If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. A high-level gathering at the European Parliament this Wednesday is poised to shine a spotlight on what many view as a dangerous expansion of government authority over digital expression. Billed as the first event of its kind, the conference brings together politicians, legal minds, and rights advocates from across the political spectrum to scrutinize the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping regulation that compels tech companies to remove vaguely defined content or face steep penalties. Titled “The Digital Services Act and Threats to Freedom of Expression,” the event is co-hosted by ADF International, a legal group that specializes in defending fundamental rights and features a cross-party lineup of speakers from both the EU and the United States. The DSA’s stated aim is to make the internet safer, but its broad provisions have triggered alarms among those committed to free expression. The regulation’s most contentious feature is its demand that platforms censor material deemed unlawful by individual EU states, a move that could effectively impose the harshest national restrictions across the entire bloc. “The tide is turning against the DSA,” said Croatian MEP Stephen Bartulica, one of the event’s organizers. “Pressure against the Digital Services Act is quickly building both inside and outside the European Parliament. Concern from the United States, including from their State Department and Congress, over the censorial impact of the DSA should not be ignored by the Commission, the US is a vital ally of Europe. This event will be a crucial part of continuing to build pressure on the DSA. Online censorship in Europe must be rejected. I believe in free speech, not regulated speech.” Wednesday’s panel follows a sharp rebuke from Washington, where the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor issued a public statement condemning attempts by governments to pressure US-based platforms into censorship. Their post directly criticized EU Commissioner Thierry Breton for targeting X over political content and cited international examples of state-led efforts to quash dissenting views. Paul Coleman, ADF International’s Executive Director and a seasoned free speech lawyer, emphasized the stakes: “The DSA is one of the most serious threats to online free speech in the digital age. The move towards censorship in Europe through this framework is deeply concerning and must be challenged. We cannot accept a transatlantic divide on free speech, where the US recommits to the protection of this fundamental freedom, while Europe tramples on it. Freedom of expression must be protected and upheld across the globe.” The regulatory push from Brussels has also attracted attention from US lawmakers. Congressman Jim Jordan, who leads the House Judiciary Committee, recently met with the European Commission’s Henna Virkkunen in Washington, raising further questions about the DSA’s potential overreach. Though Virkkunen later described their conversation as a “candid exchange,” the growing scrutiny from across the Atlantic suggests the debate is far from contained within EU borders. Among the speakers joining the event is French MEP Virginie Joron, who voiced concern that the DSA is being repurposed to control online narratives. “The DSA has become a tool that elites want to use to control the internet, in a desperate attempt to censor narratives that go against their narrative. This truth is becoming increasingly clear to the world. The new DSA regulation must not become a political tool. This event comes at an important moment and is a crucial step in the fight against the misapplication of this regulation.” Joron joins Bartulica and Coleman as co-host of the conference, which also features American journalist and author Rod Dreher. Known for his work exploring ideological control in modern institutions, Dreher will lend an international voice to the call for renewed protections for online discourse. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post MEPs, ADF International, and US Voices Convene to Challenge EU Censorship Law appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Democrats Don't Want to Talk About the Biggest Lie

Joe Scarborough: No Regrets, What I Saw Was 'Best Biden Ever'

Nothing's wrong with a black mayor boasting of hiring blacks for senior positions in his administration in order to look out for the interests of "our people." After all, civil rights laws are on the books only to protect "minority groups." Non-minorities being the victims of discrimination? That is the apparent position of New York Times podcaster Lulu Garcia-Navarro. She was part of Tuesday's CNN This Morning panel reacting to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's comments on his hires, and the ensuing DOJ investigation into them. Panelist Michael Warren of The Dispatch said: "I think the mayor shouldn't be talking about it sort of so casually . . .It's probably not a good way for the chief executive of the city to be talking about hiring practices in that way." Garcia-Navarro plaintively injected, "Why not?" Garcia-Navarro continued: "Part of the problem is that this DOJ is looking for these moments to make these cause celebs to talk about its main priority, which is DEI. Let's not forget that a civil rights investigation used to be about empowering minority groups, people that were discriminated against. And now what we're seeing is exactly the opposite." Question for Garcia-Navarro: isn't governmental racial discrimination wrong, no matter who is being discriminated against? The Left believes in what David Horowitz called "affirmative discrimination."  CNN didn't even get into this piece of the mayor's statement: "When you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet." Note: There were what you might call two points of light during the discussion. First, host Audie Cornish described Mayor Johnson as coming from "a very left, progressive background." Rare to hear a member of the liberal media describe anyone as far, or very, left. Usually, extremists are found only on the right. Panelist Jerusalem Demsas of The Atlantic was born in Ethiopia to Eritrean parents. She said that although the Trump Justice Department is trying to prioritize DEI investigations: "At the same time, when you ask and you poll African Americans even about affirmative action, they don't like this kind of rhetoric. They don't like the idea that what's happening is, they're being handed jobs because of their race."  Here's the transcript. CNN This Morning  5/20/25 6:32 am EDT AUDIE CORNISH: On to another DOJ investigation. They're actually now looking into the Chicago mayor's hiring process. It comes after Mayor Brandon Johnson made this statement emphasizing the race of the officials and his administration.  BRANDON JOHNSON: Budget director is a black woman. Senior advisor is a black man. And I'm laying that out because when you ask how do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business, having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone, and everyone means you have to look out for the interest of black folks because that hasn't happened, that's how we ensure long-term sustainable growth.  CORNISH: An assistant attorney general says in part, if this is happening at the top level of the mayor's administration, then what's happening at the lower levels? The group chat is back to talk about this. This is a very interesting case, because this mayor is running for reelection. So like sitting at a church, it is not an unusual place to be.  He's also a former labor organizer and he comes from that background, right? A very left, progressive background.  . . .  How do you see this? Because this is not just about Chicago. It's also about this Justice Department and how it approaches the idea of civil rights.  MICHAEL WARREN: Look, I think the mayor shouldn't be talking about it sort of so casually in this way, no matter who's in charge of the Justice Department.  CORNISH: Do you think that's because of the political atmosphere right now? Like in 2022, would you have been like, what?  WARREN: Maybe it wouldn't have been remarkable in 2022. It would have been sort of normal. But I think just as a normative matter, it's probably not a good way for the chief executive of the city to be talking about hiring practices in that way. But regardless of who's in charge at DOJ -- LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO: But why? WARREN: Well, I think he's going to bring a lot of heat from exactly what we're seeing, like this from DOJ.  But the important point I want to make is that I think this Justice Department is looking for moments like this to jump onto. They're looking for moments that are going viral online and trying to make -- GARCIA-NAVARRO: On the right. And this is part of the problem. Part of the problem is that this DOJ is looking for these moments -- WARREN: Yes. GARCIA-NAVARRO: -- to make these cause celebs to talk about its main priority, which is DEI.  Let's not forget that a civil rights investigation used to be about empowering minority groups, people that were discriminated against. And now what we're seeing is exactly the opposite. If someone actually says, I've hired black people, a black mayor saying I've hired black people, 35 percent, to I think it's 25 percent is white. It reflects actually the demographics of the city, his his administration. I just think that we should be worried about that. That is a political -- JERUSALEM DESMAS: I think both things can be true. It's clearly the case that the DOJ is trying to weaponize this because it's a political priority to make this more salient, to make this DEI thing more salient.  But at the same time, when you ask and you poll African Americans even about affirmative action, they don't like this kind of rhetoric. They don't like the idea that what's happening is, they're being handed jobs because of their race.  Not saying that's exactly what the mayor was implying, but it does kind of -- GARCIA-NAVARRO: I agree, but then punish him politically. I mean, it looks like he's going to be voted out. Why are you opening an investigation from the federal government? 

A fourth New Orleans jail escapee has been captured, but six inmates are still on the loose since 10 of them broke out of the Orleans Parish Jail on Friday.Meanwhile, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams told CNN that "I am personally afraid, not just for myself, but for my lawyers who tried the case against" still at-large escapee Derrick Groves, who was convicted of murdering two men in 2018.What's more, Williams told CNN that he found out about the jailbreak not from an official alert — but from the media.Williams prosecuted Groves, the news network said.RELATED: 'Shawshank'-style prison escape in New Orleans; 7 of 10 inmates still on the loose — and 1 is a convicted murderer Image source: Orleans Parish (La.) Sheriff's Office“These lawyers got out of town this weekend with their families out of fear of retribution and retaliation,” Williams added to CNN.Late Monday night, the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office announced that Louisiana State Police and New Orleans Police captured the fourth escapee, Gary Price, in the city. Also previously captured were Dkenan Dennis, Kendell Myles, and Robert Moody.Still on the run are Groves, Corey Boyd, Jermaine Donald, Antoine Massey, Leo Tate, and Lenton VanBuren. They're reportedly considered "armed and dangerous," and CNN said they face charges such as aggravated assault with a firearm, false imprisonment with a weapon, and murder.As Blaze News previously reported, the inmates were discovered missing during a routine 8:30 a.m. Friday head count after having escaped sometime just after midnight — which gave them about an eight-hour head start. CBS News said they likely had help from the inside.RELATED: Trump orders restoration of Alcatraz prison to lock up 'dregs of society' Sheriff Susan Hutson said the inmates pulled a sliding jail cell door off its track around 12:23 a.m. and left the jail by 1:01 a.m. after breaching a wall behind a toilet, CBS News said, adding that the toilet and bolts were removed using toiletry items, although Hutson didn't specify what the items were.Williams told CNN a number of “breakdowns” contributed to the escape. For example, shortly after midnight Friday, a corrections monitoring technician went to get food — and during that time, several inmates started yanking on a cell door.Williams added to CNN that a staff member should have been monitoring cameras in the facility in real-time: “The idea that they are saying they had to go back and look at footage is ridiculous."More from CNN:Eventually, the door broke open. The men snuck into another cell. In a matter of minutes, 10 inmates maneuvered past a metal toilet, squeezed through a small hole carved in the wall, and fled into the darkness. The inmates brought blankets to protect themselves from getting cut by barbed wire. They then scaled a fence and bolted across Interstate 10. They darted into a nearby neighborhood, ripped off their inmate clothes, and disappeared into the night.As Blaze News previously reported, inmates also scrawled obscene messages for the guards on the wall behind the toilet, CBS News said, adding that one was misspelled; it reads, "To easy, LOL."RELATED: 'Inmates escape prison' using virtual reality program — infraction rate of solitary confinement prisoners drops by 96% Image source: Orleans Parish (La.) Sheriff's Office The hole itself is one sign of the continued lapses at the facility, according to Williams. “Someone should have caught the destruction of the toilet and destruction of the wall and getting out, because that doesn’t happen in a day, does it?” Williams added to the news network. “So it was missed during the entire time that that plan was being hatched.” Williams added to CNN, “This is not just about one lunch break."The district attorney also told the news network that several hours went by before authorities notified victims and witnesses and the public of the escape: “If it happened at 1 a.m., they should have been notified at 1:30, right, because they were in harm’s way."RELATED: Reported illegal immigrant charged with murder of beloved New Orleans French Quarter tour guide The sheriff said she learned about the escape around 9 a.m. Friday — eight hours after the estimated time of the escape — and the U.S. Marshals Task Force was alerted by 9:30 a.m. What's more, Williams told CNN that he found out about the jailbreak not from an official alert — but from the media. Because the escapees may have crossed state lines, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill asked her counterparts in Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Tennessee to keep an eye out, the news network also said.Sheriff Hutson has received the lion's share of criticism, CNN reported.Democrat Louisiana state Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman said Hutson should resign and called the escape an “an alarming failure of leadership" on her part.Republican state Rep. Mike Bayham in a statement to Blaze News also blasted Hutson, saying she "has no business seeking re-election this November. New Orleans could do better randomly picking a name out of the phone book than Sheriff Hutson."However, the sheriff told CNN that she had “no plans to resign” and remains "committed to leading this office through the current crisis and continuing the long-term work of reform and public service I was elected to carry out.” Hutson added that "we have indication that these detainees received assistance in their escape from individuals inside of our department."RELATED: 'The rats are eating our marijuana; they're all high': Infested New Orleans police evidence room becoming rodent cafeteria Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Retired four-star Navy Admiral Robert Burke, formerly the Navy's second-highest ranking officer, was convicted by a federal jury Monday on felony bribery charges. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, who announced the verdict a day after instructing criminals to "run for the hills," said in a statement, "When you abuse your position and betray the public trust to line your own pockets, it undermines the confidence in the government you represent." While overseeing U.S. naval operations in Europe, Russia, and most of Africa, and commanding thousands of military personnel, Burke awarded a government contract to a company that had been told not to communicate with him. Several months later, Burke ended up with a lucrative gig and hundreds of thousands of stock options at that same company. The company — which the Department of Justice did not name but the New York Times indicated was the New York-based technology and work force training company Next Jump — provided a workforce training pilot program to a "small component of the Navy" from August 2018 through July 2019. The original indictment against Burke indicated that the company had subcontracts for this work from another company, similarly unnamed in federal court documents, via the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 'Burke made several false and misleading statements to the Navy.' According to the DOJ, the Navy scrapped its contract with the company in late 2019 and directed it not to contact Burke. Despite this directive, the company's two co-chief executives, Yongchul Kim and Meghan Messenger — who were both arrested and charged last year in connection with the scheme — allegedly emailed Burke on May 10, 2021, to propose a $20 million contract for their company to provide workforce training, despite no indication of need on the part of U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa, bids or otherwise. The trio reportedly met in Washington, D.C., in July 2021. During their meeting, Kim and Messenger agreed that Burke would use his official position in the Navy to secure a new contract for the company in exchange for a position there following his retirement, said the DOJ. The trio also apparently agreed that the second highest-ranking officer in the Navy would lean on other officers to award the company with an additional training contract, which one of Burke's co-defendants allegedly estimated to be valued at "triple digit millions." Burke commanded his staff in December 2021 to dish out a $355,000 contract to the company to train personnel under his command in Italy and Spain. Burke then championed the company after the January 2022 training session in a failed effort to get another senior admiral to award it a government contract. RELATED: Trump names Jeanine Pirro of Fox News as interim US attorney of DC after failed Ed Martin nomination Photo (left): Terry Wyatt/Getty Images; Photo (right): Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images The Justice Department indicated that in order to conceal the scheme, "Burke made several false and misleading statements to the Navy, including by falsely implying that Company A's employment discussions with Burke only began months after the contract was awarded and omitting the truth on his required government ethics disclosure forms." Several months later, Burke went to work for Next Jump at a yearly starting salary of $500,000 with the added bonus of a grant of 100,000 stock options. At the time of Burke's arrest last May, then-FBI Special Agent in Charge David Scott stated, "As a four-star admiral, Burke not only cheated U.S. taxpayers but also did a disservice to military personnel under his command." The original criminal indictment against Burke stressed that the admiral had a lawful duty not to accept any gift or other item of monetary value from any person or entity seeking official action from the Navy; not to engage in outside employment that conflicted with official government duties and responsibilities; not to participate personally and substantially in an "official capacity in any particular matter that had a direct and predictable effect on his financial interests"; and to disqualify himself from taking official action that affected financial interests of a potential employer of seeking employment. Blaze News reached out to the Pentagon for comment, which deferred to the Navy. The Navy did not respond by publication time. Next Jump similarly did not respond when pressed for comment. 'The jury was prevented from hearing the whole truth.' After a five-day trial, a federal jury found Burke guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, performing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and concealing material facts from the United States. Burke is due to be sentenced on Aug. 22 and could land up to 30 years in the slammer. Pirro said Monday, "Our office, with our law enforcement partners, will root out corruption — be it bribes or illegal contracts — and hold accountable the perpetrators, no matter what title or rank they hold." The admiral's lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said in an interview Monday that Burke plans to appeal his conviction, reported the Times. RELATED: Ex-Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez's wife convicted for her role in bribery scheme: 'Partners in crime' "They presented a tiny, tiny sliver of evidence," said Parlatore. "We do think this is a case where a wrongful conviction was obtained because the jury was prevented from hearing the whole truth." Reed Brodsky, a lawyer for Next Jump, told the Times that he expects a different outcome in the cases of Kim and Messenger, who are scheduled for trial in August. "I expect the evidence will show that Burke and others at the Navy misled Charlie and Meghan in material ways, and they're not liable for bribing the guy who lied to them," wrote Brodsky. "I think it'll be a little embarrassing for the Navy." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Some recent calls for President Trump to pardon Derek Chauvin may be inspiring those who base their entire worldview on race to take action. BlazeTV host of "Fearless" Jason Whitlock isn’t a fan, as the calls for Chauvin's pardon have resulted in what may just be rumors spreading over social media regarding the response. “And then all of a sudden there’s this news story, or alleged news story, and this is all over social media, all over Twitter or X, where we are the media, and people started tweeting out that Governor Tim Walz has started gearing and making plans for social unrest if Donald Trump pardons Derek Chauvin,” Whitlock says. However, while Whitlock worries that the calls for his pardon may incite a negative response, he is not against Chauvin being released. “Keep in mind, I think Derek Chauvin is wrongfully incarcerated, wrongfully convicted. George Floyd died of a drug overdose. Everybody with a brain that’s rational, that’s not controlled by racial idolatry, knows that. I’m for Derek Chauvin getting released from prison. I don’t think a pardon is the way to do it,” he continues. Rather, Whitlock believes a retrial and a not-guilty verdict are the way to go.“Once he beats the bogus state charges, then I think it’s easy for any president, Trump or whoever succeeds Trump, to then pardon him from the federal charges,” he explains.The calls for his pardon also follow the murder of Austin Metcalf allegedly by Karmelo Anthony, which was only the beginning of the increase in race-baiting in the past few months.“I keep saying, to connect the other dot to this, I keep saying that the Karmelo Anthony-Austin Metcalf murder, Karmelo Anthony’s murder of Austin Metcalf, that is the match that’s going to light the dynamite, or that is the match they want to use to light the dynamite to spark racial unrest and racial conflict in America,” Whitlock says.“Maybe this is part of the entire racial fatigue, ‘black fatigue’ movement, that the reason why there’s so many videos being pumped out about ‘black fatigue’ and showing all these examples of black people behaving criminally, violently, savagely, embarrassingly — maybe they’re trying to build the public will. 'We've got so much black fatigue, we’re gonna give black people some fatigue and pardon Derek Chauvin,’” he continues. “I know I sound conspiratorial, but just because I’m ahead of the conversation doesn’t mean I’m a conspiracy theorist. It just means I’m ahead of the conversation,” he adds. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

President Donald Trump made a much-needed appearance on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning as more and more House Republicans turn on the "big, beautiful bill."Trump met with the House Republican conference alongside Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who has been working around the clock to make sure reconciliation can pass. But with just two Republican votes to spare and multiple unresolved policy negotiations, the fate of the bill still remains in the balance. 'Anybody that didn't support it, as a Republican, I would consider a fool.'RELATED: Fiscal hawks send warning as 'big, beautiful bill' clears high-stakes vote: 'We have to do more to deliver'POTUS gaggles with reporters after meeting with House Rs on reconciliation. Trump says “anybody that didn’t support it, as a Republican, I would consider to be a fool.” Several House Rs remained a “no” after the meeting.@theblaze pic.twitter.com/SdV3K5x9mZ— Rebeka Zeljko (@rebekazeljko) May 20, 2025 During the meeting, Trump made it clear that he was losing his patience with Republican defectors and even suggested they should be primaried. Trump told members not to let SALT negotiations get in the way of reconciliation, even calling out Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York during the meeting. Lawler notably rejected Johnson's latest — and very generous — offer to increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000, which is a $10,000 increase from the originally proposed cap.Trump also called out fiscal hawks, specifically Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has maintained that he won't vote for the bill. However, Massie was not alone, with multiple House Republicans saying their views on the bill have not changed."Anybody that didn't support it, as a Republican, I would consider a fool," Trump told reporters after the meeting. "It's a great bill for America." RELATED: Why the GOP is so frustrated trying to negotiate with the ‘SALT Caucus’ Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesAt the same time, House Freedom Caucus members, like Republican Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Andy Harris of Maryland, still weren't persuaded by the president."We all are here to advance the agenda that the President ran on and that we all ran on," Roy said following the meeting. "I don't think the bill is exactly where it needs to be, yet. We need to extend the Trump tax cuts, but we also need to deliver on the spending restraint ... I think Congress can do a better job.""The president, I don't think, convinced enough people that the bill is adequate, the way it is," Harris said. "President called for eliminating waste, fraud, abuse in Medicaid, and we have not eliminated waste, fraud, and abuse."RELATED: Exclusive: Why Chip Roy can't support the 'big, beautiful bill': 'The swamp does what the swamp does' Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesJohnson made progress with fiscal conservatives over the weekend when the bill passed through the Budget Committee Sunday night after initially failing a vote on Friday. Leading up to the vote, Johnson met with the Republican holdouts and floated a 2026 start date for Medicaid work requirements rather than the original 2029 implementation date. As a result, four Republicans, including Roy, voted "present" and allowed the bill to advance. Trump addressed Medicaid during the meeting, telling members not to "f*** around" with the program with the exception of mitigating fraud, waste, and abuse. "The only thing we're cutting is waste, fraud, and abuse," Trump said. "We're not changing Medicaid, and we're not changing Medicare, and we're not changing Social Security.”Although Republican defectors seem to be digging their heels in, Trump remained optimistic about the future of his bill. "I think we're in good shape," Trump told reporters. "This was a meeting of love. There is great unity in that room." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The creators of Blades of Fire have played a lot of videogames. Developer Mercurysteam has spent a decade-plus working on classic series like Castlevania and Metroid. As might befit that pedigree, its latest effort is a bone-deep rethinking of action RPG trends. From moment to moment, Blades of Fire plays unlike anything else. The God of War and Dark Souls influence is apparent, but the game also has subtler inspirations. The swinging positionality of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, for one, and the gonzo action and stilted earnestness of Dragon's Dogma for another. In an era of perfunctory crafting systems, Blades of Fire's crafting alters every swing of every sword. However, despite its relentless cleverness, it can't help but feel mundane and overdrawn. It lacks the verve of the genre's best because it is so focused on its influences, resulting in a game that can feel lifeless and self-conscious. Blades of Fire might be a weird original, but it's never quite weird enough. Continue reading Blades of Fire review - brutal action RPG can't get weird enough MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Blades of Fire review, Best RPGs, Best new PC games

BRO. NO. Eric Swalwell Learns the HARD WAY Threatening the Trump Admin Over LaMonica McIver Is NOT Smart