A parental rights group filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday accusing a New York school district of establishing “speech codes” that violate the First Amendment rights of conservative students, according to documents first shared with The Daily Wire. The suit was filed by Parents Defending Education against Croton-Harmon Union Free School District north of New York City over its harassment and discrimination policies. It argues that the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of students have been violated by the policies, which include requirements for students to use the “preferred pronouns” of others. “The District has adopted multiple ‘harassment’ policies that prohibit a broad swath of controversial speech at the heart of the First Amendment,” the lawsuit says. “In so doing, the District unconstitutionally discriminates based on viewpoint, requires a student to affirm another student’s gender identity when inconsistent with that student’s sex, prohibits a substantial amount of protected speech, and uses vague terms that an average student cannot understand.” The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The suit is asking for the judge to rule that the district policies 0110, 0110-R, 0115, 0115-R, 0115-E, 5300, 4526, and 4526-R are unconstitutional. These policies “punish students for their speech and compel them to mouth support for the District’s preferred views at all times of day, whether at school or not,” according to the suit. In the suit, Parents Defending Education noted that its members included multiple parents who had students in the district who felt like their ability to speak freely had been restricted. The challenged policies describe discrimination as including “restrictions on the use of names or pronouns,” and include an acceptable use policy for electronics about the sending of “hate mail.” Additionally, the policies restrict speech determined to be “offensive,” “disparaging,” “degrading,” “derogatory,” “intimidating,” or “demeaning.” According to Parents Defending Education, the policies are overly broad and allow students to be punished for their conservative opinions. “Speech codes punish students for unpopular speech labeled as ‘harassment,’ ‘bullying,’ ‘hate speech,’ or ‘incivility’ — categories so broad that school officials can use them to ban speech based on one’s firmly held views including religious views, or to compel speech contrary to those views,” the suit says. “When these policies impose vague, overbroad, or viewpoint-based restrictions on speech, they are unconstitutional.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Parents Defending Education has been active across the country in efforts to push for accountability and transparency at public schools. “Over the past century, the Supreme Court has made abundantly clear that students have robust First Amendment rights – and that education officials may not trample on these rights at their pleasure,” Parents Defending Education President Nicole Neily said in a statement to The Daily Wire. “Silencing unpopular viewpoints and compelling the speech of students in a public school system is fundamentally un-American.” Croton-Harmon Union Free School District did not respond to a request for comment.

A “climate cartel” of activists and financial organizations is working together to push American companies to impose radical environmental goals, according to a report published Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee. The new report, called “Climate Control: Exposing The Decarbonization Collusion in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing,” features the preliminary findings of the committee’s investigation into the relationship between climate activists and large financial institutions. The committee surveyed 272,294 documents and 2,565,258 pages of non-public information, according to the report. “The Committee’s ongoing investigation into collusion between left-wing activists and major financial institutions has revealed that a climate cartel is working to decarbonize the U.S. economy — with disastrous implications for American consumers,” the report said. “The climate cartel has declared war on our way of life, escalating its attacks on free markets and demanding that companies slash output of the critical products and services that allow Americans to drive, fly, and eat.” Much of the 41-page report examined the influence of Climate Action 100+, an investors group that pushes environmental, social, and governance initiatives and controls about $68 trillion in assets. For example, members of Climate Action 100+ are required to ask the companies they work with to “take necessary action on climate change” by “halving emissions by 2030 and delivering net zero GHG emissions by 2050, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement to pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.” One document obtained by the committee said that Climate Action 100+ needed to “show that engagement can have teeth—and that investors are willing to escalate pressure against companies that refuse to act.” The report said that this push for decarbonization would raises costs of fossil fuel, aviation, and farming. Another one of the leftist groups discussed in the report is Ceres, an environmental nonprofit that helped co-found Climate Action 100+. Ceres says that it is leading a “coordinated push to harness the extraordinary power of financial system leaders to accelerate the transition of the global economy to net-zero by steering massive flows of capital . . . away from investments that lock in greenhouse gas emissions. The committee said that Ceres has so far refused to respond to its requests for access to its Investor Portal, which it uses to organize “engagements” with shareholders and corporations. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Despite the centrality of the Ceres Investor Portal to the climate cartel’s operations and possible antitrust violations, and its obvious responsiveness to the categories of information demanded by the Committee’s subpoena, Ceres has refused to provide the Committee with meaningful access to these materials,” the report said, adding that all legal operations remain on the table. The report also highlighted the work of the California Public Employee’s Retirement System through proxy voting and other means to push for policies in accordance with Climate Action 100+ and Ceres. The release of the report comes as Republican lawmakers have been scrutinizing the connections between climate activists and financial asset manager giants like BlackRock and Vanguard. Earlier this year, BlackRock, JPMorgan, and State Street all announced that they would be pulling back from their participation in Climate Action 100+, pulling about $14 trillion in investments. Neither Climate Action 100+ or Ceres immediately responded to requests for comment.

A group of Russian Navy vessels arrived in Cuba on Wednesday, a show of force by Moscow amid increasing tensions between the U.S. and Russia. The vessels – the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov, nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, a rescue tug, and an oil tanker – entered Havana harbor with ceremonial firing from the Gorshkov and an 18th century colonial fort. The vessels are on a five-day official visit to Cuba in a show of ties between Moscow and Havana, according to CNN. While in the harbor, the Gorshkov will be open to tours for the Cuban public for four hours a day for three days, CNN reports. The U.S. does not believe that the frigate is carrying nuclear weapons. Tensions between Washington and Moscow have risen in recent weeks over the ongoing war in Ukraine. The U.S. has supplied billions of dollars-worth of supplies, training, and weapons to the Ukraine military. Last month, the Biden administration reversed itself on a major rule restricting Ukrainian use of U.S. weapons by allowing Ukraine limited use of U.S. weapons in Russian territory. “The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S.-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkiv region, so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them — or preparing to attack them,” a U.S. official said at the time. “Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS — or long range strikes inside of Russia — has not changed.” Russian President Vladimir Putin responded last week, saying the change in policy could lead to “very serious problems.” “That would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act the same way,” Putin said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The U.S. had previously blocked Ukraine from using U.S. weapons in Russian territory to prevent escalation in the war and in tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Recently, Russian units have increasingly threatened Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-most populated city before the war. Kharkiv sits about 20 kilometers from the Russian border, allowing Russia space to prepare attacks on the city that Ukraine had problems preventing and combatting. U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said he has “consistently argued” for the administration to allow Ukraine more freedom with U.S. weapons. “I think they should be allowed to hit the Russians in Russia,” McConnell said last month.

In a significant health alert, CVS has initiated a recall of several of its store brand products after bacterial contamination was detected at their manufacturing facilities. The recall, prompted by concerns over potential health risks, affects a range of products, including eye drops and nasal sprays, sold under the CVS brand. The contamination was identified as Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens, a bacteria that can cause severe infections, especially in individuals with compromised immune systems. This recall highlights ongoing issues in quality control within the pharmaceutical industry and the need for stringent oversight to protect consumers. CVS store-brand drugs are a few dollars cheaper and consumers could assume they're the same as the big, name brand ones. Mold, bacteria and barefoot factory workers say otherwise. Read my latest investigation: https://t.co/M4NDVktqji — Anna Edney (@annaedney) June 11, 2024 According to the FDA, the recall involves products with batch numbers and expiration dates specified on their labels. Customers who purchased the affected products are advised to cease use immediately and return them to the place of purchase for a refund. CVS has assured customers that it is working closely with the FDA to ensure all contaminated products are removed from shelves promptly. This incident follows a series of recalls in the pharmaceutical industry, underscoring the persistent challenges in maintaining product safety. In recent years, several high-profile recalls, including those involving eyedrops and other over-the-counter medications, have drawn attention to lapses in manufacturing practices that can have serious health implications. More than 130 CVS own-brand drugs recalled by FDA – after horrifying truths about how meds are made https://t.co/Os45Nx3COy pic.twitter.com/6E6NYxabHS — Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) June 12, 2024 Reports indicate that no illnesses have been linked to the contaminated CVS products so far. However, the potential for life-threatening infections underscores the seriousness of the issue. Consumers experiencing any adverse health effects after using these products are urged to seek medical attention and report their symptoms to the FDA. The recall is part of a broader trend of increased scrutiny and regulation within the pharmaceutical industry. As manufacturers strive to meet stringent safety standards, incidents like this highlight the importance of robust quality control measures and the need for continuous improvement in manufacturing processes. The FDA and CVS are committed to ensuring that all affected products are identified and removed from circulation. This collaborative effort aims to protect public health and restore consumer confidence in the safety of over-the-counter medications. For more detailed information on the specific products involved in the recall and guidance on what to do if you have purchased them, consumers are encouraged to visit the FDA's official website or contact CVS customer service. The post CVS Recalls Store Brand Products Due to Bacterial Contamination appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

'it ultimately ends Biden's "good dad" routine'

‘Antisemitism has no place in our city’

'that money is better spent inside the U.S.'

'Every aspect of your game has to be firing on all cylinders'

News Moana We Now Know Who Is Playing the Lead Role in Live-Action Moana Film By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on June 12, 2024 Screenshot: Disney Animation Comment 0 Share New Share Screenshot: Disney Animation Back in April 2023, we found out that Disney was working on a live-action remake of Moana. Today, we finally learned who will play the titular character. “I’m really excited to embrace this character because Moana is one of my favorites,” said Catherine Laga‘aia, a 17-year-old from Sydney, Australia, in a statement shared by Variety. “My grandfather comes from Fa‘aala, Palauli, in Savai‘i. And my grandmother is from Leulumoega Tuai on the main island of ‘Upolu in Samoa. I’m honored to have an opportunity to celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me.” Laga‘aia wasn’t the only casting announcement. We also found out that Frankie Adams (a.k.a. Bobbie Draper on The Expanse) will play Moana’s mother, Sina; John Tui will take on the role of Moana’s father, Chief Tui; and Rena Owen will play Gramma Tala. The actors join Dwayne Johnson on the call sheet, who will reprise his role as the god Maui. “I am thrilled to have met Catherine, Rena, Frankie and John through this casting process,” director Thomas Kail said. “I am humbled by this opportunity, and I cannot wait to all be on set together. And there’s no better pair to be in a canoe with than Catherine and Dwayne—actually, trio: Heihei is ready, too.” Auli‘i Cravalho voices Moana in the original animated feature as well as its upcoming sequel, and is executive producer on the live-action project, where, according to Variety, she will mentor Laga’aia. The live-action film is set to begin production this summer and currently has a release date of July 10, 2026. The animated sequel, Moana 2, comes out on November 27, 2024. [end-mark] The post We Now Know Who Is Playing the Lead Role in Live-Action <i>Moana</i> Film appeared first on Reactor.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Paul Offit