Farm equipment manufacturer John Deere has become the latest company to cut back on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In a statement released earlier this week, the manufacturer said it prioritizes “internal policies that more closely align our business strategy to meet the needs of our customers.” To that end, the company announced a series of commitments that will reduce its involvement in political issues, including no longer participating in “social or cultural awareness parades, festivals, or events.” Other commitments include auditing the company’s training materials to ensure they don’t contain “socially motivated messages” outside of federal, state, and local requirements and reaffirming that the company doesn’t have diversity quotas and does not require employees to identify their preferred pronouns. Here’s the full list of commitments: We will no longer participate in or support external social or cultural awareness parades, festivals, or events. Business Resource Groups will exclusively be focused on professional development, networking, mentoring, and supporting talent recruitment efforts. Auditing all company-mandated training materials and policies to ensure the absence of socially motivated messages, while being in compliance with federal, state, and local laws. Reaffirming within the business that the existence of diversity quotas and pronoun identification have never been and are not company policy. We fundamentally believe that a diverse workforce enables us to best meet our customers’ needs and because of that we will continue to track and advance the diversity of our organization. Earlier this week, reports circulated that tech giant Microsoft had laid off a DEI team, saying such initiatives were no longer needed. In an email sent to thousands of employees, a team leader told employees: “True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020.” Microsoft had been one of the many companies that pledged to spend millions of dollars to hire more people of color. In June 2020, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sent an email to employees saying the company had “committed to take action to help address racial injustice and inequity, and unequivocally believe that Black lives matter.” But in recent years, some of these companies have cut back. Zoom laid off a DEI team earlier this year, saying it would instead work with external consultants moving forward, Bloomberg reported. Google and Meta (Facebook) also made cuts to DEI following their 2020 pledges. CNBC reported last year that DEI-related job postings declined 44% in mid-2023 from the same time period in 2022. By November 2023, the job postings had dropped by 23% year over year. The outlet noted that between 2020 and 2021, DEI job postings increased by nearly 30%. And John Deere isn’t the first farm-related company to cut back on DEI. In late June, Tractor Supply announced it would no longer submit data to the leftist Human Rights Campaign or adhere to DEI goals. RELATED: Biden DEI Push In Secret Service Led To Unqualified Agents, One Of Whom Threw Tampons At Her Boss In Unhinged Rage

President Joe Biden’s family has reportedly begun discussing what his potential exit from the 20204 presidential race could look like. The considerations include Biden’s health, his family and the stability of the country, and any decision should help the Democratic Party beat former President Donald Trump and be worthy of Biden’s long career as an elected official, which spans over half a century, NBC News reported on Friday morning. Those family members reportedly include first lady Jill Biden, his son Hunter, and his sister, Valerie Owens. Publicly, the Biden campaign has been insisting for days that he will not be dropping out, and White House spokesman Andrew Bates denied the Biden family is having any such discussions. “That is not happening, period,” Bates told NBC. “The individuals making those claims are not speaking for his family or his team — and they will be proven wrong. Keep the faith.” Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ Friday morning, “Absolutely the president is still in this race. You’ve heard him say that time and time again.” On Thursday, Biden campaign senior advisor TJ Ducklo tried to dispel rumors as well. “Joe Biden is his party’s nominee. He’s the President of the United States. He’s running for reelection,” Ducklo posted on X on Thursday. “Baseless conjecture from anonymous sources isn’t a scoop,” Ducklo said, apparently referring to reports that senior members of Congress had met with Biden and advised him to step aside. On Wednesday, it leaked that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) had both met with Biden in person and reportedly told him he should end his re-election campaign for the good of the country. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also reportedly told the president privately that he cannot win in November and could even ruin Democrats’ chances of winning the House if he stays in the race. Meanwhile, nearly 30 congressional Democrats have gone public with calls for the president to drop out of the race, including at least five more members of the House just on Friday. Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) said Thursday that it is time for Biden to “pass the torch.” So far, three senators have called on the president to drop out, Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), and Senator Peter Welch (D-NV). Several celebrities have called on Biden to leave the race as well, most notably actor George Clooney, who hosted a massive fundraiser for Biden before his disastrous debate performance last month. After the debate, Clooney penned an op-ed in The New York Times saying Biden must “voluntarily step aside” to “save democracy.” Former President Donald Trump currently leads Biden nationally by three percentage points, according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls. He also leads in eight swing states:  Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. At this time in 2020, Biden was leading Trump by 8.6 percentage points, according to RealClearPolitics. The reports of the Biden family’s discussions come a day after Trump addressed the Republican National Convention and officially accepted the party’s nomination.

On July 18, 2024, a significant global outage disrupted various Microsoft services, impacting millions of users around the world. The issues began early in the morning and lasted several hours, affecting critical applications like Azure, Teams, and Outlook. According to Microsoft, the disruption was caused by a network configuration change that inadvertently triggered widespread connectivity issues. Everyone waking up this morning seeing news of the CrowdStrike hack that caused a Global IT Outage realizing this how “Leave the World Behind" started… pic.twitter.com/p3bZ2EV5OI — Nine (@ninewontmiss) July 19, 2024 The company quickly identified the problem and rolled back the changes, initiating a recovery process that restored services for most users within a few hours​​. Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike was also involved, as its software update played a role in exacerbating the downtime. The update, intended to enhance security, inadvertently caused compatibility issues with Microsoft's services, leading to widespread disruptions​​. me after logging into work and finding out the global IT outage hasn’t effected my company pic.twitter.com/nQ2E1u03hT — Joseph (@j0sephstark) July 19, 2024 The outage sparked a wave of frustration among users, with many taking to social media to express their concerns. Complaints ranged from being unable to join Teams meetings to not receiving emails through Outlook. The issue was particularly problematic for businesses relying on these services for daily operations, highlighting the critical nature of robust cybersecurity measures and reliable IT infrastructure​​. This incident is not isolated; Microsoft has faced multiple outages in recent months, raising concerns about the reliability of its cloud services. In December 2023, a similar incident affected Microsoft 365 services across the Asia-Pacific region, and another outage in July impacted users globally​​. In response to the outage, Microsoft emphasized its commitment to preventing future disruptions by implementing more rigorous testing and monitoring protocols. CrowdStrike, for its part, has also pledged to improve its update processes to avoid compatibility issues with widely used platforms like Microsoft's​​. Overall, the global outage served as a stark reminder of the interconnected nature of modern IT systems and the cascading effects that can result from a single point of failure. Both Microsoft and CrowdStrike are now under increased scrutiny to ensure the stability and security of their services going forward​. The post Global Outage Affects Microsoft Services Worldwide appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

In a recent interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," Democratic Representative Adam Schiff of California expressed significant doubts about President Joe Biden's ability to secure a resounding victory in the upcoming 2024 election. Schiff emphasized that Biden must either "win overwhelmingly" against former President Donald Trump or step aside to allow another candidate, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, to take the lead. Schiff's comments come amid growing concerns within the Democratic Party about Biden's age and mental fitness. The president's recent interview with ABC News did little to alleviate these concerns, particularly after his performance in a recent debate, which many Democrats viewed as lackluster. Adam Schiff has called on Biden to step out of the race. I've had enough of this fucking shit. The election is less than 4 months away. Democrats need to stand together. Biden has already said he's not quitting. If this doesn't stop, this bullshit is gonna cost us the election. pic.twitter.com/hbd0hVdG7a — Amy Lynn (@AmyLynnStL) July 17, 2024 Schiff suggested that Biden should seek advice from people outside his immediate circle to make a decision that is in the best interest of the country​. Highlighting Harris as a potential candidate, Schiff argued that she could win "overwhelmingly" against Trump, given her political acumen and the unique perspective she brings to the table. He noted that Biden's age remains a significant factor in his declining poll numbers, despite his administration's achievements. Schiff remarked, "Given Biden’s incredible record and given Trump’s terrible record he should be mopping the floor with Donald Trump. It should not be even close, and the reason it is close is the president’s age"​​. I like Adam Schiff. But for the life of me, I don't understand his strategy. pic.twitter.com/Dltc1jylcA — Bill Madden (@maddenifico) July 17, 2024 The pressure on Biden to consider stepping down is not just coming from Schiff. A cohort of influential Democratic donors and business leaders have also urged Biden to "pass the torch." The Leadership Now Project, a group composed of prominent figures in the business community, recently released a statement advocating for Biden to make way for a new leader who could unify the party and present a stronger front against the Republicans​. This sentiment is echoed by other Democrats who have voiced their concerns about Biden's viability as a candidate. The fear is that without a decisive victory, the party risks losing not only the presidency but also down-ballot races in the House and Senate. This would severely impact the party's legislative agenda and ability to govern effectively​. As the election approaches, Biden faces mounting pressure to address these concerns and demonstrate his capability to lead the country for another term. Whether he chooses to continue his campaign or step aside will be a decision closely watched by both his supporters and detractors. In the meantime, Schiff's public statements mark a significant moment in the Democratic primary landscape, potentially setting the stage for a more contentious nomination process if Biden does decide to run. The party's future direction hinges on these critical decisions as they gear up to face a formidable opponent in Trump. The post Adam Schiff Pressures Biden to “Pass the Torch” if He Can’t Secure a Decisive Victory appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

In a decisive conclusion to a dramatic trial, a New York federal jury has convicted U.S. Senator Bob Menendez on multiple charges of bribery and corruption. The New Jersey Democrat was found guilty of accepting substantial bribes in the form of gold bars, cash, and other lavish gifts in exchange for leveraging his political influence. Justice has finally caught up with the legendary New Jersey politician. The conviction centers around allegations that Menendez, along with his wife Nadine, received over $480,000 in cash, 13 gold bars, and other benefits from New Jersey businessman Fred Daibes and Egyptian-American businessman Wael “Will” Hana. Prosecutors presented compelling evidence, including electronic records and Google searches by Menendez for the value of gold, to establish a direct link between the bribes and his actions to benefit his associates. New Jerseyans have had a Democratic monopoly on Bob Menendez’s senate seat for 52 years… What have they gotten? Scandals, higher taxes, open borders and rising crime. It’s time to send an outsider to Washington and fix issues that are most pressing for Garden State families. pic.twitter.com/JuynwC0w36 — Curtis Bashaw (@Bashawforsenate) July 17, 2024 Investigators revealed that the gold bars and cash were found during a 2022 search of Menendez’s New Jersey home. Menendez had previously used his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to aid Daibes in avoiding legal troubles and to facilitate a lucrative deal involving a Qatari investment firm. Further, Menendez was accused of influencing state and federal prosecutors on behalf of his benefactors. The prosecution's case was bolstered by testimony and records that highlighted Menendez’s involvement in aiding Hana in securing favorable treatment for Egyptian interests, including military aid and diplomatic support. The senator’s communications and meetings with Egyptian officials were scrutinized, revealing a pattern of corruption that spanned several years. Like a teenager, @agounardes is constantly an agitator with other politicians on social media. Andrew Gounardes does not step up and help in Brooklyn, instead he mocks other politicians. Why was Gounardes silent when Mendez was sentenced yesterday? https://t.co/U5LJsPQBeS pic.twitter.com/8TauLdN3JF — Queen of the Click »•»»•» «•««•« (@queenoftheclick) July 17, 2024 The jury's verdict marks a significant moment in Menendez’s career, one already marred by previous allegations of corruption. This conviction, however, is far more severe, involving substantial sums of money and international ramifications. Menendez faces up to 20 years in prison for his crimes, casting a shadow over his political legacy and the New Jersey Democratic Party. In response to the verdict, Menendez’s legal team announced plans to appeal, arguing that the evidence presented was circumstantial and that the senator’s actions were within the bounds of his official duties. Nonetheless, the court’s decision reflects a strong stance against corruption at the highest levels of government. Menendez’s conviction has sent shockwaves through Washington, D.C., with many calling for stricter oversight and accountability measures for public officials. The trial has also reignited discussions about ethical standards and the influence of money in politics, highlighting the need for reform to prevent similar abuses of power in the future. As Menendez awaits sentencing, the broader implications of the case continue to unfold, with potential repercussions for U.S. foreign policy and domestic governance. The conviction serves as a stark reminder of the vigilance required to uphold the integrity of public office and the rule of law. The post Jury Convicts Senator Bob Menendez in High-Profile Corruption Case appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

This grandma-to-be found her husband doing the most adorable thing to prep for their daughter’s new baby. It turns out that just because you’re already a parent doesn’t mean you’re automatically ready to be a grandparent. This grandfather’s biggest concern was their two large dogs. While friendly, they seem to have a habit of jumping on people. That’s not optimal when you’re holding a baby! When Grandma caught her husband using a baby doll to train the dogs not to jump, she shared the sweet video online. In the clip, the man walks around the room holding the toy and showing it to the dogs. For the most part, they were pretty well-behaved! However, one pup did give into the impulse to jump up near the end of the video. @annabelle_and_norman I’m just now realizing I’ve never seen my husband hold a newborn baby and I’m here for it #dogdad #dogtraining #dogsandbabies #dogs #dogsoftiktok #dogtok #ringcamera #lifewithdogs ♬ Landslide (Instrumental Guitar) – Go Fret “I’m just now realizing I’ve never seen my husband hold a newborn baby and I’m here for it,” wrote the grandma-to-be. Although the video is super wholesome, one commenter was a little confused by this caption. “He never held his kids????” they asked. Grandma explained that the new baby will be joining a blended family. The original poster decided to clarify the situation in another video. Grandma recounted how she and her current husband met after they’d already had kids with other people. Now, they have a beautiful blended family! However, this does mean that they didn’t get to experience many of the “firsts” of parenthood together. @annabelle_and_norman Replying to @DulceMelodias of course he held his children, I just wasn’t there to see it #stepparents #blendedfamily #dogparents #lifewithdogs #dogdad #dogsandbabies #dogsoftiktok #dogtok @Little Monsters ♬ Glad You Exist – Dan + Shay We’re sure that this grandma and grandpa-to-be are looking forward to helping their daughter care for her new baby. This gives them a wonderful chance to be “parents” to a newborn again, this time with each other. Let’s hope they get those excitable dogs trained before the child arrives! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Grandma-To-Be Catches Precious Footage Of Husband “Practicing” For New Baby With Their Dogs appeared first on InspireMore.

A post shared on social media purportedly shows an image of actor Ryan Reynolds wearing an anti-Trump T-Shirt.   Post by @johnnymahady View on Threads   Verdict: False The image was digitally altered. Fact Check: The Republican National Convention’s end is expected to feature speakers such as Tucker Carlson, Dana White and Republican Presidential nominee former President […]

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Hundreds of plants are officially getting a name change because they’re “racist,” scientists voted in July. Scientists voted for the first time in history to change the scientific name of certain organisms because they are offensive, according to Nature. Botanists specifically focused on changing the species names of more than 200 plants, fungi and algae […]

'Extreme and will cause mass chaos'