MRC President Brent Bozell reiterated the dire threat posed by Google’s years-long interference in U.S. elections — as revealed by an MRC Free Speech America Special Report that compiled 41 times the tech giant meddled in elections in the past 16 years. Speaking to WICS ABC 20 on Thursday‚ Bozell delivered a straightforward and unequivocal fact on Google: “Their algorithms are being tinkered with so that they can advance the left in America. … Google has the power to define what is and what isn’t truth.” Bozell’s remarks came during a significant segment with ABC 20‚ an Illinois-based television station affiliated with ABC and owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group‚ one of the largest broadcasting companies in the U.S. with 185 television stations in 86 markets affiliated with all the major broadcast networks. Kayla Gaskins‚ a Capitol Hill-based national correspondent for Sinclair‚ succinctly explained the crux of the MRC findings: “The latest allegations of election interference don’t point fingers at Russia or China but at American-owned Google. … The conservative watchdog group‚ Media Research Center‚ publishing a Special Report accusing the tech company of meddling with major U.S. elections 41 times over the past 16 years‚ tipping the scales in favor of the candidates they prefer.” Read the Special Report here! 41 Times Google Has Interfered in US Elections Since 2008 Speaking to Gaskins‚ Bozell described the implications of such actions‚ saying‚ “When 92 percent of all searches worldwide go through Google‚ Google has the power to define what is and what isn’t truth.” Gaskins echoed the findings unveiled in a 16-page bombshell report compiling Google’s election meddling since the rise to power of former President Barack Obama. Fast forward a few years‚ and Google appears to be helping the scandal-laden re-election of President Joe Biden.  The tactics involved hiding the campaign websites of Republican candidates‚ allowing Google “bombs” to go unchecked and censoring positive information about the relatively less leftist candidate. The latter was the case in the 2008 election when Google reportedly censored support for then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton‚ who at the time was deemed less radical than Obama‚ her opponent and eventual victor. You May Also Like: MRC President Brent Bozell Challenges Google to Disprove Election Interference Activity Bozell further explained burying the campaign sites of Republican candidates off of the first page of search results: “Less than one percent of the public ever goes to page two. That was done deliberately. So‚ people looking at Google‚ looking for information‚ never saw the Republican.” 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 hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

After showing no interest on Thursday’s CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News‚ Friday’s CBS Mornings and NBC’s Today chose to cover the disturbing‚ viral video from our friend Jennie Taer at the New York Post showing a mob of illegal immigrants storming and tearing down a fence just over the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso‚ Texas. Having had time to marinate on this story‚ the networks all got their ducks in a row with CBS in particular bemoaning Taer’s video as “likely to add fuel to the political showdown over immigration and border security” and illustrative of how illegal immigrants are driven by “a tragic combination of a broken system and desperation” to pour into the U.S.     “A chaotic scene in El Paso as migrants storm a fence at the border briefly overwhelming the National Guard‚” announced co-host Nate Burleson in the show’s “Eye Opener”‚ which was followed by a soundbite of Taer telling El Paso’s ABC affiliate KVIA she heard “yelling” and “banging” and she “didn’t know what was happening to those guardsmen.” All three networks included a graphic crediting the Post‚ but co-host Tony Dokoupil was the only journalist on any of the networks to credit them out loud‚ saying it was “taken by a New York Post journalist shows a group of migrants pulling razor wire fencing aside and then pushing past members of the Texas National Guard.” Dokoupil‚ however‚ lamented that the “dramatic video from the southern border” was “likely to add fuel to the political showdown over immigration and border security.” Far-left CBS News immigration reporter Camilio Montoya-Galvez first griped the “images clearly illustrate the humanitarian crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border that‚ by every measure‚ is unprecedented in nature” before giving a brief description of the video. Montoya-Galvez clearly wanted to convey to viewers this wasn’t a time to be angry or horrified about this mob scene‚ but feel sadness for illegal immigrants showing “desperation” and that they were deprived of their rights to be “process[ed] and vet[ted]” by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (i.e. that they can be released into the U.S. and disappear): [T]he Texas National Guard is setting up razor wire and barriers to not only deter migrants from crossing the Rio Grande illegally but to block them from accessing federal border patrol agents‚ which are legally required to process and vet migrants who are physically on American soil and also to refer them to asylum judges and immigration — asylum officers when there is an arrival of a migrant on U.S. soil and the international boundary in Texas is actually in the middle of the Rio Grande‚ so these migrants were already on American soil. They had to be processed‚ Tony‚ under federal law. Bottom line‚ Tony‚ is that these images clearly show that there’s a tragic combination of a broken system and desperation at the border. ABC’s Good Morning America also had a tease and full report. Co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos had the former: “Caught on camera. Migrants storm across the southern border‚ overwhelming Texas guards. What do we know and the reaction this morning.” Co-host Michael Strahan tossed to correspondent Mireya Villarreal by describing the story as “dramatic video showing a group of migrants breaching a barbed wire fence‚ overwhelming Texas National Guard troops.” Villarreal first provided a description of the “dramatic” and “tense” scene that unfolded after actually “several hours of...back and forth” and seemed to suggest Taer’s work was misleading: But the incident shown from another angle tells a different story‚ appearing to show National Guard troops apprehending a handful of migrants. Sources tell ABC News U.S. Border Patrol agents took them into custody for processing. U.S. Customs and Border Protection issuing a statement after the incident‚ assuring ABC News that “all migrants from this group have been moved from the site. Additional personnel have been deployed to the scene”[.] In the first comments on one of NBC’s flagship newscasts‚ Today co-host Craig Melvin teased a segment on the “[c]lash at the border” with “[d]ramatic new video of a tense struggle in Texas‚ dozens of migrants pushing through a security barrier” that’s become “the newest flashpoint in the battle over immigration.” Correspondent Priscilla Thompson had the full report on the “dramatic” and “chaotic scene”‚ but also rehashed the court fight over Texas bill SB4 and touted Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro (D) bragging about not sending Pennsylvania National Guard members to Texas because it’d only contribute to a “political squabble.” To see the relevant transcripts from March 22‚ click here (for ABC)‚ here (for CBS)‚ and here (for NBC).

CBS senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams positively beaming on Friday when she shared the news that the Biden administration would be putting forward a resolution in the United Nations Security Council calling for a ceasefire in the Israel/Hamas War. Of course‚ Williams was less concerned about the Israeli and American hostages being held in Hamas captivity than she was about getting Israel to stop killing terrorists. In leading into the segment co-host Tony Dokoupil tried to ensure that the hostages remained a central part of the equation but Williams seemingly wasn’t interested; keeping her focus on getting Israel to stop their campaign to eradicate Hamas. Williams admitted she didn’t know if Biden’s resolution would amount to anything substantive‚ but she was hyped that it seemed like he was starting to abandon Israel: DOKOUPIL: We're hearing that there is optimism about a potential ceasefire and hostage release. How quickly could it happen? WILLIAMS: Well‚ I don't know the answer to that. But what we are seeing is a kind of change in the U.S.'s approach and language. So‚ we've seen the U.S. previously veto three separate U.N. Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire. Now‚ the U.S. has drafted its own cease-fire resolution that's expected to be voted on later on today. And it used much stronger language than we've seen previously from the U.S.: “an immediate and sustained ceasefire.” “That said‚ we have every reason to be skeptical‚” she tempered her excitement.     Dokoupil responded by pointing out that the terrorists have “been rejecting deals” the entire time while Israel had only rejected the most recent one Hamas had countered with. “What about this resolution would potentially move either party closer to yes?” he wondered. Williams still didn’t have an answer‚ but she found comfort in the U.S. beginning to turn on Israel: Well‚ I guess one of the questions is like -- why has the U.S. position changed? Right? And how much influence will that have? I guess when it comes to the why‚ maybe it's the kind of horrific images that we're seeing coming out of Gaza on an almost daily basis now. The World Health Organization says that up to 60 percent of children under the age of five in Gaza are now malnourished. “Now‚ no matter who you ultimately blame for that‚ and people have different positions‚ it's deeply distressing. And it ups the pressure on the U.S. to do something‚” she proclaimed‚ trying to distance Hamas from the responsibility for starting the war. Williams also seemed to be shocked or possibly disheartened by Israeli resolve to eradicate Hamas: I don't think that many people in the U.S. government thought back in October that we would still be here in March‚ that the war would still be ongoing‚ and that Blinken would be in the Middle East for the sixth time since the war began. She also called for rewarding Hamas for October 7 by giving Palestinians their own country and pushed Hamas propaganda about a pre-war “occupation” in Gaza (Israel had left Gaza in the early 2000s and in response‚ Palestinians elected Hamas to rule them): …there needs to be a two-state solution. That the Palestinians need their own state in Gaza and the West Bank because it gives them‚ you know‚ hope for a better future. And the argument is that when Palestinians suffer the daily humiliations of occupation‚ it helps kind of push them into arms of Hamas. What she didn’t care to admit was that international law was a fallacy and a U.N. resolution calling for a ceasefire didn’t really mean anything. For a ceasefire to take effect both sides needed to agree‚ and in this case‚ both sides seemed to be playing for keeps this time. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: CBS Mornings March 22‚ 2024 8:02:15 a.m. Eastern TONY DOKOUPIL: We’re going to begin with new U.S. pressure on Israel to pause its war in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Israel today pushing for alternatives to a ground offensive in the city of Rafah. And he says they're getting closer to a potential temporary ceasefire deal which could include the release of Israeli hostages. At the same time‚ the U.S. is sponsoring a resolution at the U.N. calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire after vetoing previous ceasefire resolutions. Our senior foreign correspondent Holly Williams has been covering this conflict since it began in October and is here in studio with us. Holly‚ so great to have you here. You've been reporting on this for months now. We're hearing that there is optimism about a potential ceasefire and hostage release. How quickly could it happen? HOLLY WILLIAMS: Well‚ I don't know the answer to that. But what we are seeing is a kind of change in the U.S.'s approach and language. So‚ we've seen the U.S. previously veto three separate U.N. Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire. Now‚ the U.S. has drafted its own cease-fire resolution that's expected to be voted on later on today. And it used much stronger language than we've seen previously from the U.S.: “an immediate and sustained ceasefire.” That said‚ we have every reason to be skeptical. DOKOUPIL: Well‚ because you got Hamas which has apparently been rejecting deals‚ you got Israel which is apparently unwilling to accept the deal as it currently stands. What about this resolution would potentially move either party closer to yes? WILLIAMS: Well‚ I guess one of the questions is like -- why has the U.S. position changed? Right? And how much influence will that have? I guess when it comes to the why‚ maybe it's the kind of horrific images that we're seeing coming out of Gaza on an almost daily basis now. The World Health Organization says that up to 60 percent of children under the age of five in Gaza are now malnourished. Now‚ no matter who you ultimately blame for that‚ and people have different positions‚ it's deeply distressing. And it ups the pressure on the U.S. to do something. NATE BURLESON: Okay. Speaking of that pressure‚ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‚ he promised a major ground incursion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. President Biden says that would be a mistake. How would that impact the relationship between Israel and the U.S.? WILLIAMS: Look‚ it's a really tricky one‚ isn't it? I mean‚ the U.S. is not just Israel's most important ally. It's the most powerful country in the world. So‚ you assume that there's a lot of leverage there. That said‚ I don't think that many people in the U.S. government thought back in October that we would still be here in March‚ that the war would still be ongoing‚ and that Blinken would be in the Middle East for the sixth time since the war began. So‚ there are limits to U.S. leverage. MICHELLE MILLER: You know‚ Holly‚ you've spoken to both sides‚ Israelis‚ Palestinians. What are they saying about this in the midst of it all going on? WILLIAMS: So‚ look‚ this current war was sparked by the horrors perpetrated on October 7th. But these two sides have been locked in a cycle of violence for decades. And many people on both sides when they've experienced violence‚ when they've lost loved ones‚ they're pushed to more extreme positions and more extreme behavior. So‚ how do you get out of that cycle of violence‚ right? Now‚ the U.S. position -- and this is shared by a lot of countries‚ a lot of people -- is there needs to be a two-state solution. That the Palestinians need their own state in Gaza and the West Bank because it gives them‚ you know‚ hope for a better future. And the argument is that when Palestinians suffer the daily humiliations of occupation‚ it helps kind of push them into arms of Hamas. But when you look at recent polls‚ it is a minority of people on both sides who actually want a two-state solution. You know‚ and those numbers are way down from ten years ago. DOKOUPIL: Wow. WILLIAMS: So‚ it seems as if what people on both sides actually agree on is that they're kind of resigned to violence. DOKOUPIL: Wow. BURLESON: Good to see you here at the table. Your coverage has been incredibly eye-opening. Thank you.

Have you ever had sex with a tree? While that question alone seems absolutely insane to anyone normal‚ there are apparently more than 100‚000 people worldwide who consider themselves “ecosexual” and are sexually attracted to nature. This sexuality was recently promoted and explained via an animated infomercial on Britain's Channel 4 show called “Naked Attraction.” A clip of the show‚ which aired Wednesday‚ March 13‚ now has nearly two million views on X. The premise of the show is to “evaluate the contestants who are willing to bare all in the name of love‚” LAD Bible reported Monday. The way it works is that there is a host‚ Anna Richardson‚ who asks questions to a panel of naked contestants to help someone else who is “looking for love.” Toni‚ a 25-year-old from London‚ was the subject last week on the dating show and engaged in a Q and A with the panel to see which naked person she may be compatible with.  “The 'body-positive content creator' revealed how she likes to write erotic fiction in her spare time and six naked people were giving it their all to win her over‚” LAD Bible added. Here is a @Channel4 clip about ‘Ecosexuality’. This is a new sexual orientation for people who “find nature sexy”‚ “treat nature as a sensual partner” and includes having “sex with trees”. Society is doomed. pic.twitter.com/QzXqVsEZsp — James Esses (@JamesEsses) March 21‚ 2024 One task was for contestants to come up with a one liner to win Toni over. “Toni pens erotic fiction. If you were going to be writing your own dirty novel‚ what would you call it and why?” Richardson‚ the host asked. Here’s when the show got even more odd (if you can believe it).  One naked contestant answered‚ “Vaginal wonder in the willows because I like to explore people in nature.”  Toni responded‚ “Oh‚ so you’re an exhibitionist?” “Kind of. I’d say more an ecosexual‚" the contestant said.  Naturally‚ Richardson and Toni were confused‚ as was I when I saw the clip. “Someone who find’s nature sexy‚” the nude contestant with purple eyebrows and a purple mohawk confessed. The Channel 4 show then played a cartoon infomercial narrated by Richardson talking about all the people around the world who find nature sexy. “How a person expresses their equal‚ sexuality ranges widely from ceremonies where you can marry mother nature‚ to sex with trees and even masturbating underwater falls‚” Richardson said as the video showed each of those instances in graphic detail. Though the clip that is trending on X cut off there‚ according to LAD Bible‚ Richardson went on to warn that having sexual encounters in and with nature could “land you with a stiff fine.” Toni wasn’t as disturbed as I was when hearing about the contestant’s sexual fantasies with grass and said she was “up for anything!” Though I am slightly glad that the show didn’t air actual video footage of a man humping an oak tree‚ the animated video targets kids. All animated content with the bright‚ vibrant colors that are almost always used in animations‚ are attractive to kids and is rather worrisome‚ especially considering the fact that this show is "being promoted to millions on British TV‚” independent journalist Ian Miles Cheong wrote. James Esses‚ an anti-woke social commentator‚ said “society is doomed‚” when he shared a clip of the episode on X. Others said things like “degeneration of society on tv for all to see‚” “I just can’t any longer‚” “​​If I see someone having sex with a tree - they obviously identify as a tree - so I can use them for target practice‚” and another sarcastically wrote‚ “Do the trees give informed consent.  If not‚ it's r*pe.” All in all‚ this is just another attempt to virtue-signal by the ecosexual freak and another attempt by the media to normalize fetish behavior.

It was always asinine for President Joe Biden’s administration to claim that they “nearly” added 15 million jobs since the pandemic‚ and it apparently stank so much that even leftist fact-checker Snopes didn’t let it pass the smell test. In a shocking twist‚ Snopes analyzed that the Biden administration’s propagandized claim on how star-spangled awesome its job creation numbers were was “misleading” in a March 21 fact check.  According to Snopes‚ “About 9 million of those jobs were lost during the pandemic‚ so the net jobs gain from pre-pandemic levels was 5.5 million.” In other words‚ the “15 million” claim was bunk. But even the 5.5 million number is way too generous‚ but more on that later. The author of the fact check‚ Anna Rascouët-Paz‚ addressed the Biden propaganda on her personal Twitter account: “Did the US economy really add 15 million jobs under Biden? *squinty face* mmmm let's not push it.” No kidding. However‚ Rascouët-Paz stopped short of outright calling the Biden administration liars by still dubbing their claim a true/false “mixture” because the U.S. economy technically “gained 14.9 million jobs in total” from the pandemic recovery. Yes‚ the very claim that Rascouët-Paz deemed “false” was spun to seem like it still contained a modicum of honesty.  But for an outlet that routinely goes to bat for Biden‚ protecting him from most any scrutiny‚ “Mixture” is about as close as we can hope Snopes will get to red-flagging a leftist president’s economic falsehoods. The Heritage Foundation economist E.J. Antoni told MRC Business in an exclusive interview that “[t]he word ‘added’ implies an increase over the preexisting trend‚ but we’ve had precisely the opposite.” Did the US economy really add 15 million jobs under Biden? *squinty face* mmmm let's not push it. https://t.co/JVjYWz8DWR — Anna Rascouët-Paz (@rascouet) March 21‚ 2024 Rascouët-Paz attempted to throw Biden a bone by drawing readers’ attention to the supposed “Signs of a Strong Economy‚” claiming that the “data shows [sic] that the U.S. economy has been strong overall under Biden.”. She waved around the February jobs report showing that the economy allegedly added 275‚000 jobs‚ the 3.9 percent unemployment rate and 3.1 percent 2023 GDP growth as data points‚ but conveniently left out important context that blew up her pro-Biden spin.  Rascouët-Paz failed to mention the inconvenient little factoid that the February jobs report was drastically undercut by the simultaneous news that the previously robust January jobs numbers had been downwardly revised by more than a whopping 35 percent‚ from 353‚000 to 229‚000. If that wasn’t bad enough‚ the February jobs report also reduced the December 2023 jobs numbers from 333‚000 to 290‚000‚ totaling a 167‚000-job overestimate for December and January combined. In addition‚ new data from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve showed that the U.S. economy added two-thirds fewer jobs in the third quarter of 2023 than previously reported by the BLS report‚ according to The Daily Caller. Antoni told MRC Business that any attempt to sugarcoat the decrepit state of the jobs market under Biden as Rascouët-Paz did is downright ludicrous. “There are a variety of ways to measure how” far the labor market is below its pre-pandemic trend‚ he said‚ “but each of them shows that we’re missing at least 4.8 million jobs.” In fact‚ argued Antoni that “it seems more accurate to say Biden is short jobs than he has added them.” But that isn’t the only area where Rascouët-Paz dropped the ball. A chunk of the so-called “growth” in 2023 that she praised as a win for Biden happened because the federal government debt exploded by over $6.6 trillion against a nominal GDP increase of $5.6 trillion‚ as Antoni pointed out in a February X post. Antoni argued that the government was effectively “borrowing to create the illusion of ‘growth‚’ and getting only 89 cents on the dollar… .” Reiterating this point to MRC Business‚ Antoni concluded‚ “[T]he only thing keeping both consumer and government spending levels afloat is debt. The government basically borrowed over $800 billion last quarter to ‘buy’ $300 billion of GDP ‘growth.’”  And the argument that the U.S. is experiencing healthy growth gets even worse when one tears off the false veneer‚ as Antoni revealed: Likewise‚ consumer debt is through the roof as people attempt to maintain their standard of living amid the sharp drop in real earnings over the last 3 years. Furthermore‚ many people‚ especially the young‚ have turned to doom spending. This is where they give up on ever being able to own a home or other big ticket items‚ so they stop saving for a down payment and other investments‚ and spend that money instead. That’s increasing consumer spending today‚ but also killing savings and long-run growth. Indeed‚ the savings rate today is less than half the pre-pandemic level‚ and that’s after the government handed out thousands of dollars to everybody. Conservatives are under attack. Contact Snopes and tell it to stop trying to save the Biden administration from the political fallout of the falsehoods it peddles on the state of the economy.

Google doubled down on its election-related censorship operations just after MRC released a special report on Google’s election interference efforts over the past 16 years.  MRC Free Speech America released a report finding 41 examples of Google’s election interference efforts between 2008 and 2024. And yet‚ Google is going full speed ahead with its election efforts in Europe. Google announced its efforts to control information through partnerships with so-called fact-checkers and media literacy organizations in a blog post on Thursday.  “Today‚ we’re excited to announce a €1.5 million contribution to the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN)‚ a newly created association representing European fact checking organizations‚ to launch Elections24Check‚” wrote Google. The Elections24Check project‚ according to Google‚ is “working together to fact check the European Parliamentary Elections” through a database of articles “fact-checking‚” “debunking” and “prebunking” claims made by European political candidates.  The database “will offer an early detection system of online misinformation for the entire continent‚” claimed Carlos Hernández-Echevarría‚ Chair of the EFCSN Governance Body. He added that it will cover the EU and neighboring countries‚ emphasizing that “misinformation travels widely across borders especially around the upcoming elections.” Cracking down on alleged “misinformation” is a euphemism that leftists have used worldwide to silence their political opposition online. Google once again emphasized its so-called pre-bunking and media literacy efforts‚ which it claims “teaches audiences how to spot common manipulation techniques‚ so they can better recognize mis- and disinformation online.” Google added that “[t]he campaign‚ which kicks off this spring‚ will focus on techniques used to advance disinformation including decontextualization‚ scapegoating and discrediting … .”  A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Rob Roos told MRC Free Speech America that this push to censor and control so-called “misinformation” is not coming out of nowhere. “With the Digital Services Act‚ the European Union is forcing big social media platforms to ‘fight misinformation’ online‚” he said. “But who decides what is misinformation and what isn't? In a democracy‚ it is essential that ideas can be discussed freely.” Roos‚ who also serves as Vice President of the think tank founded by Margaret Thatcher‚ the New Direction Foundation‚ aptly added that in many cases‚ anti-free speech laws are only a piece of the equation. “Even without the DSA‚ most Big Tech companies have proved to be eager to engage in censorship and in tampering with the algorithm to decrease the reach of conservatives‚” the MEP said. “This is blatant corporate election interference‚ and this interference poses the true danger to democracy.” Although these so-called fact checkers have every right to express what they claim to be true‚ Google has long elevated fact checks that are often biased against conservative ideas. The company openly admitted this in a December 2019 blog post. “Google has highlighted fact checks in Search and News for almost three years as a way to help people make more informed judgments about the content they encounter online‚” the company wrote. “Fact checks from authoritative sources are highlighted on Google Search and are labeled in Google News.” This comes just after Google pumped the brakes on its AI chatbot Gemini’s willingness to answer election-related questions. “Out of an abundance of caution on such an important topic‚ we have begun to roll out restrictions on the types of election-related queries for which Gemini will return responses‚” Google told CNBC on March 12. 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 hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Video game developers and designers took part in an organized event in which they screamed in unison for upwards of 30 seconds to express discontent with criticisms from fans and the gaming industry as a whole.Among the reasons for their screams‚ participants stated frustration with the industry‚ a priority of sales over passion‚ and the treatment of diverse and "marginalized individuals" who feel harassed.The scream took place at the 2024 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco‚ where the event was organized by Caryl Shaw from Epic Games and Fortnite Festival designer Scott Jon Siegel. "The game industry is falling apart around us‚ and we're all flocking to San Francisco for a week to pretend like this is fine‚" the event page read. "Let's take a minute where we all stop pretending‚ and express just how it feels to be a game developer in 2024. Join us for a collective moment of catharsis‚ camaraderie‚ and caterwauling. Let's descend upon Yerba Buena and when the clock strikes noon‚ have ourselves a nice big GDScream."Siegal revealed to PC Gamer that the event was organized in part in response to the controversy over gaming narrative developer Sweet Baby Inc.‚ a company accused of incessantly injecting diversity into video games. Video game developers attending the Game Developers Conference participate in public scream. — (@) The event was covered by multiple gaming outlets‚ including IGN's Rebekah Valentine‚ who described it as a response to the growing discontent among game developers‚ who are facing mass layoffs and alleged coordinated harassment. Specifically‚ she noted that marginalized individuals were the ones being harassed.Siegal told IGN that he is "always slightly screaming inside for a lot of personal reasons‚ but this is an industry that is built on passion.""I loved games so much and I found that I had this passion for building them and building experiences that brought delight to other people. It's an industry that really feeds on that passion and takes advantage of that passion‚ and that's broken my heart over and over again ... and I just wanted to scream about it‚" he added."When you have this many people coming together in the game industry‚ going to all these events‚ having all these people attend presentations and awards ceremonies where not necessarily everyone is even mentioning the layoffs‚ even mentioning where the culture is currently‚ it all feels absurd‚" Siegel also told PC Gamer.The event reportedly had around 50 people‚ with Siegal and others expressing that they feel forced to act like "everything is fine" in their industry. Developers vented their frustration at the game industry's layoffs in a long scream at #GDC2024.\n\nGDScream is a "collective moment of catharsis‚ camaraderie‚ and caterwauling": https://t.co/WanmY9G0Zq\n\n#games #gamenews #videogames #GDC\n\nVideo by @TenaciousChi — (@) An anonymous game developer‚ according to IGN‚ took part in the scream after talking "about diversity in games.""We were all marginalized people‚ and we're all looking at each other going‚ 'Yeah it sucks‚ for some reason we have to do this‚ and we cannot not do this‚ and I don't know how to deal with the obligation of having to do this just because I'm the person that I am.'"Another attendee and developer‚ Jimmy Chi‚ expressed that his reasons behind screaming were related to job losses‚ which caused colleagues to lose houses but also lose visas or be deported."Meanwhile‚ record profits‚ all the time‚" he noted.Other employees at publisher Tender Claws spoke of feeling "hopeless" and "angry" and urged for unionization."We screamed because we're angry. But we're also here because we really want people to know that you don't just have to be angry. You don't just have to feel hopeless ... I think it's really‚ really urgent in this time that people use the leverage that we have‚ that we unionize‚" said programmer Robin LoBuglio.Gamers have grown tired of forceful DEI injections into games‚ but it seems diversity-centric gaming employees are not aligned with their customers on this issue. Developers at an individual level appear to feel attacked by criticisms of forced DEI — as shown by their reactions online and at events like this — but their focus predominately is on their treatment from parent companies and employers.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The former cop who was fired after being involved in an explosive sex scandal at a Tennessee police department has been awarded a $500‚000 settlement from the city of La Vergne.In January 2023‚ several officers at the La Vergne Police Department were suspended or fired over a sordid sex scandal. As Blaze News previously reported‚ there were allegations of unreported sexual relationships‚ having sex while on duty‚ and sexual harassment by sending pornographic photos and videos. There were reported games of "strip Uno‚" a "Girls Gone Wild"-themed hot tub party‚ and foot fetish photos being shared. The officers who were terminated are Patrol Officer Juan Lugo Perez‚ Sgt. Lewis Powell‚ Detective Seneca Shields‚ Sgt. Henry Ty McGowan‚ and Patrol Officer Maegan Hall. La Vergne Police Department Chief Burrel "Chip" Davis was also fired for allegedly receiving sexually explicit photos and videos of Hall.Hall‚ 28‚ allegedly had sexual relations with six of her coworkers – which were not reported to the department. In March 2023‚ Hall filed a federal civil lawsuit against the city of La Vergne. Hall claimed she was "sexually groomed" by her police colleagues. Hall's attorney‚ Wesley Clark‚ previously said‚ "On several occasions‚ Hall tried to get out of this relationship‚ and she was not allowed to.""Maegan wasn't looked at as a rookie cop to be trained and promoted‚" Clark claimed. "She was looked at like a piece of meat to be sexualized and exploited."Hall said in an interview last year‚ "My supervisors worked together to take advantage of my vulnerabilities and mental health‚ and they used it for their gain and their sexual pleasure."She said‚ "Who do you turn to when the chief of police is sexually harassing you? How can I get justice when the entire system‚ including the chief‚ not only condoned such behavior but participated in it? I was lost‚ and I felt alone. I had no one to turn to and nowhere to go."On Wednesday‚ the La Vergne board voted 3-1 at a special meeting to settle the lawsuit.Hall will receive $500‚000 from the settlement.The city denied "any admission of liability" and noted that no taxpayer funds were spent to settle the lawsuit‚ according to WTVF.La Vergne Alderman Dennis Waldron was the lone dissenting vote. Waldron said of the board's approval of the half-million-dollar settlement: "What message does that send to all the other employees?""It's sending a message out to everybody in the world [that says] come to La Vergne‚ sue La Vergne because they’re going to settle‚" Waldron stated. Clark expressed that he is "absolutely" satisfied with the $500‚000 settlement. The attorney told WTVF‚ "This was her decision. She wanted to put this in the past and move forward with her life."Clark remarked about Waldron's comment‚ "Well‚ I've got great advice for him. Stop breaking the law and you won't get sued."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! Maegan Hall reaches $500K settlement after sex scandal www.youtube.com

Much to the dismay of conservatives who have been pleading for spending cuts‚ the House passed a $1.2 trillion government funding bill mere hours before the shutdown deadline. The package will fund the government through the end of the fiscal year (September 30). But the astronomical expense isn’t the only thing conservatives are upset about. What’s actually in the bill is largely problematic as well. Of the $1.2 trillion‚ “$500 million [is] appropriated for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency‚” which will “support the Armed Forces of Jordan and to enhance security along its borders‚” reads Glenn. The bill also allocated funds to LGBTQ+ projects‚ including what Glenn Beck humorously calls “the grooming‚ binding‚ and tucking” initiative that will develop “new underpants for kids” in the community. “There's a lot of LGBTQ kids out there without underpants because you know‚ that's just the way America is right now — underpant-less‚” he mocks. Further‚ “there are agencies that [Glenn] didn't even know existed that are getting billions of dollars” — agencies like the United States Agency for International Development‚ which he says “is just an arm of the CIA.” The organization is “giving money all over the world and not for anything that you actually think is right but for what the CIA thinks is right‚” he explains. One senator reached out to Glenn following the passing of the bill with the following message: “Glenn‚ we’re going to hell in a handbag.” Glenn wholeheartedly agrees. “If we don't turn this thing around by fall‚ sorry gang. I hate to say it‚ but you're just not going to come back from all of this.” To hear more about the spending bill‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Asset management company BlackRock called Texas' decision to pull an $8.5 billion investment this week "reckless" and "irresponsible‚" Fox Business reported.On Tuesday‚ Aaron Kinsey with the Texas State Board of Education announced that the state's Permanent School Fund‚ which supports public schools‚ would withdraw billions of dollars of investments placed with BlackRock‚ citing the firm's commitments to environmental‚ social‚ and governance. In 2021‚ the state passed Senate Bill 13‚ prohibiting "investments in companies that boycott certain energy companies." Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar reported last year that BlackRock was one of several investment firms "playing politics" with Americans' retirement money by boycotting fossil fuel energy companies."The Texas Permanent School Fund has a fiduciary duty to protect Texas schools by safeguarding and growing the approximately $1 billion in annual oil and gas royalties managed by the Texas General Land Office‚" Kinsey stated. "Terminating BlackRock's contract ensures PSF's full compliance with Texas law.""BlackRock's dominant and persistent leadership in the ESG movement immeasurably damages our state's oil and gas economy and the very companies that generate revenues for our PSF‚" Kinsey added.In response to Kinsey's announcement‚ BlackRock released a statement declaring that the asset management company is "helping millions of Texans invest and save for retirement." The firm denied the claims that it boycotts energy companies and called the decision to pull the funds "arbitrary."On Friday‚ Fox Business reported that BlackRock Vice Chairman Mark McCombe sent a letter to Kinsey stating he was "dismayed" by the announcement‚ which he claimed prioritized "short-term politics over your long-term fiduciary responsibilities.""We fully comply with Texas law and fundamentally disagree with your assessment based on BlackRock's performance for Texas PSF and our investments in Texas energy companies. Additionally‚ Senate Bill 13 makes clear divestment is not required when a government entity determines divestment is inconsistent with its fiduciary responsibilities‚" McCombe wrote. "The outperformance BlackRock has demonstrated shows divestment would not be in the best interest of Texas PSF."He urged Texas to reconsider and claimed that not all PSF board members were made aware of the decision to terminate the relationship."We learned of your decision to end Texas PSF and BlackRock's 18-year relationship through a press release. Ending a long‚ successful partnership that's been a positive force for thousands of Texas schools and families in such a reckless manner is irresponsible‚" McCombe continued. "How our clients invest and whom they entrust to manage their money is entirely their decision‚ but we feel an action of this magnitude warrants transparency and consensus — not political-driven decision making. Texas schools and families deserve that." Today‚ Texas Permanent School Fund leadership delivered an official notice to global asset manager BlackRock terminating its financial management of approximately $8.5 billion in Texas\u2019 assets.\n\nMy statement: — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!