Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday told Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other social media executives to their faces‚ “You have blood on your hands” and that their product “is killing people.” The CEOs of the largest social media companies testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about online child exploitation.  The CEOs in the committee hot seat were Zuckerberg of Meta‚ parent company of Facebook and Instagram; Evan Spiegel of Snap; Shou Chew of TikTok Inc.; Linda Yaccarino of X Corp.‚ the social media platform formerly known as Twitter; and Jason Citron of Discord Inc. “Social media companies‚ as they are currently designed and operated‚ are dangerous products‚” said Graham‚ R-S.C.‚ the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “They are destroying lives‚ threatening democracy itself. These companies must be reined in‚ or the worst is yet to come.” Graham related the story of a teen who was blackmailed through social media messages and eventually killed himself.  “Mr. Zuckerberg‚ you and the companies before us—I know you don’t mean to be so—but you have blood on your hands‚” Graham said to applause in the hearing room.  “You have a product that is killing people. When we had cigarettes killing people‚ we did something about it.” Sen. Graham to Mark Zuckerberg and other Big Tech CEOs at social media hearing: "You have blood on your hands." pic.twitter.com/MiEyaGzs5X— Fred Lucas (@FredLucasWH) January 31‚ 2024 Graham and other senators on the panel suggested repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that makes social media companies immune from liability for the content users post. “Of all the people in America we could give blanket liability protection to‚ this would be the last group I would pick. It is now time to repeal Section 230‚” the South Carolina lawmaker said.  He added the companies are treated differently than those in any other industry.  “What do you do with dangerous products? You either allow lawsuits‚ you pass statutory protections to protect consumers‚ or you have a commission of sorts to regulate the industry in question‚” Graham said. “To take your license away if you have a license‚ to fine you. None of that exists here. There is no regulatory body to deal with the most profitable‚ biggest companies in the history of the world. They can’t be sued‚ and there is not one law on the books that is meaningful protecting the American consumer. Other than that‚ we are in a good spot.“ During his opening statement‚ Zuckerberg told the Senate panel there is no link between social media use and teen mental health.  “With so much of our lives spent on mobile devices and social media‚ it’s important to look into the effects on teen mental health and well-being. I take this very seriously‚” he said. “Mental health is a complex issue‚ and the existing body of scientific work has not shown a causal link between use of social media and young people having a worse mental health outcomes.” 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 Graham to Social Media Execs: ‘You Have Blood on Your Hands’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines the word "sanctuary" as "a place of refuge and protection." New York City may be proud of its "sanctuary city" status for illegal immigrants -- but its residents and police department may have to look elsewhere for protection. On Saturday night‚ two NYPD officers were brutally attacked...

A new poll that surveyed swing-state voters suggests that the border crisis and the economy are taking their toll on Joe Biden's re-election chances. When registered voters in Arizona‚ Georgia‚ Michigan‚ Nevada‚ North Carolina‚ Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were asked for whom they would vote‚ 44 percent selected former President Donald...

Michael Cassidy‚ the man who beheaded the Satanic idol in the Iowa Capitol building‚ has been charged with a hate crime. Cassidy‚ a former congressional candidate from Mississippi‚ was charged with a misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal mischief after he destroyed the statue. Now‚ Polk County prosecutors have charged Cassidy with a more serious offense. Breaking News: Michael Cassidy the US Navy veteran who beheaded the Satanic statue in the Iowa State Capitol has been charged with a hate crime. pic.twitter.com/TLnr9AkMZm — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 31‚ 2024 The Post Millennial explains: Polk County prosecutors charged Cassidy with felony third-degree criminal mischief‚ saying that he acted “in violation of individual rights” under Iowa’s hate crime statue‚ the Des Moines Register reports. Cassidy had been charged with a misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal mischief the day after the beheading but had been informed that he may be liable for further charges. Spokesman for the Polk County Attorney’s Office Lynn Hicks said that “Evidence shows the defendant made statements to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property because of the victim’s religion.” This is what resulted in the hate crimes charge. Hicks further elaborated on how much it would cost to replace the statue of Baphomet constructed by the Satanic Temple‚ which would be between $750 and $1‚500. The extremely litigious Satanic Temple had filed their own damage estimate‚ saying that it would be $3‚000 to replace the statue. Man who destroyed Satanic Temple display at Iowa Capitol charged with "hate crime."https://t.co/IG0srx3NIp — Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 31‚ 2024 Cassidy previously spoke with Jack Posobiec to tell his story. UPDATE: Man Who Destroyed The Satanic Idol At Iowa Capitol Building Speaks Out “When I saw it in person‚ I knew it had to go down‚" he said. “I saw it. I couldn’t believe it. A statue to Satan in our government‚ a capitol building…The devil is real. It struck me as wrong. I assumed the people who put it would say they made a mistake.. I saw on Wednesday‚ the statue icon was there..It really was this simple‚ it was wrong. It shouldn’t be there. Satan should not be praised in government. God is good. Satan is bad. I bought a ticket to Iowa. I had no true plan exactly what was going to happen… I prayed on it. The next morning‚ I got up. I went to the capitol. I didn’t know what to expect. I got there and no one was there. Seeing it in person‚ that statue‚ man. It was different seeing it in person. It clarified how evil it was. Actually seeing it in person. It made me realize that‚ yes‚ it had to come down..After I did what I did. I went back to security. I said hey remember me. This is what I did. In the end‚ they gave me a citation and I went on my way." WATCH: Michael Cassidy‚ man who destroyed satanic statue‚ explains his story in detail. When I saw it in person‚ I knew it had to go down. "I saw it. I couldn't believe it. A statue to Satan in our government‚ a capitol building...The devil is real. It struck me as wrong. I assumed… pic.twitter.com/xamMzkgeKH — DailyNoah.com (@DailyNoahNews) December 23‚ 2023 From the Associated Press: Cassidy’s attorney‚ Sara Pasquale‚ declined to comment on the new charge. In previous court filings‚ she has accused the Satanic Temple of making filings that “are only meant to evoke strong emotions and incite others.” Cassidy is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 15. He has raised more than $84‚000 for his defense from nearly 2‚000 supporters‚ according to the fundraising site GiveSendGo. Founded in 2013‚ the Salem‚ Massachusetts-based Satanic Temple says it doesn’t believe in Satan but describes itself as a “non-theistic religious organization” that advocates for secularism. It is separate from the Church of Satan‚ which was founded in the 1960s.

Emergency crews responded to a natural gas pipeline explosion in the Oklahoma panhandle Tuesday night. The explosion occurred at approximately 9:45 p.m. in Beaver County‚ Oklahoma‚ just north of Darrouzett‚ Texas‚ a town roughly 10 minutes from the Oklahoma-Texas border. Several fire departments and multiple agencies responded to the scene. Footage shows enormous flames shooting into the air. Officials estimated the flames were around 500 feet tall. “Massive flames can be seen over 30 miles away‚ with flames reaching hundreds of feet in the air and igniting farm fields. Officials are urging everyone to avoid the area. The cause of the fire and explosion remains unclear‚ and an investigation is underway‚” Rawsalerts wrote. Rawsalerts added footage from the moment when the pipeline explosion initially occurred. WATCH: #UPDATE: Here is a Nest Cam video capturing the moment when the pipeline explosion initially occurred. pic.twitter.com/Fn71VUnz24 — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 31‚ 2024 LATE BREAKING: Massive Gas pipeline EXPLOSION near Elmwood‚ Oklahoma. Flames purportedly visible as far as 30 miles… DEVELOPING.. pic.twitter.com/ER2eiBE0Xi — Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) January 31‚ 2024 Fox News reports: The Elmwood Fire Department said the glow from the fire could be seen for miles. Crews from several departments in Oklahoma and Texas were staged a safe distance away until the gas could be turned off‚ fire officials said. After the gas is shut off‚ officials told KFDA-TV that 13 miles of pipeline would have to be drained. Residents were asked to avoid the area south of Midway Church near NS 154 Road and EW 29 Road. BREAKING: Massive flames rising from a gas pipeline explosion in Beaver County‚ Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/6ygiT0BpZi — Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) January 31‚ 2024 The Oklahoman added: KAMR reported that the flames were contained early Wednesday morning‚ but the remaining fuel for the fire could take longer to completely burn away. The news outlet also reported that according to emergency management officials‚ the fire was started by an 8-inch feeder pipe that led to a larger main natural gas pipeline and ruptured. With minimal damage to the surrounding area‚ no injuries were reported.