost “2 million nonprofits,” adding that it used the “Southern Poverty Law Center Hate List.” Scott added, however, that “the real issue isn’t how the SPLC filter is used, it’s why this list is used at all.” Critics have said the SPLC trades on its history of suing Ku Klux Klan groups into bankruptcy to smear conservatives. The center publishes a “hate map” that plots parental rights groups like Moms for Liberty, conservative groups like Turning Point USA, and Christian groups like Focus on the Family alongside chapters of the Klan. In 2012, a convicted terrorist told the FBI he targeted a conservative Christian nonprofit in Washington, D.C., the Family Research Council, for a mass shooting. Four months after the SPLC added Turning Point USA to the “hate map” last year, Tyler Robinson allegedly murdered Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk, aiming to silence his “hate.” According to 1792 Exchange, 252 companies using the Benevity platform exclude conservative groups by using the SPLC list as a screening tool. The Letter “We, the undersigned organizations, urge Benevity to immediately end the use of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s ‘Hate Map’ and ‘Hate List’ in determining which nonprofits are eligible for corporate charitable giving and employee matching programs,” reads the letter, now signed by 15 groups. “By relying on these partisan designations, Benevity legitimizes a severely biased blacklist that inspires violence, urges discrimination against mainstream organizations, and undermines the spirit of charitable giving,” the letter adds. The list of signatories includes Alliance Defending Freedom, the American Family Association, the Center for Christian Virtue, the David Horowitz Freedom Center, Do No Harm, the Family Policy Alliance, the Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, GenSpect, Moms for Liberty, Partners for Ethical Care, PragerU, Turning Point USA, 1792 Exchange, and Them Before Us. Benevity Open Letter v2Download

THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—President Donald Trump frequently sparred with “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker about multiple topics before cutting the interview short. Trump went to Wisconsin on Friday to discuss farming and his economic agenda, Fox 6 Milwaukee reported. Mirroring the stormy weather outside the farm where the interview took place, Trump and Welker argued about the economic effects of the seemingly stalled conflict with Iran as well as the vote count in California’s primary elections held Tuesday. “Gas is up, diesel is up,” Welker said, referencing the increase in energy prices since Operation Epic Fury commenced. Trump responded, “It’s all coming down as soon as the war’s over.” “Well, 70% of farmers say they can’t afford fertilizer,” Welker replied as the rain pelting the roof was picked up on the microphones, adding, “Let me ask you, what is your message to farmers, many who support you, but who say they’re struggling?” “You know, I gave farmers $28 billion because China took advantage,” Trump responded, later adding, “I love the farmers, the farmers trust me.” While the increase in energy prices has dominated economic discussions, roughly half of the world’s production of two crucial agricultural fertilizer precursors, urea and sulfur, passes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Fertilizer Institute. Saudi Arabia also is the leading supplier of phosphates to the United States, the Fertilizer Institute reported. The average price of a gallon of gas in the United States at the time of writing Sunday was $4.174, according to AAA. This price is a $1.19 increase from the $2.98 per gallon recorded Feb. 26, days before the start of the U.S. military’s operations against Iran, but down nearly 25 cents from the May 24 average price of $4.515 per gallon. In addition, the price of diesel fuel, widely used by farmers and the trucking industry, averaged $3.66 a gallon Feb. 15, and is, at the time of writing, $5.341 a gallon. That rate is down 28 cents from the May 24 average price of $5.622 a gallon. Trump and Welker also sparred over allegations of fraud in California’s primary election, especially as socialist Democratic Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman benefited from late ballot counting which increased the likelihood Republican candidate Spencer Pratt could be boxed out of the November general election. “The election was rigged. It was a dirty election and it’s happening again right now in California,” Trump told Welker. “It’s happening right now in California, right now it’s look, look at what’s happening in California.” “Let me tell you, it’s four days and they aren’t even close to coming up with, you know, why they’re doing that?” Trump continued as Welker attempted to push back. “Because they’re cheating on the election.” After Welker claimed Trump presented no evidence of the election being rigged, Trump said NBC, ABC, CNN, and CBS were “crooked networks.” “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough,” Trump said to conclude his participation in the interview. “Thank you, darling. Have a good time.” Originally published by The Daily Caller News Foundation

June 7 (Reuters) – The White House is considering a plan to buy the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, the Telegraph reported on Sunday. U.S. officials have drawn up a proposal to bypass the U.K. and make their own deal to take control of Diego Garcia, the report said.  Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. The White House and the UK Foreign Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The plan is among several options being drafted by the White House, in a paper aimed at providing alternatives to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ceding sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius, the report said.   The White House has been in regular discussions with Downing Street about securing the future of Diego Garcia, the report added. Britain’s government in April put on hold its deal to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, home to the U.S.-British Diego Garcia air base, which has been criticized by Trump. Trump said in February the deal was a “big mistake”. (Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese)

International pressure from Western media, politicians, and one-sided human rights organizations has prevented Israel from fully neutralizing threats—allowing them to resurface decades later and prolong unnecessary bloodshed, an intelligence officer with the Israel Defense Forces told the Daily Signal. Avraham Levine, who lost dozens of loved ones to attacks carried out in northern Israel by the Islamic militant group Hezbollah, said the terrorist organization could have been eliminated during Israeli military operations in 2006. That conflict began after Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon attacked an IDF squadron in northern Israel. According to the officer, the United Nations—particularly the United Nations Security Council, which Levine described as “unnecessary bureaucracy”—quickly passed a resolution condemning Israel’s defensive actions. The U.N. then assumed the role of mediator and deployed approximately 10,000 troops to the region to maintain peace and neutralize the threat. “Neither was achieved,” the officer said. “How many Hezbollah rockets did they confiscate from 2006 to 2023? Zero,” Levine said. “Zero.” “How many of their fighters did they capture, bring to trial?” he asked. “Zero. Zero.” “How many underground tunnels? Positions, rockets, guns, explosives, mines, claymore mines, anti-tank missiles. Zero.” The lack of enforcement, which the officer attributed to what he called “unnecessary bureaucracy,” allowed Hezbollah to rearm, regroup, and restock its arsenal. Years later, in 2026, Hezbollah fighters have claimed the lives of hundreds of Israeli citizens, including children from both Jewish and Druze communities. Last spring, a randomly fired Hezbollah rocket killed more than a dozen children who were playing soccer in northern Israel. None of them were Jewish. Regarding Jews, Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and killed, raped, kidnapped and tortured over 1,000 Israeli civilians. One survivor of the NOVA Music Festival, which became a Jewish slaughterhouse after it was infiltrated by Hamas fighters, told the Daily Signal he heard the fighters specifically saying they were there “to kill the Jews.” Since then, Israel has retaliated significantly, liberating parts of the Gaza strip and southern Lebanon from the grip of Islamic radicals while also striking Hamas and Hezbollah sponsor Iran directly. As a result, western nations and the United Nations have condemned Israel’s response, and in some cases, allegedly advocated for their enemies on major political stages. This spring, over 50 House Democrats voted against a resolution to designate Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. Other House Democrats, like Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., have been accused by their Republican colleagues of supporting Hezbollah. This pressure to avoid escalating its military response against Hezbollah in Lebanon has delayed Israel in its fight to defend itself from those who wish for the nation’s destruction. This week, Israel and the Lebanese government reached a U.S.-brokered agreement allowing Israel to conclude its military operations in southern Lebanon, on the condition that it withdraw its troops. Under the deal, the Lebanese army has agreed to fill the vacuum left by the Israeli withdrawal, with the stated goal of preventing Hezbollah from reestablishing control over the territory and its residents.

Polling from both Heritage Action and Honest Election Project Action has shown voter ID to be extremely popular among Ohioans. Yet the Republican effort to enshrine voter ID into the state constitution is being called out by many in local mainstream media. Republicans Push Enshrining Voter ID in State Constitution First, where the effort stands in the Ohio legislature. A resolution to enshrine Ohio’s existing voter ID law into the state constitution has made its way through the state Senate and the General Assembly will vote soon. Last month, Republican nominee for governor Vivek Ramaswamy called for enshrining voter ID with a ballot initiative, and Republican state lawmakers quickly heeded the call. With the passage of Senate Joint Resolution 10, Ohioans are that much closer to voting on the initiative in November. And the local media is much closer to a meltdown. Local Media Aghast “Ohio already requires voter photo ID. Some Republicans want statewide vote on it this fall,” read a headline last month from the State News Bureau. Fox 8 made the already existing law the focus of in their article “Ohio Republicans want voter ID constitutional amendment.” A report from NBC 4, with a partisan headline, “GOP-led movement to add voter ID requirement to constitution moves forward,” acknowledged that voter ID laws are popular, but quickly downplayed a constitutional amendment. “Public polling shows most Americans support voter ID requirements. But that doesn’t mean the issue is top-of-mind for most Ohio voters, especially since state law already requires photo IDs at the polls,” the report mentioned, before citing comments from opponents of the measure. Two outlets magnified opposition to the proposal, with Dayton Daily News’ “Republican plan to put voter ID into Ohio Constitution faces public criticism” and Ohio Capital Journal’s “Ohio photo voter ID amendment prompts pushback across political spectrum.” Both mention opposition from ACLU Ohio, including how the organization feels the amendment is “unneeded” and brought on by “purely political reasons.” ACLU Ohio has a call to action to oppose the effort, “Tell Lawmakers: Stop Weaponizing Ohio Constitution.” “This coordinated attack on our free and fair elections must not be ignored,” the call to action mentions, claiming that the ballot initiative “make[s] it harder for eligible voters to participate in our democratic process by mandating a photo ID.” It also claims that “our elected officials are manufacturing a fake crisis to sway electoral outcomes.” Nobody is disputing that voter ID is already the law. Ramaswamy acknowledged as much in his op-ed. That doesn’t mean it can’t be overturned by a future governor or legislature. Resolution co-sponsor state Sen. Jane Timken, who recently spoke with the Daily Signal, presented a real-life example as a warning: While voter ID was once the law in Virginia, control of the state Senate flipped, and then-Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, signed a law that “completely gutted that law [on voter ID] and overturned it.” Timken shot down media narratives that election fraud isn’t a problem, especially when some elections are particularly close. Instances of fraud “are actually cancelling another person’s valid vote by voting fraudulently.” “One instance of voter fraud is too much,” she said, adding “we want to increase voter participation and trust in our elections.” “The more voters trust the election, the more they participate,” she said. The Right Also Has Issues With the Bill The Ohio Capital Journal article also mentioned opposition on the Right. Marcell Strbich, who ran for Secretary of State but lost the Republican primary to Treasurer Robert Sprague, advocates requiring photo ID for mail-in ballots. Polling from HEP Action shows that Ohio voters would support the amendment with this provision as well. State Rep. Ron Ferguson introduced HB 577, the Secure Vote Act, a bill that would do just that. It is currently in the General Government Committee He also told the Daily Signal that he opposed the voter ID resolution as it is written. Timken also acknowledged concerns about photo ID for mail-in ballots, while also expressing concerns with AI, but also called the effort to enshrine Voter ID into the state constitution the “most stringent” voter ID law if actually passed by voters in November. She also offered another solution for verification. “In this constitutional amendment, we have alternative means of actual verification, which is the driver’s license number or the last four of the Social Security number, which are, again, verified by the boards of elections. So, they can look that up,” she added.