A law preventing government collusion with media gatekeepers will go to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk. The Florida legislature approved its 2025-2026 budget on Tuesday, which included a provision prohibiting state agencies from using funds “to contract with an advertising agency or other contractor who acts as or uses the services of media reliability and bias monitors.” The law stated that a “media bias monitor” is any contractor “whose primary or principal function is to rate or rank news and information services for the factual accuracy of their content.” The bill stipulates that the law’s application “does not include any contractor that rates media outlets for audience size, viewership, and demographic information; or that monitors media outlets for the purpose of compiling press or video clippings or aggregating news sources for the purpose of public relations and public awareness.” If signed into law, this provision would go into effect immediately but would be set to expire in 2026 at the end of the budget cycle. It is doubling down on a move by the DeSantis administration last year to ensure that government money isn’t going to biased organizations looking to censor Americans. Florida’s then-Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who now serves in the Florida legislature, announced in 2024 according to the Federalist that the governor’s office would not partner with news rating agencies that “are often rooted in political disagreements, subjective biases, and viewpoint discrimination, rather than factual inaccuracies, thereby amounting to censorship and blacklisting.” Federal agencies have been accused of working with various media gatekeeping companies to shut down dissent. For instance, The Daily Signal reported in March that the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, worked with the Global Engagement Center to “counter-propaganda” and “disinformation and COVID-19 related products.” “The Global Engagement Center along with the National Endowment for Democracy—a nonprofit almost entirely funded by the State Department—reportedly gave a combined $330,000 to the British-based nonprofit Global Disinformation Index,” The Daily Signal reported in 2023. “That organization attacks center-right news outlets, including The Daily Signal, the Washington Examiner, and the New York Post, along with Real Clear Politics (which published commentary from both the Right and Left) and a libertarian magazine, Reason.” The post Florida Bill Will Prevent Government Money Going to Media ‘Bias Monitors’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Clayton Kershaw may not have pitched Friday night, but he still made more headlines than most of his teammates. The Dodgers’ star, who happens to be an outspoken Christian, made a splash at the team’s Pride Night by putting a unique twist on Los Angeles’s gear. It was a simple but powerful statement that June will never be the same—not in Major League Baseball, and frankly, not anywhere. When the cameras first panned to Clayton in the dugout, fans were probably shocked to see number 22 donning the Dodgers’ Pride hat. But a closer look revealed that the navy blue cap had been adapted. There, next to the bright rainbow logo was Kershaw’s handwritten scrawl in metallic silver: “GEN 9:12-16.” Anyone who grabbed their Bible to investigate would have discovered these famous verses about Noah and the flood: And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (ESV) Clayton’s spiritual take on Pride lit up social media, launching hundreds of appreciative comments. Most people were thrilled with the pitcher’s attempt to reclaim one of God’s most beloved symbols. One user, who described himself as a lifelong Atlanta Braves fan, said he had every reason to hate Kershaw on the field, but he finds it impossible now. “I’m a huge fan. He’s principled and relentless in the pursuit of his convictions.” Others wondered whether he was forced to wear the hat, which would run counter to one of the biggest news stories of 2023 when the MLB discouraged teams from creating an uncomfortable situation for players. Asked whether the league would start “standardizing Pride celebrations” for all franchises, Commissioner Rob Manfred made it clear that however teams recognize June, they need to leave their athletes out of it. “We have told teams, in terms of actual uniforms, hats, bases, that we don’t think putting logos on them is a good idea just because of the desire to protect players,” he told The Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes two seasons ago. At the end of the day, Manfred said, we should not be “putting them in a position of doing something that may make them uncomfortable because of their personal views.” That was a colossal shift from the previous summer, when players were expected to put up and shut up when it came to the league’s LGBT pandering. Now, two years after the no-Pride tide in the NHL and the consumer backlash upending major brands, sports have largely reconsidered their toxic ideology.  That’s not to say that there still aren’t woke holdouts. A firestorm erupted at the Mets’ Citi Field on Friday night when the team put a Pride flag on the jumbotron during the national anthem instead of the Stars and Stripes. Fans were furious, calling for Americans to boycott the MLB. “This is a disgrace to our country,” one insisted, posting a video of the moment.  That was only mildly better than what Red Sox fans had to endure, thanks to a drag show on the concourse that made its obscene way onto the field for the opening pitch. “[D]o the Boston @RedSox not know that Dems lost the election?” one attendee wondered. “They had a drag show at Fenway Park in front of kids and celebrated men pretending to be women. These are screenshots from video from their official account!! Wtf.” On the flip side, the Texas Rangers continue to be lone rangers when it comes to Pride. For years, the team has refused to jump on the June bandwagon, while 29 out of 30 other clubs trip over themselves to embrace the rainbow tyranny. “Our long-standing commitment remains the same: To make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball—in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do—for both our fans and our employees,” the Rangers front office explained in a statement. “We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.” Even the league seems to be having a crisis of confidence about the month, surprising several people by switching out its multicolored logo on X for its standard image after a single day. Family Research Council’s Joseph Backholm said the financial collapse of Bud Light and Target should have been teachable moments. “Ultimately,” he told The Washington Stand, “they’re trying to make money—and for a long time they believed being woke was a good way to make money. Now, they appreciate the risk of being all in on the idea that men can have babies.”6 That said, he continued, “there are probably true believers within the organization making the argument that you’re basically a member of the KKK if you don’t enthusiastically support Pride. That means they’re probably trying to avoid bankruptcy and allegations of bigotry, so it’s believable that they’re trying to have it both ways.” As for Kershaw, the bold stance is entirely in keeping with the pitcher’s track record. In 2023, Clayton was one of the loudest critics of his club’s celebration of the “trans and queer” Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in 2023. In the middle of the nationwide firestorm—which included disinviting the group, only to re-invite them after LGBT activist pressure—Kershaw approached management to expedite the announcement of Faith Day. “I think we were always going to do Christian Faith Day this year, but I think the timing of our announcement was sped up,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “Picking a date and doing those different things was part of it as well. Yes, it was in response to the highlighting of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence [by the Dodgers].”  While he insisted his objections to the Sisters weren’t rooted in hate, he did make it clear, “I don’t agree with making fun of other people’s religions. It has nothing to do with anything other than that. I just don’t think that, no matter what religion you are, you should make fun of somebody else’s religion.” In a biography about the pitcher, Clayton was much more open about the controversy. “I just came to the conclusion that the Dodgers really put us in a horrible position. … And I’m all for funny and satire, but [the Sisters go] way beyond it. So I did feel like I needed to say something.” Look, he said, “I’m a sinful person, just like everyone else. … It’s not for me to condemn or judge other people. … So you treat everybody the same, and do the best I can to love other people as well as I can …” Baseball “has given [me] a huge platform,” Kershaw reiterated. “And Jesus, ultimately, is what I choose to talk about. And I think that is what God wants me to do with my life, is use that platform.”  Of course, as Backholm points out, “This is happening only a few days after Simone Biles felt the need to issue an admittedly weak apology to Riley Gaines after going after her for her commitment to fairness in women’s sports. The idea of a leftist apologizing for going after a conservative online would have been unthinkable even 24 months ago—but it’s more evidence that the American people have turned on the Left.” And, he acknowledged, “While it may be less risky for Kershaw today than it was five years ago, it’s still good. Courage and fear are always contagious, and a growing number of people are catching courage.”  Whatever backlash Kershaw’s hat created certainly didn’t affect his game. The next day, he went out and pitched seven scoreless innings. It was a clutch performance from a guy who’s been famous for his arm—but is now being applauded for something just as important: his heart.  Originally published at The Washington Stand. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Dodgers’ Kershaw Has Pitch-Perfect Response to Pride Night appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FBI Releases Evidence to Senate That China Interfered in 2020 on Biden's Behalf

Whiplash, Caught in a Whiplash: Just Like That, We're Deporting Illegal Farm and Hotel Workers Again

The European Union continues to double down on crushing free speech, and the U.S. State Department is having none of it. The State Department, which has made free speech a priority since Donald Trump took office, came to Ireland’s defense over the EU member’s decision to pull back on censorship of free speech. The EU is pressuring Ireland to implement harsh rules expanding the definition of “hate speech,” but the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) staunchly backed Ireland. The DRL posted on X on June 14, “The European Union is threatening legal action against Ireland if it does not adopt the speech rules designed by bureaucrats in Brussels, even after the Irish government dropped such legislation last year due to lack of democratic consensus.” DRL affirmed the Irish government’s decision to prioritize the people’s opinion: “The United States is deeply committed to supporting freedom of expression and national sovereignty. We support the Irish people and our shared commitment to fundamental freedoms.” Read the full blog on MRC Free Speech America’s site.

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) appeared on Tuesday’s edition of The View to promote the second season of his comedy action series Fubar, but given his stint as California governor, the cast couldn’t help but drag him into a discussion of current events. Despite Schwarzenegger’s history with the American immigration process, a couple members of the cast (one of whom was descended from slave owners) thought they had the expertise to lecture him about immigration. When asked about the current immigration debate, Schwarzenegger shared how grateful he was to be embraced by America and build a life here after emigrating from Austria. On the policy front, he called for comprehensive immigration reform to bring in more foreign workers from south of the border. A policy position supported the liberal cast of The View. Where he lost them was when he demanded that people come to America legally, follow the laws when they get here, and give back to America (Click “expand”): I just think the world of the great kind of history of immigrants in America. But the key thing also is at the same time, we got to do things legal. That is the most important thing. You have to do things legal, and those people that are doing illegal things in America and they're the foreigners, they are not smart, because, when you come to America, you're a guest and you have to behave like a guest. Like when I go to someone's house and I'm a guest, then I will do everything I can to keep things clean and to make my bed and to do everything that is the right thing to do, rather than committing a crime of being abusive or something like that. So, that doesn't really work in this country. I think the important thing is when you become an immigrant, you think about, ‘Okay, I go to America because I'm going to use America for the great opportunities America has in education, in jobs, creating a family, all of those kind of things. Then you have to think about, ‘Okay, if I get all of those things from America, then I have to give something back.’ “You have a responsibility as an immigrant to give back to America and to pay back to America and go and do something for your community for no money whatsoever. Give something back to after school programs, Special Olympics, or whatever it is, make this country a better place,” he declared, getting a resounding applause from the audience.     Talk of immigrants needing to follow America’s laws triggered moderator Whoopi Goldberg and co-host Sunny Hostin, who took it upon themselves to lecture the Austrian immigrant about immigrants. “Right but, um, don't forget, there’s 90 percent of the people who come here are trying to do the right thing,” Goldberg declared. “And a lot of what's happening right now, is people are getting snatched, who shouldn't be snatched out of the country, people who have visas, people who have all those things. So, we want all the right people. We don't want people who are doing bad stuff.” Hostin, whose family were staunch slave owners who tried to out run abolition, tried to interrupt Schwarzenegger; eventually proclaiming: “They're less likely to commit crimes…Immigrants are much less likely to commit crimes in this country than actual American-born citizens!” She had a lot of nerve trying to lecture an immigrant about immigration given that her family transported people around the globe against their will. Then again, she did once proclaim that the United States was a worse place to live than China, and that she felt more comfortable during her vacation to Ghana, Africa. Elsewhere in the show, Hostin made other foolish comments. While Hostin never missed an opportunity to call President Trump and Republicans “fascist,” she beclowned herself while decrying those who call Democrats Marxist: And I think it's very dangerous political rhetoric because experts who study this sort of political messaging, they say associating Democrats with Marxism just furthers this country's polarization and it's simply wrong. Because Marxism is advocating for a classless, communist society. No Democrat is advocating for that. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View June 17, 2025 11:08:26 a.m. Eastern (…) SUNNY HOSTIN: I think, first of all, a lot of people don't even know what Marxism is. A lot of people don't know who Karl Marx is. And it’s very – JOY BEHAR: They don't know who Groucho Marx is. HOSTIN: No, they don’t! They don’t. And I think it's very dangerous political rhetoric because experts who study this sort of political messaging, they say associating Democrats with Marxism just furthers this country's polarization and it's simply wrong. Because Marxism is advocating for a classless, communist society. No Democrat is advocating for that." (…) 11:22:21 a.m. Eastern ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER: I just think the world of the great kind of history of immigrants in America. But the key thing also is at the same time, we got to do things legal. That is the most important thing. You have to do things legal, and those people that are doing illegal things in America and they're the foreigners, they are not smart, because, when you come to America, you're a guest and you have to behave like a guest. Like when I go to someone's house and I'm a guest, then I will do everything I can to keep things clean and to make my bed and to do everything that is the right thing to do, rather than committing a crime of being abusive or something like that. [Hostin tries to interrupt] So, that doesn't really work in this country. I think the important thing is when you become an immigrant, you think about, ‘Okay, I go to America because I'm going to use America for the great opportunities America has in education, in jobs, creating a family, all of those kind of things. Then you have to think about, ‘Okay, if I get all of those things from America, then I have to give something back.’ You have a responsibility as an immigrant to give back to America and to pay back to America and go and do something for your community for no money whatsoever. Give something back to after school programs, Special Olympics, or whatever it is, make this country a better place. [Applause] WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Right but, um, don't forget, there’s 90 percent of the people who come here are trying to do the right thing. HOSTIN: They're less likely to commit crimes. GOLDBERG: And a lot of what's happening right now, is people are getting snatched, who shouldn't be snatched out of the country, people who have visas, people who have all those things. So, we want all the right people. We don't want people who are doing bad stuff. HOSTIN: But they are less likely – Immigrants are much less likely to commit crimes in this country than actual American-born citizens! GOLDBERG: Right. BEHAR: It’s true. (…)

Tuesday's episode of Morning Joe did its best to rain on yesterday's parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States Army. First up was MSNBC commentator Anand Giridharadas—a man who seemingly has on his mind a certain issue affecting some men. Of all the adjectives he might have chosen, Giridharadas called the parade "flaccid." This from the fellow who has selected as his signature look [see screencap] a rigidly erect hairdo. This man suggested Trump's inspiration for the parade was from communist China and North Korea. Fact check: False. He's long cited Bastille Day in democratic France.  Then there was Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson. He began by diminishing the size of Trump's 2024 victory, noting it was only 1.5%. Robinson ignored the fact that Trump was the first Republican in 20 years to win the popular vote, and that he swept all seven swing states. Robinson said that the margin of Trump's win didn't constitute an "overwhelming mandate for proto-fascism," which he apparently thought the parade represented. To which tens of millions of Americans would likely respond, "You're right. We didn't vote for proto-fascism. We voted for capitalism and border control."  But you do have to give Robinson full marks for syntax: not just fascism, but "proto-fascism." Dials the fright factor to 11. And finally, there was Joe Scarborough, who yet again worked in the fact that he had been a member of Congress. Noting that his former district is home to more military retirees than any other in America, Scarborough was "pretty sure" that if he still represented them, they would say that, rather than spending money on the parade, the funds should have been directed to various programs designed to support veterans. That sounds borrowed from Democrat Sen. Tammy Baldwin from his show yesterday. I'm "pretty sure" those veterans would rather have the money spent on a military parade than on, say, a "transgender opera in Colombia" funded by USAID. Don't remember Scarborough kvetching about that during Biden's tenure. While Morning Joe tried to pan the parade, other liberal voices weren't nearly so negative, among them Scarborough's MSNBC liberal colleagues Chris Hayes and Ali Velshi.   Fox News reported this exchange between the two: Hayes said that whereas Trump rallies can have "kind of a dark, malevolent energy, sometimes in them, not always, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the energy on the Mall today." Velshi agreed: "Correct. You’re really correct about that, Chris, and it’s something we were watching for. I’m just sort of surprised by the number of people who were at the front of the parade watching, cheering, and then would come and ask to take a selfie. This is a very different, this is a very different mood here." And ardent anti-Trumper Max Boot has written [emphasis added]: "My worry was that Trump would turn the Army parade into just another political pageant. Those concerns only grew when I saw how many of the spectators were wearing MAGA hats or shirts. But my apprehension began to melt away as soon as the music started to play and the soldiers began to march. Dear reader, I hope you do not think I am going soft on Trump if I tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed the entire parade." Here's the transcript. MSNBC Morning Joe 6/17/25 6:46 am EDT JONATHAN LEMIRE: And I know you were focused on what happened in Washington with the military parade. A lot of, there were a lot of concern about the images that President Trump was trying to create there, in addition to, beyond the perhaps taxpayer expenditures. But you found comforting the crowd just didn't show up.  ANAND GIRIDHARADAS: They didn't. It was a flaccid and sad parade. And after, you know, people have seen now the images of the kind of half-empty bleachers, of the officials kind of yawning and not particularly excited about their own parade that they'd ordered up.  Look, Donald Trump tried to use the United States Armed Forces as a birthday party rental company, right? He tried to throw himself a birthday using the United States Armed Forces. And what's so interesting, there were these memes that started doing the rounds of these pictures from the parade, pictures like what you're seeing, but also the actual marching, juxtaposed with pictures of military parades of the kind we know Trump likes. The kind of North Korean, Chinese marching in lockstep, thousands of people in these like square formations, the kicking going up and down, the arms going up and down.  We know that's what he wanted. And in the United States of America, he was not able to get it despite his power and being the Commander-in-Chief.  . . .  EUGENE ROBINSON: The split screen is what I thought was so fascinating, because you had on the one hand, the military parade that wasn't, there was no goose stepping, none of that. And then you had 5 million people in demonstrations around the country against what President Trump is doing.  What it brought to mind to me was a number that, that Joe Scarborough mentioned earlier, 1.5%. That was the margin between the 77 million votes that Donald Trump got and the 75 million that Kamala Harris got.  And it's not this overwhelming mandate for proto-fascism.  . . .  JOE SCARBOROUGH: My feeling is, of course, we want to always salute our men and women in uniform. My guess is, serving in a district that had more military retirees than any other district in America, my guess is they would say, you know what, use that money to help with VA benefits. Use that money to strengthen the VA instead of gutting the VA . . .  That's just generally my thought.  Again, serving in a district that had six, seven military bases and more military retirees than any district in America. I think most of those people, who obviously love the military, would look at that military parade and come to me if I were still representing them and saying, why do we have cuts at the VA? Why is Congress and the White House not keeping their promise on veterans health care, on military retirees health care? But they're running parades that cost hundreds of millions of dollars. I'm pretty sure that's what I would hear from my constituents. 

If Donald Trump's "51st state" cracks have gotten under Mark Carney's skin, he wasn't showing it when he kicked off the G7 summit Monday.Sitting next to the American president, Canada's prime minister played the consummate host, with conciliatory remarks stressing how much the participant nations have in common.'We are actively seeking to strengthen transatlantic security, particularly by becoming a participant in rearming Europe.'"All of us around this table are reinforcing our militaries and security services for the new world," he said. "But we all know that there can be no security without economic prosperity, and no prosperity without resilience. And ... that resilience comes from cooperation, cooperation that starts around this table."Two-percenterStill, Carney has lately made it clear that he'd like to place some distance between him and his tablemate. Last week, he pledged that the country would boost defense spending to the tune of an additional $9.3 billion this year in order to be less "reliant" on the protection of its big brother to the south.Carney's increase would bring Canada's defense spending in line with NATO's benchmark of 2% of GDP for the first time since NATO established the benchmark in 2006. In the last two decades, Canada has rarely exceeded 1.5% and has usually hovered around 1%.The last time Canada's defense spending met the 2% threshold was in 1987, when former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney sought to rebuild Canada’s military. At the height of the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s, Canada was spending well over 4% of its GDP on national defense.But will Canadians actually benefit from Carney’s spending spree?RELATED: Listen up, America: Everything you've been told about Canada is a lie Lillian Suwanrumpha/Dave Chan/Toronto Star/NurPhoto/Bloomberg/André Ringuette/Douglas Elbinger/Getty Images'Deep decline' In his announcement last Monday, Carney was typically vague about where the money will go, while hinting that Canada is on the market for new military allies and relationships:Canada can work towards a new international set of partnerships that are more secure, prosperous, just, and free. We can pursue deeper alliances with stable democracies who share our interests, values, principles, and history, and we can help create a new era of integration between like-minded partners that maximizes mutual support over mutual dependency.On one point, Carney was blunt: The Canadian Armed Forces are a military in deep decline. "Our military infrastructure and equipment have aged, hindering our military preparedness,” he said. “I'll give an example or two: Only one of our four submarines is seaworthy. Less than half our maritime fleet and land vehicles are operational."Continental affairSo where are these "like-minded partners" who will help Canada get back into fighting shape? Not on this side of the Atlantic. Carney has openly mused about Canada becoming a member of the European Union and contributing to its defense force, and this looks like a big step in that direction.Does this mean that Carney will join European leaders like U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in providing missiles to Ukraine for its war with Russia? Is that how he plans to spend Canadian tax dollars? It might not seem like a good deal to Canadians.Last month, however, Carney expressed his intention for Canada to join ReArm Europe, a major European defense buildup. He has also continued his predecessor Justin Trudeau's policy of sending billions of dollars in military and civil aid to Ukraine, even though the country is on the brink of defeat.Carney said:We are actively seeking to strengthen transatlantic security, particularly by becoming a participant in ReArm Europe. This will help diversify our military suppliers with reliable European partners and integrate the Canadian defense industry as full participants in 150 billion euros of Europe's rearmament program. To these ends, the Canada EU summit later this month will be more important than ever, and Canada will arrive at this summit with a plan to lead with new investments to build our strength in service of our values. This will include our support for new NATO defense industrial pledge, which will be negotiated at the NATO summit.'Blank check' from PierreAt a news conference on Monday, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre essentially gave Carney a blank check and promised his support to help the liberals achieve the military spending target.“After a decade of liberal cuts, mismanagement, and back-office bureaucracy of boondoggles and wasted money on bungled projects, our military has never been weaker," said Poilievre. "Now, more than ever, we need a strong military that will reassert our sovereignty in the north, take back control of our Arctic waters," Poilevre added, noting that he wanted to fight the increasingly woke policies that have infected Canada’s military and bring back the “warrior culture.”But he stood shoulder to shoulder with Carney on spending. “We support getting back to the 2% target as soon as possible, and we will support additional money for our military,” Poilievre said, even as he promised to ferret out “waste in bureaucracy, consultants, foreign aid, corporate welfare, and other areas.”Despite his tough talk, Poilievre admitted he had yet to see the Liberal government's budget for the increased spending.

Notorious California state Sen. Scott Wiener and a fellow Democrat have introduced legislation that would prevent members of law enforcement — from the lowliest local cops to federal immigration agents — from wearing face coverings.On Monday, Wiener of San Francisco and Assembly Public Safety Committee Chair Jesse Arreguín of Oakland introduced the No Secret Police Act, which would make wearing a mask a misdemeanor for on-duty officers."We’re seeing the rise of secret police — masked, no identifying info, even wearing army fatigues — grabbing & disappearing people. It’s antithetical to democracy & harms communities," Wiener posted to X. "The No Secret Police Act can help end the fear & chaos this behavior creates in communities."'They're being doxxed all over the place.'"What we have been seeing in the last few weeks are law enforcement — some local, some federal — who are wearing masks to completely hide their faces while they are carrying out deportation and other enforcement activities," added Arreguín, according to KABC-TV.Border czar Tom Homan has repeatedly insisted that ICE agents must wear masks to guard against doxing. "They're being doxxed all over the place," he told Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck last month. "Their pictures are being put on telephone poles in major cities. These officers are under great threat. They identify them. They put their home, they put the phone numbers or home address. It's just ridiculous."RELATED: California creeps who solicit sex from certain minors can't be charged with felony, thanks to Democrats Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesThe proposed legislation does permit some exceptions for SWAT members and those wearing medical or safety masks to protect themselves against airborne disease and wildfires that regularly rage through the state. Face shields will also be permitted for those combatting riots, so long as their faces are still visible.The New York Post noted that masked rioters on the streets of Los Angeles were caught on camera committing horrific acts of violence, including against police.However, as the No Secret Police Act notes, existing California law already prohibits wearing "a mask, false whiskers, or any personal disguise, as specified, with the purpose of evading or escaping discovery, recognition, or identification while committing a public offense, or for concealment, flight, evasion, or escape from arrest or conviction for any public offense."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The change in popes earlier this year has enlivened the international debate about the Catholic liturgy and tradition, especially about the traditional Latin mass. With Vatican deadlines approaching later this year, everyone is anxious to see what Pope Leo XIV's legacy will be.Cardinal Leo Burke recently announced his hope that the new pope would "reconsider" the recent teachings of Pope Francis, which led to "persecution from within the Church" regarding the discontinuation of the Latin mass.'Unfortunately, the current restrictions put in place by the recently deceased Pope Francis have caused confusion and hurt to the faithful who are seeking to worship the holy Trinity with the ancient liturgy and rituals.'During a conference with the Latin Mass Society, Cardinal Burke was asked what he hopes the new pope, Leo XIV, will do regarding the late Pope Francis' restrictions on the Latin Mass."It is my hope that he will put an end to the persecution of the faithful in the Church who desire to worship God according to the more ancient usage of the Roman right," Burke, over video, told the conference.Cardinal Burke signaled that he had already expressed his hopes for the future of the Latin Mass to Pope Leo XIV: "I certainly have already had occasion to express that to the Holy Father. ... It is my hope that he will restore the situation as it was after 'Summorum Pontificum' and even to continue to develop what Pope Benedict had so wisely and lovingly legislated for the Church."RELATED: Not Francis 2.0: Why Pope Leo XIV is a problem for the 'woke' agenda "Summorum Pontificum" (2007) was Pope Benedict XVI's affirmation of the traditional celebration of the holy Mass in Latin. It was later restricted by Pope Francis' own motu proprio, "Traditionis Custodes" (2021).Benedict's letter emphasized that the traditional Latin Mass and Novus Ordo were a "twofold use of one and the same rite," while Francis called for liturgical unity, limiting the extent to which the Latin Mass could be used.Pope Francis' restrictions on the Latin Mass have been met with a great deal of resistance from the faithful, yet some dioceses have insisted on obedience to this order.Many Catholics have argued against the legitimacy of "Traditionis Custodes," including liturgical scholar Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, who said in a 2021 speech at a Catholic Identity Conference, "The traditional Mass belongs to the most intimate part of the common good in the Church. Restricting it, pushing it into ghettos, and ultimately planning its demise can have no legitimacy. This law is not a law of the Church because, as St. Thomas Aquinas says, a law against the common good is no valid law."Charlotte, North Carolina, however, has become a focal point in this controversy because Bishop Michael Martin recently announced that he would expedite the change in his diocese.On May 23, Bishop Martin announced that the Latin Mass would cease to be offered by the four parishes in his diocese that celebrate it. He said the transition would be completed by the deadline of July 8, 2025. That deadline, however, is three months ahead of an existing October 2025 deadline for the transition.But in an unlikely turn of events, Bishop Martin announced on June 3 that he would push back the deadline to the Vatican's original October deadline. He cited pastoral concerns, both from parishioners and priests.“It made sense to start these changes in July when dozens of our priests will be moving to their new parishes and other assignments,” Bishop Martin told local Catholic News Herald. “That said, I want to listen to the concerns of these parishioners and their priests, and I am willing to give them more time to absorb these changes.”RELATED: Truth bomb: How Pope Leo XIV is exposing the left's greatest fear Photo by Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images“I support the letter of His Eminence, Cardinal Burke, and his attempt to bring about Catholic unity under the peaceful provisions established by Pope Benedict XVI for the traditional Latin Mass. Unfortunately, the current restrictions put in place by the recently deceased Pope Francis have caused confusion and hurt to the faithful who are seeking to worship the holy Trinity with the ancient liturgy and rituals,” Dr. Taylor R. Marshall, president of the New Saint Thomas Institute, told Blaze News.“I recently met with another cardinal in Rome who agrees with Cardinal Burke. We hope that the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, restores the generosity of Pope Benedict XVI by allowing the traditional Latin Mass to Catholics,” Dr. Marshall continued.Bishop Martin also told the local outlet that the diocese would abide by any formal instruction from the Vatican in the interim.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!