Annals of Progressive #Mathz: Seattle's Extra $5 Fee on Delivery Apps Blowing Up on Drivers

Oregon University Eliminates Failing Grades

In the enchanting world of wildlife‚ the most extraordinary surprises often arrive in the most unexpected ways. This was exactly the case for Frank Iero and his family‚ who reside in the picturesque state of New Jersey. Their ordinary backyard transformed into a scene straight out of a nature documentary when a giant snapping turtle‚... The post Snapping turtle shows up in family’s yard. Next day they learn she left her babies behind appeared first on Animal Channel.

Laura Paddison‚ the senior climate writer for the CNN Wire news service‚ wrote about the “dangerous” threat of social media “wellness influencers” having unapproved opinions about the weather: “Wellness influencers fueled pandemic misinformation. Now they have another big conspiracy in their sights.” The CNN writer rhetorically set her hair on fire over what one "influencer" with a relatively minor following was saying about the wildfire in Hawaii: When wildfire ripped through Hawaii’s Maui last August‚ the impact was devastating: a whole town reduced to ashes‚ more than 100 lives lost. The inferno was described as the “largest natural disaster in state history.” But some on Instagram suggested‚ without evidence‚ there was something much more nefarious at play. Wellness influencer @truth_crunchy_mama told her 37‚000 followers to “stop blaming things on nature that were actually caused by the government.” They’re “going to keep setting wildfires until we all submit to their climate change agenda‚” she said in another post. The story‚ which was circulated on Microsoft News (msn.com)‚ took a hysterical view of social media posts while accepting as absolute truth the idea of an urgent climate emergency. One subhead actually read "Dangerous rhetoric." Does Instagram change the weather? ….for years there has been a merging of wellness‚ disinformation and conspiracy‚ as a subset of influencers use the backdrop of aesthetically pleasing‚ pastel-colored posts to spread much darker messages‚ weaving together alarming conspiracy theories with calls for users to buy their supplements or services. This phenomenon exploded during the pandemic‚ when anti-vax sentiment took hold in large parts of the wellness community. As interest in the pandemic waned‚ experts say some wellness influencers have latched on to climate change to galvanize followers. Their concern: Those influencers -- some with hundreds of thousands of followers -- are exposing new‚ and younger‚ audiences to a slew of misinformation and undermining efforts to tackle the climate crisis. …. Some focused on deadly extreme weather events‚ saying they were orchestrated by the government‚ or that malign global forces were modifying the weather. Others claimed climate policies were a plot to control people’s lives‚ bodies and diets… If the shoe fits… Paddison’s story contained some truly ominous sentences denigrating personal freedom and mocking mistrust of authority‚ odd stances from a journalist: A strong thread of individualism runs through wellness accounts‚ alongside a deep distrust of authorities. “They emphasize individual solutions to collective problems‚ and they sell wellness as a response to climate anxiety‚” she said. Public health authorities suffered a well-earned loss of legitimacy after their authoritarian‚ capricious‚ panicky reaction to the coronavirus‚ shutting down schools and businesses and mandating vaccinations and useless cloth masks. And Paddison was upset the influencers were capitalizing on it: Many of these influencers maintain they are merely speaking truth to power. It’s a theme of @truth_crunchy_mama account‚ who calls herself a “truth teller.” The person who runs the account did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. Another bizarre sentence: ….Wellness has now come to mean almost anything‚ said [Stephanie Alice] Baker‚ but at its core it revolves around ideas of individualism‚ self-enlightenment and distrust of institutions -- a near-perfect breeding ground for conspiracy theories to flourish. Paddison took the most extreme views on climate as undeniable truths that must be protected by censorship if necessary: ….Climate misinformation is having “a profound impact” both on people’s beliefs and on the normalization of fringe perspectives‚ Caulfield said. Not only does it undermine climate solutions‚ it also depoliticizes people‚ sowing distrust in climate policies. Paddison nodded along to her sources’ calls for extreme censoriousness in support of the fanatical narrative. "It’s particularly worrying as it allows climate misinformation to reach new audiences‚ experts say‚ including young people that might otherwise be supportive of climate change action‚" she wrote. And who should decide what “contradicts climate science”? Environmental extremists‚ of course: For others‚ the focus is much more on the other platforms hosting these influencers. Hood is pushing for more clarity on climate policies‚ and for measures including bans on amplifying and monetizing content that clearly contradicts climate science.

During a segment on Univision political affairs show Al Punto‚ host Jorge Ramos complained that the Senate border bill was too restrictive inasmuch as it didn’t address permanence for those in the country illegally before the ongoing border crisis. No DREAM Act‚ no DACA‚ no pathway to citizenship. Watch as Ramos also laments the Democrats taking positions on the border that he says are ever “closer and closer to these extremist positions of some Republicans”:  JORGE RAMOS: Again‚ something that is missing in this plan that is being negotiated in the Senate has to do with - there is no legalization for undocumented immigrants‚ there is nothing for DREAMers‚ and instead the Democrats seem to be getting closer and closer to these extremist positions of some Republicans. Ramos was interviewing New York Congressman Adriano Espaillat on the border bill when he let loose. This surprises no one‚ given Ramos’ extensive and well-documented track record as an immigration activist.  We’ve said for years that any restriction on the unimpeded flow of immigrants into the United States‚ no matter how minimal‚ is just too much. No scheme to legalize millions if illegals is out of bounds. It was Ramos‚ after all‚ who first gave oxygen to the insane proposal to stuff a massive amnesty into the budget reconciliation process just three weeks into President Biden’s term. It was Ramos who penned a gleeful column celebrating the 2016 primary defeats of the insufficiently pro-amnesty Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. As the Senate debates this border bill (which reasonable critics conclude is a permanent codification of the ongoing border disaster)‚ Ramos whines that it isn’t sufficiently open bordersy‚ wondering aloud why DACA recipients and longtime illegals do not get a pathway to citizenship in this bill. And furthermore‚ Ramos grouses that the Senate Democrats are acting in a manner not unlike the “extremist” Republicans. With hot takes like that‚ it’s no wonder that Univision’s fortunes continue to ebb and flow. This is but the start- expect an opinion column to follow along these same lines. Coming soon. Click “expand” to view the full transcript of the aforementioned interview as aired on Univision’s Al Punto on Sunday‚ February 5th‚ 2024: JORGE RAMOS: We continue with the crisis at the border. And lately‚ there is an idea that has been repeated by both Republicans and Democrats‚ and even President Biden himself has commented on it. And the idea is to close the border with Mexico. Is this a possible solution? Democratic Congressman Adriano Espaillat joins us. Congressman‚ thank you for joining us. You and I have heard Donald Trump say many times that he wants to close the border‚ but I have never heard President Biden‚ or a Democratic president‚ say that he wants to close the border with Mexico. What is going on? CONGRESSMAN ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-NY): Well‚ I really think that the immigration issue has been used‚ I said - I would say‚ in an impressive manner in an electoral season by the Republican Party‚ and they have projected this very acute crisis. It is a crisis‚ but I believe that there are solutions and I do not believe that it should come down to closing the border. So I don't think- first: how do you close a border? I don't think it's feasible. We have presented four basic points‚ a comprehensive proposal‚ the Hispanic Caucus‚ which includes immigration reforms such as DAPA- DACA‚ the DREAMers‚ family reunification‚ also border security issues‚ ports of entry‚ more technology‚ etc. Also‚ the economy and how immigration impacts the economy‚ agricultural workers‚ work authorization‚ and finally‚ the crisis also has its roots. We see what has happened in Ecuador‚ for example. This week I presented a TPS bill for Ecuadorians because they face an unprecedented wave of violence‚ and naturally there will be an increase in immigration from that country‚ no one can stop that. RAMOS: Again‚ something that is missing in this plan that is being negotiated in the Senate has to do with - there is no legalization for undocumented immigrants‚ there is nothing for DREAMers‚ and instead the Democrats seem to be getting closer and closer to these extremist positions of some Republicans. ESPAILLAT: I agree. The plan has to be balanced‚ including some topics and issues of border security‚ but there has to be an immigration endgame for immigrants - for those seeking political asylum. It seems to me that this four-point‚ four-pillar Caucus plan is a sensible plan‚ which also includes border security. There's also the Dignity Act‚ which is an act—a Republican and Democratic bill‚ but no one wants to discuss that. RAMOS: You support it‚ correct? You support this Dignity Plan. ESPAILLAT: I support the Dignity Plan‚ and María Elvira Salazar also supports it‚ and Verónica Escobar‚ who is a Democratic congresswoman from the border‚ and other Republicans also support it. I think it is a great idea‚ and at least it should serve as a draft to begin discussing this in a balanced way. RAMOS: How is New York dealing with the arrival of thousands and thousands of immigrants? The mayor says the city can't take it anymore. What’s the situation? ESPAILLAT: Well‚ 170‚000 immigrants have arrived‚ of which 66‚000 have stayed. I asked for 3 billion dollars in this debate for border security‚ for funds for Israel and for Ukraine. There has to be money there for the cities‚ I asked for 3 billion dollars. The White House says that it’s 1.4‚ I believe that some dollars will be included there for the cities to deal with this problem that they face with shelter and food for immigrants. But mainly‚ Jorge‚ the solution is a work authorization. When the immigrant works‚ he is no longer a burden on the government‚ he moves into a room‚ he moves into a basement. When you come to find out‚ they are homeowners‚ and maybe one day they will also have a Member of Congress. RAMOS: That’s it. We hope so. Congressman Espaillat‚ thank you for being here. ESPAILLAT: Thanks to you always.  

A Florida Sheriff's Department is defending the actions of a deputy after a woman stole his marked SUV‚ went on a high speed chase‚ and killed three‚ including herself‚ in a car crash. “People need to be held accountable. My deputy did nothing wrong‚” said Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods in a media briefing Friday. Woods was referring to an incident on Thursday when 33-year-old Kendra Boone climbed through the window of a deputy's SUV and raced away at speeds up to 100 mph. About 20 minutes later‚ Boone lost control of the SUV and got into a head-on crash with a pickup truck. The car accident resulted in the death of an elderly couple in that vehicle. Boone also died. Another passenger in the truck was injured and was hospitalized in critical condition. Reporters questioned Woods about whether the deputy acted in accordance with training and policy. He angrily denied that the deputy did anything wrong. Woods said that the woman had a long criminal past and did not belong on the streets. “If this person would have been in jail‚ I would not have two dead innocent people‚” he added. The couple that died were 73 years old and 72 years old from Waterloo‚ South Carolina. He released video from the deputy's body-camera in order to show just how quickly Boone was able to climb into the vehicle and drive away. He argued that the sole responsibility for the horrible deaths from the incident belonged to Boone and not to the deputy. “This individual decided to do what she did and ended with a result of killing two innocent individuals‚" he concluded. Here's the video of the incident: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem‚ an ally of former President Donald Trump‚ has a book slated for release in May titled "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.""So many times‚ almost on a daily basis‚ I hear people talking about wanting to go back to the old days of Mitt Romney‚ Cheney‚ the Bushes‚ you know‚ when Republicans could reset themselves back to these people that were steady and spoke perfectly. Yet they're the ones who created the swamp that we have to deal with now‚" the governor noted‚ according to Fox News Digital."So this book is almost like a get over it and grow up book and the to-do book for the average citizen on what they can do to embrace the fact that we're not going back to that‚" she noted‚ according to the outlet. "There's no going back. They need to adjust their perspective and realize that Trump broke politics – he just did – and that that's a good thing."Noem endorsed Trump last year‚ and the former president recently promoted the governor's book. "'No Goin Back‚' a great new book by Governor Kristi Noem‚ is a hard hitting story of a very interesting life. Get it now!" he declared in a post on Truth Social."I had called him and asked him if he'd be willing to write an endorsement for the jacket of the book‚ and the next thing I know... here he was putting it out on social media‚ which was wonderful‚" Noem said‚ according to Fox News.During an interview with Maria Bartiromo‚ Trump said that his running mate will need to be an individual who would make a "good president."Trump said that Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) had been "low key" while running for president but has been a "tiger" while supporting him for president. "So maybe it's Tim Scott‚" Bartiromo responded‚ pressing Trump on the topic of his vice presidential pick.Trump said there are many people who "could be" his running mate.He later said‚ "Kristi Noem has been incredible fighting for me." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Although some historians credit The Horse in Motion or Arrival of a Train as the first movie ever made‚ Louis Le Prince's 1888 film Roundhay Garden Scene is widely considered to be history's oldest motion picture. The post What Was The First Movie Ever Made? Inside The Controversial History Of The Oldest Film appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Law Would Allow Convicted Felons Seeking Gender-Affirming Care to Change Their Names

President Joe Biden Calls for Fee-Free Family Seating on All Airlines