It’s tough to lose rock and roll musicians who played a significant role in our lives. For most of us who grew up in the 1970s‚ the name Denny Laine instantly brings us back to those classic Paul McCartney &; Wings albums in which Denny Laine played a prominent role in the sound of the band. Yes‚ we all knew he was a founding member of the Moody Blues‚ but it was in Wings that we all got to know him. Denny Laine‚ whose real name is Brian Frederick Hines‚ was born on October 29‚ 1944‚ in Birmingham‚ England. He The post Complete List Of Denny Laine Albums And Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

A man in Austin has fallen head over heels for a dog that’s heels over heads. Alva the dog has wobbler syndrome‚ but that didn’t stop Joe Rotunda from knowing they were meant to be together. Arriving at Austin Pets Alive! in November 2020 at just 5 months old‚ Alva was flea-ridden‚ malnourished‚ and in […] The post Man Visits Shelter Dog Every Day for 2 Months to Earn Her Trust Before Fostering Her appeared first on Good News Network.

Soon you may be contemplating New Year’s resolutions‚ and along with desires to read more‚ learn a language‚ or stop smoking‚ finding time to travel will definitely be on people’s minds. But‚ of all possible resolutions‚ travel is often the easiest to ignore or postpone. After all‚ we can’t imagine the beauty and wonder of […] The post You Have a Hidden Potential That Only Travel Can Unlock–And You Hold the Key appeared first on Good News Network.

I love stories of people taking a stand and fighting back. Growing up in the era of the climate crisis has often made me feel helpless about my capacity to make a difference in the world‚ so stories of rebellions are reminders that change is possible—and that it doesn’t always have to be on a massive‚ global scale. Here are some recent SFF short stories featuring rebellions that have inspired me lately‚ and which I know I’ll be coming back to in moments of hopelessness…   “A Land of Blood and Snow” by Cooper Anderson The Royal Family of New Wallachia likes playing games with its subjects. They’re wolves who’ve trapped their people‚ and make a game of those who want to escape. There have been enough foolish attempts that no one tries to run away anymore. So‚ when the blacksmith challenges the Prince in front of everyone‚ the citizens realise that there still might be some hope—if the blacksmith makes it out alive‚ that is.   “The Last Days of Summer in the City of Olives” by Filip Hajdar DrnovÅ¡ek Zorko Luzetia traded a royal life for the freedom to learn and practice medicine. But when your twin is a power-hungry tyrant‚ there’s only so long you can go without confronting the role that you’re expected to play. Except‚ Luzetia isn’t having any of it. She knew what she was doing when she took up medicine and left the ruling to her sister‚ Agata. Yet she can’t ignore the suffering Agata’s rule has created. Must she surrender‚ or is there a way to make things better without having to give up her work?   “Secret Powers” by Anya Markov In this enchanting story that takes you back and forth through time‚ Anya Markov tells the tale of a magical deer that can produce valuable gems and of the girl who believes that it exists. Zarni has hope that the deer can save her family‚ who are struggling because the mines are getting exhausted. The deer is fascinated by this little human too‚ but it can’t simply grant her wishes. The forest has needs. Who will take care of them‚ especially when outside forces—made up of men and machines—seem stronger than any magic the deer wields?   “The Manufactory” by Dru Pagliassotti The latest research on achieving immortality has made life difficult for the poor folk who survived by digging up graves to sell cadavers. All the good bodies are snatched up by the factorymen to create the essence that helps the rich extend their lives while the poor continue to die from sickness and starvation. Pushed to their limits‚ they break into the manufactory where the bodies are taken. What exactly is being done to them‚ and is there any hope for the living? How far can one go for one’s loved ones—and for immortality? A grim story‚ with much food for thought.   “A Holdout in the Northern California Designated Wildcraft Zone” by  T.K. Rex I’m a person who prefers analog over digital any day‚ yet if you give me a considerate‚ kind machine‚ I’ll cry over it. Think Baymax from Big Hero 6‚ or NASA’s Oppy‚ or the drone from this beautiful story by T.K. Rex‚ which encounters a human in an area where they’re not supposed to be anymore. The ecosystem needs to be restored‚ and humans have been taken elsewhere. Except for this old woman‚ who has somehow managed to escape the Rangers. She should leave if she doesn’t want to be forced out‚ and also because the drone needs to take care of its ecosystem—one which does not include humans. I love the takeaway here: rebellions don’t always have to be out in the open‚ with banners and marches. Sometimes‚ they’re quiet‚ the changes taking place silently. You fight for your values by actually living them‚ and that in itself is a victory.   “The Nostalgia Panes” by Aaron Perry Nostalgia glass is all the rage among the aristocracy of Alba Eloi. After all‚ who wouldn’t want a window pane that will let them look back in time to specific events? To the rich‚ what those events stood for is of little importance. But to people like Seneca‚ history student and apprentice archivist‚ it is difficult to ignore the politics at play in the city. She is frustrated—but her friends have a plan. What if you could use the nostalgia glass to show the elite what they don’t want to see? What if looking back into the past could create a way for a better future? This is a very clever story‚ with equally beautiful and memorable imagery.   “The Blighted Godling of Company Town H” by Beth Cato Change always leaves behind ruins. Dreya‚ the godling of a Town now abandoned by the Factory‚ has a lot on her plate. Forget a thriving community; she has to keep up just to make sure her people can survive another day‚ another month. She folds paper figurines‚ blessing them so that they can protect her people against sickness and her land against infertility. But her powers are proving inadequate and she blames herself for the condition of the town. What will it take for her to understand that she does not have to do this alone? That the strength for survival can come not just from godlings but also from the people they protect?   Ratika Deshpande‚ Order of Truthwatchers‚ is the editor of The Metronome‚ a bi-monthly magazine for people who want to study psychology and make a career in the field.

Since 1998‚ many people have had questions about various moments in The X-Files. One of those moments happens in the two-part episode “Dreamland‚” from the show’s sixth season. A song plays in a bar scene. Seems straightforward enough to find out what song it is‚ right? But no one could identify it. Not by using Shazam‚ not by asking Reddit‚ not anywhere. Until‚ 25 years after the episode aired‚ Twitter solved the mystery in less than a day. It all began‚ as it so often does‚ with a single tweet: just had the weirdest experience was watching an X-files episode &; there’s this country song playing in the background of the bar they’re in &; it’s so good it jars me out of my idle multitasking to Shazam it except — auntie cistamine (@laurenancona) December 5‚ 2023 At the time of writing‚ this post now has almost 14 million views. It begins a thread in which @laurenancona does all the things a person does when trying to find something on the internet: she goes to Reddit; looks at IMDb; finds random YouTube videos on the topic; and still comes up empty. She digs through the credits and pinpoints the music editor. People start making suggestions. Other X-Files fans weigh in. AND THEN. Then‚ someone talks to said music editor‚ a guy named Jeff Charbonneau: From Jeff:I honestly don't remember that song. I know it must have been from a library… I am pretty certain it wasn't written for the show. I'll dig in later. — Rob Cairns (@robcairnsmusic) December 5‚ 2023 Ultimately‚ Charbonneau doesn’t have the answer‚ either. BUT THEN! Someone digs up the dang cue sheet from the episode—which‚ did I mention‚ aired in 1998? The internet is full of mysteries and delights. There are a lot of tangents and ideas and details in the original thread‚ which you should definitely read if you find this sort of thing enjoyable. People have a lot of good ideas! And then‚ eventually‚ they have the answer. At almost the same time yesterday‚ two different Twitter users posted with the source of the song. One reply came from TV and music supervisor Jonathan Leahy‚ who clearly had some very good sources: the song is "Staring At The Stars" written by Glenn Jordan and Dan Marfisi. these two songwriters provided two additional tracks (with vocals) in episode 605‚ so my guess is they custom made these recordings for the show. — Jonathan Leahy (@Jonathan_Leahy) December 5‚ 2023 The other came from Nick Hatch‚ who has a quote from Glenn Jordan (the quote comes from a post Jordan made in a musicians’ forum in 2004 and is truly an incredible find): It's Glenn Jordan. pic.twitter.com/j6Xt1wtiQF — Nick Hatch (@hatchetation) December 5‚ 2023 And then‚ in a grand finale‚ Dan Marfisi turns up to solve the mystery for once and for all: Hi there‚ I did write &; record this with composer Glenn Jordan for that episode. Thanks for letting me know @robcairnsmusic. Our directive was "we need a country song that could be about an alien or a human … oh‚ and we need it in four hours." — Dan Marfisi / JonesHouse (@marfisi) December 6‚ 2023 The internet‚ it turns out‚ is still good sometimes. If you would like to watch the episode in question‚ The X-Files is currently streaming on Hulu.    

I’ve never been bashful about my love of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I’ve used it to talk about the “alien-ness” of various Trek series‚ looked back at the DS9 young adult novels‚ and wrote forty-one entries on the DS9 relaunch stories that continued the crew’s adventures well past the series finale. In turn‚ this led to a discussion of the grand climax of the unified Trek “Litverse” with the Coda trilogy‚ which featured several key DS9 characters. While we’ve seen the publication of one DS9 standalone novel—Alex White’s Revenant (2021)—and it’s not impossible that more might surface eventually‚ the post-Litverse focus has understandably been on supporting recent live-action and animated series‚ with a number of new novels and audio dramas tying in to Discovery‚ Picard‚ Strange New Worlds‚ and Prodigy. Despite some thoroughly pleasurable outings in these television series‚ none of them have so far managed to displace DS9 as my personal favorite Trek of all time. 2023 saw the launch of Star Trek: Defiant‚ a new comic book series issued by IDW featuring DS9 characters‚ but I wasn’t really expecting new DS9 prose fiction any time soon. All of which makes The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko not only somewhat of a surprise but a particular treat. Following the format established in works covering the lives of James T. Kirk‚ Jean-Luc Picard‚ Kathryn Janeway‚ and Mr. Spock‚ this volume offers Sisko’s reminiscences about pivotal moments in his life—some loud‚ some quiet—and his general reflections on topics like morality‚ responsibility‚ leadership‚ betrayal‚ grief‚ and love. The book’s conceit‚ as conveyed in the introduction‚ is that some time after Sisko’s departure from corporeal existence in “What You Leave Behind‚” an energy beam containing an encrypted message emanates from the wormhole. Nog realizes it includes Sisko’s old command codes‚ and after it’s been decoded Jake spends two years sorting through the fifty hours of video in the message and creating a chronologically-ordered transcript of what he considers the most relevant passages. In our reality—and who knows‚ all of DS9’s grand story‚ along with every one of us‚ might be contained within a Benny Russell dream—Derek Tyler Attico is the weaver of the tale. From its very start‚ going back to the pilot episode‚ DS9 set itself apart from other Trek shows by having its lead character contending with single parenthood and learning to deal with being revered as a major figure in an alien religion. As Sisko says in Chapter Twenty-Two of this book‚ “When she [Kai Opaka] told me I was to be the Emissary‚ I honestly thought it was a lot of what we used to call mumbo jumbo‚ but now I see how far ahead‚ and patient‚ Opaka was with me. She was not a nonlinear entity‚ but her faith gave her the ability to see far beyond all of us.” Which brings us to another key point: Sisko was not only perceived as critically important in the Bajoran faith‚ but was later revealed to have an actual touch of alien within him‚ since his biological mother had been inhabited by one of the nonlinear wormhole-dwelling aliens commonly called Prophets by the Bajorans when she conceived him. Buy it Now Sisko’s Autobiography honors this unique legacy in three ways. First‚ the narrative leaves Sisko in the otherworldly realm‚ his fate unresolved. Having him return safely to linear spacetime and reconnect with his family‚ of course‚ would have been a valid imaginative choice‚ and it was one ultimately taken by the relaunch novels. However‚ a core part of Sisko’s story is intriguing precisely because of his nonhuman provenance‚ and I think that attempting to “solve” that mystery‚ while also covering his entire life leading up to it‚ could potentially be unsatisfying and overwhelming in the scope of a single book. Attico does a fine job of making Sisko relatable by emphasizing that despite Sisko’s special place beyond linear existence‚ he sees himself as an ordinary mortal: Even later‚ when I became comfortable as the Emissary and the responsibility it carried‚ I still never wanted or sought the power or the influence. Regardless of my lineage‚ I am not a messiah‚ or some magical being. I am just what I have always been. A man. The second way the Autobiography gets Sisko right is by having his message fundamentally be about connecting with his son. Sisko here imparts the lessons he has learned through a difficult and eventful life‚ while encouraging Jake to continue forging his own path and being his own man. Thirdly‚ because Sisko’s signal originates in a nonlinear realm‚ Attico is able to introduce some arresting shifts in time—as for instance when‚ at the end of Chapter Eight‚ the scene transitions to B’hala as it was 20‚000 years in the past. I won’t spoil what Sisko observes there‚ but it does answer a sixth-season question left open-ended by the series. The sense we get is of Sisko not only poring over his life in order to share a measure of wisdom and grace with his son—and in a way‚ to give his son the permission he might need in order to live fully without him‚ nicely underscored by a reference to “The Visitor”—but of journeying through his own nature in order to better understand himself. “It is the unknown that defines our existence‚” maintained DS9’s pilot‚ and in this chronicle the unknown continues to inform our central character. Having established that we won’t be moving forward in the post-finale timeline‚ Attico wisely places the emphasis of Sisko’s recollections on the episodes of his life about which we know least. The early chapters are considerably longer and more descriptive than the ones where Sisko catches up with his posting to Deep Space Nine in 2369 and we revisit events we’ve seen unfold on-screen. These childhood and adolescent vignettes and escapades add a welcome richness of character and warmth to a tough‚ complex figure. Sisko’s early years are characterized by strong familial bonds‚ Creole cooking‚ jazz‚ and the ever-recurring presence of New Orleans itself. It’s an intoxicating combination. We learn of Grandpa James and Grandma Octavia (named after James Baldwin and Octavia Butler respectively). We follow along with an overeager Sisko who suffers an accident that leaves him immobilized for six months‚ during which time he develops a fascination with model starships. Later‚ he attends Booker T. Washington Public High School and experiences bullying; then eventually‚ first love. Sisko’s observations occur every couple of pages‚ as for instance when he reflects on the importance of teachers in Chapter Two: I’ve been in Starfleet for over twenty years. I’ve seen some very impressive technology and breakthroughs‚ but the truth is that the future isn’t built with technology or even by engineers. The future is built by teachers. Every mind that is educated‚ every consciousness that is opened to new ideas and different ways of thinking‚ is a brick paving the way toward tomorrow. I’ll share two more examples. In the same chapter‚ Sisko crafts a lovely analogy between two very different crews: I’d watch the kitchen crew cooking‚ cutting‚ cleaning‚ and arranging food on dishes like they were works of art. Everyone would work independently‚ but also in unison‚ not unlike the bridge of a starship. And in Chapter Three‚ Sisko muses on death itself as a great unknown‚ harkening back to the comments I made earlier: You know Jake‚ I think of all of the advancements of humanity‚ of all the things we’ve accomplished and overcome over the years. Climate change‚ racism‚ poverty‚ disease. But humans still have a hard time dealing with death. Perhaps it’s because‚ despite all we have achieved‚ it is still a great unknown. As I hope is illustrated by these excerpts‚ Attico convincingly channels Sisko’s voice‚ which is no small feat. It makes the entire journey convincing. His writing combines the plain and down-to-earth with more poetic beats‚ as when Sisko speaks of people “frozen in the amber of grief.” These stylistic choices reinforce Sisko’s compelling mixture of perseverance and sensitivity. For fans of Trek lore‚ there’s a wealth of it to enjoy here. Many characters from across the Trek continuum have cameos or are referenced: Doctor Pulaski‚ Zefram Cochrane‚ Solok‚ Admiral Owen Paris‚ Cal Hudson‚ Philippa Georgiou and Michael Burnham‚ Kosinski‚ Tryla Scott and Admiral Savar‚ Geordi La Forge‚ Leah Brahms‚ Elizabeth Shelby and others I don’t want to reveal. Too many? Possibly. I did get a kick out of Sisko mentioning Mardah‚ the Bajoran dabo girl Jake dated in Seasons 2 and 3. At one point Sisko receives a copy of Mr. Scott’s Guide to the Fundamentals of Starships and Engineering‚ samples “Vulcan’s Forge” ice cream‚ and so on. You get the idea. And of course this couldn’t be a bona fide DS9 book without a reference to self-sealing stem bolts; Attico obliges on page 112 of the hardcover edition. In terms of episodes‚ some of the references I found particularly delightful‚ often because I didn’t expect them‚ were‚ in no particular order‚ to TNG’s “Identity Crisis‚” DS9’s “Explorers‚” “Past Tense‚ Part I” and “Past Tense‚ Part II‚” “The Quickening‚” “Captive Pursuit‚” “Battle Lines‚” “Paradise‚” “Second Sight‚” “Tacking Into the Wind‚” and “The Siege of AR-558.” In case this sounds overwhelming‚ it’s not. While picking up on Attico’s plentiful references enhances Sisko’s account‚ it’s not necessary to enjoy it. Complementing the writing‚ the book features a neat insert with color photographs from various stages of Sisko’s life. (An aside: one of these shows a 1973 issue of Incredible Tales of Scientific Wonder with a DS9 story—but I thought‚ per “Far Beyond the Stars‚” that Benny Russell was writing these in the 1950s? Maybe it’s a reprint!). The chapters leading up to Sisko’s assuming command of the titular station see him meeting Curzon Dax‚ serving aboard several starships‚ and enduring trying war experiences‚ first with the Tzenkethi and more traumatically in Wolf 359. Sisko’s compassionate reconsideration of Picard as a victim of the Borg leads to a wonderful line: “When you let go of hate‚ the first person you free is yourself.” Of course‚ Avery Brooks is mentioned in the Acknowledgments at the end of the book. If this volume is adapted into an audiobook‚ I would love for Cirroc Lofton to narrate it—how immersive‚ and affecting‚ that would be. Though each of the previous Trek “autobiographies” have things to recommend them‚ for my latinum this is the best one yet. It truly capitalizes on the possibilities of the form‚ fleshing out‚ in a deeply hopeful and humanistic fashion‚ one of Trek’s most enduring and commanding characters. It doesn’t offer pat solutions to life’s difficulties‚ but inspires us to meet them as best we can. “I came to this station when I didn’t care about it‚” Sisko notes with bracing honesty while looking back on the Dominion conflict‚ “and I had to abandon it during a war when I didn’t want to be anywhere else.” Just as the Celestial Temple here serves as Sisko’s place of contemplation away from home‚ so for many of us Deep Space Nine came to represent a special fictional abode where we found ourselves exploring fascinating questions. The show became our own wormhole of possibilities‚ which we are now free to experience‚ as Sisko does time itself‚ in whatever order we choose. When I ranked all of the post-finale DS9 books‚ Andrew J. Robinson’s confessional epic about Garak‚ A Stitch in Time‚ was one of my top picks. Without a doubt‚ the very differently-spiced The Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko‚ a thoughtful valentine to the series‚ represents another high point in this expanded universe. If this turns out to be the final in-world Star Trek autobiography‚ I’d find it a fitting conclusion to the series. And if they keep going‚ here’s my suggestion for one that could be packed with bombshell revelations: The Autobiography of Liam Boothby‚ Starfleet’s Constant Groundskeeper. Have you picked up this latest installment‚ or are you currently reading any Star Trek novels or comic books? Please let me know whatever you’re enjoying! Alvaro Zinos-Amaro is a Hugo- and Locus-award finalist who has published over fifty stories and one hundred essays‚ reviews‚ and interviews in professional markets. These include Analog‚ Lightspeed‚ Beneath Ceaseless Skies‚ Galaxy’s Edge‚ Nature‚ The Los Angeles Review of Books‚ Locus‚ Tor.com‚ Strange Horizons‚ Clarkesworld‚ The Year’s Best Science Fiction &; Fantasy‚ Cyber World‚ Nox Pareidolia‚ Multiverses: An Anthology of Alternate Realities‚ and many others. Traveler of Worlds: Conversations with Robert Silverberg was published in 2016 to critical acclaim. Being Michael Swanwick‚ out in November 2023‚ is Alvaro’s second book of interviews. His debut novel‚ Equimedian‚ is forthcoming in 2024.

Through Dec. 12‚ the “Climate!” crowd is swarming COP28‚ Dubai’s carbophobia cavalcade. (COP28 refers to the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change‚ under way in the United Arab Emirates.) The fact that these global-warming alarmists are surrounded by Earth’s deepest pools of fossil fuels makes their Hajj infinitely ironic. Also astonishing is the nearly immeasurable impact of these people’s gyrations. They blow trillions of dollars‚ bludgeon human freedom‚ and yet do shockingly little to fix their vaunted “climate crisis.” One practically needs an electron microscope to find their promised reductions in allegedly venomous carbon dioxide or supposedly lethal temperatures. According to #ActInTime’s Climate Clock high above Manhattan’s Union Square‚ humans have—at this writing—five years and 228 days until we boil to death in a cauldron of steaming carbon. Since The End is scheduled for Saturday‚ July 21‚ 2029 (mark your calendars!)‚ Big Government liberals offer jaw-droppingly paltry climate benefits‚ despite their spine-chilling predictions and unbridled interventionism. Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s proposed Clean Power Plan was a diamond-encrusted specimen of do-nothingism. According to a May 2015 analysis by their own Energy Information Agency‚ between 2015 and 2025‚ the Clean Power Plan would have slashed real gross domestic product by $993 billion‚ or an average of $39.7 billion per year. It would have sliced real disposable income by $382 billion‚ or $15.3 billion annually. It also would have chopped manufacturing shipments by $1.13 trillion‚ or $45.4 billion per year. The Energy Information Agency forecast a decrease of 0.035° Fahrenheit. This would have cranked a thermometer from 72°F way down to 71.965°. As Billy Joel once sang: “Is that all you get for your money?” Biden’s blessed Inflation Reduction Act budgeted $369 billion for green-energy projects. Goldman Sachs subsequently slapped a $1.2 trillion price tag on it. Danish environmental expert Bjorn Lomborg ran the Inflation Reduction Act through the United Nations’ climate models. “Impact of new climate legislation‚” Lomborg specified. “Unnoticeable: 0.0009°F to 0.028°F in [the year] 2100.” Impact of new climate legislationUnnoticeable: 0.0009°F to 0.028°F in 2100Why is no media describing just ??? ?????? your $369 billion will achieve?Instead‚ we're being told: "the most significant legislation in history to tackle the climate crisis" (Biden)? pic.twitter.com/FgpJBtrIE8— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) August 2‚ 2022 That would chill thermostats from 72° to 71.9991°. If we get lucky: 71.972°. Biden said on Jan. 31 that “if we don’t stay under 1.5° Celsius” or 2.7° Fahrenheit‚ “we’re going to have a real problem.” If a 0.0009°F reduction costs $369 billion‚ then Biden’s 2.7° F goal would devour—brace yourself—$1.107 quadrillion – with a Q. Source: EV Voice of the Customer Emperor Biden’s electric-vehicle decree would require that two-thirds of all new cars sold in 2032 be electric. This edict already is stalling the auto industry. Last week‚ 3‚902 U.S. car dealers from all 50 states wrote to Biden. Message: Stop tailgating! “Already‚ electric vehicles are stacking up on our lots‚” the dealers complained. “The majority of customers are simply not ready to make the change.” This chaos aside‚ Biden’s mandate would limit CO2 by 10 billion tons through 2055. Alas‚ China is expected to generate 320 billion tons of carbon in the next 32 years. So‚ Biden’s “savings” will asphyxiate in a giant Chinese carbon cloud. The Wall Street Journal’s Holman Jenkins calculates that Biden’s EV order would decrease planetary emissions by a whopping 0.18%. “The climate effect of the extravagantly expensive Biden plan will steadily approach zero‚” Jenkins anticipates. Rather than jail criminals or deport illegal aliens‚ Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul bans gas stoves and demands that gas heaters yield to electric heat pumps—never mind that her constituents freeze to death during post-blizzard blackouts. “The global effect of the costly program of compulsory electrification will be a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of less than 0.05%‚” the Empire Center for Public Policy calculates. Obama‚ Biden‚ Hochul and their comrades might respond that no single bauble will fix everything‚ and every shiny object helps. Maybe. But these four schemes alone carry an enormously high price in shredded freedom and incinerated taxpayer dollars‚ yet still leave at least 99.82% of emissions untouched. As Groundskeeper Willie of “The Simpsons” once said: “Now we’re wasting more energy than Ricky Martin’s girlfriend.” To quote another Briton‚ William Shakespeare‚ perhaps this “sound and fury‚ signifying nothing” is not about cutting emissions or curbing Earth’s temperatures. Maybe it’s designed to help liberals spend trillions of dollars to signal virtue‚ bark orders at the American people‚ and lavish taxpayers’ hard-earned cash on their politically connected pals—from the Potomac to the Persian Gulf. 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 Mind-Bogglingly Costly Green Boondoggles Leave Carbon‚ Temperatures Virtually Untouched appeared first on The Daily Signal.

After 9/11‚ leftist journalists passionately exposed the New York City Police Department doing surveillance of mosques to try to prevent violent Muslim extremism. By contrast‚ they largely yawned when it was leaked in February that the FBI‘s field office in Richmond‚ Virginia‚ discussed surveilling local Catholic churches to root out potential violent extremism from the “radical Catholics.” The Biden administration loves the narrative that white conservatives and “Christian nationalists” are the biggest domestic terrorism threat. The FBI’s Richmond office wrote an internal memo‚ titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.” They reported “high confidence” that they would find Catholic terrorism plotters. Now‚ House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan’s Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government reports the FBI relied on at least one undercover agent to develop its assessment‚ and the FBI even proposed developing sources among the Catholic clergy and church leaderships: “Not only did the FBI propose to develop sources‚ but it already interviewed a priest and choir director affiliated with a Catholic church in Richmond‚ Virginia‚ for the memorandum.” If there were an actual extremist threat—like someone wanting to bomb an abortion clinic—that would be understandable‚ but no such threat emerged. So‚ why would they be nosing around‚ interviewing priests and choir directors? Apparently‚ it was a Richmond church affiliated with the Society of St. Pius X‚ which is a breakaway traditionalist group of priests and bishops that presently has no official canonical status in the church. They can validly celebrate the Mass‚ but Catholics are discouraged from attending. The FBI claimed‚ “Richmond’s highest priority DT [domestic terrorism] subject” was a man who “self-identified” on social media as a “radical traditionalist Catholic Clerical Fascist.” No one to date has identified any violence committed by a “Catholic Clerical Fascist.” It looks like people are being monitored for their “far-right” religious and political opinions. The report said that the documents obtained by the committee’s subpoena show that “the FBI singled out Americans who are pro-life‚ pro-family‚ and support the biological basis for sex and gender distinction as potential domestic terrorists.” The two FBI employees who co-authored the memorandum later admitted to FBI internal investigators that they knew the sources cited in the memo had a political bias—leftist sources‚ including the Southern Poverty Law Center‚ The Atlantic and Salon.com. The FBI withdrew the Richmond memo from all field offices. But now‚ despite all the problems that the FBI found with the memorandum‚ Jordan’s subcommittee report notes FBI Richmond still “desires” to get this information out about “radical-traditionalist Catholics.” On Tuesday‚ Sen. Josh Hawley‚ R-Mo.‚ pressed FBI Director Christopher Wray‚ asking if Catholic choirs were now breeding grounds for terrorism. Wray claimed the FBI does not and will not investigate Americans for exercising their religious liberty. Hawley shot back that this is exactly what the Richmond memo was advocating‚ probing Catholic churches for swaggering “clerical fascists.” This is the same Justice Department who raided the home of pro-life activist Mark Houck in the fall of 2022 with a SWAT team of about 25 and pointed guns at the Houck family over an alleged violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. All Houck had done was shove an abortion-clinic volunteer who was harassing his son a year earlier‚ in 2021. Does this sound like a government that’s a good judge of who’s a violent extremist‚ or in this raid‚ did they look like the violent extremists? COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM 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 FBI’s Outrageous Probe of ‘Radical Catholics’ Included Priests‚ Choir Directors appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Taking a firm stand against what some have called one of the most severe infringements on the US constitution’s First Amendment guarantees for freedom of speech and press freedom in the country’s history‚ the New Civil Liberties Alliance has filed a lawsuit to the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas on behalf of media outlets‚ The Daily Wire and The Federalist. The lawsuit is in association with the State of Texas and its Attorney General Ken Paxton. The group accuses the US State Department of a clear violation of First Amendment rights through the funding and promoting of the development‚ testing‚ and marketing of censorship technology used to quash conservative viewpoints. We obtained a copy of the complaint for you here. Organizations such as NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index are part of the web spun by the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC) to discredit and financially weaken select American media outlets. In an attempt to redirect audiences and advertisers toward favored perspectives‚ these government-sponsored tools are employed to suppress conservative news outlets including The Daily Wire and The Federalist. The NCLA continues to combat the government’s censorship drive through this case‚ and others such as Murthy v. Missouri‚ currently awaiting judgment at the Supreme Court‚ and Dressen v. Flaherty‚ which addresses the controversial joint venture between the federal government and Stanford Internet Observatory aiming to suppress online speech posted in non-public groups. These stand as integral milestones in NCLA’s fight against government censorship‚ asserting that such governmental strategies starkly disregard the Constitution‚ which firmly establishes Americans’ First Amendment rights. In a statement to Reclaim The Net‚ Peggy Little‚ Senior Litigation Counsel of NCLA said the following: “George Orwell‚ call your office: The Disinformation Governance Board is back! Worse‚ it was here all along quietly operating out of the State Department through three presidential administrations with the admitted intent of cutting off advertising dollars and viewership from conservative media outlets. Your State Department—which may only address foreign affairs—has been secretly scheming with and funding private companies to create blacklists of conservative media outlets to defund and silence speech with which it disagrees.” A spokesperson for The Daily Wire told Reclaim The Net in a statement; “We sued the Biden administration before over its unconstitutional vaccine mandate‚ and we won. This time‚ we’re suing for our rights‚ all news organizations’ rights‚ and the constitutional guarantee of a free press that all Americans deserve.” “We will not stop until this entire corrupt edifice has been torn down‚ brick by brick‚ and every single person involved has been held accountable‚” said Mollie Hemingway‚ Editor-in-Chief of The Federalist. “I am proud to lead the fight to save Americans’ precious constitutional rights from Joe Biden’s tyrannical federal government‚” said Texas Attorney General Paxton. “The State Department’s mission to obliterate the First Amendment is completely un-American. This agency will not get away with their illegal campaign to silence citizens and publications they disagree with.” The post The State of Texas‚ The Daily Wire and The Federalist Sue the State Department Over Censorship Regime appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. In a chilling revelation that feels all too familiar‚ Apple has confirmed that governments are using push notifications for the surveillance of users — an imposition on personal freedoms and a glaring example of state overreach. This unsettling news was disclosed in response to Senator Ron Wyden’s urgent communication to the Department of Justice. Wyden highlighted that foreign officials have been pressuring technology companies for data to track smartphones via apps that send notifications. These apps‚ he noted‚ put tech companies in a pivotal role to assist in governmental monitoring of app usage. Senator Wyden urged the Department of Justice to alter or revoke any existing policies that restrict public discourse on the surveillance of push notifications. In a reaction to this‚ Apple stated to Reuters that Wyden’s letter presented them with an opportunity to divulge more information about government monitoring of push notifications. The tech giant clarified‚ “In this case‚ the federal government prohibited us from sharing any information. Now that this method has become public we are updating our transparency reporting to detail these kinds of requests.” The letter from Wyden reportedly stemmed from a “tip” about this surveillance activity. An informed source confirmed that both foreign and US agencies have been requesting metadata related to notifications from Apple and Google. This metadata has been allegedly used to link anonymous messaging app users to specific accounts on these platforms. While the source‚ speaking to Reuters‚ did not specify which governments were involved‚ they characterized them as “democracies allied to the United States” and were uncertain about the duration of these requests. “In this case‚ the federal government prohibited us from sharing any information‚” Apple said in a statement. “Now that this method has become public we are updating our transparency reporting to detail these kinds of requests.” Apple‚ meanwhile‚ has advised app developers to refrain from including sensitive data in notifications and to encrypt any data before it is incorporated into a notification payload. However‚ this relies on the developers’ initiative. Importantly‚ metadata such as the frequency and origin of notifications remains unencrypted‚ potentially offering insights into users’ app activities to those who can access this data. The news‚ which is hardly unexpected yet nonetheless deeply troubling‚ underscores the precarious path we seem to be treading‚ one that veers ominously towards policies that infringe on civil liberties. The key cog in a functioning democracy‚ our judicial system‚ and its informed oversight exists precisely to prevent such oversteps. It endows a suspected individual with the crucial right to mount a robust defense against unwarranted infiltration by the state government. Alarmingly‚ the situation at hand eerily mirrors scenarios where private entities and individuals are strong-armed into being active partners in such covert operations‚ all the while being legally bound to cryptic silence. The post Apple Reveals Governments Use App Notifications to Surveil Users appeared first on Reclaim The Net.