'They depict cowards'

Another Classic DoD Equation: LAB-GROWN MEAT + US Troops = Captive Guinea Pigs Again

Los Angeles officials applauded the decision to do away with street signs that they say were remnants of bigotry and discrimination against the gay community in the nineties. City officials had set up signs in 1997 against cruising and U-turns in the Silver Lake neighborhood of L.A. after residents complained about gay men cruising for romantic partners near some popular gay bars. 'An opportunity for the LGBT community to try to find human connection and intimacy.' The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council first voted to take down the "No Cruising" signs in 2011, but the "No U-Turn" signs continued to spew forth bigotry for another 13 years. The impetus for their removal was a podcast. Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman said that she was alerted to the sign's hateful presence by a constituent who heard about their history on a podcast. “The podcast mentioned that there had been 'No Cruising' signs along Hyperion that had been removed in 2011, but that nine signs still remained on Griffith Park Boulevard,” Raman said. “Our very own Silver Lake constituent, Donovan Daughtry, heard the episode, and in May of 2022 he reached out to our Silver Lake Field Deputy at the time.”Raman said it took months to work through the bureaucracy to take down the signs of hate. “For me, growing up in South Central Los Angeles, cruising had a very different meaning. It usually meant folks in their lowriders or their cars, a lot of hip-hop music, just going up down Crenshaw Boulevard,” said Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who helped with the campaign. “But here in Silver Lake, cruising, of course, meant something very different. It meant an opportunity for the LGBT community to try to find human connection and intimacy and to be able to express themselves in a society at the time that was not very welcoming to the LGBT community.”Video from the removal ceremony included Pickle, a drag queen, who joined city officials. “I was unaware of those signs and never would have found [them],” said the drag performer. “The last two no U-Turn signs remind us of that troubled past that we have here in this neighborhood,” said Soto-Martinez. Some on the right mocked the removal ceremony and were then immediately accused of homophobia. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Catholic private school expelled three students from the same family after their 13-year-old tried to give a Trump-themed speech about patriotism. Officials at St. Bonaventure Catholic School in Huntington Beach, California, said that Jimmy Heyward refused to follow their demands when he submitted a video of a speech for a school election. He was running for "commissioner of patriotism and school spirit," according to his speech. 'I will make spirit great again. I will make SBS great again.' Heyward employed imagery and verbiage referencing elements from the presidential campaign for former President Donald Trump. "My love for America is my motivation for running for commissioner of patriotism and school spirit," said Heyward in the video. "I will make spirit great again. I will make SBS great again." He expected to present the speech to the other students in May when the principal of the school asked him to delete the portions of the speech about patriotism. Heyward refused. "I didn't remove the patriotic part of the speech, that's the most important part. I'm not removing it," he explained in an interview to KTTV-TV. He says that he was not allowed to present his speech and instead was forced to sit while other students read their speeches. "That was humiliating," he said. Then, the school notified the family that he and his two sisters at the school would be expelled. Hattie Ruggles told KTTV that there was a bright side to her children having to find a new school in the Fall. "Seeing how they just kind of wrote us off and thrown the girls in with it as well, I don't think that's a good environment to be sending my children to," she said. 'We've just told the truth from day one, Jimmy's truth. And that's it. We're not smearing anything.' The school said in their letter that the family had acted contrary to their Christian code of conduct by "smear campaign against the school and the administration" that included a petition to fire the principal of the school. Ruggles denies the accusation from the private school. "We've just told the truth from day one, Jimmy's truth," she explained. "And that's it. We're not smearing anything." The family said they got a notification from the school that the principal would also not be returning for the next school season. The school issued a statement about the controversy on Thursday. As a matter of campus policy, we do not comment on private student or family matters. However, St. Bonaventure Catholic School remains committed to the principles outlined in our Christian Code of Conduct and Parent Handbook. To that end, we expect all parents and students to uphold these standards, which are crucial to developing a respectful and supportive school community for all. We will continue our Christ-centered, faith-based mission of fostering an environment where every student can thrive spiritually and academically.The boy's entire speech and the principal's editing request were obtained and published by KTTV. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, indicated in a statement that she is "making good progress" and will continue undergoing treatment for several months."I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days. On those bad days you feel weak, tired and you have to give in to your body resting. But on the good days, when you feel stronger, you want to make the most of feeling well," she noted. "My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months. On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home."'The Princess of Wales' statement will be especially meaningful to those who are fighting cancer and for their families.'"I'm looking forward to attending The King’s Birthday Parade this weekend with my family and hope to join a few public engagements over the summer, but equally knowing I am not out of the woods yet," the princess noted.U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded to the princess's statement, noting, "The Princess of Wales' statement will be especially meaningful to those who are fighting cancer and for their families. They will recognise the same struggle in her words and draw hope and inspiration from her strength. I'm delighted she will be in attendance for His Majesty's Birthday Parade and I know the whole country is behind her."In a video earlier this year, Catherine said that after she had undergone abdominal surgery it was discovered that "cancer had been present." She said in the video that "preventative chemotherapy" was recommended and that she was "in the early stages of that treatment."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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Apple introduced a variety of new features to its Messages app at WWDC this week. With iOS 18 - slated to arrive this coming September - iPhone users will finally be able to schedule texts and enjoy more expansive tapback options. On top of that, one of the more intriguing and exciting new Messages features is that iPhone users can leverage satellite coverage and send texts even without a cellular and Wi-Fi connection. Now that WWDC is wrapping up, we've gleaned a few more details about how the feature works. Of course, the underlying technology is no different from Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite, which enables iPhone 14 users and above to contact emergency services when outside of range. For those unfamiliar, Emergency SOS via satellite is a free service Apple provides to new iPhone users for 2 years post-activation. Earlier this week, CNET got a hands-on look at the new iOS 18 feature with Kurt Knight, Apple's Senior Director of World Wide Product Marketing. Knight relayed that all messages sent via satellite are end-to-end encrypted. "It is just like using iMessage that you're used to, super easy," Knight said. "We have a custom protocol so that this is still end-to-end encrypted. We had to do extra work to make the [data] packets extra small because you need to be really efficient sending things up to space and back." Apple added some limitations As for keeping the data transmissions manageable, Apple instituted a few guardrails to ensure the service runs smoothly for everyone. For instance, iPhone users can rely on the feature to send text messages to anyone. Similarly, incoming texts from iPhone users will come in without a problem. However, non-iPhone users can't initiate an SMS conversation to a device linked up to a satellite unless they are a designated emergency contact or family member. Of course, SMS messages from non-iPhone users will go through if the conversation was previously started by the iPhone user. Additionally, the new feature doesn't support the transmission of photos or video. It also doesn't work with group chats. Also of note is that recipients will receive an alert indicating that an incoming message was sent via satellite. With respect to sending messages, when your iPhone finds itself disconnected from Wi-Fi and cellular networks, the phone will go into SOS mode, whereupon users can activate Messages via satellite either from the lock screen or directly from within the Messages app. To ensure a smooth connection, Apple advises users to engage with the feature as follows: Be outside with a clear view of the sky and the horizon. Be aware that trees with light foliage might slow down the connection. Dense foliage, hills or mountains, canyons, and tall structures might block the connection. Hold your iPhone naturally in your hand. You don't need to raise your arm or hold your phone up, but don't put it in a pocket or backpack. If you need to turn left or right or move to avoid a blocked signal, your iPhone provides onscreen instructions. The satellite connection can be maintained even if your phone screen is locked. Satellite connectivity might not work in places above 62° latitude, such as northern parts of Alaska. Expect the service to be a tad slow As you might expect, communication via satellite will be slower than traditional connections. Apple advises that sent messages will take about 15 seconds to go through. If you happen to find yourself under trees or other subtle obstructions, messages might take over a minute to send. A demo of the feature in use from iJustine is below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BZMqOATNXE Don't Miss: Father’s Day deals: $20 Amazon credit, ASUS gaming laptops, Braun shavers, $160 off DJI Mini 3 drone, more The post A closer look at iOS 18’s new Messages via Satellite feature appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best Apple Watch deals for June 2024 Today’s deals: $30 Thermacell mosquito repeller, $16 wireless fast charger, $140 eufy robot vacuum, more Today’s deals: $150 Beats Solo 4, $55 HP printer, $248 Sony XM5 earbuds, 25% off eero Pro 6E, more Today’s deals: $20 Amazon credit, $79 AirPods, $20 Echo Pop, $899 M3 MacBook Air, $289 iScooter, more