Decline of 28.8% in donations

I asked Director Wray what the FBI was doing to investigate smurfing

It's unclear why Pine was targeted

Talk about a generational talent

'Majority group'

This is Luca Arpin, better known to his neighbors as “Poopa Scoopa Luca.“ His moniker is well-earned, as the 6-year-old styled himself the neighborhood’s #1 number to call for cleaning up after dogs and cats. “People hate picking up dog poop,” said the first-grader from Warwick, Mass. Speaking with WJAR, Arpin said he has an […] The post Torn Between Volunteering and Dream of Adopting a Cat, 6-year-old Starts Poop Scooping Business appeared first on Good News Network.

News What We Do in the Shadows Trailer for the Final Season of What We Do in the Shadows Involves Corporate-Speak, Jerk-Off Machines, and Richard Nixon What is a vampire time of the month, anyway? By Molly Templeton | Published on October 4, 2024 Screenshot: FX Comment 0 Share New Share Screenshot: FX This trailer has more solid jokes than many full-fledged episodes of television. It starts with an anal speculum and ends with a raccoon-powered jerk-off machine, and in between those things expands to cover corporate life, Richard Nixon, and an astonishing ignorance of Frankenstein. In short, those of us who are behind on What We Do in the Shadows have clearly been missing out. The sixth and final season, which begins later this month, finds the gang finally waking up their old roommate Jerry (Mike O’Brien), who they accidentally let sleep for 50 years. It is not in fact 1996; sorry, Jerry. This gives everyone a bit of a complex about what they have or have not accomplished in the last 50 years, which, let’s be honest, seems like not all that many years if you’re a vampire. If you’re immortal, isn’t fifty years like the equivalent of a six-month low spell for us humans? But it is quite relatable that even those with an endless existence can suffer an existential crisis. “What is our dark purpose?” is a question I may begin to regularly ask myself. Meanwhile, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) is quite busy learning the dark arts of corporate America—with many affiliated acronyms—while Laszlo (Matt Berry) tries to Frankenstein a “lifeless vessel,” and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) sleep-hypnotizes Nandor (Kayvan Novak) into Richard Nixon. It seems like they’re keeping quite busy, actually. What We Do in the Shadows has a three-episode premiere October 21st on FX. Episodes stream on Hulu the next day.[end-mark] The post Trailer for the Final Season of <i>What We Do in the Shadows</i> Involves Corporate-Speak, Jerk-Off Machines, and Richard Nixon appeared first on Reactor.

News The Princess Diaries The Princess Diaries 3 Royally Requests the Presence of Adele Lim as Director The return to Genovia is moderately imminent By Molly Templeton | Published on October 4, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share If you are currently asking yourself, “Self, is The Princess Diaries genre?” please be assured that we are asking ourselves the same question. It involves a princess, and it takes place in a fictional country. Is that enough to count it as fantasy? Or is that, like, alternate geography? This decision may ultimately be a matter of personal taste. At any rate, the series that made Anne Hathaway a household name is at long last on the royal purple carpet to its third installment. Deadline reports that Adele Lim is on board to direct the film, which comes not-at-all-hot on the heels of the second film, which was released a solid twenty years ago. Will we still be with Princess Mia? Or are we talking The Princess Diaries: The Next Generation? The 11-volume book series certainly offers plenty of material. Written by Meg Cabot, the series follows New York City teen Mia Thermopolis, who discovers that she’s actually the princess of the imaginary European nation of Genovia. Wacky royal hijinks ensure. The movies co-starred Julie Andrews; the sequel (pictured above) introduced a very young Chris Pine as Lord Nicholas Devereaux. But not a whisper of a story has been announced—just Lim’s involvement. She’s a longtime TV producer (of everything from One Tree Hill to Reign) and one of the writers of Crazy Rich Asians, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Joy Ride—which she also directed. No production details or timeline have been announced.[end-mark] The post <i>The Princess Diaries 3</i> Royally Requests the Presence of Adele Lim as Director appeared first on Reactor.

Vice President Kamala Harris gave a speech last week to accompany the release of her 82-page economic planning document. While her words were intended to evoke optimism, the implications of the plan are troubling for America’s future. To begin with, the plan must be placed in context. The Biden-Harris administration has overseen the federal government since January 2021. President Joe Biden has faced broad public disapproval of his handling of the economy for most of that time, and Americans still view high prices and inflation as leading concerns. Rather than breaking from the Biden-Harris record, the Harris economic plan wholeheartedly embraces it. Policy_Book_Economic-OpportunityDownload Harris’ plan praises a series of legislative packages passed in 2021 and 2022 that fueled inflationary deficit spending. Some of the bills even required tiebreaking votes by Harris herself in the role of presiding officer in the Senate as vice president. Reading the economic plan makes it clear that Harris is proud of the Biden-Harris administration’s economic legacy. In worrisome fashion, the plan would tighten Washington’s grip on the economy even further. Rather than relying on businesses to create jobs with smart investments, the Harris vision involves the federal government using a combination of spending and tax credits to subsidize preferred industries. Meanwhile, she proposes to raise taxes on businesses broadly, claiming they aren’t paying their “fair share.” With tax credits in one hand and tax hikes in the other, Harris would pick winners and losers across the entire economy. The dismal track record of the Biden-Harris administration’s “investments” is plain to see. Billions of dollars in subsidies for electric vehicle charging infrastructure has yielded only a handful of stations, and a massive new broadband internet program has also had pitiful results. There are good reasons for these failures. The Biden-Harris administration loads federal programs with requirements for “equity,” “environmental justice,” and other left-wing ideological fads. That ensures that federal spending produces even less economic value than usual. Another claim—that a Harris administration would “cut red tape”—is downright laughable. Not only has the Biden-Harris administration made federal programs even more bureaucratic and complicated, but it has also unleashed a torrent of regulations that impose thousands of dollars in costs for every family. Unless and until Harris is willing to repudiate that regulatory record, any “cut red tape” claims will be hard to take seriously. Speaking of families, the Harris plan takes the same approach for households as it does for businesses; namely, subsidies and tax credits for some, higher taxes for others. A prominent example is Harris calling for $25,000 in down payment support to offset the rising cost of housing. Yet this would lead to a massive increase in demand for houses, causing prices to rise even faster. On the jobs front, the plan calls for both broad and targeted increases to the federal minimum wage. That would destroy jobs by reducing hiring and artificially accelerating automation, while also raising prices for consumers (which is to say, everyone). In addition, reversing many (or all) of the tax cuts passed in 2017 under then-President Donald Trump would stifle job-creating private investment. The Harris economic document also embraces the Biden-Harris administration’s many attempts to write off student loan debt. That’s not “forgiveness” as much as it is a transferal, since the burden is shifted from university attendees to taxpayers—who already have $35 trillion in federal debt to shoulder. In sum, the Harris plan would make Washington the center of U.S. economic life, ensuring fewer jobs, less economic growth, and higher prices. Rather than a “new way forward for the middle class,” the document is a recipe for economic stagnation and national decline. Harris’ plan would only create an “opportunity economy” for bureaucrats and her political allies. The post Harris’ Economic Plan Would Increase Federal Stranglehold on Economy appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. A legal battle has erupted between WP Engine and Automattic, along with WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, following accusations from WP Engine of extortion and an abuse of power by the defendants. This lawsuit is the climax of an ongoing dispute concerning trademark infringement and the governance of contributions to the WordPress open-source ecosystem. We obtained a copy of the lawsuit for you here. In a recent court filing in California, WP Engine has presented claims against Automattic and Mullenweg, criticizing their management of WordPress open-source projects. The filing states, “Matt Mullenweg’s conduct over the last ten days has exposed significant conflicts of interest and governance issues that, if left unchecked, threaten to destroy that trust. WP Engine has no choice but to pursue these claims to protect its people, agency partners, customers, and the broader WordPress community.” Recently, the relationship between WordPress.org, managed by Automattic, and WP Engine, a popular managed WordPress hosting provider, took a drastic turn for the worse. The dispute, which has made headlines, has led to significant disruptions for WP Engine customers and sparked conversations across the web development community. To understand why this conflict occurred, let’s explore who these entities are and the key issues at play. What is WordPress? WordPress is the world’s most popular content management system (CMS), powering over 40% of all websites. It comes in two main forms: WordPress.org: This is the open-source, self-hosted version of WordPress. Users can download the WordPress software for free and install it on their own web hosting. Since it’s open-source, it’s governed by the GNU General Public License (GPL), which means anyone can use, modify, and distribute the software freely. WordPress.com: This version is run by Automattic, a company founded by Matt Mullenweg, who also co-founded WordPress itself. WordPress.com is a hosted version of WordPress, which makes it easy for users to build a website without dealing with the technical details of hosting and maintenance. Automattic provides this service for a fee, and it’s a different offering compared to the self-hosted WordPress.org. What is WP Engine? WP Engine is a managed hosting provider specifically designed for WordPress websites. Managed hosting means that WP Engine provides specialized services like server optimization for WordPress, automated updates, and enhanced security features. This helps users focus on building their websites while WP Engine takes care of the technical aspects. However, WP Engine is not affiliated with Automattic; it’s a for-profit business providing hosting services tailored for WordPress, which has historically positioned them in a close but independent relationship with the WordPress ecosystem. Background of the Dispute The dispute between Automattic/WordPress.org and WP Engine stems from several key issues: 1. Trademark and Branding Issues Automattic has always been very protective of the WordPress trademark. While the WordPress software is open-source and free to use, the “WordPress” name itself is a trademark that cannot be freely used by other companies for commercial purposes. Automattic has insisted that commercial entities use “WP” instead of “WordPress” in their branding. This restriction aims to prevent confusion and maintain the integrity of the WordPress brand. WP Engine, in promoting its hosting services, has had disagreements with Automattic over how they reference and utilize the WordPress brand, contributing to ongoing tension. 2. Access to WordPress Resources WordPress.org offers essential resources, such as plugins, themes, and core software updates, which are freely available to users. Managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine rely on these resources to keep their customers’ websites updated and secure. Automattic has accused WP Engine of using these resources to profit without adequately contributing back to the community or helping fund the ongoing development and security improvements of WordPress. According to Automattic, WP Engine has benefitted from WordPress.org resources without giving back, which they argue is against the principles of the open-source community. 3. Security and Plugin Updates A core part of the value that WP Engine provides is ensuring that WordPress plugins and themes are always up-to-date and secure for their customers. Recently, however, WordPress.org blocked WP Engine’s servers from accessing these resources, making it impossible for WP Engine to provide automatic updates to plugins and themes for their customers. This action has left WP Engine users potentially exposed to security vulnerabilities, as they are unable to get the latest security updates for their plugins and themes through WP Engine’s automated services. The Escalation of the Conflict The situation escalated when Automattic and WP Engine exchanged mutual cease-and-desist letters. Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, publicly criticized WP Engine, going as far as to describe it as a “cancer to WordPress” due to what he viewed as WP Engine’s exploitation of WordPress’s open-source code without making meaningful contributions back to the community. He accused WP Engine of seeking to profit off WordPress without supporting the ecosystem that sustains it. In retaliation, WP Engine accused Automattic of attempting to coerce them into paying substantial sums to license the WordPress trademark. WP Engine’s lawyers claimed that Mullenweg was pursuing a “scorched earth” approach to force them into compliance. Amid the heated exchange, WordPress.org went further by banning WP Engine from accessing its servers, which affected WP Engine’s ability to provide services that relied on WordPress.org resources. Impact on WP Engine Customers This dispute has left WP Engine customers caught in the middle, facing significant disruptions: Blocked Plugin and Theme Updates: With WP Engine unable to access the official WordPress plugin and theme directories, their customers may be unable to get crucial updates. This makes their websites vulnerable to security threats, as plugins are often the target of hacking attempts when vulnerabilities are discovered. Community Reaction and Discussions of a Fork: The aggressive moves by Automattic have led to backlash in the WordPress community, with some members suggesting that a fork of WordPress may be necessary. A “fork” in open-source terms means creating a separate version of the WordPress software that is free from Automattic’s influence, allowing developers and users to continue without interference. Temporary Lifting of the Ban Facing backlash, Mullenweg announced a temporary lifting of the blocks on WP Engine’s servers until October 1, 2024. This temporary reprieve was meant to give WP Engine time to set up their own versions of the resources they previously accessed through WordPress.org, such as plugin updates and themes. The move was also seen as an effort to de-escalate the conflict, at least in the short term. The Larger Picture: Open Source and Profit The core of this dispute lies in the tension between open-source principles and commercial interests. WordPress, at its heart, is open-source and community-driven, with a model that depends on contributions from developers and companies that use it. WP Engine, as a for-profit managed hosting provider, has taken advantage of the open nature of WordPress, but Automattic argues that they haven’t done enough to give back. Automattic has also positioned itself as both a community steward and a commercial entity, leading to inevitable conflicts when enforcing trademark rules and resource access policies against competitors like WP Engine. This has raised concerns within the broader community about how much control Automattic should have over the WordPress ecosystem and whether its actions are aligned with the principles of open-source software. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Open-Source vs Profit: WP Engine Takes Automattic to Court in Power Struggle Over WordPress appeared first on Reclaim The Net.