FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Amazon yielded to pressure from President Joe Biden’s White House to suppress books that opposed COVID-19 vaccines‚ according to documents reviewed by The Daily Signal. The House Judiciary Committee obtained the emails‚ which demonstrate the White House’s pressure on Amazon to suppress “anti-vax books” and the company’s decision to take action against the books. Amazon employees strategized for a meeting with the White House on March 9‚ 2021‚ openly asking whether the administration wanted the retailer to remove books from its catalog. “Is the [a]dmin asking us to remove books‚ or are they more concerned about search results/order (or both)?” one employee wrote. Andrew Slavitt‚ then a senior adviser on Biden’s COVID-19 response team‚ had previously asked‚ “Who can we talk to about the high levels of propaganda and misinformation and disinformation [on] Amazon?” Slavitt became notorious when Elon Musk released the internal files of Twitter in 2022 and 2023 after he purchased the company in October 2022. Slavitt appears to have repeatedly pressured social media companies into suppressing opposition to COVID-19 vaccines. The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Slavitt on Nov. 30. The committee told Slavitt that it “obtained documents that demonstrate the central role you played in communicating the Biden White House’s censorship efforts to social media companies‚ including the White House’s demands to censor true information‚ memes‚ satire‚ and other constitutionally protected forms of expression.” The White House instructed Slavitt not to appear‚ the Washington Examiner reported on Friday. “Everything is on the table‚” a Judiciary Committee spokesman told The Daily Signal about Slavitt’s refusal to abide by the subpoena. Slavitt had also been involved in discussions with Facebook. That social media company admitted to suppressing “often-true content” because it contradicted the White House’s narrative on COVID-19 vaccines. On March 2‚ 2021‚ Slavitt complained to Amazon staff that “If you search for ‘vaccines’ under books‚ I see what comes up.” “I haven’t looked beyond that‚ but if that’s what’s on the surface‚ it’s concerning‚” he added. Amazon decided that the company would not do a “manual intervention” on March 3‚ noting that a move against books expressing hesitancy on COVID-19 vaccines might undermine the company. “The team/[public relations] feels very strongly that it is too visible‚ and will further compound the Harry/Sally narrative (which is getting the Fox News treatment today apparently)‚ and won’t fix the problem long-term problem [sic] because of the customer behavior associations‚” the Amazon staffer wrote. The “Harry/Sally narrative” refers to Amazon’s controversial decision to remove “When Harry Became Sally‚” Ryan T. Anderson’s book on the transgender movement‚ in February 2021. Amazon said the book violated its content policy. Anderson serves as president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and had previously served as a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.) The Amazon employee had moved to “widen the search light flag for COVID-19 [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] website re-direct so that it comes to the top of the page on more search keys‚” however. The staffer added that the White House will likely not consider any explanation of Amazon’s decisions “satisfactory.” “The WH will probably ask why we don’t tag the content like FB/Twitter do if we aren’t taking it down‚” the staffer wrote. The company strategized on how to respond to questions the White House might ask‚ such as‚ “Why don’t you tag books that are not scientifically sound the way FB/Twitter tags content?” Amazon staff planned to say‚ “We believe that retailers are different [from] social media communities” and that “as a retailer‚ we provide our customers with access to a variety of viewpoints‚ including books that some customers may find objectionable.” After the March 9 meeting at the White House‚ Amazon staff strategized how to respond to a negative story that Buzzfeed would publish discussing “COVID-19 related books for sale on Amazon.” Staff noted that they were “feeling pressure from the White House Taskforce” on the issue of books “related to vaccine misinformation.” In this discussion‚ a staffer noted that “we did enable Do Not Promote for anti-vax books whose primary purpose is to persuade readers vaccines are unsafe or ineffective on 3/9‚ and will review additional handling options for these books with you‚ [redacted]‚ and [redacted] on 3/19.” That March 9 decision to change Amazon’s algorithm to avoid promoting “anti-vax books” appears to have happened after the meeting with White House staff. The Daily Signal has reached out to Amazon for comment and will update this article with any response. In addition to taking action against Anderson’s book‚ Amazon had long relied on the leftist smear group the Southern Poverty Law Center to screen potential recipients for its charity donation program‚ Amazon Smile. The SPLC is notorious for placing conservative and Christian groups on a “hate map” alongside chapters of the Ku Klux Klan. Amazon continued to rely on the SPLC for years‚ despite criticism‚ until it closed the program last February. 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 EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Bowed to White House Pressure to Suppress Books Skeptical of COVID-19 Vaccines appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The U.S. set a new record in January for the total number of Americans employed by the government‚ according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The government added 36‚000 new employees in January‚ with 11‚000 in the federal government and 19‚000 in local government (excluding education)‚ and now totaling 23‚091‚000‚ according to the bureau. January’s total outdid the previous record of 23‚055‚000 that was set in December‚ marking the third month in a row with a new record. The previous record before the recent string of all-time highs was in May 2010 with 22‚996‚000 total government positions‚ which was bolstered by an uptick in hiring due to census collection that year. New methodology in February’s job report revised the number of government jobs up in November to 23‚000‚000‚ making January the third month in a row that the number of government positions has hit a new record‚ according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Over the last 12 months the majority of jobs came from 1) Healthcare2) Government3) Servers pic.twitter.com/Oz3SEdmAJt— Frog Capital (@FrogNews) February 2‚ 2024 The government added 601‚000 jobs to the U.S. economy in total over the past 12 months‚ with there being 22‚490‚000 in January 2023‚ according to the bureau. The government averaged 57‚000 new jobs every month in 2023. The uptick in government jobs accompanies a continued climb in government debt‚ with the national debt exceeding $34 trillion for the first time in U.S. history just before the end of December. In just the fourth quarter‚ the U.S. ran an $800 billion deficit while only gaining $328.7 billion in gross domestic product. The expected increase in government hiring that typically happens in census years never came to fruition in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic‚ halting hiring efforts in February of that year and stopping at 22‚867‚000 government positions‚ according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The number of government jobs declined rapidly to 21‚395‚000 by May 2020 due to shutdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy in total added 353‚000 nonfarm payroll jobs in January‚ far exceeding economists’ expectations of just 180‚000. Despite the strong growth‚ January also saw a 136% increase in layoffs compared with December‚ with 82‚307 positions being cut. The White House did not immediately respond to a request to comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation 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 Number of New Government Jobs Spikes to New Record as Federal Debt Soars appeared first on The Daily Signal.

U.S. Steel‚ the world’s first billion-dollar company‚ is being sold for scrap. And Washington made it happen. Originally an amalgamation of Carnegie Steel and countless smaller firms‚ and the favorite stepchild of J.P. Morgan‚ U.S. Steel had been losing market share for decades. It’s now being taken over by a foreign rival—the result of slow strangulation by government. It was once the crown jewel of American manufacturing whose outputs formed the backbone of the “arsenal of democracy.” Quite literally: U.S. Steel produced the keels of key battleships and carriers in World War II. Ironically‚ those ships went off to fight Japan‚ whose Nippon Steel is now buying the government-ravaged carcass of U.S. Steel 80 years later. But the problem is much deeper than a single American manufacturer. For decades‚ blue-collar jobs have been disappearing across America as cheaper goods flooded in from around the world. At first glance‚ the inability of American manufacturing to compete internationally makes no sense: The American worker has three times as much capital at his fingertips as his Chinese counterpart. American labor is so much more productive than its unskilled overseas competition that even the rock-bottom wages paid in places like rural China don’t make up the difference. Imagine a foreign worker in a manufacturing plant who has to drill a hole in a steel sheet. Lacking power tools‚ he takes a hand drill and creates the hole in a minute or so. But he can’t do that all day; after an hour‚ his arms are exhausted‚ and his pace slows down. He becomes even less productive as the hours go by. Conversely‚ the American worker stacks a dozen steel sheets on his electric drill press‚ flips a switch‚ and creates 12 perfect holes. At the end of the day‚ his output exceeds his unskilled counterpart by an order of magnitude‚ and the quality is superior. What canceled out the incredible advantage of capital and put American manufacturers at such a disadvantage to where they cannot compete? In a word‚ regulation. The federal government has imposed tens of thousands of regulations on our once great manufacturing sector‚ grinding production nearly to a halt and racking up billions annually in compliance costs. With “green” energy mandates‚ diversity-driven quotas‚ and anti-competitive rules lobbied by large unions and corporations alike to keep out both non-union labor and small businesses‚ American manufacturing has been crippled. A recent study by the National Association of Manufacturers estimated that federal regulations alone cost large manufacturers with at least 100 employees an average of $24‚800 per worker annually. That’s roughly half the salary of the typical blue-collar employee. In other words‚ these onerous regulations increase the cost of hiring American workers by 50%. It’s even worse for small businesses with less than 50 employees‚ where regulation costs a staggering $50‚100 per worker annually. In that case‚ the employer’s labor cost is now roughly doubled. In sum‚ Washington priced out the American worker. Regulations have more than offset the American worker’s incredible head start in capital and productivity. These costly rules make running a factory in America a losing proposition. Often‚ the only way to be successful in the face of such regulation is to get in on the lobbyist heist and grab some taxpayer money. Indeed‚ one of the very first manufacturing regulations‚ the Meat Inspection Act of 1906‚ was specifically lobbied by large meat packers to cartelize the industry and shut out mom-and-pop butchers. Such moves by American manufacturers provide short-term gains to market share‚ but long-term collapses. After all‚ if a regulation increases costs at small firms by 25% but only 5% at a large firm‚ the small firms go out of business and the large firm captures the whole market. The problem is then a foreign rival appears. Lacking the same regulatory burdens‚ the foreign company just undercuts the domestic manufacturer by the 5% cost of the regulation‚ and the stroll toward oblivion becomes a sprint. Before today’s bloated regulatory state‚ American manufacturers were frequently cutting costs to compete with both each other and foreign rivals‚ but they still made a profit because there was a level playing field. Kerosene got cheaper every decade Standard Oil existed. Henry Ford repeatedly cut prices for his Model T. Baldwin Locomotive Works continuously evolved better engine designs but still managed to lower costs. And J.P. Morgan was relentless in improving efficiency inside U.S. Steel to drive down the prices of final products. The loss of American manufacturing is ultimately a self-inflicted wound and it won’t heal until the regulatory knife is taken out of its back. The problem is not overseas‚ but in Washington. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation 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 How Washington Regulation Strangled American Manufacturing appeared first on The Daily Signal.

After losing her grandson to fentanyl poisoning in 2021‚ Martha Johnson has made a habit of asking young people if they know about the deadly drug.   “That’s what I feel right now‚ that when I see a teenager or young adult‚ I need to tell them‚” Johnson said. The young people who have been poisoned by fentanyl‚ “they didn’t want to die.” Johnson and her husband‚ Lane Johnson‚ traveled about 180 miles from their home just outside San Antonio to attend the Take Our Border Back Convoy rally in Quemado‚ Texas‚ on Saturday. Standing in the crowd of several hundred‚ the Johnsons held a sign with their grandson’s picture on it‚ the words “Forever 25” and “KILLED BY FENTANYL” written below a photo of the young man. The rally marked the end of a five-day trucker convoy from Virginia Beach‚ Virginia‚ to Texas in support of border security.   “The border‚ yes‚ it needs to be secured‚” the grandmother said‚ adding‚ “It needs to be secure because the fentanyl is coming in‚ and it’s killing our kids right where we live.”   The Johnsons’ grandson‚ Jake Paez‚ began struggling emotionally after his mother died from breast cancer about eight years ago. At about the same time‚ the young man also got his wisdom teeth removed‚ was prescribed painkillers‚ and became addicted to the drug‚ Lane Johnson told The Daily Signal.   In 2017‚ the Johnsons’ grandson came to live with them‚ and “he was really‚ really battling and doing a great job with it‚” Lane Johnson said. As he continued to struggle with the loss of his mom‚ the young man “developed anxiety” and “on occasion‚ he would self-medicate‚” he said.   In April 2021‚ Paez asked a friend‚ who was dealing prescription drugs‚ if she had anything for anxiety. He took the pill he was given‚ not knowing it contained fentanyl. The young person who gave their grandson the pill likely did not know it had fentanyl in it‚ either‚ according to Martha Johnson. “That’s why I try to tell these kids‚ even if it’s a friend‚ don’t take anything from anybody‚” she said.   The year Paez was poisoned‚ Customs and Border Protection reported seizing more than 11‚200 pounds of fentanyl. In fiscal year 2023‚ CBP seized more than 27‚000 pounds‚ the largest seizure amount on record. As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl is enough to be potentially lethal to the average adult.   According to the Drug Enforcement Administration‚ fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45.   The border needs to be secured because of the fentanyl‚ “plus‚ we can’t just have it open‚” Martha Johnson said‚ adding that her own mother immigrated to America from Mexico legally.   “We’re not trying to say‚ ‘You can’t come.’ No! But just like everything else … we got to make sure what’s coming into the United States‚” she explained. “We just need to have our border secure‚ and we will welcome [immigrants]‚” she said‚ “but do it the right way.”  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 Fentanyl Poisoning Victims ‘Didn’t Want to Die‚’ Texan Says After Losing Grandson appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The Family Nutrition Guide states that the purpose of food is to fill the body with nutrients. There’s a wide variety of healthy foods that serve this purpose. On the other hand‚ there are tons of unhealthy foods that do the complete opposite. These unhealthy foods are filled with excessive amounts of sugar‚ fat‚ sodium‚ carbohydrates‚ and more‚ which can actually harm the body and mind (both in... Source

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Picture this: a serene day at the Lake District Coast Aquarium‚ a favorite haunt for Wendy Armstrong and her daughters‚ Aurora and Daisy. This aquarium‚ nestled in the heart of the U.K.‚ is a window to the underwater world‚ home to a myriad of sea creatures‚ including the fascinating stingrays. Stingrays‚ known for their flat... The post Stingray photobombs baby’s photo and the outcome is hilarious because of their matching expressions appeared first on Animal Channel.

TikTok‚ infamous for censoring Americans‚ has emerged as a facilitator of illegal immigration‚ prompting two U.S. senators to urge the app be banned. A CBS News’ 60 Minutes segment exposed how illegal aliens exploit the southern border crisis using Communist Chinese government-tied TikTok. The app appears to have a double standard‚ silencing constitutionally-protected free speech while promoting illegal immigration into the United States. 60 Minutes’ reporting ignited Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) to call for TikTok to be banned. The 60 Minutes segment showed illegal aliens pouring through a gap in the border fence. “We wondered how all of these migrants knew about this particular entryway into California‚” correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi began. “The answer was in their hands.” The video shows Alfonsi talking with migrants and learning they utilized TikTok. Alfonsi reported that a TikTok post instructs migrants on hiring smugglers.  TikTok bans illegal content‚ including “content which promotes or facilitates illegal services” and “national security-related offenses.” The Communist Chinese government-tied app’s own policy also bans “human exploitation‚ including trafficking and smuggling” content‚ but in doing so‚ the platform does still allow “for migrants and refugees to be able to document their journeys.” “Bottom line: TikTok is anti-American‚” said MRC Free Speech America Director Michael Morris. “Couple the quixotic nature of how TikTok enforces its policies regarding human exploitation with its propensity to censor constitutionally-protected speech‚ and the underlying issues with the Communist Chinese government-tied app become plain.” “Time to ban TikTok‚” Rubio wrote on X‚ while Hawley simply declared: “Ban TikTok.” Other lawmakers reacted to the video‚ including Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) who called the app a “national security threat.” Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) echoed these concerns‚ asking‚ “Is anyone actually surprised?! #TikTok’s owners are no friends of the United States &; are giving our private information to Communist #China!” Alfonsi specifically identified TikTok as “created in China.” The app is owned by Chinese company ByteDance‚ in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) owns a board seat and maintains a financial stake. According to Open Secrets data‚ ByteDance increased lobbying by 77 percent in 2023‚ from $4.94 million in 2022 to $8.74 million in 2023. Alfonsi said that CBS found a TikTok video with “step-by-step instructions for hiring smugglers and detailed directions to that hole we visited” in the border barrier. When it came to the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict‚ however‚ TikTok boasted about removing millions of videos. “We were struck by just how orderly and routine it all seemed‚” Alfonsi continued‚ referring to the border crossings. She described how migrants entered the U.S. and walked to a spot where they could surrender to Border Patrol. The migrants in the video even had suitcases. The number of Chinese migrants has jumped significantly over the last year or so‚ with some experts‚ such as Fox News’s Gordon Chang‚ warning that CCP plants could be among them. The Daily Caller reported that Border Patrol encountered 24‚000 Chinese migrants in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023‚ versus 1‚970 in FY2022 and 323 in FY2021. The FY2023 numbers are higher than the 10 previous years’ Chinese illegal aliens combined‚ according to The New York Times. CBS reported that a total of 37‚000 Chinese illegals were apprehended in 2023‚ or “50 times” the 2021 number. The Biden administration recently reduced vetting of Chinese migrants. TikTok is a threat to national security and to free speech. MRC Free Speech America ranked TikTok’s Hamas-Israel censorship spree as the second worst Big Tech censorship of 2023.  Conservatives are under attack. Contact TikTok via email at communitymanager@tiktok.com and demand Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. Also ask why TikTok targets free speech for censorship‚ but allows the promotion of illegal immigration into the United States? If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.