CENTER SQUARE—U.S. House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer launched an investigation Wednesday into allegations that Google and Meta, parent company of Facebook, censored or misrepresented content about President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. Comer, R-Ky., sent letters to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai Wednesday over the alleged censorship, which grabbed national attention after the near-fatal assassination attempt against Trump in Butler County, Pennsylvania, on July 13. How Google and Facebook handled questions and searches about the assassination attempt against Trump sparked criticism. “Specifically, Meta’s AI assistant claimed, ‘the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was a ‘fictional’ event,’ even as the chatbot ‘had plenty to say about Democratic rival Kamala Harris’ run for the White House,” Comer wrote, citing a New York Post article. “When asked if the assassination on President Trump was fictional, Meta’s bot responded that there ‘was no real assassination attempt on Donald Trump. I strive to provide accurate and reliable information, but sometimes mistakes can occur.’ The bot further added, ‘[t]o confirm, there has been no credible report or evidence of a successful or attempted assassination of Donald Trump.’” Facebook’s team also admitted that it censored the photo of a bloody Trump holding his fist in the air just after the shooting, a photo that went viral online and became a rallying point for his campaign. “This was an error,” Facebook communications director Dani Levi wrote on X about the photo. “This fact-check was initially applied to a doctored photo showing the Secret Service agents smiling, and in some cases, our systems incorrectly applied that fact-check to the real photo. This has been fixed, and we apologize for the mistake.” “Google users report that autocompleted search prompts related to the assassination attempt of President Trump produced results for failed assassination attempts of former presidents, including Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan—or even assassinations of historical figures such as Archduke Franz Ferdinand—but omitted from the list of automatically generated search suggestions the recent attempt on President Trump’s life,” Comer wrote. Google told CBS MoneyWatch that the search issues were technical “anomalies” that were unintentional and could affect anyone. Comer’s investigation is calling for documents and answers on how Google’s search and autocomplete works. Google staff briefed the committee earlier this month. “In response to preliminary staff inquiries, Google contends that the autocomplete results omitted the Trump assassination attempt due to a safety protocol concerning predicted assassination attempts of current political leaders, and Google had not yet updated the autocomplete feature to reflect that an assassination attempt of President Trump had occurred,” Comer wrote. In his letter to Meta’s Zuckerberg, Comer pointed out that the executive branch regulates the tech companies that can have bias in determining who runs the executive branch. “The Committee has long been concerned with how large technology companies leverage their businesses to influence public opinion—especially the design and use of content-moderation policies within private sector social media companies—and how company policies are shaped and influenced by Executive Branch officials,” Comer wrote in his letter to Zuckerberg. After the issues last month, Trump blasted both companies online, saying “here we go again” and calling it “rigging the election,” an apparent reference to how social media companies at the urging of the FBI censored news stories about the Hunter Biden laptop as Russian disinformation, but the laptop later was found to be real. Originally published by The Center Square. The post Oversight Panel Probes Claims of Google, Facebook Censorship of Trump Shooting appeared first on The Daily Signal.

NY Times Opinion: Hunter Biden Should Be Charged with FARA Violations

Pat Boone Wonders: Where Did America Go?

The star of a new movie about the late President Ronald Reagan is accusing Facebook of targeting the movie.  Actor Dennis Quaid and the marketers for a soon-to-be-released film Reagan accused Meta-owned Facebook of suppressing advertising and promotion of the movie. Newsweek claimedFacebook told them that it “may have been” censorship by mistake, not on purpose. Quaid, who plays Reagan in the movie, wrote in an email to Newsweek, “Facebook is once again censoring the free flow of ideas, deciding what's best for us to see and hear; only this time it's throttling advertising and promotion for my movie about Ronald Reagan.”  MRC Free Speech America Vice President Dan Schneider responded to Facebook’s censorship, “Have you noticed that these ‘mistakes’ and ‘glitches’ by the Big Tech platforms always favor the left? But these glitches aren’t always about limiting conservatives’ actions. Just the other day, Google claimed that there was a glitch that allowed Kamala Harris to attach fake headlines to the logos of media outlets, to her great benefit. The one consistent thing is that Big Tech always favors the left.”  MRC Free Speech America Director Michael Morris agreed. Morris said, “Here they go again. Notice how Big Tech's censorship mistakes invariably seem to always be in one direction: in support of the left and against the right.” The Reagan film’s digital marketing director Eric McClellan also wrote a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg citing “numerous problems” when trying to advertise Reagan on Facebook.  For instance, Newsweek explained Facebook prevented a post from being a paid ad; the post showed Quaid from the movie and a Reagan quote that read: “Don't let anyone tell you that America's best days are behind her—that the American spirit has been vanquished. We've seen it triumph too often in our lives not to believe it now.”  Facebook also reportedly issued temporary suspensions to the movie’s Facebook page for clips of Quaid talking about the film. The platform claimed the content “mentions politicians or is about sensitive issues that could influence public opinion, how people vote and may impact the outcome of an election or pending legislation.” Quaid suggested the censorship is part of a larger Facebook strategy of election interference, and asked, “Like the old Soviet Union—are we turning into a country of tech oligarchs who control the platform of groupthink to silence the individual or 'other' groups?” He added, “My challenge to Facebook is to ask if any of these tactics were used against other recent presidential biopics like Lincoln, LBJ, or Southside with You, a film about President Barack Obama, which was also released during an election year?”  Facebook reportedly gave Newsweek a vague assertion that the censorship could possibly have been a mistake. Newsmax reported that Facebook said, “This happened because our automated systems mistakenly determined that content about President Reagan required prior authorization in accordance with our policies for ads about Social Issues, Elections or Politics.” Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment and provide an equal platform for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using MRC Free Speech America’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Male jiu jitsu athlete Craig Jones forcibly kissed his female opponent ahead of an upcoming tournament, causing the woman to become upset and tell him he went too far.Jones is set to host his own star-studded jiu jitsu tournament, the Craig Jones Invitational, which he will headline with a male vs. female match against six-time world champion Gabi Garcia.'I guess Brazilians can't take a joke.'In a video posted to Instagram, Jones and Garcia went face-to-face at a weigh-in/face-off event to promote the tournament.Jones then grabbed Garcia's face with both hands and forcibly kissed her on the lips before she pushed him away. Garcia became irate and briefly chased Jones before saying, "Really?!""You're a bitch, man!" she shouted. "Craig, really? F*** you, man. You crossed the line. Crossed the line. Crossed the line," she repeated.Jones wrote on the post that the fight was canceled, stating "I guess Brazilians can't take a joke."Four hours later, the two collaborated for another Instagram post that claimed "the fight is back on."Of course, this only fueled speculation that the kiss was discussed ahead of time.The antics do not take away from the gravity of the event however, which comes with a $1 million prize for the winners of the two weight classes (over 80kg and under 80kg).The inter-gender headline event showcases Jones, a 33-year-old Australian and two-time silver medalist at the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship.Garcia is a 6'2", 38-year-old Brazilian who has fought in weight classes above 200 pounds in mixed martial arts. She has historically struggled to find worthy opponents due to her size.Garcia has also faced consistent accusations over the years about taking steroids but has never tested positive for them with any governing body.She did however test positive for a prohibited substance called clomiphene in 2013. Clomiphene was banned under the category of "hormone and metabolic modulators," according to Eastern Europe BJJ.In 2016, comedian and fight expert Joe Rogan stated bluntly that Garcia was "clearly taking male hormones" due to apparent changes in her muscle mass. Outlet Fitness and Power showcased multiple before-and-after photos of Garcia displaying her musculature in previous years.Along with Jones and Garcia in the main event, MMA Fighting reported that UFC star and jiu jitsu champion Mackenzie Dern will compete in a special match against fellow world champion Ffion Davies. Unlike the main event, both grapplers are female.Other notables include former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and two-time national wrestling champion Jason Nolf.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A congressman released a preliminary investigative report on the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump this week, in which he declared the body of the would-be assassin is "gone." The congressman also revealed an "unheard of" act committed by the FBI that he deemed an "obstruction to any following investigative effort."Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) — a member of the House Bipartisan Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump — released his preliminary investigative report, in which he noted some of the eye-opening revelations that he had uncovered during his "boots on the ground" fact-finding trip to Butler, Pennsylvania, August 4-6.'The FBI cleaned up biological evidence from the crime scene, which is unheard of. Cops don’t do that, ever.'Higgins confirmed that the shooter — Thomas Matthew Crooks — fired eight shots from the rooftop of the American Glass Research building during the Trump rally on July 13. Crooks was approximately 150 yards from the stage where Trump was delivering his campaign speech. Higgins noted that the location of the shooter "provided excellent concealment" from the northern counter-sniper team due to trees. However, the congressman noted that Crooks' location "did NOT offer excellent concealment from the southern counter-sniper team." Higgins added that the "would-be assassin perfectly positioned himself to minimize the threat of counter-fire" from the ground or the Secret Service counter-sniper teams. After Crooks fired eight shots toward the former president, a "badass" Butler SWAT operator returned fire from the ground about 100 yards away from the AGR building. The SWAT operator hit Crooks’ "rifle stock and fragged his face/neck/right shoulder area from the stock breaking up."The reported final shot that killed Crooks was fired by the U.S. Secret Service southern counter-sniper team. The purported kill shot entered the left side of the shooter's mouth area and exited the right ear area. Higgins claimed that the FBI scrubbed the crime scene of biological evidence before he could investigate the area. "The FBI cleaned up biological evidence from the crime scene, which is unheard of. Cops don’t do that, ever," Higgins wrote in his report. Higgins said he encountered another obstacle in his investigation into the Trump assassination attempt when he discovered the body of the shooter was "gone." "My effort to examine Crooks’ body on Monday, August 5, caused quite a stir and revealed a disturbing fact. … The FBI released the body for cremation 10 days after J13," the congressman stated. By July 23, "Crooks was gone," he said. "Nobody knew this until Monday, August 5, including the County Coroner, law enforcement, Sheriff, etc.," Higgins continued. "Yes, Butler County Coroner technically had legal authority over the body, but I spoke with the coroner, and he would have never released Crooks’ body to the family for cremation or burial without specific permission from the FBI.""Again, similar to releasing the crime scene and scrubbing crime scene biological evidence ... this action by the FBI can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any following investigative effort," Higgins declared. Higgins noted, "The problem with me not being able to examine the actual body is that I won’t know 100% if the coroner’s report and the autopsy report are accurate. We will actually never know. Yes, we’ll get the reports and pictures, etc, but I will not ever be able to say with certainty that those reports and pictures are accurate according to my own examination of the body."The Republican lawmaker also said that the coroner’s report and autopsy report were both a "week late" as of Aug. 5. A spokesperson with the FBI told WTAE-TV that the agency was "surprised" and "disturbed" regarding the allegations of investigation obstruction. The agency also said it was unaware that Congress wanted to hold the body for its own investigation. The spokesperson said the cleanup of biological evidence from the crime scene and the release of the shooter's body were all conducted according to FBI procedures. The spokesperson said the gunman's body was released to the family after a "detailed, coordinated effort with the coroner's office." Higgins also questioned why the Secret Service did not retrieve radios that had been set aside for them by Butler County tactical command. "The radio comms were properly and perfectly arranged during the extensive pre-mission planning," Higgins stated. "On J12, the Butler County ESU Commander personally reminded the USSS counter-sniper teams to pick up their assigned radios at the ESU Command Post RV, which was positioned according to planning at the Butler Fairgrounds, the following morning before 1100 hrs. It didn’t happen." Anthony Guglielmi — chief of communications for the U.S. Secret Service — said to WTAE-TV about the accusations made by the congressman: Inter-agency communications on July 13 will be examined during the U.S. Secret Service’s ongoing mission assurance review. The U.S. Secret Service is committed to investigating the decisions and actions of personnel related to the event in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. The U.S. Secret Service’s mission assurance review is progressing, and we are examining the processes, procedures, and factors that led to this operational failure. Any identified and substantiated violations of policy committed by our personnel will be investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility for disciplinary action. The U.S. Secret Service is committed to holding our personnel accountable to the highest professional standards.Higgins commended the Butler County tactical team’s commander and the head investigator for the Butler County DA’s office."Those gentlemen had nothing to hide, and they were 100% accommodating despite my rather intense demands on their time and resources due to the compressed schedule I was working with," Higgins said.Higgins added that local law enforcement's performance during the assassination attempt was "very professionally deployed and commanded."Higgins said he would release a "much more comprehensive" report on the assassination attempt in a few weeks."As I have said, every question will be answered, every theory explored, and every doubt erased. The American people deserve the full truth on the attempted assassination of President Trump," Higgins proclaimed. "Our investigative efforts are moving forward in good faith. The release of my preliminary investigative report is reflective of my desire to deliver transparency and reassurance to the American people."The House task force investigating the assassination attempt against former President Trump will issue a final report before Dec. 13.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

On Tuesday, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that a proposal that would make crossing the Arizona-Mexico border unlawfully a state crime will appear on the upcoming November ballot for residents.The Arizona Immigration and Border Law Enforcement Measure, Proposition 314, would allow state and local police officers to arrest and detain illegal aliens who have crossed into the United States in between ports of entry. It would also empower judges to order deportations.'Like the Texas bill, only stronger.'Additionally, it would make it a Class 2 felony — punishable by up to 10 years behind bars — to sell fentanyl to an individual that results in their death.If voters pass the proposal on November 5, the E-Verify program would be required to determine an individual's citizenship status before enrolling in financial aid or public welfare programs. Individuals who provide false information or fraudulent documents to an employer or use them to apply for public benefits could be charged with a Class 6 felony.Opponents attempted to block the proposal from appearing on the ballot, arguing that it is unrelated to immigration enforcement, the fentanyl problem, and public benefit regulations. However, a lower court rejected those claims. Critics of the measures also contended that the proposal covers more than one subject, but Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer disagreed, stating that it conforms to the single-subject rule, the Associated Press reported.Arizona Proposition 314 is similar to Texas' Senate Bill 4, which was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in December but has since been tied up in the courts due to a legal challenge from the federal government. SB4, if allowed to go into effect, would permit state and local law enforcement officers to arrest, detain, prosecute, and deport illegal aliens. Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack (R) stated that Proposition 314 “is like the Texas bill, only stronger.”Since Texas introduced the legislation, and despite the legal challenges from the Biden-Harris administration, several states, including Oklahoma, Iowa, and Louisiana, have attempted to pass similar measures. The federal government also lodged a lawsuit against Texas for installing concertina wire along the southern border to deter illegal crossings. Abbott stated that Texas has moved forward with installing additional razor wire barriers in Eagle Pass and El Paso. "Operation Lone Star engineers install more razor wire near Shelby Park," Abbott said. "Texas will continue to hold the line and bolster our border security efforts to protect Texans—and Americans—from the Biden-Harris border crisis."Meanwhile, Border Patrol agents in the El Paso sector have recently warned about an increase in attacks on agents. From October 2023 through August 9, 2024, the sector reported 66 assaults against Border Patrol officers.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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Unbelievable: Higgins' Report Reveals FBI Released Shooter's Body for Cremation Just 10 Days After J13