Google researcher Dr. Robert Epstein gave the Texas State Senate a crash course in the nefarious election interference that Big Tech has been using to manipulate U.S. politics for years. Epstein told the Texas State Senate Committee on State Affairs Wednesday he identified “ten new forms of influence that the internet has made possible and that are controlled exclusively by Big Tech companies.” He labeled them “among the most powerful forms of influence ever discovered” and more “dangerous” as they are nearly “invisible to users.” According to Epstein, “Our great nation unknowingly turned over its elections to Big Tech companies in 2012” and the “2020 presidential election was only one of hundreds of elections that Google has flipped.” This year, Epstein predicted, Google could shift between 6.4 and 25 million votes, and YouTube recommendations alone could alter users’ opinions by 40 percent or more. The demographic most vulnerable to this kind of manipulation are moderate Republicans, according to Epstein. Epstein then offered solutions on “how to make Google and other companies accountable to the public.” Specifically, he suggested declaring “[Google’s] index, a database they use to generate their search results, to be a public commons.” He added, “Second method is you set up a large-scale system that will preserve and analyze the actual data that these companies are sending to real users. In other words, to track them—to do to Google what they do to us and our children 24 hours a day.” Epstein’s system stores data from some 14,000 non-biased voters, tracking and capturing ephemeral experiences like search results. These experiences sway minds but quickly vanish without leaving hard evidence — until now. “For example, Google is now sending ‘Register to Vote’ reminders to Democrats at two and a half times the rate in which they’re sending them to Republicans,” Epstein stated. “Right now, Google’s YouTube is recommending shockingly violent and sexual videos to children and teens.” He urged the Texas Senate to take action to help ensure a system could be built to produce “court admissible data” in all 50 states. “Monitoring works because it makes them accountable,” he argued. Indeed, Epstein insisted, “But monitoring can stop them. In November 2020, after Sen. Cruz sent a threatening letter to the CEO of Google about my research findings, Google that very day stopped its election interference in the Georgia runoff elections.” He said further that after his America’s Digital Shield “went public with our new nationwide monitoring system in November 2023” he marked Google’s search results “steadily and gradually becoming less politically biased.” The threat of Big Tech election interference remains very real, however, and Epstein was adamant that more action needed to be taken by lawmakers. Google’s subsidiaries are also greatly complicit in its scheme, Epstein analyzed. Epstein later listed ways YouTube influences users in response to a question. The “Up Next” and other recommendations are tailored by YouTube for users. In 2018, Google employees had asked The Wall Street Journal about how to use such ephemeral experiences to “change people’s thinking” on then-President Donald Trump’s travel ban policies, Epstein said. If such methods are weaponized by Big Tech multiple times over, the more they influence people. “People trust algorithms” and “computers because they think they’re inherently objective, so the bias” can affect even those who notice it. Google will even personalize content for individuals, causing “greater” impact. “You have to have the data,” he re-emphasized later, for any real legal challenges to Big Tech’s power to be successful. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on so-called “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using MRC Free Speech America’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

UC Berkeley law professor John Yoo made clear this week that President Donald Trump's conviction before a Democratic judge in a Democratic enclave on charges brought by a Democratic prosecutor effectively obliterates any remaining pretense that the justice system is a means for resolution and restitution. The courtroom is now instead apparently a vehicle for seeking retribution and political advantage. With this transformation, Yoo says its high time for "retaliation in kind" by Republican district attorneys. Ahead of President Donald Trump's conviction, Yoo noted in National Review that it was abundantly clear the hush-money case was built around "farcical charges" and aimed not at delivering justice but at protecting a decrepit Democratic president from facing his top competitor in November. "The superficiality of the facts and the vagueness of the crimes magnify the harm that Democrats have inflicted on our political norms," wrote the former deputy assistant attorney general. "Make no mistake, Democrats have crossed a constitutional Rubicon." Yoo issued a note of caution: The "weakness of the case against Trump lowers the bar for prosecuting future presidents below that for prosecuting garden-variety criminals in New York City." 'Republicans will have to bring charges against Democratic officers, even presidents.' "Regardless of the trial's outcome, its consequences will have a profound effect on the presidency. The weaker the Trump cases are, the more open the invitation is to future prosecutors of presidents of the opposite party," wrote Yoo. "After this Trump trial, any city, county, or state prosecutor might be encouraged to prosecute any federal officer for conjured violations of a state's criminal law or other patently partisan reasons." To remedy "this breach of constitutional norms," Yoo indicated that Republicans' only recourse is to observe the Golden rule: "Do unto others as they have done unto you. In order to prevent the case against Trump from assuming a permanent place in the American political system, Republicans will have to bring charges against Democratic officers, even presidents." For instance, a Republican district attorney will have to do the work the Biden Department of Justice appears unwilling or at the very least incapable of doing: Hold Hunter Biden to account for one of his various alleged crimes. "Another Republican DA will have to investigate Joe Biden for influence-peddling at the behest of a son who received payoffs from abroad," continued Yoo. "Only retaliation in kind can produce the deterrence necessary to enforce a political version of mutual assured destruction; without the threat of prosecution of their own leaders, Democrats will continue to charge future Republican presidents without restraint." "We must rely on Republicans to threaten an escalation of banana-republic politics in order to prevent actually becoming a banana republic," concluded Yoo. Early in its critique of Yoo's argument, New York magazine admitted that "the Alvin Bragg prosecution is weak. That's not to say Trump is innocent, but that it's a borderline case that did not need to be charged." Time will tell whether Republican district attorneys will rise to the challenge. In the meantime, several Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Senate have indicated that bipartisanship under the current regime is over. Republican Sens. Michael S. Lee (Utah), J.D. Vance (Ohio), Tommy Tuberville (Ala.), Eric Schmitt (Mo.), Rick Scott (Fla.), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Roger Marshall (Kan.), and Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) issued a statement Friday, noting, "The White House has made a mockery of the rule of law and fundamentally altered our politics in un-American ways. As a Senate Republican conference, we are unwilling to aid and abet this White House in its project to tear this country apart." "To this end, we will not 1) allow any increase to non-security related funding for this administration, or any appropriations bill which funds partisan lawfare; 2) vote to confirm this administration's political and judicial appointees; and 3) allow expedited consideration and passage of Democrat legislation or authorities that are not directly relevant to the safety of the American people," said the statement. The original eight invited other senators to join them in taking a stand in the wake of the unprecedented conviction of Biden's political opponent. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A homeowner in Tacoma, Washington, was awakened just before midnight earlier this month by a loud thud that sounded as though it was coming from his roof, KCPQ-TV reported. So the homeowner went to check out what was happening and saw someone trying to break in from the fourth-floor balcony, the station said.Then things got downright bizarre. The homeowner confronted the intruder, and a fight broke out, KCPQ reported. The homeowner punched the suspect several times, and the suspect swiped at the homeowner with a knife, the station said, adding that the homeowner wasn't seriously hurt. The suspect was apparently armed with two knives and possibly scissors, the station said.Then things got downright bizarre — with a stunt right out of "Batman."KCPQ said the suspect dropped from the fourth-floor balcony and landed on the third-floor balcony — and then jumped to the ground from there. The suspect ran off, got in his vehicle, and drove away, KCPQ said.The homeowner got in his vehicle and chased the suspect before losing sight of him, the station said, adding that the victim returned home and called 911. The homeowner told responding law enforcement personnel that he didn't recognize the suspect, KCPQ reported.More from the station:When detectives later released a Crime Stoppers bulletin about the crime, a family member of the suspect identified him to police. The family member said that he had just gotten out of the hospital and didn't know where he was. The relative also told detectives that the suspect had bipolar disorder and that his mental health had been declining. KCPQ said police arrested the suspect and took him into custody without incident Sunday, adding that the attempted burglary took place May 12.The suspect has been identified as 33-year-old Adam Groetsch, the station said, adding that he's being held in the Pierce County Jail on first-degree attempted burglary and second-degree assault charges with bail set at $75,000. Groetsch was still in jail Friday afternoon, jail records indicate. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

BACKFIRE? Piers Morgan Says Guilty Verdict Will Propel Trump Back to the White House

WATCH: Scott Jennings Reduces George Conway to a Blithering Mess During Heated Exchange on Trump Verdict

Boss Move: Senate Republicans Vow to Block Democrat Agenda in Response to Trump Conviction

Rest Easy, Arizonans: They Caught the Glendale Panty Thief

Google Maps can be a really useful tool. But, if you want to take things up a notch, then a free web-based AI Google Maps tool could help make things even more useful. That’s because this tool allows you to search for new restaurants and other spots much more easily. The tool is called Top-Rated.online, and it’s available on the web, on any device, making it accessible for anyone. It’s really easy to use, and while you can find virtually anything on Google Maps already, Top-Rated allows you to really specify what you’re looking for and where you’re looking for it. To get started, all you have to do is type in the name of the city that you want to search. From there, the free AI Google Maps tool will pull information from Maps, allowing you to see some of the most favorably reviewed places in that area. A screenshot of Top-Rated.online's result listing and some of the filters available. It then presents all of that information in a really easy-to-follow setup, which you can quickly scroll through until you find what you’re looking for. At the surface level, it doesn’t really look that much different from searching any other site like Yelp. But it’s the filters and the AI that really make this tool stand out. That’s because once you have your initial list, you can then start breaking it down based on other factors, like what part of the city it is in, the type of food the restaurant offers, and more. It then shows you a summary of what the location offers and what reviewers have recommended. If you’re looking to improve the usefulness of Google Maps then this free AI tool is a great way to do so. You can also search for things like hidden gems, recent discoveries in the area, or just go with a standard listing of the overall ratings. So, the next time you go to look for a new place to eat, give Top-Rated a try and see if it makes your life easier. Don't Miss: These AI headphones can listen to a single person in the middle of a noisy crowd The post Google Maps gets a huge AI boost with this free web app appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best Apple Watch deals for May 2024 Today’s deals: $249 iPad, Sonos speakers from $199, $495 Apple Watch Ultra, $14 charging station, more Today’s deals: Memorial Day sales on Dyson vacuums, WiFi 6 routers, NERF guns, Ray-Ban sunglasses, more Today’s deals: $199 Bose soundbar, $38 Sony headphones, Energizer batteries, $200 off DJI Explorer, more

Stromatolites are the earliest geological record of life on Earth. These curious biotic structures are made of algae carpets growing toward the light and precipitating carbonates. After their first appearance 3.48 Ga ago, stromatolites dominated the planet as the sole living carbonate factory for almost three billion years.

Donald Trump's prospective vice-presidential picks sounded off Friday against the former president's conviction.