A host on liberal MSNBC claimed that teaching students the Bible off-campus during school hours would make thema part of what she called the Church of Trump and help determine what happens at the ballot box.Alex Wagners remarks came in the most recent in a series of three reports over the past two weeks on MSNBC and/or parent company NBC onthe nonprofit LifeWise Academy‚ whose buses pick up some 30‚000 students across the country during the school weekand take them to an affiliated church or other off-campus religious institution‚ presents them with Bible lessons‚ then returns them to their schools.The three news and/or commentary pieceswere critical‚ to varying degrees‚ of the nonprofit for supposedly blurring the lines of church and state‚ with one claiming that LifeWise has become a tool of the Right to turn liberal‚ Democrat-runcities more conservative.In the most recent piece‚ Wagner even sought to link LifeWise to former President Donald Trump.The left-leaning host said that Trump has managed to turn his Christian followers into politically pious voters‚ members of the Church of Trump.The connection of Trump to the Bible-teaching nonprofit‚ Wagner claimed‚ lies in that LifeWise influences the minds of public school kids in progressive cities like Columbus [in Ohio]. She went so far as to say the Bible program would determine what happens at the ballot box.Neither MSNBC nor NBC responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.LifeWises practices might surprise some‚ but theyre entirely legal in the United States‚ says Joel Penton‚ the nonprofits founder and CEO.The Supreme Court‚ in a 1952 case‚ Zorach v. Clauson‚ permitted New York City students to leave their classrooms for religious instruction. Since that case is largely unknown‚ Penton says‚ many parents are often surprised when offered the option of midday Bible lessons for their children. Parents often assume that the government has full control over their childs school day.I know what people are feeling‚ Penton said. Theyre feeling that the school owns that timethe state owns the time of 8 a.m. [to] 3 p.m.‚ or whatever the school day is‚ and thats just not true.Currently‚ LifeWise serves 323 schools in 12 states‚ totaling about 30‚000 K-12 students‚ Penton said in a recent phone interview.The nonprofit founder says that LifeWise serves students in 12 states‚ from kindergarten through 12th grade. Some 250 of the programs serve elementary schools‚ a majority of the total.Theres no charge for participation in LifeWise‚ Penton said‚ for either school systems or the student participants.We want to make the Bible available to all of them [students]. And thats what weve been trying to build‚ a plug-and-play program any community can implement‚ he said. Forthcoming programs are set for schools in Washington state and even California‚ in a Los Angeles County school.He said he hopes to have LifeWise operating in at least 20 states and 500 schools by this fall.The post K-12 Bible Lessons Program Akin to Proselytizing for Church of Trump‚ MSNBC Host Claims appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Democrat-run city of Denver plans to defund its Police Department to pay for illegal immigrants.Colorados capital‚ commonly referred to as a sanctuary city‚announcedWednesday that it will spend $89.9 million on services for incoming illegal migrants‚ pulling some funding from roughly $45 million in public programs and services. The Denver Police Department will be hit with a reduction of $8.4 million about 1.9% of its total operating budget‚ the city confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.Denver became the top destination per capita for incoming illegal aliens in 2023‚ having had more than 40‚000 arrive that year alone to put the total population of illegal immigrants at roughly 710‚000‚according to NBC News. Last year‚ Denver spentover $42 million in housing and medical services for the migrants and plans to spend over $100 million on similar costs this year.The Denver Fire Department also will suffer a $2.5 million reduction‚ or about 0.8% of its total operating costs‚ according to the city. Half of those reductions will come from vacant positions.Today‚ we shared a new budget and a more sustainable newcomer program.Proud of our city for welcoming those most in need. Proud of our city teams who found ways to minimize budget without major impacts. More on this announcement: https://t.co/ULGYHfPJFn pic.twitter.com/AErsLXhvTr Mayor Mike Johnston (@MikeJohnstonCO) April 11‚ 2024Denver wont stop recruiting classes for new police officers or firefighters‚ but at least one class will have to be conducted at the Denver International Airport‚ which is paying for the cost of hosting it‚according to 9 News. The citys 911 operators also will have to be paid differently to save money.Mayor [Mike] Johnston and the city has invested to add 167 new police recruits to our force in 2024. This puts us on the path to meet the full authorized strength of the Police Department and improve our ability to respond to 911 calls and follow up on investigations across the city‚ Johnstons office told the Daily Caller News Foundation.One of the most severe cuts will come from the Democrat mayors office‚ which will lose about $335‚155 in funding‚ or about 9.6% of its operating budget‚ according to 9 News. Among other budget cuts: reductions of 2.2% to the Sheriffs Department; 1.9% to the Department of Public Health and Environment; 2.4% to the office of Executive Director of Public Safety Armando Saldate III; and 3.8% to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure‚according to Fox 31 Denver.Johnston‚ a Democrat‚ celebrated the new plan Wednesday‚ contending that it was the best optionavailable to provide services to illegal aliens while also mitigating budget cuts. He called the illegal immigrants newcomers.After more than a year of facing this crisis together‚ Denver finally has a sustainable plan for treating our newcomers with dignity while avoiding the worst cuts to city services‚ Johnston said. So many times we were told that we couldnt be compassionate while still being fiscally responsible. Today is proof that our hardest challenges are still solvable‚ and that together we are the ones who will solve them.Over 15‚000 illegal aliens have flooded into Denver since May 2023 as aresultof Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts effort to transport illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities such as New York‚ Chicago‚ and Denver. The Lone Star State sits at theepicenterof the illegal immigration crisis.More broadly‚ illegal immigration in cities and states across the U.S. hassurgedunder the Biden administration. Federal agents encountered roughly 1.6 million illegal aliens at the northern and southern borders in fiscal year 2021‚ over 2 million in fiscal 2023‚ and roughly 1 million in the first five months of fiscal 2024‚according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data.Originally published by the Daily Signal News FoundationThe post Denver Set to Defund Police‚ Firefighters to Pay for Illegal Aliens appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The home and design reality show‚ Fixer Upper‚ launched the careers of Joanna Gaines and her husband Chip. The couple influenced the housing market‚ built a business empire with their lifestyle and home brand Magnolia‚ and brought more tourism to their town of Waco‚ Texas. Joanna has stood out for her positive attitude‚ being a stand-out mother and wife‚ and influencing the general public to fall...Source

If you';re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net.The Switzerland-based firm‚ Proton‚ known for its focus on privacy‚ has made a key addition to its suite of applications by acquiring the note-taking app Standard Notes. Originally founded in 2017‚ Standard Notes has since been offering its users an equally robust privacy promise through the use of end-to-end encryption (E2EE).The acquisition was announced in a press statement where Proton stressed the shared values that aligned both firms. These fundamental business principles include not only the use of E2EE‚ but also a commitment to open-source technology. Both companies have notably managed their growth independently of venture capital. E2EE ensures that service providers do not have access to encryption keys and cannot decrypt user data offering users the gold standard in digital security.Through the integration of Standard Notes into its app ecosystem‚ Proton is set to enhance its reach among an already engaged community of privacy-conscious users. This acquisition provides additional cross-selling opportunities‚ enhancing the overall utility of Protons suite of apps with the much-needed note-taking feature.Protons robust security promise characterized by E2EE has been widely applied across its product range‚ which encompasses email‚ calendar‚ cloud storage‚ and a VPN service. Despite these comprehensive offerings‚ Proton lacked a dedicated note-taking app‚ a gap that is now being filled by the adoption of Standard Notes.Proton assured that Standard Notes‚ accessible on both mobile and desktop platforms‚ will maintain its open-source nature and will continue to be fully supported. The company also stated that Standard Notes current pricing would remain unchanged‚ and pledged to honor any existing five-year subscription plans.Notably‚ this marks only the second acquisition for Proton since its inception in 2014‚ reaffirming the companys focus on in-house product development. The first acquisition was email alias startup SimpleLogin in 2022.The post Privacy Company Proton Acquires Standard Notes appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you';re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net.The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has delivered an enforcement notice to Uniswap‚ a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange.Known as a Wells notice‚ the enforcement wrangle points toward a future legal dispute between the regulatory body and Uniswap‚ reflecting its reputation as a precursor to enforcement actions.The enforcement notice is seen as a move against decentralized finance (DeFi) for several reasons. First‚ this action signifies increased regulatory scrutiny on DeFi platforms‚ which fundamentally operate on principles of decentralization and less regulatory oversight. The SECs focus on Uniswap‚ particularly on issues surrounding the classification of its native token UNI and its operation as a potential unregistered securities market‚ suggests an attempt to apply traditional financial regulatory frameworks to DeFi.Related:An introduction to decentralized financeDeFi platforms like Uniswap offer an alternative to traditional financial systems by enabling financial transactions without central intermediaries‚ using blockchain technology. This enforcement notice challenges the very nature of such platforms‚ potentially leading to stricter regulations that could limit their decentralized nature.Uniswaps leadership‚ viewing this as an attack on the broader DeFi space‚ indicates a perceived threat to the industrys future‚ especially if tokens and platforms are subjected to traditional securities laws. This scenario could lead to increased compliance costs and operational changes for DeFi entities‚ impacting their decentralized and open nature. The situation illustrates a growing tension between the evolving DeFi sector and traditional regulatory frameworks‚ which could shape the future of blockchain-based financial systems.Hayden Adams‚ Uniswaps CEO‚ publicly responded to the enforcement notice‚ illustrating his readiness to combat the SECs intent and expressing his disappointment and annoyance. The companys Chief Legal Officer‚ Marvin Ammori‚ and COO Mary-Catherine Lader‚ reaffirmed this stance in a press briefing. They underscored that the SECs indications were pivoted around Uniswap operating as an unascertained securities agent and unregistered securities market‚ without certainty about whether UNI‚ Uniswaps native token‚ was identified in the notice as a potential security.Ammori confidently stated the belief that Uniswap can successfully combat the SECs charges based on a precedent set by the ruling in the SECs dispute with Coinbase. This ruling declared that Coinbase Wallet doesnt fit the broker definition‚ which is a positive indicator of Uniswaps potential for defending similar charges. He disputed the SECs categorization of Uniswap as an exchange‚ asserting that the entity diverges from the SECs current definition.Adams was forthcoming about his contentious stance against the SEC‚ asserting his assuredness about the legality of Uniswaps offerings and its alignment with positive progression.The post SEC Moves Against Decentralized Finance‚ Targets Uniswap appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you';re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net.The largest US bank‚ and the worlds largest by capitalization‚ JP Morgan Chase‚ is going forward with another way to monetize their clients by giving access to their spending data to be used for targeted ads.One would have thought that something of the kind was already in full swing. But given the glacial speed at which giant financial institutions move when it comes to introducing any new features‚ its perhaps not entirely surprising that only now‚ Chase is allowing businesses to make ad money directly off of the data belonging by the banks 80 million customers.To make this possible‚ a platform called Chase Media Solutions is now available to brands who want to utilize transaction data the bank harvests from customers‚ to fine tune campaigns‚ such as personalized offers and incentives.Customers of massive banks are now apparently treated as no more than a commodity otherwise why would Chase feel confident in marketing its platform as an at scale solution for brands. According to reports‚ that would be about six million small businesses‚ also the banks clients.It doesnt help matters that the financial institutions pitch to businesses says that the differentiating factor between just any bank‚ and a behemoth like Chase is the unrivaled scale and insights from our customers having long-served as a trusted guide for their financial decisions.The first part of the statement is difficult‚ if not impossible to argue against but what about the latter? What happens to that trust once clients realize their data is being re-monetized in this particular way?After all‚ everybody loves the experience of being targeted by ads based on their personal information. /sOn top of that‚ it might hit a little different when its coming from YouTube‚ etc. as opposed to your bank.Still‚ Chase is‚ pun intended‚ banking on the appeal of it all‚ and all this is not happening haphazardly. Two years ago JPMorgan Chase &;amp; Co. bought and integrated Figg‚ which is said to be a leading card-linked marketing platform.Meanwhile‚ whats known as retail media is an industry now valued at $61 billion‚ and projected to grow 10% per year over the next two years.So its clear whats in it for Chase‚ and its business clients. Not so clear‚ though‚ how ordinary ad-targeted clients benefit.The post JP Morgan Chase Cashes in on Customer Data appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you';re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net.The US State Department has made moves to utilize eSports as a tool in their fight against so-called misinformation in Ukraine‚ as evidenced by a recent grant listing.The plan involves training Ukrainians in competitive video gaming while concurrently enhancing their skills in counteracting foreign propaganda and disinformation within these online gaming spaces.This new agenda seemingly fits into a broader strategy implemented since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. The State Department‚ under his leadership‚ has increasingly focused on tackling perceived disinformation‚ resorting in some instances to funding entities known for censorship pressure.Interestingly‚ funding pro-censorship bodies has been a previously employed strategy by the State Department to quell disinformation. Case in point is the Global Disinformation Index (GDI)‚ a UK-based entity. The GDI ran a blacklist that guides advertising companies on which news outlets allegedly dispense disinformation‚ thereby suggesting withholding of ad revenues from such platforms. News outlets that have previously fallen victim to such categorization by GDI include high-profile entities such as the New York Post.Meanwhile‚ as first noticed by The Daily Caller‚ the grant listing is bereft of explicit details on how Ukrainians developing video gaming skills will be instrumental in battling disinformation.Nonetheless‚ the initiative expects to harness the widespread acceptance and reach of video games in Eastern Europe as a combined approach to form an eSports program‚ whose aspirations match those of the grant program. Traditionally‚ eSports refers to multiplayer gaming competitions that attract professional gamers and sizable viewing audiences.The fundings end product will be a gaming tournament‚ having first offered federally funded professional training to Ukrainian eSports athletes. This training is expected to create a reservoir of skilled gamers ready for engagement by local professional teams.The expenditure on the Ukrainian-based eSports initiative‚ aimed (among other things) at battling disinformation‚ will be $250‚000‚ as per the grant listing.The post State Department Wants To Use Video Games To Tackle Ukraine Disinformation appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you';re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net.Sign Up To Keep ReadingThis post is for Reclaim The Net supporters.Gain access to the entire archive of features and supporters-only content.Help protect free speech‚ freedom from surveillance‚ and digital civil liberties.JoinAlready a supporter? Login hereThe post An Open‚ Interoperable Alternative to Big Techs Algorithms and Walled Gardens appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

When the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Co. launched the Pony Express on April 3‚ 1860‚ fanfare for the new express mail service made newspaper headlines from New York to San Francisco. The cheers came loudest from California where proponents hailed its commencement as a vital step forward in linking the Far West with the rest of the country. The advertised delivery time between St. Joseph‚ Mo.‚ and Sacramento‚ Calif. was 10 days‚ accomplished by a fast-horse relay. Way stations spaced 10 to 20 miles apart provided couriers with fresh horses‚ enabling them to carry the mail across the West at the speed of a galloping horse. And thats nearly the way it shook out. A Bureau of Land Management signpost in Nevada denotes the trace of the original mail route.The Pony Express was the greatest display of American horsemanship ever to color the pages of a history book‚ but it was short-lived. Each of the nearly 190 stations had to be stocked with horses‚ provisions and stock tenders. Fifteen of the stations had no viable water source; water for the horses and the men looking after them had to be hauled in by mule-drawn wagons. The mail ran twice weekly‚ both eastbound and westbound‚ and after a year in operation it was eating up $5 for every $1 that it earned. It was prohibitively expensive‚ and on Oct. 26‚ 1861‚ the Pony Express hung up its spurs. But it cast a long shadow. As author William Banning wrote about that era in his 1928 book Six Horses‚ A more glamorous contribution to our historic West than that of this ephemeral Pony would be difficult to name. In 1860 and 61‚ the Pony Express provided a connection between the East and the West. In 2019 the route afforded a way for me to connect the modern West and its recent history‚ presenting a roughly 2‚000-mile avenue between past and present. Ive been a horseman since I was old enough to know the term‚ and I decided the only way for me to see the country was from the back of a horse. On a personal level‚ I wanted to meet the people who lived along the trail‚ to fill in the map‚ and to do it slowly. Whereas the riders of the Pony Express compassed the same distance in 10 days‚ Id spend all summer in the saddle. Doing so‚ I reckoned‚ would give me an end-to-end perspective of the West‚ a thorough look at all the country between Missouri and California. And so‚ on May 5‚ with two good horses‚ Chicken Fry and Badger‚ I pulled out of St. Joseph‚ bound for Sacramento. What ensued was an intimate grittiness. I camped at old Pony Express stations‚ in farmers yards and ranchers pastures‚ and in desert valleys so dry and quiet that dawn broke like a pistol shot over the salt pans. I wore out my boots and my shirt and half a dozen pairs of wool socks‚ but I did not wear out my horses. On September 22‚ when I arrived at the base of the bronze statue of a Pony Express rider on the Old Sacramento waterfront‚ their eyes were bright and their coats shiny‚ and though both were trail-weary‚ neither horse was diminished for the journey. The Last Ride of the Pony Express is the story of who I met‚ what I saw and what I learned by crossing the West by horseback.In 1860 the eastern terminus of the Pony Express route‚ in St.Joseph‚ Mo.‚ was this building housing the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Co. stables. The building sits on the east bank of the Missouri River‚ and on receiving their mail pouches‚ riders would ferry their horses across the river to Kansas. Today the stables house the Pony Express National Museum‚ which was the jumping-off point for the authors trek.The unwavering average speed of travel for the author and his horses was 3 mph. Will‚ Chicken Fry (on which Grant is riding in this photo) and Badger covered 20 to 25 miles per day and never moved faster than a walk. The goal was to travel four consecutive days and then take a day of rest‚ though weather and many unforeseen factors changed that. Initially‚ the horses rotated between the packhorse and the saddle horse‚ but as they became more physically fit‚ their backs changed‚ and the packsaddle ceased to fit Badger. Thus‚ from western Nebraska onward Chicken Fry only served as the saddle horse in adverse circumstances. The Hollenberg Pony Express Station‚ in the northeast Kansas town of Hanover‚ serves as a museum. According to its interpretive signs‚ the riders slept in the attic‚ and meals were served on the main floor. The station was also a popular stopover for stagecoach passengers and settlers traveling both west and east.The author found the Great Salt Lake Desert‚ in western Utah‚ to be an austere environment in early August. The salt pans and alkali flats taxed and slowed the infamous Donner Party such that it later became trapped in the Sierra Nevada in winter and resorted to cannibalism. Calculating distances between stops and obtaining permission to camp on private land were unending chores. In addition to digital maps on his mobile phone‚ the author carried pages cut from an atlas to ensure navigation was possible when the phone batteries ran down. A National Historic Trail sign in western Utah stands beside the dirt byway known today as the Pony Express Road. The original trail‚ which appears as a faint scar in the sagebrush‚ runs parallel to the present-day road.A barn quilt on display at a ranch in Glenrock‚ Wyo.‚ reflects the enthusiasm for preservation of the Pony Express shown by private landowners and conservationists all along the trail between Missouri and California.The pathway along the Tri County Supply Canal‚ in Lincoln County‚ Neb.‚ provided a respite from busy highways and country roads. The heavy rainfall of 2019 meant that finding pasturage for the horses was easy‚ though the authors leather boots were often wet for days at a time.When the trio arrived at the drive-through window of this McDonalds in Torrington‚ Wyo.‚ the young women on shift happily provided the horses with sliced apples. Chicken Fry navigated the situation as though he had previously picked up fast food. After 142 days on the trail the author pulled up his horses before the bronze statue of a Pony Express rider at the Old Sacramento waterfront. The horses made the journey without injury or sickness‚ while the author suffered only minimal bloodshed.

A Labrador Retriever in Taiwan failed to become a drug-sniffing dog. Now‚ he is helping find quake victims after the country suffered a devastating 7.4-magnitude earthquake earlier this month.