If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The EU Council has managed to nestle fighting “disinformation and hate speech” between such issues as the Middle East, Ukraine, and migration – not to mention while at the same time appointing a new set of “apparatchiks,” in the wake of the European Parliament elections. This proceeds from the Council’s 2024-2029 strategic agenda, adopted on June 27. This document represents a “five-year plan” to guide the bloc’s policy and goals. Under the heading, “A free and democratic Europe,” the document addresses different ways in which “European values” will be upheld going forward. The Council’s conclusions state that in order to strengthen the EU’s “democratic resilience,” what it decides is disinformation and hate speech will have to be countered. These categories of speech are infamously arbitrarily defined, even in legislation, and habitually used as a tool of censorship – but the conclusions count combating them among the strategic goal of fending off foreign interference and destabilization. In other words, those individuals or organizations that are found to be “guilty” of hate speech or disinformation might face the grim possibility of being treated as, essentially, a threat to the EU’s security. Another promise the document makes in the same breath is that tech giants will be made to “take their responsibility for safeguarding democratic dialogue online.” Does this mean there will be more or less censorship in the EU over the next five years? The Brussels bureaucrats are at this point so practiced at churning out platitudes that, theoretically, this statement could be interpreted either way. However, in conjunction with the “misinformation” etc., talk, it is fairly clear which course the EU intends to keep when it comes to online freedom of expression. AI is not explicitly mentioned as a threat (either to the EU or by the EU, as the technology that can be used to ramp up censorship, aka, “combat misinformation”). However, you name it, the EU supposedly has it: under the part of the conclusions addressing competitiveness, increasing capacities related to AI sits right there with growing defense, space, quantum technologies, semiconductors, health, biotechnologies capabilities – not to mention “net-zero technologies, mobility, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and advanced materials.” It’s a pretty comprehensive bridge the EU appears to be trying to sell to its member-states and their citizens. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post European Council Makes Countering “Disinformation and Hate Speech” Part of Its Strategic Agenda appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Here We Go: House Dem Defies Debate Spin, Calls for Biden to Withdraw

Politico: Biden is a Cranky Old Man Being Isolated by His Wife and Top Advisors

In a delightful and heartwarming twist of events, a British cat has recently become a father, and his reactions are nothing short of hilarious and relatable. The video documenting this feline father’s journey is a charming portrayal of the unexpected emotions that come with newfound parenthood. As the viewers watch the cat’s humorous and sometimes... The post Dad cat sees newborn for the first time and his response has the internet laughing appeared first on Animal Channel.

The Dog Dancing World Championship 2022 was a spectacle of grace and precision, capturing the hearts of dog enthusiasts worldwide. Among the many talented participants, one duo stood out: Anastasiia Beaumont and her border collie, Yuki. They showed that a pet-owner bond can reach new heights and make things like this possible. This bond was... The post Border collie and girl blow the roof off of Dog Dancing World Championship appeared first on Animal Channel.

Even after having a full day to digest the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity, the Tuesday cast of MSNBC's Jose Diaz-Balart Reports could not manage to accurately inform their audience of what the Court actually ruled. Instead, guest host Katy Tour and her roundtable of legal analysts claimed the Court’s “circular” and “illogical” ruling held the Constitution gives the president the power to violate the Constitution. Asking no one in particular, Tur wondered, “I want to ask one more question. So, and this is how I read it, you tell me if it's wrong because you guys are legal minds and I am, you know, just playing one on television. I read it as you can use it—they're reading the Constitution as saying it implies an authority or implies immunity to a president so much so, so broadly, that even his motivations can't be questioned if he was trying to violate the Constitution, so it was circular. Is that an incorrect reading of it?”     Legal correspondent Lisa Rubin concurred with Tur’s assessment, “No, I don't think so. There are a lot of things about the decision that are sort of tautological and there are a lot of things about it that are just simply illogical.” After Rubin went on about Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s concurrence, where she argued that former President Donald Trump’s conduct in the Georgia election case does not constitute an official act, Tur asked, “Are they saying the Constitution protects the president from—allows the president to violate the Constitution?” They are not. You can still sue to stop an action you believe is unconstitutional or illegal, but you can’t throw former President Barack Obama in jail for signing an executive order he previously admitted he didn’t have the authority to enact.   “If the President claims authority to act but in fact exercises mere ‘individual will’ and ‘authority without law,’ the courts may say so” pic.twitter.com/q9fYUTH46R — John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) July 1, 2024   Nevertheless, former Manhattan assistant D.A. and MSNBC legal analyst Catherine Christian also affirmed Tur’s reading of the majority opinion, “Well, put that way, yes, basically, he has absolute immunity for his core constitutional function.” Tur imagined a hypothetical where, “I’m the president, so I can do what I want even if I am trying to violate the Constitution, which is what Donald Trump was accused of doing in 2020.” Again, that is not what the Court held, but Tur’s misrepresentation of the ruling plus an echo chamber of multiple legal analysts will not stop her from trending on Twitter as MSNBC viewers rage that she’s a secret Republican. Here is a transcript for the July 2 show: MSNBC Jose Diaz-Balart Reports 7/2/2024 11:09 PM ET KATY TUR: I want to ask one more question. So, and this is how I read it, you tell me if it's wrong because you guys are legal minds and I am, you know, just playing one on television. I read it as you can use – they’re reading the Constitution as saying it implies an authority or implies immunity to a president so much so, so broadly, that even his motivations can't be questioned if he was trying to violate the Constitution, so it was circular. Is that an incorrect reading of it? LISA RUBIN: No, I don't think so. There are a lot of things about the decision that are sort of tautological and there are a lot of things about it that are just simply illogical. You know, to point out, to pick up on Catherine’s point about Amy Coney Barrett and her concurrence in part. She drops a footnote saying, like, it's lost on her why the fake elector scheme could plausibly be official, that the president has no role whatsoever in the administration of federal elections. To her, there's no analysis that needs to be done. She says squarely the fake elector scheme in its totality is private conduct, but that's not how the majority sees it despite admissions from Trump’s lawyers at oral argument. TUR: Are they saying the Constitution protects the president from —allows the president to violate the Constitution? CATHERINE CHRISTIAN: Well, put that way, yes, basically, he has absolute immunity for his core constitutional function. TUR: So, I’m the president, so I can do what I want even if I am trying to violate the Constitution, which is what Donald Trump was accused of doing in 2020.

The only way to defeat the insanity and perversion of LGBTQIA+ Pride Month is by defeating the insanity and perversion of Heterosexual Pride Year. Pride Month ended Sunday with its usual bang. The Alphabet Mafia took to the streets and showcased their lewd, immoral behavior for the world to see. The gays and transgenders stripped naked, twerked, and gyrated in family-friendly displays intended to highlight their normalcy. 'Hawk Tuah Girl' is a victim of our alleged sexual liberation. We destigmatized whores. We sold the lie that eternal happiness is partnered with sexual promiscuity. Many heterosexuals posted videos of the debauchery on social media platforms and expressed appropriate levels of outrage and disgust. It’s a June ritual guaranteed to increase engagement and traction. It does little else. The uncomfortable truth is that Pride parades and drag shows are a mirror for the typical, red-blooded American heterosexual. We celebrate, center, and flaunt our sexuality and lust 365 days a year. They have Pride Month. We have Pride Year. The behavior of the Alphabet Mafia is far more normal than many of us would like to admit. As an example, let’s compare the final day of Pride Month with the Zach Bryan concert in Nashville on Saturday. The country singer invited “Hawk Tuah Girl” on stage to sing with him. Who is “Hawk Tuah Girl”? That’s a great question. Her name is Hailey Welch, and she’s 21 years old. Beyond that, we don’t know much about her — except for one thing. Two or three weeks ago, she shared her technique for oral sex with a random social media content creator. The video of her pretending to spit on a microphone and making the noise “hawk tuah” went viral. The video made her an instant celebrity. It compelled one of the biggest stars in the music industry to invite her on stage in front of 17,000 or so fans. Whether “Hawk Tuah Girl” knows it or not, she’s a groomer. Her rise to 15 minutes of fame sends a clear message to young girls: Being a slut will garner you attention, adulation, respect, and access to celebrities. "Hawk Tuah Girl" is the blonde Sexyy Red. Her sexuality is the gift she has to offer the world. It’s not the gift she has to offer a man in marriage. It’s the gift she has to offer the world. This mindset has been normalized through heterosexual America. We center our sexual lust everywhere. You can’t watch a movie or TV show without a gratuitous or pointless sex scene. Music is filled with sexual lust. We should not feign surprise that homosexuals use Pride Month as an excuse to flaunt their sexual behavior. We flaunt ours every chance we get. We normalized a pornographer, Hugh Hefner. We normalized Snoop Dogg and every other pornographic rapper. "Hawk Tuah Girl" is a victim of our alleged sexual liberation. We destigmatized whores. We sold the lie that eternal happiness is partnered with sexual promiscuity. The LGBTQIA+ are mimicking our behavior. If their public behavior sickens you, the only way to stop it is by embracing sexual modesty and morality. We’re not going to shame the Alphabet Mafia back into the closet. We have to shame ourselves. We have to normalize modesty and morality. We need to shame "Hawk Tuah Girl." Rather than ushering her to stage to be cheered or reposting the viral video with comments about how cute and likeable she is, we should ridicule the next brain-dead tramp who shares her personal sex life publicly. The consequences for celebrating male and female heterosexual whores are obvious at this point. From fatherless children to drag queen story hour to Pride perversion parades, none of it will dissipate until heterosexuals clean up our culture.

A far-left judge in Wisconsin, one of just a few swing states that decided the 2020 presidential election, has issued a temporary injunction that will allow some voters to receive an absentee ballot for the 2024 election via email rather than the U.S. mail service, a change that critics say will create chaos in the voting process.The decision stems from a lawsuit filed back in April by Disability Rights Wisconsin, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, and four Wisconsinite voters with physical disabilities ranging from blindness to spinal muscular atrophy. The lawsuit argued that state law regarding absentee ballots discriminates against some disabled persons who cannot fill out a ballot without assistance from another person. The presence of another person who knows the nature of the votes cast compromises the secrecy and integrity of a disabled person's private vote, the lawsuit claimed.'I just don’t think they should be prosecuting cases for people who steal from Walmart.'Dane County Circuit Court Judge Everett Mitchell agreed. Last week, Mitchell ruled that those who have "a print disability" may receive an absentee ballot via email, a means otherwise reserved for military or overseas voters only.Mitchell clarified that a "print disability" is such that it prevents an absentee voter from reading or filling out an absentee ballot "independently." His ruling also made this exception available to all who "self-certify" as having a print disability, perhaps opening the door to abuse or even fraud.Though plaintiffs had hoped that such disabled absentee voters would also be able to submit their completed ballots through email, Mitchell firmly precluded that option. "This order shall not be construed to permit electronic return of a marked absentee ballot," he wrote. Thus, these voters must mail in their completed ballots like all other absentee voters in the state.Some are cautiously cheering the decision. Disability Rights Wisconsin public policy manager Lisa Hassenstab called it "a good first step" but claimed there is still more work to be done. "The end goal is for the entire process of receiving marking and returning a ballot to be truly accessible for voters with print disabilities," she said.However, many others, including state leaders representing both parties, are worried about the potential consequences of this ruling. In an appeal document, some GOP lawmakers suggested that Mitchell's ruling will "disrupt[] the State’s status quo election procedures mere months before the November 2024 general election."Even those working under Democrat Attorney General Josh Kaul — who recently charged several Trump associates in connection with the 2020 election — expressed misgivings. At an appeal hearing Monday, Assistant Attorney General Karla Keckhaver argued that implementing this policy now with a presidential election just months away would create confusion for voters and election clerks alike. She also noted that many of the state's 1,800 clerks do not use official government email addresses, which are generally more secure.Finally, she claimed that equipment accommodating the disabled is available at in-person voting locations and that those entrusted with assisting disabled voters may not divulge the contents of those votes under threat of criminal penalty. "The plaintiffs aren’t being forced to forfeit their right to vote," Keckhaver insisted. "They can vote the way they always have."Others have noted that Judge Mitchell has been involved in far-left politics for years. Nearly a decade ago, before he ever ascended to the bench, Mitchell even argued against prosecuting shoplifters who target "big-box" stores that are well-insured. "I just don’t think they should be prosecuting cases for people who steal from Walmart," Mitchell, then a lawyer and pastor, said at the time. "I don’t think that Target and all them other places — the big boxes that have insurance — they should be using the people that steal from there as justification to start engaging in aggressive police behavior."More recently, Mitchell has campaigned for higher court seats by standing with the "LGBTQ" community and Planned Parenthood. In February 2023, he even listed "reproductive justice" as one of three reasons he was vying for a vacancy on the state's supreme court, a race he ultimately lost.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The growing tension within the Democratic Party over what to do with President Joe Biden after his horrible performance at last week's debate continues to grow, as Biden seems to be ignoring entire sections of the party to insulate himself.CNN host Jake Tapper reported that Democratic governors held an emergency meeting with no staff to discuss how to proceed given Biden's clearly deteriorating mental state. Members of Biden's campaign staff were also not on the call.The call was organized by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on behalf of the Democratic Governors Association. The top complaint the state leaders had was that Biden had not reached out to them to offer reassurances that he is able to stay in the race and serve another term.Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said he, like many others, was 'horrified ...' — (@) "There was discussion on the call about wanting to have a call with the campaign or White House. ... Some discussion about having VP Harris address them. ...There was strong sentiment that they needed to hear directly from President Biden," he continued."They are trying to set up a meeting at the [White House] ... or via Zoom for those who can't come. ... Nothing is on the books yet ... but [White House] knows of request Dem Govs are not coming in with any specific message- but they feel they need to hear from President Biden," Tapper explained.Other Democrats are getting bolder in offering their blunt assessments of Biden's actions during the debate.Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) said he, like many others, was "horrified" at Biden sounding weak, constantly mumbling, and losing his train of thought.“People want to make sure that … the president and his team are being candid about his condition that this was a real anomaly and not just the way he is these days," he told a local news station. — (@) Rep. Lloyd Doggett, who represents Austin, issued a statement on Tuesday calling for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. This makes Doggett the first member of Congress to openly declare that Biden should no longer be the Democrats' nominee.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Years after McDonald's tested a meat-free burger option in limited markets, its highest executive in America has finally admitted that the plant-based burger was pulled because of poor sales.Last week, Joe Erlinger, the president of McDonald's in the U.S., attended the Wall Street Journal's Global Food Forum, where he was asked about his company's future plans for plant-based products. Erlinger noted that McDonald's had already tested such a meat-free option, the McPlant, with disastrous results.'I don’t think the US consumer is coming to McDonald’s or looking for McPlant or other plant-based proteins from McDonald’s.'From late 2021 until July 2022, stores in Dallas and San Francisco offered the McPlant, codeveloped by Beyond Meat and made mainly of peas, rice, and potatoes. Erlinger said those cities were selected because they were "very different markets" and indicated that they might be able to give the company a good idea of the demand for plant-based menu options.According to Aol.com, the McPlant initially sold better than expected, prompting McDonald's to expand the option to 600 additional stores. Shortly thereafter, sales tanked. By June 2022, Dallas-Fort Worth stores averaged about 13 McPlant sales per day, though executives had hoped for 30 or 40. San Francisco stores likewise fell well short of the 125 or 130 McPlant sales expected per week.In short, the McPlant "was not successful in either market," Erlinger told the WSJ. "I don’t think the U.S. consumer is coming to McDonald’s or looking for McPlant or other plant-based proteins from McDonald’s now."American consumers may have cooled on meat-free burgers, but their European counterparts have not. In fact, the McPlant has sold so well in the U.K. and the Netherlands that some stores there have made it a permanent menu item.While Erlinger stated that McDonald's would "continue to monitor" plant-based product trends stateside, he indicated American stores had moved beyond meatless products. He also said that salads were unlikely to return to McDonald's."If people really want salads from McDonald's, we will gladly relaunch salads," Erlinger said. "But what our experience has proven is that's not what the consumer's looking for."Perhaps not wanting to spend too much time talking about failed menu items, Erlinger quickly pivoted to discuss other items that have been a consistent hit with consumers."The bigger trend around protein consumption is really around chicken," he claimed.McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski made similar remarks about the prospects of chicken earlier this year. "[We’re] also excited to further build on our success in chicken by continuing to invest in beloved icons like McNuggets and McChicken while further scaling the emerging favorites like McCrispy and McSpicy," he said in February."These four equities are the building blocks of our growing chicken business, and we see the potential to add another point of chicken share by 2026, in part through an expansion of our McCrispy platform into wraps and tenders."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!