Imagine‚ for just a moment‚ that you work at a pizza place.  Your job is to shape the dough‚ add the ingredients‚ and slide that pizza into the oven so the customer can enjoy a hot meal. People come to the pizza restaurant you work at because they expect the pizzas to be delicious and made relatively quickly. You‚ however‚ have decided to put a little less effort in. Your pizzas take longer to make‚ and are made poorly. As a result‚ the pizza place loses business‚ and it has less money to pay you.  Layoffs are announced due to budget constraints. In protest‚ you announce that you’re going on strike until you’re paid what you think you deserve. You tell the boss you’re too important to let go; after all‚ you don’t see anyone else making the pizzas with you!  But all the while‚ it is your inferior work that caused the issues in the first place. This is what it’s like to be a liberal journalist striking at The Washington Post right now. According to a statement from The Washington Post Guild—a guild is a type of union for entitled white-collar employees—over 700 employees would walk “off the job at midnight on Dec. 7” for 24 hours. Why? Because the Post announced that budget constraints necessitate laying off 40 employees and offered to buy out the contracts of 240 others. The guild claims: “Democracy will die in darkness if there are fewer Post employees making the critical journalism that keeps our communities informed and holds our public officials accountable.” Let’s think for a moment. Why would the Post be in such dire straits financially as to necessitate laying off hundreds of staff? Much like our pizza example‚ it doesn’t exactly take a marketing expert with a business degree to figure it out. If you don’t produce a product with any value‚ people will quit giving you their money for said product. The same publication that used to produce intense‚ carefully vetted‚ damning investigations such as Watergate has been reduced to a clown show of corrections for dishonest reports based on embarrassingly shoddy research and the rumor mill.  The Post corrected over a dozen articles in 2021 after the so-called Steele dossier‚ a series of uncorroborated allegations of collusion between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russia‚ was found to be completely baseless by the Senate Intelligence Committee. One would think such a monumental failure in journalism would be corrected at the organizational level. It was not. This year‚ the Post has been forced to issue corrections and retractions because of false claims it made concerning the Israel-Hamas war‚ Hunter Biden’s laptop and foreign affairs‚ parental rights activist Chris Rufo‚ and the political history of Rep. Anna Paulina Luna‚ R-Fla. The Post has ceased reporting its readership numbers in the past few years‚ suggesting that things aren’t going so swimmingly. After all‚ if the numbers were rising‚ why wouldn’t you brag about it?  The reported data we do have shows that from 2004 to 2013‚ Post subscriptions dropped at a steady pace each year. According to the latest information available from Comscore and Pew Research‚ The Washington Post’s digital traffic dropped by 20% to 9 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. The Post’s guild blames this decline on the “publisher’s poor business strategy.” The guild is correct‚ but not in the way it claims. The Post’s poor business strategy was to hire a cadre of whiny‚ self-entitled children who believe that truth is second to activism and that their labor has inherent “critical” value regardless of its quality. This simple analysis escapes the grasp of those whose narcissism and aggrandizement blinds correction to bad practices—much as toddlers unaware they’ve done anything wrong tend to do in the face of such evidence. I’m afraid that the Post’s union isn’t the first class of mewling fools to grace us with their threats this year‚ either. The Indianapolis Newspaper Guild‚ which represents newsroom employees of The Indianapolis Star‚ called for a “byline strike” in May. In that action‚ liberal Indy Star reporters would continue to write articles but remove their names in protest of the Star’s inability to pay them more.  Circulation had dropped precipitously over the past few years because of the poor work produced by the Star’s journalists‚ but the entitled guild pressed on. No one cared‚ Star management didn’t budge‚ and the strike ended as pathetically as it began. Gannett reporters from over a dozen other publications tried a similar strike in June‚ calling for a change in corporate leadership. No one cared‚ Gannett didn’t budge‚ and the strike was meaningless. In the past four years‚ Gannett has cut 59% of its staff. This strike by Post employees will end like all the others—with this guild of self-obsessed journalists realizing that no one finds them brave or essential and that perhaps it would be better to have a job after all (while there’s still enough money to provide them with one).  The “reporters‚ editors‚ cartoonists‚ visual journalists [whatever those are]‚ advertising sales people and circulation drivers” will return to work yet again after this strike concludes. They’ll have nothing to show for their bold moves but dented pride and a skillset that won’t pay the bills for much longer. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.   The post Another Pathetic Strike by Leftist Journalists appeared first on The Daily Signal.

For two years now‚ Bo Polny has been coming on my show and telling us about a 25-year Gold chart that has been forming on the most massive “cup and handle” formations that has ever been seen. You don’t need to be a stock trader or chart analysis to know that is a VERY bullish thing. Bo has been telling us to keep our eyes on it and it looks like Bo has nailed another one. Check out this news breaking just this week about the price of Gold: $gold Is in the warzone &; a breakout is guaranteed‚ Major MAs all sloping upwards – just a question of how long the Cabal can hang on. They lose control over $2100$DXY is breaking down &; macro data is very bad for the USD – will continue to show deflation prints Ride the trend pic.twitter.com/eZsga7Os1o — Rock Bottom Entries (@RockBtmEntries) December 7‚ 2023 “Picture Perfect Breakout” Picture Perfect Gold Breakout pic.twitter.com/LhTrpLH4zl — Willem Middelkoop (@wmiddelkoop) December 4‚ 2023 #gold $2070.90 +35.15 +1.73% 25-year “Cup and handle breakout in full effect now” It’s all too beautiful… #gold $2070.90 +35.15 +1.73%25-year “Cup and handle breakout in full effect now”It’s all too beautiful… pic.twitter.com/EehieO8mL8 — StockShaman #PeakCopper AKA Greg Shafransky (@StockShaman) December 1‚ 2023 Folks‚ who’s been telling you to watch Gold? (Well‚ other than Bo?) ME! I’ve been shouting it from the rooftops. Remember this one? Gold Now Classified As A “TIER 1 RISK FREE” Asset — Here’s Why That’s A Big Deal! But all you really need to know is what are the BIG BOYS doing.... That's always the key. Earlier in my life‚ I thought I could be smarter than them‚ take opposite positions.... I tried to short the banks... Bought FAZ (anyone know what that is?) But you know what never happened? The Big Banks never went down. Even in 2008‚ they were deemed "too big to fail" and they only got BIGGER and STRONGER. And ever since then‚ I started simply following exactly what they do! Watching their moves and then copying them. And you know what? It's been brilliant! Which is why I pay VERY close attention when I see something like this -- and then I tell you about it: Central Banks On A Gold Buying Spree -- What Do They Know That You Don't? What do the Central Bankers know that you don't? A lot. Oh‚ I don't mean they're any smarter than you‚ but what's the best way to predict the future?  To plan it out and control it! And make no mistake‚ these are the shadowy people pulling the strings of world affairs behind the scenes....and they rarely lose. So I always say don't listen to what they say (because they always "talk their book" and lie to your face) but watch what they do! The beautiful thing is we live in a time where it's hard to hide real data‚ especially when you have people like us researching it and posting it for all to see. And what is it that they're doing? Simply put -- they're on a GOLD buying spree! Take a look at this: Central banks are on a $GOLD buying spree… This says a lot about fiat and debt 🤔 pic.twitter.com/6kSxEMvCZv — Make Money with Stocks (@FinFluentialx) December 6‚ 2023 42 tons in October alone‚ that is staggering! Central banks added a net 42 tonnes to global official gold reserves in October. Central banks continue to stockpile #gold. pic.twitter.com/BnlNtqATlG — Gold Telegraph (@GoldTelegraph_) December 5‚ 2023 For the second year in a row‚ these are the HIGHEST purchases by Central Banks since 2010: Central Banks are on pace to buy more than 1‚000 tons of gold for the 2nd straight year and possibly reach the highest level purchased since 2010 pic.twitter.com/UXkLPx8DY8 — Barchart (@Barchart) December 7‚ 2023 Here's more from Peter Schiff: Central banks gobbled up gold over the summer and the buying spree has continued into the fall. Globally‚ central banks added another net 42 tons of gold to their reserves in October. China continues to be the biggest gold purchaser. The People’s Bank of China added another 23 tons of gold to its hoard in October as it expanded its official reserves for the 12th straight month. Since the beginning of the year‚ the People’s Bank of China increased its reserves by 204 tons‚ and it has added 255 tons since it resumed official purchases in November 2022. As of the end of October‚ China officially held 2‚215 tons of gold‚ making up 4% of its total reserves. Most people believe the Chinese hold even more gold than that off the books. There has always been speculation that China holds far more gold than it officially reveals. As Jim Rickards pointed out on Mises Daily back in 2015‚ many people speculate that China keeps several thousand tons of gold “off the books” in a separate entity called the State Administration for Foreign Exchange (SAFE). Last year‚ there were large unreported increases in central bank gold holdings.  Central banks that often fail to report purchases include China and Russia. Many analysts believe China is the mystery buyer stockpiling gold to minimize exposure to the dollar. The Central Bank of Turkey also made another big gold buy in October‚ expanding its holdings by 19 tons. Even with big purchases over the last several months‚ Turkey is still a net seller on the year. The Turkish central bank sold 160 tons of gold last spring but returned to buying in the third quarter. According to the World Gold Council‚ the big gold sale earlier this year was a specific response to local market dynamics and didn’t likely reflect a change in the Turkish central bank’s long-term gold strategy. It sold gold into the local market to satisfy demand after the government imposed import quotas in an attempt to improve its current account balance. The country is running a significant trade deficit. Although the Turkish government reinstated gold import quotas in early August‚ so far we haven’t seen a repeat of sales into the local market to meet elevated demand. The National Bank of Poland also continued its recent gold-buying spree‚ expanding its reserves by another 6 tons. Its gold holdings have now risen by over 100 tons this year. In 2021‚ Bank of Poland President Adam GlapiÅ„ski announced a plan to expand the country’s gold reserves by 100 tons. Now that it’s reached that gold‚ GlapiÅ„ski indicated it will continue to add gold to its holdings. This makes Poland a more credible country‚ we have a better standing in all ratings‚ we are a very serious partner and we will continue to buy gold. The dream is to reach 20 percent.” When he announced the plan to expand its gold reserves‚ GlapiÅ„ski said holding gold was a matter of financial security and stability. Gold will retain its value even when someone cuts off the power to the global financial system‚ destroying traditional assets based on electronic accounting records. Of course‚ we do not assume that this will happen. But as the saying goes – forewarned is always insured. And the central bank is required to be prepared for even the most unfavorable circumstances. That is why we see a special place for gold in our foreign exchange management process.” Other significant gold buyers in October included: India — 3 tons The Czech Republic — 2 tons The Kyrgyz Republic — 1 ton Qatar — 1 ton So....what can YOU do about it? I've been telling you for a while now‚ and perhaps this is the "sign" you need to finally take action! First‚ you need to watch what the big boys are doing and understand it's smart to ride their coattails. I think we accomplished that above. Second‚ here's my preferred solution for owning gold. Why preferred? A couple reasons.... I'm not a CPA or tax advisor or even an investment advisor of any kind‚ but the folks I'm about to tell you about are experts at this. They're patriots... They'll give you personalized‚ one-on-one attention by phone.... And they'll show you how you can do this with NO MONEY OUT OF POCKET -- all in a retirement account and usually tax free! How's that for a win-win-win? So what can you do? THIS!  Here's Why Central Banks Are Buying All the Gold They Can -- And What YOU Can Do! For the last two years‚ central banks across the globe have been buying up as much gold (and often silver) as they can acquire without raising alarm bells. Now‚ we see why. The recent bank runs and ongoing collapse of the U.S. banking system was anticipated by the "elites" and the central bankers who run things behind the scenes. They saw it coming and knew the best way to protect their assets was through physical precious metals. If you've been waiting for me to bring you a solution about what YOU can do to protect yourself and you're family‚ I'm happy to introduce you to something I absolutely love! Precious metals. I just talked about precious metals this week with Bo Polny and now I'm bringing you a solution that you can utilize right away if you're so inclined... A faith-driven‚ conservative precious metals company is currently helping Americans tap into the rising precious metals market through self-directed IRAs backed by physical precious metals. And while this service is not unique to Genesis‚ their adherence to Biblical stewardship of money makes them singularly qualified to receive a sponsored recommendation from this site. Unlike most companies offering similar services‚ Genesis deals only with physical precious metals. They do not offer "virtual" or "paper" gold or silver. With Genesis and their depositories‚ customers can see and touch the precious metals that back their retirement accounts. When it comes time to take distributions‚ Genesis customers can cash in some or all of their precious metals or have them delivered to their door. Central bankers aren't slowing down. In fact‚ nations like China and even U.S. states like Tennessee are quickly but quietly buying up gold to back their own treasuries. When the writing on the wall is this clear‚ it's understandable why these governments are moving quickly to get ahead of any potential economic catastrophes in store. Working with Genesis is the best way our readers can explore the physical precious metals market through self-directed IRAs. It benefits us as well when our readers work with this America-First company. Visit genesiswlt.com or call 866-292-0443 today. Don't wait too long‚ we might have more bank failures right around the corner. You know what has NEVER "failed"? Gold.  Precious metals.  Indestructible. There's a reason they call it "God's money". Watch this for more: Or....I guess you could buy Gold at Costco? If you can find any? Oh‚ and you'll pay a huge markup and you'll be limited to two bars. A “Gold Rush” Hits Costco With Demand For Gold Bars – Here’s One Way To Own Gold if Your Money Is In a Retirement Account The demand for physical precious metals has been rising since before the pandemic.  Central banks have been buying ton after ton for two years. Even some U.S. states -- like Tennessee -- are filling their coffers with physical precious metals. Now‚ Costco is offering gold bars to their members -- and some observers are saying there is a "gold rush" on Costco's gold: Mike Cernovich reported: "People buying them but bars sold out fast. One disappointed customer had paid but the membership pick-up said it was out." Others had no idea Costco sold gold: Buying gold at Costco is great for those who have extra cash on hand -- but what about those of us with money tied up in retirement accounts? Can we rollover or transfer retirement accounts into physical precious metals and keep it tax-deferred? Genesis Gold Group says "Yes!" Genesis Gold Group specializes in self-directed IRAs backed by gold and silver. As a Christian company‚ they believe this is an appropriate form of financial stewardship that puts Americans' money on the fiscal high ground. This isn't "paper" or "virtual" gold or silver; Genesis Gold Group customers can physically see their precious metals at their convenience. And when it comes time to take a disbursement‚ they can convert to cash or have their precious metals shipped directly to their homes. Click here to reach out today through genesiswlt.com. Genesis Gold Group was given 5 stars by reviewers on the Better Business Bureau website. Here is what some of them say: "Genesis Gold Group has been very helpful to me as a first time customer. They were very patient with me and answered every question I had. The process of moving my funds from my former account to Genesis Gold Group was straightforward and easy. I highly recommend their services.” — Brian B. "Recently‚ I had two experiences with Genesis Gold Group and both were very easy transactions. My agent was very knowledgeable and informative about the products that I was interested in. I suggest that for anyone looking to move their retirement into tangible materials‚ Genesis Gold Group is the company to choose.” — Joyce R. "Genesis Gold Group is a wonderful company to do business with. The staff are knowledgeable‚ courteous‚ and patient. They know I’ve had many questions before‚ during‚ and even after opening my Self-Directed IRA and everyone has been very kind and open. Start your Gold IRA with Genesis Gold Group without reservation!” — Gerald C. To work with Genesis Gold Group to own precious metals via your retirement accounts‚ click here to reach out today. Oh‚ and did you know SUPERMAN loves them too? Yup! Here is what conservative star Dean Cain (Superman) says about working with Genesis Gold Group: When Genesis Gold Group was first built‚ co-founder Jonathan Rose knew two things were necessary in order to thrive in the extremely competitive precious metals industry. First‚ he knew they wouldn't repeat the same deceptive marketing tactics "Big Gold" companies use to entice customers. Second‚ he knew they needed spiritual guidance if they were going to succeed in reaching Americans who want their life's savings protected from the tumultuous markets. "If we are going to live up to our namesake‚ we have to be truly driven by Biblical principles... not only as individuals but as a company‚" Rose said. Millions of Americans have grown increasingly concerned about the trajectory of our nation. It made sense for Genesis Gold Group to launch by combining over 50-years of experience in gold and silver with proper guidance from faith leaders. This is why Director of Philanthropy David Holland‚ was one of the first people they hired. "As a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ‚ I firmly believe good stewardship of a believer’s resources is important and a foundation for a close walk with Him‚" Holland said. "It is not difficult to see‚ based on the lack of biblical values in both our government and financial system‚ that we are swiftly heading into unstable times." The challenges aren't just coming from the economy or government. The precious metals industry itself is rife with "Big Gold" companies who are willing to use sketchy marketing tactics and over-the-top sales pressure to get Americans into overpriced products. Self-directed IRAs backed by physical precious metals are becoming more popular for mature Americans who are concerned about inflation‚ unsustainable debt‚ the ongoing banking crisis‚ and "woke" ESG funds filling their retirement portfolios. Click here to reach out to Genesis Gold Group today. The challenge‚ as Rose noted‚ is that the vast majority of self-directed IRA products being pushed by "Big Gold" are not built with the customers' best interests in mind. "The process appears to be the same from one gold company to another but there's a huge gap between how secular gold companies do business versus how we do it‚" Rose said. "We guide our clients to back their retirement accounts with metals that are priced right and have the greatest opportunity for growth. Most gold companies look only at their own margins when filling their customers' depositories." ==>;Click here to contact Genesis Gold Group today and receive a free Definitive Gold Guide and learn more about protecting your life's savings from the various threats we're facing today. (Note: Thank you for supporting American businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message in this article and working with them through the links in this article which benefit WLTReport. We appreciate your support and the opportunity to tell you about Genesis Gold!  The information provided by WLTReport or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment‚ financial‚ or legal advice.) 

The need for a Parallel Economy has never been more real than it is now… Because Cancel Culture has never been as bad as it is right now! And it’s one thing to get banned from Facebook — that’s bad enough‚ especially when you’re me with a community of 1.5 Million amazing people‚ and we all get deleted overnight.  Poof!  Gone! That’s bad. But it’s not AS bad as getting banned from Grocery stores! Or getting banned from your Bank! And that’s what’s coming next. So I give incredible credit to Iowa’s fearless Attorney General who is leading the charge in a coalition of 22 state attorneys general to stop big banks from “debanking” conservatives. Take a look” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird leads coalition of 22 state attorneys general to stop debanking of conservatives! https://t.co/4JgkoY0Qvm — DailyNoah.com (@DailyNoahNews) December 7‚ 2023 Here is the letter: And here is a full transcription of the letter: BRENNA BIRD ATTORNEY GENERAL IOWA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 1305 E. WALNUT ST. DES MOINES‚ IA 50319 515-281-5164 www.iowaattorneygeneral.gov November 29‚ 2023 Gary Retelny‚ President and CEO Institutional Shareholder Services‚ Inc. 1177 Avenue of the Americas‚ 14th Floor New York‚ New York 10036 USA Kevin Cameron‚ Executive Chairman Glass‚ Lewis &; Co. 255 California Street‚ Suite 1100 San Francisco‚ CA 94111 Dear Mr. Retelny and Mr. Cameron‚ Your companies‚ International Shareholder Services‚ Inc.‚ and Glass Lewis &; Co.‚ provide proxy voting advice to many businesses and investors who are citizens of our States as well as to our States’ investment vehicles. That voting advice directly impacts how our Nation’s largest companies operate. Your companies’ proxy advice shapes the choices and activity of businesses and ultimately the United States’ and global economy. And that is why you must realize with such important power comes important responsibilities. Responsibilities to advise in a manner consistent with your legal duties. And a responsibility to embrace transparency so that regulators and customers easily understand the recommendations you make and why you make them. Although other problematic areas exist‚ one major point of this letter is to clearly state our view that recommendations opposing shareholder resolutions to increase transparency in debanking run contrary to your duties‚ responsibilities‚ and policies. We have expressed deep concern that ISS and Glass Lewis are prioritizing certain environmental‚ social‚ and governance initiatives and that doing so violates your contractual and statutory duties to issue advice consistent with your responsibilities as a fiduciary. And our criticism has not been limited to ISS and Glass Lewis. In February‚ 19 States called on JPMorgan Chase to account for its troubling pattern of apparent debanking. As part of the general market rejection of prioritizing ESG over fiduciary duties‚ last year shareholders sought to hold financial institutions accountable for denying or restricting service to clients based on their political or religious beliefs through the resolution process. 1 Politicized debanking harms businesses and their shareholders and undermines the freedom of every American to participate in the marketplace on equal footing. Unfortunately‚ all available evidence shows that you oppose those resolutions—contrary to your claims to be apolitical and neutral. Indeed‚ your recommendations opposing those shareholder resolutions reflect the opposite of your stated commitment to fairness and diversity. Viewpoint discrimination has its own legal liabilities—but so does lying in publicly available policies and disclosures. Your lack of transparency is troubling. And your voting recommendations on debanking proposals may breach your legal obligations. We seek more transparency and written assurance that you will cease any practice that violates the law‚ including your duty to act in the best interest of the citizens of our States‚ or your stated policies on recommendations. To comply with federal and state law and its contract obligations‚ ISS and Glass Lewis must give sound proxy advice. ISS’s and Glass Lewis’s disregarding federal law governing proxy advisors is illegal. Proxy-advisor recommendations must be free from false or misleading material information. See 15 U.S.C. § 78n(a)(1); 17 C.F.R. § 240.14a-9(a). And as the Investment Advisers Act’s implementing regulations explain‚ “[a]n adviser is a fiduciary that owes each of its clients duties of care and loyalty with respect to all services undertaken on the client’s behalf‚ including proxy voting.” 68 Fed. Reg. 6585‚ 6586 (Feb. 7‚ 2003). Our States contend‚ consistent with our previous letter‚ that ISS and Glass Lewis are subject to the Act and its accordant duties. Moreover‚ ISS and Glass Lewis advise State-controlled entities‚ like State pension plans. Your advisory role here necessarily makes you a fiduciary that needs to adhere to fiduciary duties. Your agreements to provide proxy voting services to States’ investment vehicles warrant at a minimum that you will exercise duties of care and loyalty in providing advice. Indeed‚ the contracts themselves‚ along with some States’ laws‚ expressly impose fiduciary duties on proxy advisors. Fundamental to those duties are the requirements that you maximize economic value and avoid conflicts of interest. To the extent the advice you give relies on ESG considerations that conflict with your duty to maximize the financial return to our States‚ you are violating those duties. And no matter what advice you give‚ proxy-advisor recommendations must be free from false or misleading information. See 15 U.S.C. § 78n(a)(1); 17 C.F.R. § 240.14a-9(a). Many States also have blue-sky securities laws prohibiting investment advisers from fraudulent or misleading practices and consumer protection laws prohibiting unfair and deceptive trade practices. 2 Your advice that is contrary to supporting the economic interest of our States’ or your advisees in our States’ may violate both federal and state laws. ISS and Glass Lewis may be violating their legal duties by opposing transparency-in-debanking proposals Proxy Advisors have a responsibility to ensure that their recommendations concerning debanking proposals advance fiduciary interests. Some proposals calling for additional transparency or other information about debanking efforts‚ efforts which themselves may implicate financial concerns for an institution‚ follow the role of a proxy advisor. For example‚ one proposal calls for transparency on politicized debanking: Shareholders request the Board of Directors . . . conduct an evaluation and issue a report within the next year‚ at reasonable cost and excluding proprietary information and disclosure of anything that would constitute an admission of pending litigation‚ evaluating how it oversees risks related to discrimination against individuals based on their race‚ color‚ religion (including religious views)‚ sex‚ national origin‚ or political views‚ and whether such discrimination may impact individuals’ exercise of their constitutionally protected civil rights. A bank‚ that is‚ would have to report on policies and practices that jeopardize customers’ civil rights and incubate litigation risk because of the growing tide of politicized debanking. When JPMorgan Chase and PayPal tried to exclude it from the shareholders’ ballot last year‚ the SEC agreed that this proposal addresses a significant social policy issue. We expect that this proposal will be filed again this year at other financial institutions. Despite the power of transparency and the likelihood of encouraging compliance with State laws‚ all evidence points toward your opposition to that proposal. Each of the debanking transparency resolutions—for example at JPMorgan Chase and PayPal—received 2% or less of the shareholder vote‚ a result that would not have happened had you recommended voting for it. That has already worried some of our State Financial Officers who have written to you about your opposition to these proposals. Our States are particularly concerned with debanking. Non-economic debanking efforts by financial institutions appear to be on the rise. Pressure on financial institutions to reject neutrality on issues including the Second Amendment‚ oil and gas exploration‚ immigration‚ and prison reform is well-documented. Law-abiding citizens and companies should not have to fear political retaliation from banks motivated by activist investors. 3 Debanking is also targeting religious and conservative groups. For example‚ Chase allegedly debanked the National Committee for Religious Freedom after demanding its donor list. And Indigenous Advance filed a complaint with the Tennessee Attorney General’s office contending that Bank of America debanked it for religious reasons. Greater transparency will provide clarity and assurances that banks are not targeting customers based on protected statuses like religious belief. Financial institutions’ policies often stray from customers’ basic civil liberties. They use vague and subjective “reputational risk” policies or prohibitions on “hate” speech to debank political targets disfavored by activists with little concern or oversight. The Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index which evaluates major companies’ respect for free speech and religious liberty found that 21 of the 44 largest financial institutions in the U.S. have those kinds of discriminatory policies. Debanking presents significant legal‚ regulatory‚ and political risk—which is why measures intended to increase transparency around debanking help to limit those risks. Many federal and state laws prohibit discrimination based on religion‚ political ideology‚ and other protected statuses. So debanking may raise serious legal concerns. And already there has been serious regulatory backlash to debanking efforts across the country. States are passing legislation to ensure fairness in corporate decision-making and hold companies engaging in illicit ESG efforts accountable. Many of those laws apply to or include financial institutions—and many States may prefer to pass those laws if they believe viewpoint targeting is occurring. Transparency can limit political risks. And already there has been serious regulatory backlash to debanking efforts across the country. Debanking also presents serious reputational risks. Even the appearance of politicized debanking can do serious financial harm. Many States are evaluating their relationships with banks and investment managers over concerns that those entities are denying service and capital to legal industries like firearms companies and fossil fuel producers. 57% of respondents would likely stop using service providers that do not respect their values‚ according to a Viewpoint Diversity Score Poll. Proxy advisors cannot ignore these risks and still fulfill their fiduciary duties. Being transparent about politicized debanking is an opportunity to address these risks and rebuild the record-low trust consumers have in financial institutions. Opposing debanking proposals contradicts ISS and Glass Lewis’ other policies and practices. As many of our States noted‚ both firms have supported broad audits of how a company may be discriminating or otherwise hurting the “civil rights” of its stakeholders and the public. Indeed‚ Glass Lewis appears to be speaking out of both sides of its mouth on this issue. It says it supports transparency on ESG issues—that 4 insufficient oversight of material environmental and social issues can present direct legal‚ financial‚ regulatory and reputational risks that could serve to harm shareholder interests.” Yet it opposed the debanking-transparency proposal that would mitigate companies’ legal‚ financial‚ regulatory‚ and reputational risks. And while ISS claims that it is apolitical‚ ISS characterizes all conservative proposals as “anti-ESG” proposals‚ and votes against nearly every one of them. This opposition reveals inconsistent or insufficient due diligence and appears to violate a proxy advisor’s duty of care. It also raises concerns about proxy advisors’ duty of loyalty‚ particularly given their otherwise full-throated support of transparency on economic‚ social‚ and governance issues. We seek written assurance that ISS and Glass Lewis will cease this activity and affirm their commitment to uphold their legal duties as proxy advisors. This letter should not be necessary. Americans should not have to worry that they will be denied critical financial services because of their religious and political beliefs. Your promises to the public and your clients to be impartial and viewpoint-neutral extend to these fundamental characteristics of American identity. Accordingly‚ please provide all relevant information and respond fully to these inquiries by December 13‚ 2023: Provide us all your voting recommendations for debanking proposals for the 2022–2023 proxy season. Explain your materiality analysis for recommending votes against shareholder proposals on debanking. Explain why you have opposed debanking resolutions that focus on the civil rights of customers but have supported proposals asking for much broader civil rights audits. Provide any analysis you conducted to determine whether to support debanking resolutions for the 2022–2023 proxy season. Explain how you have categorized debanking proposals‚ why you have done so‚ and provide any analysis you made to make that determination or consider alternative categorizations. Respectfully Submitted‚ [Signature] Brenna Bird Attorney General of Iowa 5 Steve Marshall Alabama Attorney General Treg Taylor Attorney General of Alaska Tim Griffin Attorney General of Arkansas Ashley Moody Attorney General of Florida Chris Carr Attorney General of Georgia Raúl R. Labrador Attorney General of Idaho Todd Rokita Attorney General of Indiana Kris Kobach Attorney General of Kansas Jeff Landry Attorney General of Louisiana Andrew T. Bailey Attorney General of Missouri Lynn Fitch Attorney General of Mississippi Austin Knudsen Attorney General of Montana Mike Hilgers Attorney General of Nebraska John Formella Attorney General of New Hampshire Drew Wrigley Attorney General of North Dakota Gentner Drummond Attorney General of Oklahoma Alan Wilson Attorney General of South Carolina Ken Paxton Attorney General of Texas Sean D. Reyes Attorney General of Utah Jason S. Miyares Attorney General of Virginia Patrick Morrisey Attorney General of West Virginia Bridget Hill Attorney General of Wyoming The problem goes back years… Watch this testimony from a Chase customer: The Daily Caller had more details: Nearly two dozen state attorneys general signed onto a letter Wednesday demanding major firms that provide voting advice to corporate shareholders stop backing efforts to “debank” conservatives. Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird led 22 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to the two companies that control 97% of the proxy advisory services market‚ Institutional Shareholder Service (ISS) and Glass Lewis‚ whose advice they say shapes “the choices and activity of businesses and ultimately the United States’ and global economy.” The letter warns them against opposing shareholder resolutions to hold financial institutions accountable for restricting services based on clients’ religious and political beliefs‚ noting that viewpoint discrimination comes with “legal liabilities.” “They have advised big banks to keep quiet about why they’ve closed people’s bank accounts‚” Bird told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “We’ve seen banks targeting accounts for Second Amendment groups‚ like the NRA‚ or religious groups‚ including Christian nonprofits.” “They say they want transparency‚ but when it comes to the fact that some of the big banks are debanking conservatives or conservative causes‚ they don’t want that transparency‚” Bird said. Banks often use “reputational risk” or “hate speech” policies to target customers based on politics‚ the letter states. Bank of America canceled the accounts of Indigenous Advance‚ a Tennessee-based Christian nonprofit‚ earlier this year because it “no longer aligns with the bank’s risk tolerance‚” according to the Alliance Defending Freedom. The attorneys general are concerned ISS and Glass Lewis are opposing resolutions that seek to hold banks accountable for such instances of “politicized debanking.” “These firms support a vast majority of left-of-center‚ pro-ESG shareholder proposals and effectively block proposals from conservative shareholders seeking to hold companies accountable for the anti-free speech and anti-religious behavior that ESG demands‚” ADF Senior Vice President of Corporate Engagement Jeremy Tedesco told the DCNF. More here from Project Veritas: BREAKING @Project_Veritas: DEBANKING: Chase Bank Says “moral character” a Reason Why They Don’t Do Business with “those types of people” Full #debanking video –>; https://t.co/omrYL6FVkJ pic.twitter.com/EHUdCNYxQm — James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) April 16‚ 2019 And do you remember this? Earlier today I learned that @kanyewest was officially kicked out of JP Morgan Chase bank. I was told there was no official reason given‚ but they sent this letter as well to confirm that he has until late November to find another place for the Yeezy empire to bank. pic.twitter.com/FUskokb6fP — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 12‚ 2022 On a related note‚ if you are looking to work with a CONSERVATIVE payment processor‚ may I introduce you to my friend Pepe? My Exclusive Interview With Pepe Deluxe! This was a FUN one! This morning I went live on my Rumble Channel (make sure you Follow me here: https://rumble.com/c/DailyTruthReport) with a new friend‚ Mr. Pepe Deluxe. Don’t know him? I bet you do. He’s been a MAGA Patriot and warrior for the White Hats since 2016. I bet you’ve seen and shared his memes…. Followed his channels… Read his posts and comments. And you probably didn’t even know who he was! He’s one of the original “Pepe” accounts. I met him recently at an event and we instantly hit it off. But I’m not the only good judge of character out there….he’s also friends with Kari Lake: Look‚ I gotta admit that’s cool and I’m a little jealous! I wish I had pictures hanging out with Kari Lake! One day I will…. Oh and Ed Henry has had him on his show: But bottom line? He’s just a good guy. Normal guy‚ like you and me. Salt of the earth. And dude can talk to ANYBODY about ANYTHING! So I told him we had to do a show together and that’s what we did this morning when we went live. So. Much. Fun! I let him tell his story about how Social Media nearly took his business under (very similar to my story)… And how he’s devoted to helping save this country! I always say that the Christian Conservatives are the people with all the creativity! We are the ones creating… We are the ones bringing new stuff into the world…. We are the ones running small businesses and offering goods and services to the world! We are the ones making our communities better! We build‚ we create‚ we add value! What does the left do? Steal‚ Kill and Destroy. Wait a minute‚ where have I heard that before? Ah yes‚ it’s John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life‚ and have it to the full.” Christians are supposed to be the salt of the earth. We are supposed to bring life… We are supposed to build up‚ not tear down. I try and do that here with this website. I know so many of you reading this try to do that too. And when he’s not making memes‚ Pepe Deluxe is a small business owner just like a lot of us. He helps people with their credit card processing machines‚ and when I learned that it was another reason I was so excited to get him on my show. Full disclosure: I love what he’s doing so much I’ve partnered up with him to get the word out about what he does. Why do I care so much about credit card processing? Sounds like of boring‚ right? Far from it. In fact‚ it’s what the Far Left has identified as a “choke point”. It’s another HUGE way they can silence us and limit speech they don’t like. How’s it work? Simple…. Did you post something online “they” don’t like? Are you selling a product “they” don’t like? Are you a Christian Conservative? Are you a patriot? What if we just shut off your ability to process credit cards? POOF – your business disappears overnight. Exactly like how they deleted me off of Facebook in 2019. It’s a serious problem and I was so excited when I found a patriot who can offer a FREE SPEECH solution! That’s what Pepe does‚ and he’s been in this business since the 1990s. He knows all the tips and tricks. And he’s GOOD at it! Oh‚ and he can probably save you some serious money each month if you run a small business and process credit cards. BOOM! As I always say‚ who loves ya baby? I’m always bringing you solutions! His company is called OneSourceSolutions and he explains the meaning behind that name in our interview. If you are interested in seeing whether they can help you‚ go here (https://uspaygate.com) and tell them Noah sent you! Or use promo code WLT. And they’ll hook you up with some extra freebie stuff! Ok‚ please enjoy this one….I know you will. From Rumble: As promised in the video‚ here are the links I mentioned: OneSourceSolutions https://uspaygate.com/ Pepe on Telegram https://t.me/PepeDeluxed Pepe on Twitter https://twitter.com/deluxe_pepe Help us get Ben Garrison back on Twitter! https://wltreport.com/2023/07/13/exclusive-an-update-on-ben-garrison/ We all need to band together. Even if you personally haven’t had your business shut down by a credit card processor‚ do you really want to keep giving your money to the Woke Big Corporations that hate you? Let’s shift it. Let’s support Patriots….who will support you right back and do all they can to keep your business OPEN and processing customers. How’s that sound? It starts with each of us. By ourselves‚ we can’t do much…. But when we band together‚ we can give ’em the Bud Light treatment!