Friday‚ January 19 marked the 51st annual March for Life in Washington D.C. Despite the frigid temperatures and the fact that it was a full-on snowstorm outside‚ the pro-life movement showed up with their signs‚ smiles‚ and prayers to support the unborn.  Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins shared a timelapse video of the seemingly endless stream of participants parading down Constitution Avenue. The streets were soaked‚ as were the marchers‚ but not a single person looked unhappy.  Proud to be at the National Pro-Life March with the Pro-Life Gen who braved terrible weather to fight a terrible evil. We are the Pro-Life Generation‚ and we WILL abolish abortion. pic.twitter.com/oGSjdK8FnB — Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) January 19‚ 2024 “Despite the snow and freezing temperatures‚ pro-lifers showed up by the tens of thousands to stand for the dignity of human life‚” Students for Life ambassador Christine Yeargin wrote on X. Another commented on the video and pointed out how civil the marchers were‚ writing‚ “No violence‚ no setting things on fire‚ no throwing rocks‚ no blocking freeways‚ no assaulting innocent people‚ no climbing fences…” Seven Weeks Coffee‚ a pro-life coffee brand‚ saw the video and commented‚ “A beautiful sight! Abortion will soon be unthinkable.” Related: Pro-Aborts Protest March for Life: ‘Murder is Perfectly Fine’   Though the event had great turnout‚ leave it to the leftist media to attempt to blast attendees.  CBS News phrased its report of the event as “Abortion opponents at March for Life‚” and CNN called the marchers “anti-abortion advocates.” The Washington Post called marchers “antiabortion advocates‚” and The Guardian said that “a sparse crowd” of “anti-abortion marchers” attended. I don’t think tens of thousands of people is necessarily “sparse‚” but misinformation is what the leftist media peddles. Funnily enough‚ I think they were trying to offend the pro-life movement - but we’re not ashamed of being anti-abortion‚ so good try. What was sparse was the counter-protestors. MRCTV visited the event and only saw a handful of pro-abortion advocates‚ unlike the mob that showed up the sunny day when Roe v. Wade was overturned. Which makes perfect sense. Pro-aborts like convenience. They think that killing a child in the womb is the convenient option for women. A blizzard isn’t exactly “convenient” weather to protest in‚ so most didn’t show up. Who didn’t mind being inconvenienced in order to stand up for their beliefs though? The pro-life marchers‚ of course‚ who recognized that braving a little snow is nothing compared to getting your limbs ripped off of your body in the womb.  I'm looking forward to next year's March for Life and celebrating the progress the pro-life movement makes in 2024. Follow us on Twitter/X: Former MRC intern Sarah Prentice highlights leftist attacks on the Pro-Life movement‚ which of course get covered up by the Left-wing media. pic.twitter.com/4EkYhFLJPK — MRCTV (@mrctv) January 19‚ 2024

Actor Rob Schneider put a wokeism-obsessed United Airlines CEO on notice after a dangerous incident occurred on his watch.  Schneider called for United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby to be fired in a Jan. 21 X (formerly Twitter) post after a flight nearly crashed into the ocean. Schneider verbally mauled Kirby‚ writing: “I cannot tell you how many @UnitedAirlines employees have personally thanked me for my valid criticism of your careless and life-threatening leadership. I look forward to your swift dismissal by UA’s board of directors before your inane actions cause the deaths of hundreds of men‚ women and children.” Dear Scott Kirby CEO @UnitedAirlines and Drag Queen practitioner‚ I regret to inform you that I will no longer allow my family to fly on your airline as you have clearly placed “diversity” of pilot hiring above safety of passengers and crew. As evidenced by the near aviation… — Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) January 22‚ 2024 Schneider went on to mock Kirby for reportedly dancing in drag‚ “After your inevitable firing you can get back to your true passion‚ your Drag Queen performances.”  This is Scott Kirby‚ the CEO of @united. He’s a drag queen and has been incorporating drag into @united. This video should tell you everything you need to know. pic.twitter.com/RR5nWwC5OR — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 18‚ 2024 The actor promised that he and his family were done flying with United Airlines‚ referencing Kirby’s obsession with “diversity” and the recent near-crash. Schneider said‚ “You have clearly placed ‘diversity’ of pilot hiring above safety of passengers and crew. As evidenced by the near aviation catastrophe of UA Boeing 777 flight 1722 from Maui to San Francisco [Dec. 18‚ 2022]‚ where your diverse but incompetent flight crew didn’t know which flaps were causing its near disastrous dissent‚ coming within 750 feet of killing every one aboard your United Airline.” Kirby expounded on his thoughts on diversity during a 2022 interview with Axios‚ making clear that he supported the discriminatory practices that ironically undergirded the Diversity‚ Equity and Inclusion (DEI) ideology. Kirby told his interviewer that “we have committed that 50% of the–classes will be women or people of color‚” strongly hinting that race and gender would be important considerations for who his airline would train.  In December 2022‚ a United Airlines flight from Maui‚ Hawaii to San Francisco dove toward the ocean‚ only correcting once the plane was 748 feet from the water. Allegedly‚ the plane dove after a miscommunication between pilots. United Airlines’ flirtation with catastrophe is only the latest dangerous incident in the industry. During an Alaska Airlines flight‚ a door flew off a Boeing jet during the flight.  Elsewhere‚ an air traffic employee had to Google how to help a pilot land‚ while there has been a 63% rise in near mid-air collisions since the Biden Administration took over air traffic control.   Conservatives are under attack! Conservatives are under attack. Contact ABC News (818) 460-7477‚ CBS News (212) 975-3247 and NBC News (212) 664-6192 and demand they report on the dangers of leftist DEI ideology infecting corporate America.

Zach Kessel and Ari Blaff offered a big write-up at National Review titled “How the Washington Post Abandoned Basic Journalistic Standards Covering the Israel–Hamas War.” Some of it recounts the general tendency to rely on Hamas: “A review by NR of the Post’s coverage since 10/7 revealed no fewer than 148 individual articles that cite the ministry’s casualty statistics. Some of the articles refer to the Gaza Health Ministry as ‘Hamas-run’ while others lack any modifier that would inform a naïve reader who might view the Gaza Health Ministry as a neutral agency.” But Kessel and Blaff muster several disturbing episodes of misinformation‚ such as the alleged al-Ahli hospital bombing‚ which was not an Israeli bombing and did not destroy the hospital. There were more inflammatory articles: A month after the hospital-blast misstep‚ the paper ran a front-page story accusing Israel of systematically separating Palestinian mothers from their prematurely born babies and forcing the women to return to war-torn Gaza while their children remained in Israel and the West Bank with medical professionals. The bombshell report was written by a team of three reporters led by Louisa Loveluck‚ the Post’s bureau chief in Baghdad and co-author of the October 17 al-Ahli hospital report. Weeks after the report about the babies was published and the firestorm of condemnation began to dissipate‚ the Post finally issued a mea culpa revealing a stunning oversight: Loveluck and her team never bothered to ask Israeli government officials for comment. “The Post neglected to seek comment from Israeli officials for this article‚ an omission that fell short of The Post’s standards for fairness‚” an editor’s note affixed to the article reads…. Speaking of groups being presented as neutral arbiters when they're absolutely not‚ Kessel and Braff turn to "Human Rights Watch‚" and its obsessively anti-Israel focus. Here again was Louisa Loveluck writing an article requiring a correction:  “HRW’s initial reactions to the Hamas attacks failed to condemn outright the murder‚ torture‚ and kidnapping of Israeli men‚ women‚ and children‚” former employee Danielle Haas wrote in a public letter sent to 600 staffers in late November after she resigned.... Shortly after 10/7‚ Loveluck co-authored another piece arguing that the early stage of Israel’s military campaign was historically unprecedented in its destructiveness. In the report‚ she cited Marc Garlasco‚ who was identified as “a military adviser at the Dutch organization PAX for Peace‚” and a former war-crimes investigator. Garlasco cited his experience during the Libyan Civil War and drew on the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan to buttress the Post’s claim that Israel’s response was disproportionate. Soon after the article was published‚ the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) debunked Garlasco’s claim that “the highest number of bombs and other munitions dropped in one year during the war in Afghanistan was just over 7‚423.” As CAMERA noted in its write-up‚ that number represents the highest number of explosives employed in Afghanistan in a single year since 2006‚ and does not account for the number of explosives dropped from 2001 to 2006. In fact‚ according to the U.S. Air Force‚ 17‚500 bombs were dropped during the first 76 days of bombing in Afghanistan. The Post has since affixed a correction to its article‚ noting that the claim that the number of bombs is higher than was dropped in any single year during the war in Afghanistan is false. Loveluck’s article also does not reveal that Garlasco was suspended by HRW in 2009 for being a Nazi memorabilia enthusiast. They also note Loveluck has written for al-Jazeera and several other Post staffers have al-Jazeera backgrounds. Read the whole thing. 

The global elites spent last week in Davos‚ Switzerland‚ for their annual summit. They discussed subjects like disinformation‚ preparations for the next global pandemic‚ and concerns regarding food security‚ among other topics. However‚ that didn’t stop the attendees from having a little fun … if fun is what you want to call it. Pat Gray plays a clip of last year’s “entertainment‚” which involved a human flute that must be seen to be understood. And yet somehow‚ the entertainment for 2024 made the flute gig look tame. This year’s entertainment included Putanny Yawanawá – an indigenous leader of the Yawanawá nation who has received the highest spiritual initiation from the elders of the tribe. She was invited to the annual summit to perform a ritual that included spitting on some of the panelists – probably some of the same people who told us to mask up for three years‚ ironically. “Okay‚ that is absolutely‚ freakishly bizarre‚” says Pat. To see the mysterious ceremony performed for “entertainment” purposes‚ watch the video below. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

The European Union wants uniformity of vision and policy among its remaining member states. To this end‚ bureaucrats in Brussels have worked to crush dissent wherever it crops up. This cultural imperialism has proven ineffective against Hungary‚ which refuses to embrace the leftist orthodoxies of the day despite facing steep financial penalties for doing so. Gergely Gulyas‚ chief of staff for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán‚ made clear Thursday that while the Hungarian government is open to meeting various EU standards‚ "it would be undemocratic and unacceptable" to cave on policy issues of importance to the Hungarian people‚ particularly those concerning LGBT indoctrination and open borders. What's the background? In recent years‚ Hungary and Poland have resisted EU demands concerning various matters of policy and governance. This resistance — the product of mandates dictated by their respective populations through fair and free elections — has been characterized as a violation of both countries' respective EU member agreements promising to uphold democratic standards and common values. The BBC noted that Orbán's Hungary has been accused of various supposed improprieties‚ including the curbing of minority rights. A sticking point for leftists in Brussels as well as the Biden administration has been a law‚ approved in 2021 by Hungary's National Assembly in a 157-1 vote‚ which increased the punishment for convicted pedophiles and banned LGBT propaganda targeting children. Orbán has also drawn the ire of EU officials for limiting the influx of so-called asylum-seekers to Hungary by requiring economic migrants and other foreign nationals to submit pre-asylum applications at its missions to Serbia or Ukraine. Ukrainians fleeing Russia's invasion are‚ however‚ exempt‚ reported Politico. Brussels has similarly blasted Poland for various policy manifestations of its Christian national identity but accused its former government of undermining the independence of its courts. To induce compliance‚ the EU starved both nations of billions of dollars in funding‚ including pandemic recovery funds that were otherwise given in abundance to other member states. This pressure campaign came to a head in December 2022 when the European Court of Justice ruled that funding was conditional on meeting the EU's so-called democratic standards. The bloc blocks Hungary After eight years of resistance with the conservative Law and Justice Party at the helm‚ Poland appears to be on the verge of capitulation under the new leadership of incoming premier and former European Council President Donald Tusk. "We have confirmation from the European Commission — Poland meets the last three conditions necessary for the full mobilization of structural funds — €76 billion for the implementation of programs until 2027‚" Katarzyna PeÅ‚czyÅ„ska-NalÄ™cz‚ the funds and regional policy minister‚ said on Friday. Budapest‚ on the other hand‚ faces a longer road toward appeasement‚ which Orbán appears uninterested in traveling. According to EuroNews‚ Hungary had to meet 27 "super milestones" as well as four additional "horizontal enabling conditions" to receive the whole of the over $32 billion owed to Hungary that has been frozen. Hungary managed to unlock over $10.9 billion of the funds last month‚ having apparently addressed the EU's concerns about judicial reform. However‚ European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen suggested last week that Hungary would have cave to LGBT activist demands‚ guarantee the right of so-called asylum‚ and bolster academic freedom to thaw out the remainder of the funds‚ reported Barron's. The funds "will remain blocked until Hungary fulfills all the necessary conditions‚" said Leyen. The European Parliament is not content to even allow Hungary to have the $10.9 billion it is owed. Last week‚ the legislature reportedly threatened to sue the EU's executive arm over the release of the funds to Hungary. It also raised the possibility of theoretically stripping Budapest of its EU voting rights. "Parliament will look into whether legal action should be pursued to overturn the decision to partially unfreeze funds‚ and notes that it can use an array of legal and political measures‚" the legislature said in a statement. Digging in The Hungarian government has underscored that the democratic will of its people is incompatible with so-called democratic standards abroad. Gergely Gulyas stressed Thursday that there would be "limits" to reaching an agreement with the EU‚ given what is demanded runs contrary to the will of Hungarian voters‚ reported the Associated Press. "The Hungarian government is willing to reach an agreement with the Commission‚ but in cases where people have expressed a clear opinion‚ it would be undemocratic and unacceptable‚" said Gulyas. "For Hungary‚ even despite the will of the European Commission‚ it is unacceptable to spread LGBTQ propaganda among children‚ and we also cannot abandon our position on migration issues." Orbán indicated in a Friday radio broadcast‚ "The only thing we can say‚ very calmly‚ as a reply is that there there is not enough money in the world to force us to let migrants in. There is not enough money in the world for us to allow them to take away our country. We will not create conditions like we see in Western European states — the threat of terrorism‚ crime‚ I could go on and on." "And there is not enough money in the world for which we would put our children or grandchildren in the hands of LGBTQ activists. That's impossible‚" added the prime minister. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico commended Orbán last week for standing up for his country's sovereignty and indicated further he would shoot down any effort by the European Parliament to wrest away Hungary's voting rights in the legislature. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

According to a recent Government Accountability Office report‚ the federal government has a “flawed” process for tracking land purchases made by foreign entities.The federal watchdog published a January report titled “Foreign Investments in U.S. Agricultural Land: Enhancing Efforts to Collect‚ Track‚ and Share Key Information Could Better Identify National Security Risks." It found that the U.S. Department of Agriculture “does not share timely data on foreign investments in agricultural land.”A mysterious investment group purchased approximately 52‚000 acres of land near Travis Air Force Base in Solano County‚ California‚ which renewed national security concerns regarding foreign entities investing in land‚ particularly near military bases‚ Blaze News reported. It was later revealed by the New York Times that many of the group’s investors were Silicon Valley technology moguls. However‚ the U.S. Treasury Department is still investigating possible foreign ties related to the purchase.The GAO conducted its latest study after the USDA reported that foreign investments in agricultural land increase to roughly 40 million acres in 2021‚ according to the report.“These investments may have consequences for U.S. national security. For example‚ there may be foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land close to sensitive military installations‚” the report explained.According to the USDA’s Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978‚ foreign entities acquiring agricultural land must file a disclosure form. Currently‚ the USDA shares an annual report of AFIDA data‚ including the number of acres owned and the country of the foreign investors. Federal and state government agencies use this data to track and enforce restrictions on foreign investments.During a March 2023 congressional hearing‚ the secretary of agriculture stated that the USDA relies on foreign entities to report their purchases‚ the report stated.“The Secretary noted self-reporting is challenging to enforce because deeds are filed in over 3‚000 county recorder offices. In September 2023‚ another USDA official noted that USDA cannot locate AFIDA filings beyond the county level‚ such as specific localities‚ and there is currently no system which tracks deeds or leases of agricultural land‚” the GAO explained.The USDA report is also used by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States “when considering potential national security risks associated with” the purchase of agricultural land.“USDA officials said they respond promptly when they receive requests for information. However‚ DOD officials noted they need AFIDA information that is more up-to-date and more specific‚ and they need to receive this information more than once a year‚” the report continued.“USDA implements AFIDA across field offices and headquarters‚ but its processes to collect‚ track‚ and report key information are flawed. USDA collects the required data on paper forms with county or federal offices and reviews them for accuracy‚ according to USDA officials. However‚ its processes to do so are unclear and challenging to implement‚” it stated.According to the GAO‚ the USDA is seeking funding to create a “real-time data system” that could be used by federal government agencies and the public to access investment information.“GAO is making six recommendations‚ including that USDA share detailed and timely AFIDA data with CFIUS agencies‚ improve the reliability of AFIDA data‚ and assess its ability to adopt an online submission system and public database‚” the report added. The USDA agreed with five of the GAO’s recommendations and “partially agreed” with one.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The modern educational system and media love to dwell on the slavery of the past — but they seem to have no problems with the slavery of the present and future. Mark Levin does have a problem with it‚ and he’s tired of the Biden administration shoving it under the rug. “There are at least four places on the face of the Earth where slavery is practiced and openly and supported: the continent of Africa‚ the Middle East region‚ Southeast Asia‚ and America‚” Levin explains. Slavery is spreading in America as the border remains open‚ thanks to the Biden administration and its policies. However‚ the Democrat response is hardly any different than it was to the slavery of 160 years ago. “Democrat Party policies led by Joe Biden and Democrats in the Congress and their media supporters are promoting slavery on the southern border‚” Levin says‚ noting that women and children are sold into pornography and sex slavery. In an article from the Heritage Foundation from last year‚ Emma Waters reported that “about 50‚000 people‚ primarily from Mexico and the Philippines‚ are trafficked into the U.S. annually.” Waters went on to write that this past April‚ “a whistleblower told Congress’ House judiciary Committee that the ‘United States federal government has become the ‘middleman’ in a multibillion-dollar human trafficking operation targeting unaccompanied minors at the southern border.” “If they gave a damn about what was going on on the southern border‚ they’d be leading with this story at least once a week. That there’s modern-day slavery taking place in the United States of America‚” Levin says‚ disturbed. Want more from Mark Levin?To enjoy more of "the Great One" — Mark Levin as you've never seen him before — subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Three air ambulance crew members are dead after the helicopter they were flying to transport a patient crashed into a field in Oklahoma over the weekend.Late Saturday night‚ a Bell 206L3 helicopter with Air Evac Lifeteam was on its way to return to base in Weatherford‚ Oklahoma‚ after transporting a patient to Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City‚ approximately 65 miles east of Weatherford. According to AEL's Facebook page‚ just before 11:30 p.m.‚ the AEL operations control center lost contact with the air ambulance helicopter.Other AEL team members then assisted law enforcement with the search for the missing chopper. Sadly‚ they later learned it had crashed into a field in Hydro‚ fewer than 10 miles away from Weatherford. All three crew members aboard the helicopter died in the crash.The following segment from KOCO shows the devastating destruction of the aircraft: 3 people killed in Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter crash near Hydro www.youtube.com Though AEL's initial post declined to name the crew members‚ a follow-up message posted Monday afternoon revealed the names of the lost: Russell Haslam‚ the pilot; Adam Tebben‚ a flight nurse; and Steven Fitzgerald‚ a flight paramedic."Russell‚ Adam and Steven‚ we miss you so much. We’ll take it from here‚" the Facebook message concluded.Thus far‚ few details about the crash have been revealed. The National Transportation Safety Board has since taken over the investigation‚ planning to examine weather data‚ air traffic control communications‚ and some background checks into the pilot‚ among other possible factors.Family and friends‚ AEL‚ and members of the community are understandably anxious for answers; however‚ those answers are not likely to come any time soon. According to KOCO‚ a preliminary report is not expected for at least a month‚ while the full investigation could take up to two years.Air Evac Lifeteam operates in 18 states and claims to be "the nation’s leading provider of helicopter air ambulance services‚" especially for those living in rural areas‚ such as western Oklahoma. Up to 90% of the patients AEL transports originate in rural areas. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Six mayors from the United States participated in an exchange with the Chinese government in which they traveled to take part in the U.S. Heartland China Association's Yangtze-Mississippi Municipality Energy Transition Exchange project.The mayors who made the trip were Mayor Jim Brainard of Carmel‚ Indiana; Mayor Barbara Buffaloe of Columbia‚ Missouri; Mayor Lee Harris of Shelby County‚ Tennessee; Mayor Chokwe Lumumba from Jackson‚ Mississippi; Mayor Kim Norton of Rochester‚ Minnesota; and Mayor Robyn Tannehill of Oxford‚ Mississippi.The exchange was officially part of an effort to promote best practices between communities along the two major rivers‚ particularly in regards to "energy transition‚ climate mitigation‚ and green economy."The two sides discussed opportunities for possible collaboration and took a trip to Voyah Automobile‚ a Chinese-state owned luxury car manufacturer now specializing in electric vehicles. The cars are reportedly sold in Russia‚ Israel‚ Turkey‚ and Belarus‚ as well as China.As reported by Natalie Winters‚ several of the mayors praised China's approach to green energy policies. Specifically‚ electric vehicle investments and alleged carbon-reducing infrastructure were Chinese policies that some of the mayors hoped to implement in the United States."We were talking about climate change‚" said Columbia‚ Missouri‚ Mayor Buffaloe. "I know that in order for us to solve climate change‚ or at least reduce the impacts it's having on our communities and make sure we have a planet for our future generations‚ that it's going to take us working on things like electrical vehicle transformation‚ renewable energy both production‚ as well as scale and supply."Buffaloe went on to state that the "best practices" she learned in China should be implemented in American communities."It's about our communities learning from one another‚ sharing these best practices‚ and then implementing them in our own communities. We need all kinds of exchanges with China." — (@) Shelby County‚ Tennessee‚ Mayor Harris praised Chinese investments surrounding carbon emissions."China is quickly making the right kinds of investments‚ and those are investments in infrastructure‚ that's investments in reducing carbon emissions‚ that's investments in new tech like electric vehicles‚ and we've got a lot of work to do." Mayor Brainard of Carmel‚ Indiana‚ said that the work conducted alongside Chinese politicians should be implement worldwide."Collaboration between U.S. and Chinese mayors not only benefits the hundreds of millions of people living in our two countries‚ but the ongoing joint work will lead to best practices that can be applied around the world."Brainard also signed a sister cities agreement between Carmel‚ Indiana‚ and Xiangyang‚ Hubei‚ China. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A town in Arizona formed a department to allegedly monitor and control the online speech of its employees‚ AZ Free News reported Thursday.The town of Gilbert‚ located within Phoenix's metropolitan area‚ created the Office of Digital Government‚ which some claim is being used to restrict the speech of the town's employees. According to KTVK‚ the ODG was formed five years ago.The department‚ which may be the first of its kind‚ is committed to "developing forward-thinking policies." It is responsible for "all internal‚ external and digital communications‚ public relations‚ marketing and open data initiatives" for the town‚ according to its website.Corinne Murdock with AZ Free News reported that the town spends over $1 million yearly in taxpayer funds to cover the salaries of the department's workers who "control town employees and elected officials' online speech to ensure conformity with a progressive political agenda." The employees' annual salaries range from "well over $60‚000" to $200‚800‚ according to the report.The department monitors online posts from the town's employees‚ including private social media pages. If an employee posts a political opinion that does not align with the liberal agenda‚ the department contacts the employee to pressure the employee to remove the post‚ AZ Free News reported.A former employee‚ who asked to remain anonymous‚ told the news outlet that they left‚ in part‚ due to the department's overreach. They noted that all messages posted to social media had to be approved by the ODG."It was difficult to get anything accomplished‚" the former employee told AZ Free News. "Everything was so tightly managed. People on the ground there were upset because they couldn't do anything.""When I worked there‚ they were pushing the chiefs of police and fire to be more liberal. Then there's those emails about how excited they were about getting the chief to kneel to BLM‚" the former worker added.Austin Vanderheyden with the Goldwater Institute told KTVK‚ "If they don't like what's being posted‚ they're going to let you know about it‚" he said‚ referring to the ODG.According to Vanderheyden‚ 10 to 12 department employees are monitoring the online activity of other town workers. Gilbert Councilor Jim Torgeson told KTVK that the department confronted him about removing a survey he posted "too early" on his personal Facebook profile."Twenty minutes later‚ I got a call from somebody on staff asking me to take it down and it was on my private Facebook‚" Torgeson explained.Vanderheyden called it "a classic example of government overreach."Gilbert sent the news outlet a statement that read‚ "The Town of Gilbert is proud of its Emmy award-winning Office of Digital Government and the outstanding work of the ODG team that has resulted in record levels of community engagement and interaction over the years. We recognize that our community relies on us to share information and engagement opportunities in ways that are fully inclusive and we are committed to ensuring that our communications reflect this at all times.""The Town has been clear that we will not tolerate divisive‚ offensive or culturally insensitive posts from employees purporting to represent the Town. To ensure this commitment to our public is maintained‚ the Office of Digital Government is the official source of information and communications to our residents and business owners. There is no further need to address the false claims from anyone‚ including disgruntled former employees‚" it added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!