Despite the immense influence wielded by the United Nations‚ attention to its rumblings is typically rare outside the international crisis du jour. Breaking from this trend‚ the ongoing negotiation of a pandemic treaty at the World Health Organization has captured the global spotlight long before reaching its anticipated conclusion. Yet‚ despite this heightened attention‚ the public debate on how to head off future pandemic threats has largely overlooked the potential impact of the WHO Pandemic Agreement on fundamental freedoms‚ notably freedom of expression. Underway since March 2023‚ the pandemic accord negotiations seek to establish legally binding rules to enhance international cooperation and to strengthen the role of the WHO in preventing‚ preparing for and responding to future pandemics. To purportedly achieve these objectives‚ the draft text currently under consideration would commit parties to “tackle” such things as misleading information‚ misinformation‚ or disinformation‚ without offering a definition for these terms or specifying how this would be done. It would also require the “management” of so-called “infodemics‚” defined as “too much information‚ false or misleading information‚ in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak” causing “confusion” as well as “mistrust” in health authorities. These provisions cast a looming shadow of censorship that should alarm anyone who values open discourse and transparent governance. Everyone agrees that life is precious and that states have an interest in protecting public health. But some of the most grave and systematic human rights abuses of the last century unfolded during public emergencies‚ and we must be vigilant to protect hard-won rights—especially in times of crisis. And while the pandemic agreement proclaims recognition of respect for human rights as one of its general principles and its assurance of non-conflict with other international obligations‚ this falls short of resolving the inevitable concerns for freedom of expression raised by its text. Moreover‚ the recent dismissal by the WHO’s director-general of criticism regarding the pandemic agreement’s implications for sovereignty and personal freedoms as “a torrent of fake news‚ lies‚ and conspiracy theories” validates the fear that important debates might be stifled under the guise of protecting the public from information. As a fundamental human right‚ freedom of expression cannot be forfeited on the pretext of a public health emergency‚ nor unjustly sacrificed in the face of the challenges of verifying information in a globalized‚ tech-driven world. It is unequivocally clear under international human rights law that although some restrictions may be lawful‚ they must always be implemented with the utmost restraint and in the least restrictive manner possible‚ including in times of emergency. The overbroad and ambiguous wording of the current draft can only be seen as a dangerous deviation from this established norm‚ potentially legitimizing the egregious free speech violations observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no right to be shielded from information that authorities may subjectively label as “misleading‚” or simply “too much.” Conversely‚ the freedom to seek‚ receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds is a core aspect of freedom of expression‚ protected under international law. As such‚ it should be safeguarded as the cornerstone of a truly open and resilient society‚ enabling much-needed scrutiny and accountability over critical public health decisions‚ as the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated. With a May deadline for the agreement’s adoption swiftly approaching (a timeline that negotiators view with increasing skepticism)‚ will member states heed the call to ensure that the public health imperative of effectively preventing and responding to pandemics does not come at a cost for our fundamental freedoms? Originally published at RealClearPolitics.com Giorgio Mazzoli serves as director of U.N. Advocacy for ADF International. The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage Foundation. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Why the WHO Pandemic Treaty Threatens Freedom of Expression appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The U.S. Navy approved more than $750‚000 for a project that‚ while purporting to “equitably” increase the number of students interested in serving in the Navy’s STEM fields‚ prioritized recruiting underrepresented minority students‚ documents obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation show. The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) proposed a way to encourage students to pursue degrees in the fields of science‚ technology‚ economics and math amid pressures for the U.S. military to outcompete adversaries in technological development‚ according to the since-approved application obtained by the Functional Government Initiative through a records request and provided to the DCNF. Although the project was framed as providing an opportunity for all students to break into the STEM fields based on the students’ qualifications‚ the Navy granted a budget extension to include 75 scholarships for underrepresented minority students and gave them first selection for the few on-campus paid research internships created through the program. The proposal estimated between 44% and 75% participation by the minority students. “Implementation of this innovative program will increase the number of STEM students from diverse backgrounds who gain competitive skills and real-world experience in naval priority areas‚ who graduate with STEM degrees‚ and who join the STEM workforce‚” the proposal reads.  >;>;>;RELATED: What They’re Teaching in Naval Academy’s Gender-Sexuality Class Daniel McIntosh‚ the lead project manager‚ received permission to exceed the funding ceiling in order provide tuition scholarships for the Research Skills Training classes to 75 students from underrepresented minority groups‚ the documents show. Scholarships and first consideration for the paid internships would allow the school “to meet our equity-focused goals” and “eliminate the financial barrier of enrolling” in tailored research courses‚ the proposal states. “The Navy funding will support the development of competency-based research skills training courses‚ provide financial aid for historically underserved students‚ and offer paid internships for summer research experiences in any of the four research areas‚” a 2021 post on the UMKC website reads. The program would expose sophomore UMKC students in STEM degree programs to similar careers in the Navy‚ provide them with skill-building opportunities and offer the opportunity to compete for 54 paid‚ on-campus internships‚ the proposal states. In the fall of their junior year‚ the students would apply for internships with the Navy. Each year‚ the school would offer four new Research Skills Training courses designed to build skills relevant to the Navy’s research priorities. Each credit hour costs $301.60‚ or $904.80 total per student per course over three years of the program‚ according to the budget justification. Scholarships for underrepresented minorities apparently pushed the course over the Navy’s budget limit‚ for a total of more than $67‚860 over the three years‚ although it wasn’t clear how much of that amount contributed to the budget overrun. The exact funding amount was redacted. “McIntosh was approved to submit a budget over the $750‚000 limit per Dr. Marielle Hjelm on 6 October 2020. The rationale for this budget extension is to include additional Underrepresented in STEM Tuition Scholarships for students interested in enrolling in [Research Skills Training] courses‚” the proposal stated. The project is titled “Equity Forward Workforce Development Pipeline for Naval STEM Superiority” and was budgeted for $758‚280 overall. UMKC is listed as a partner in fiscal year 2020 on the Navy’s website for Naval STEM student initiatives‚ which is run out of the Office of Naval Research. UMKC received the grant in 2021‚ according to the university’s website‚ which mentions that a final report will be completed at the end of the project period “to provide program leaders and stakeholders a multifaceted view of the overall impact and efficacy of the program.” The project’s planned run spans from June 1‚ 2021‚ to May 31‚ 2024‚ the proposal shows. “The project outcome will be an equity-minded educational pathway for sustainably increasing the number of applications to Naval lab/industry internships and careers‚” the project abstract in the proposal stated. The STEM Outreach Team from the #USNavy Strategic System Program is inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders in classrooms across the United States.#STEMSaturday | #SSP | #STEMRocks https://t.co/qnA3gxSMEr pic.twitter.com/SXN6e4Lsqa— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) February 10‚ 2024 UMKC proposed to create a new pipeline of STEM professionals that was both “equitable” and based on the students’ skills. It aimed to expose more than 3‚000 freshmen at UMKC to naval STEM careers. UMKC hoped to create “a novel workforce pipeline that will provide an equitable and competency-based recruitment/training path for cultivating a diverse‚ agile‚ and world-class STEM workforce‚” the proposal read. It noted that between 30% and 40% of incoming UMKC students say they plan to participate in research‚ but most never follow through. #NavalHorizons2024 is LIVE! Are you ready for it…?Up to 5‚000 students in #highschool or #college can win $200 in the #NavalSTEM essay contest-the ultimate introduction to @USNavy &; @USMC #STEM careers &; #research fields!?https://t.co/ro8csT4hwS pic.twitter.com/vAPfmWqmln— Office of Naval Research (ONR) (@USNavyResearch) February 12‚ 2024 “The United States Navy is constantly looking for ways to grow our science‚ technology‚ engineering‚ and math workforce. As such‚ it is critical we reach all demographics of the U.S. population‚” Alexandra Landsberg‚ director of Naval STEM Education and Outreach Program‚ told the DCNF in a statement. “Naval STEM efforts to broaden our workforce are multifaceted‚ and encourage a balanced and top-notch team reflecting our changing national demographics‚ and a military continuing to lead in an increasingly challenging global environment‚” she added. McIntosh served as UMKC’s director of STEM Education Research and chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy‚ according to a biography included in the proposal. He did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Navy’s STEM ‘Equity’ Program Prioritized Candidates‚ Internships Based on Race‚ Documents Show appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Transgender activists mocked Catholic saints and repeatedly celebrated “whores” during a funeral Thursday for a transgender-identifying prostitute and self-professed atheist who went by the name Cecilia Gentili. The Archdiocese of New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Signal as to why St. Patrick’s Cathedral hosted the funeral‚ “an event with no likely precedent in Catholic history‚” as the New York Times described it. The cathedral referred The Daily Signal to the archdiocese. “That St. Patrick’s Cathedral would host the funeral for a high-profile transgender activist who was well known for her advocacy on behalf of sex workers‚ transgender people‚ and people living with HIV might come as a surprise to some‚” the publication reported. The funeral appears to have been widely attended by media from top U.S. publications. One of the organizers of the funeral said that St. Patrick’s Cathedral was not told that Gentili identified as a transgender woman. Gentili is also revered by those who identify as LGBTQ as a “transgender icon” and advocate. “I kind of kept it under wraps‚” organizer Ceyenne Doroshow‚ a man who identifies as a woman‚ told the Times‚ explaining that St. Patrick’s Cathedral is “an icon‚ just like her.” The Rev. Fr. Edward Dougherty led the service‚ according to Time magazine‚ telling the funeral attendees: “Cecilia died with Christ.” A livestream of the event depicts one of the funeral organizers‚ identified by Time as Oscar Diaz‚ describing Gentili in the following way: “This whore. This great whore. St. Cecilia‚ Mother of all Whores!” The congregation wildly claps and cheers‚ many standing. Diaz goes on to advocate for “love‚ equity‚ and the same rights” of dignity. Diaz’s remarks appear to reference the Catholic saint Cecilia‚ one of the most famous virgin martyrs of the Catholic Church and the patron saint of musicians. Cecilia is believed to have been beheaded by the Roman Empire for refusing to give up her faith. Over 1‚000 people attended the funeral‚ the Times reported‚ including several hundred transgender activists dressed in fur‚ fishnet stockings‚ miniskirts‚ and even thongs‚ as photographs posted by Time magazine demonstrate. The funeral attendees also placed a picture near the altar‚ where priests celebrate the Catholic Mass‚ that depicted Gentili with a halo and the Spanish words for “transvestite‚” “whore‚” “blessed‚” and “mother” as well as the text of Psalm 25‚ the Times reported. Yesterday‚ St. Patrick's Cathedral hosted the funeral of Cecilia Gentili‚ a transgender‚ atheist prostitute. Funeral was attended by hundreds of trans activists in thongs/fishnet/halter tops/fur. They celebrated the dead prostitute by mocking St. Cecilia‚ saying: "This whore.… pic.twitter.com/qMeUA0rfhK— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 16‚ 2024 A livestream of the funeral shows Dougherty delivering a homily to those in attendance‚ joking‚ “Except on Easter Sunday‚ we don’t really have a crowd that is this well turned out‚” to which the crowd of transgender activists cheers‚ claps‚ and laughs. Dougherty chuckles. As those in attendance continue to cheer‚ someone in the background can be heard telling the priest that there should be merely a funeral service‚ not a Mass. Here's Fr. Edward Dougherty (according to TIME) officiating the funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral for trans activist and prostitute Cecilia Gentili‚ joking‚ "Except on Easter Sunday‚ we don't really have a crowd that is this well turned out‚" to which the crowd of trans… pic.twitter.com/3gYehwdxcq— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) February 16‚ 2024 One woman emotionally prays “to our Lord Jesus Christ” that “Cecilia’s community be loved” and have “access to life-affirming health care‚” an apparent reference to transgender surgeries and hormones that activists describe as “life-affirming” or “gender-affirming.” Doroshow‚ dressed in a shimmering purple dress‚ led the congregation in loudly chanting‚ “Cecilia! Cecilia! Cecilia!” before describing the late Gentili as a “saint” and comparing Gentili to Jesus‚ who “ministered to all.” WATCH: Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  The post ‘Mother of All Whores’: Transgender Activists Hold Irreverent Funeral for Atheist Prostitute at St. Patrick’s Cathedral appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Becoming a dog owner can be surprising enough without all of the misconceptions about the species and its many breeds. Thanks to the digital age‚ many myths are being debunked left and right‚ like the notion that Pitbulls are dangerous. However‚ many myths about dogs still permeate today‚ like that a dog with a dry snout or eating the grass is an indication that they're sick. You may also believe... Source

Democrats Very Unhappy With Biden Border Crisis

#Bidenomics Update: Inflation Hot‚ Housing Starts Not‚ Retail Sales Go Splot!

Garrett Jones‚ the assistant principal at the Terwilliger Elementary School in Florida‚ admitted that he thinks it’s appropriate for students in kindergarten through fifth grade to read a book about pornography and dirty magazines in school. The board hearing took place in January but it gained more attention after Libs of TikTok shared a clip of it Friday. The hearing was about the book "Melissa" (formally published as "George") that’s available in the Alachua County Public School District elementary campuses. The book is about a transgender 4th grader. Susan Seigle‚ the school’s attorney‚ insisted the book didn’t have any pornographic content but Dr. Crystal Marull‚ a mother and a professor at the University of Florida with a masters degree in education‚ who did the primary questioning of Vice Principal Jones‚ disagreed. During Jones’ time as a witness‚ Marull asked him about his three children at home. She said‚ “would you find it appropriate if they brought this book home and were talking about dirty magazines or pornography in a K to five environment?”   “I think it would open up a conversation that we would have‚” Jones said.  “So you think the book is appropriate in the K to five environment even though it references pornography and dirty magazines‚” Marull asked.  Jones insisted that he voted for the book to be allowed in grades three to five‚ not K through five. Okay  - so ages eight to twelve instead of five to twelve. Then Marull asked him straight up: “So you think an eight-year-old would be [an] appropriate age to be reading about pornography and dirty magazines in school?” “Yes‚” Jones said confidently.  According to a report from Fox News‚ the book refers “to a child’s sex organs in crude terms.” Here are a couple of excerpts from it: She immersed her body in the warm water and tried not to think about what was between her legs‚ but there it was‚ bobbing in front of her. There was nothing George dreaded more than when boys talked about what was in her underpants. Melissa locked herself in a stall‚ delighted for the privacy. She lifted her skirt to see her underwear‚ covered in tiny red hearts. She pulled it down‚ sat‚ and peed‚ just like a girl… This part of this magnificent day was her personal secret. According to the Alachua Chronicle‚ Marull said that she didn’t approve of the book being accessible to elementary students due to the fact that a “14-year-old comments to his 10-year-old brother about his pornographic interests; those passages could open a door in a child’s mind to inquire or seek out more information about‚ quote‚ ‘dirty magazines’ and ‘pornography‚’ keywords that a 10-year-old should not be contemplating or be instructed about from a book in their school library.” To make things worse‚ Jones admitted that gender identity was part of the fifth grade curriculum for sexual education.  Marull also asked if Jones felt it was appropriate to be pointing students to websites like the Trevor Project‚ which specializes in transitioning kids. Jones agreed it wouldn’t be appropriate for students to be able to access this site on school computers but admitted that he didn’t know whether or not they could.  Nonetheless‚ the school board voted 4-1 to keep the book in the school.  If you needed another reason to homeschool your kids‚ here it is.

The front page of Thursday’s New York Times featured a story by White House correspondent (and MSNBC contributor) Annie Karni‚ “Republicans Take After Trump With Bigoted Attacks on Foes.” Karni strung together partisan insults from the week to condemn the entire party as a historically racist menace. This is how you know that a newspaper is a Democratic Party organ.  Given that the left and its media allies have labeled every Republican presidential candidate since Barry Goldwater as either racist or pandering to racists‚ this latest smear can be ignored‚ but the details make for entertaining (or enraging) reading. They put these on Page One:  When Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene‚ Republican of Georgia‚ stood on the House floor this month to announce her proposal to censure the only Somali-born member of Congress‚ she said she was seeking punishment for “Representative Ilhan Omar of Somalia -- I mean Minnesota.” Earlier that same week‚ Representative Troy Nehls‚ Republican of Texas‚ called the Black husband of another Democratic woman of color‚ Representative Cori Bush of Missouri‚ a “thug.” He then said Ms. Bush‚ who is also Black‚ had received so many death threats because she was “so loud all the time.” Note the sad Times capitalization of “Black” (there’s no “White” or “Brown”) mandated by its woke style guide.  By example #4 in her litany‚ Karni was really scraping the barrel of racial bias. Around the same time‚ House Republicans released their report on impeachment charges against Alejandro N. Mayorkas‚ the Cuban-born homeland security secretary who is the first Latino to lead his department. Using unusually loaded language for a committee report‚ the panel described its action as “deporting Secretary Mayorkas from his position.” In private‚ the language was uglier. During a closed-door meeting of House Republicans‚ Representative Mark E. Green‚ Republican of Tennessee and the panel’s chairman‚ referred to Mr. Mayorkas as a “reptile with no balls” because of his refusal to resign from his post‚ according to Politico. A White House official condemned the statement‚ noting that Mr. Mayorkas is Jewish and that the comment echoed an antisemitic trope. And that was all in the span of a week. Karni is either being deliberately oversensitive or unwittingly dense. “Deporting” a cabinet secretary in charge of securing the border is wit‚ not racism. And is “reptile with no balls” really an antisemitic trope? At least the leftists at Raw Story loved her expose. Of course‚ there is no parallel investigation rounding up actual anti-Semitism from the Democratic “Squad” in Congress‚ or of Democrats claiming a particular Republican represents Israel. The racist discourse by Republican members of Congress‚ both in casual comments and in official statements‚ has become so commonplace that it now often slips by without any real condemnation from the G.O.P. Democrats frequently call for apologies but no longer expect any response‚ and those futile denunciations quickly disappear into a morass of polarized content on social media. “Journalist” Karni found a Democrat to conveniently encapsulate and spout back the exact same Democratic talking points she was running with. “The nature of Trumpism is to embolden extremism‚” said Representative Ritchie Torres‚ a Black Democrat from New York. “Whether it’s badgering an Asian witness about his ethnic loyalties‚ or dehumanizing a cabinet secretary‚ or accusing a Muslim woman of treason‚ or describing a Black man as a thug‚ Republican members of Congress are crossing lines that should never be crossed.” Karni found it shameful that Republicans couldn’t meet the high moral standard and surely not-politically motivated concerns of a Democratic politician. If Republicans on Capitol Hill have similar concerns‚ they rarely air them publicly. The office of Speaker Mike Johnson had no comment on the recent incidents. The Republican Party‚ which for decades has relied primarily on white voters‚ has long exploited fear and prejudice to energize its base‚ whether it was Barry Goldwater vocally opposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or George H.W. Bush’s use of the Black convict Willie Horton in a 1988 presidential ad. Oh please. Goldwater was not racist. His controversial stance was born out of his principled limited government beliefs. “Black convict Willie Horton‚” doing life without parole for murder‚ committed rape and armed robbery while out on furlough from prison in liberal Massachusetts‚ a fact the Times has gone to amazing lengths to elide from the historical record. Karni ended on a pathetic note: Representative Hakeem Jeffries‚ Democrat of New York and the minority leader‚ said Mr. Nehls’s “thug” comment was “shameful” and “clearly peddled in racially inflammatory language.” He demanded an apology. None came.

The Verdict with Ted Cruz co-host Ben Ferguson exposed Big Tech’s plans for those who run afoul of the left’s narrative. And it goes beyond mere censorship. Ferguson went on MRC’s UnCensored with MRC Free Speech America Vice President Dan Schneider to discuss how Big Tech platforms such as Meta and YouTube have censored his content. Schneider reacted to Facebook’s absurd decision to lock Ferguson out of his account‚ implying this tactic aims to “dry up” revenue sources. “They want to kill us‚” reiterated Schneider‚ concerning Big Tech choking off the revenue of conservatives. Speaking from personal experience‚ Ferguson concurred‚ “They want you to go broke; they want you to be in financial ruin.” Ferguson explained that censorship tactics have surpassed mere censorship. “It’s not just silencing you‚” he continued‚ “Their objective is to make sure that you can’t pay your bills and your life‚ your political life and your journalistic life ends in ruins‚ where you are bankrupt. It’s not just about silencing you. They want to destroy everything you have and take it all away from you.”  In response‚ Schneider highlighted the role of organizations such as NewsGuard and Ad Fontes in bankrupting conservatives. “We’ve done work that shows how some of these ratings firms like NewsGuard and sort of the newer player in this space‚ Ad Fontes‚ how they are so biased‚ how they exist to pummel conservatives and then advertisers. The big ad firms‚ they look at those ratings and they say‚ ‘Well‚ let’s not have Coca-Cola or other big firms advertise with Ben Ferguson‚’ and these firms are helping to drive away your revenue sources and have you ended.”   Schneider went on to point out that Ad Fontes was already targeting Ferguson’s podcast in this way‚ as they gave an extremely low rating to The Verdict with Ted Cruz. Similarly‚ Schneider noted that Ad Fontes had cracked down even harder on The Ben Ferguson Podcast.  Schneider tore into the gatekeepers at Ad Fontes and NewsGuard. “These advertisers have pulled money away from conservative media‚ not because conservative media in and of itself is the enemy; it’s because they do not want the American public to get this news. They do not want the American public to be informed.” Schneider added‚ “They want the American public to only get their news from ABC‚ NBC‚ CBS‚ The New York Times‚ The Washington Post‚ NPR‚ maybe a handful of other organizations. That’s where they want the American public to get their news. They can tolerate your existence‚ so long as you are not educating Americans on what is really going on.”  Earlier in the video‚ Ferguson discussed how Facebook had shut down his page after flagging a number of extremely old posts as “partially false.” He said that Facebook had shut off his reach and threatened his account with over a million followers with deletion despite all the money he had paid to Facebook to promote his account.  Ferguson and Schneider also discussed an egregious case of censorship Ferguson faced on YouTube after exposing “crisis actors working on behalf of terrorists.” In this case‚ fake videos depicting alleged victims in the Gaza Strip. The Nov. 13 edition of The Verdict is still censored to this day with a “viewer discretion” warning that must be clicked to watch the video.  Schneider suggested that this warning‚ paired with an age verification requirement‚ likely diminished viewership by “90-95%.”  Schneider also noted the absolute absurdity of YouTube censoring Ferguson but not the actual “crisis actor‚” adding‚ “Not only is this crisis actor alive and well‚ but so is his YouTube page.”  Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency and an equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.’

With Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis under the hot light of accountability for alleged conflicts of interest with the election integrity case she brought against former President Trump‚ the liberal ladies of ABC’s The View jumped to her defense on Friday. The coven frantically tried to throw everything at the wall hoping it would stick: attacking Trump’s lawyers‚ playing the race and gender cards‚ and praising her angry outbursts in the courtroom. Their first desperate defense of Willis came in the form of trying to flip the conflict of interest charge against Trump’s lawyers because they were married and owned a private firm together: BEHAR: Meanwhile‚ the two lawyers prosecuting her‚ who were questioning her -- SUNNY HOSTIN: Yeah‚ they’re married. BEHAR: They're married to each other and they have a law firm together. HOSTIN: Yes‚ they do. BEHAR: So‚ isn't that a conflict of interest and do they have a problem?     What Behar didn’t seem to have the mental bandwidth to understand was that Willis was the one with the power in this situation. She’s the state prosecutor who brought the case to begin with and allegedly picked her boyfriend to take it to trial‚ and Trump’s lawyers were the private attorneys responding in defense of a client. Staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin (the descendant of slave owners) had to break the bad news to Behar that it was not against the law for lawyers to marry; and bizarrely played the gender card: And Georgia has a law in place that it is not unethical or illegal to have a romantic relationship with co-counsel. Even opposing counsel. Can you imagine that? The only thing -- because I would imagine in Georgia and all places across the country men would not be able to practice law if it were -- if it weren't -- [Laughter] Hostin got the card game going‚ but it was faux conservative Ana Navarro who was playing a full hand when she argued that the biggest reason Willis was being scrutinized was because she’s a black woman: Look‚ I think as a woman she's got a double standard because as you say‚ tons of men do things like this and there's no problem. I think as a woman of color she even gets more scrutiny and we know that. She knew that. She should have known better. She should have disclosed. She should have not done this. Navarro seemed to be in favor of conflicts of interest she sarcastically exclaimed: “God forbid there be conflicts of interest.” “So‚ like this woman‚ every $100 meal‚ every little cruise to Aruba‚ every little cruise to the Bahamas she took is being disclosed and she’s being dragged through the mud‚” she whined. Hostin agreed “there's the appearance of impropriety‚” but lauded Willis's attitude and disrespectful outbursts from the witness stand: HOSTIN: But I think she handled her business in the courtroom. I mean‚ a man is not a plan‚ I'm not on trial‚ you’re on trial. That's what happens when you put a really good lawyer on the witness stand. BEHAR: I like when she said I will not emasculate a black man. HOSTIN: Exactly. She was speaking to her constituents. My father is from Georgia. I spent a lot of time in Georgia. She was speaking to those Georgians. It’s hypocritical for Behar to tout Willis for refusing to “emasculate a black man” when‚ last year‚ she claimed Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and Justice Clarence Thomas didn’t know what it was like to be black in America. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View February 16‚ 2024 11:03:43 a.m. Eastern (…) JOY BEHAR: First of all‚ what's wrong with sex on the first date? I mean – [Laughter] Okay‚ so defense attorneys are making the case -- what they call a conflict of interest. Meanwhile‚ the two lawyers prosecuting her‚ who were questioning her -- SUNNY HOSTIN: Yean‚ they’re married. BEHAR: They're married to each other and they have a law firm together. HOSTIN: Yes‚ they do. BEHAR: So‚ isn't that a conflict of interest and do they have a problem – do they have a case against her? HOSTIN: They don't have a case against her. I think this is certainly just a political move. This is so that Trump can push this and try to kick this case and this can down the road so that if he becomes president‚ god forbid‚ of the United States‚ then he's going to say you can't prosecute me in state court because I'm too busy being -- he's not really going to be too busy – too busy being the president of the United States. So‚ that is what this is really about. And Georgia has a law in place that it is not unethical or illegal to have a romantic relationship with co-counsel. Even opposing counsel. Can you imagine that? The only thing -- because I would imagine in Georgia and all places across the country men would not be able to practice law if it were -- if it weren't -- [Laughter] (…) 11:05:35 a.m. Eastern ANA NAVARRO: Look‚ I agree with Sunny. I don't think they've been able to prove conflict of interest which is the issue they are looking at but it doesn't look good. This is not a good look for Fani Willis. I think she should have disclosed. I think you don't create a mess where you eat and she did. And I also think – Look‚ I think as a woman she's got a double standard because as you say‚ tons of men do things like this and there's no problem. I think as a woman of color she even gets more scrutiny and we know that. She knew that. She should have known better. She should have disclosed. She should have not done this. But‚ you know‚ what I have found interesting is – So‚ there's a lot of people now particularly on the right who have become champions against conflicts of interest. God forbid there be conflicts of interest. SARA HAINES: I see where you're going. NAVARRO: So‚ like this woman‚ every $100 meal‚ every little cruise to Aruba‚ every little cruise to the Bahamas she took is being disclosed and she’s being dragged through the mud. Well‚ if you want to talk about conflict of interest‚ let me talk about all the things that Clarence Thomas. (…) 11:08:21 a.m. Eastern HOSTIN: I agree that there's the appearance of impropriety. Right? Like‚ you don't even want the appearance of impropriety. But I think she handled her business in the courtroom. I mean‚ a man is not a plan‚ I'm not on trial‚ you’re on trial. That's what happens when you put a really good lawyer on the witness stand. BEHAR: I like when she said I will not emasculate a black man. HOSTIN: Exactly. She was speaking to her constituents. My father is from Georgia. I spent a lot of time in Georgia. She was speaking to those Georgians‚ because every – They were asking her questions about whether or not she had money in her -- how could she have so much money in her home? BEHAR: Oh‚ the cash. HOSTIN: I always have cash in my home! (…)