Taxpayer-funded PBS once again pushed a fringe issue into the forefront of the news. This time it was a purely symbolic one. Saturday’s PBS News Weekend‚ devoted a full five minutes to Minnesota’s move to replace its state flag‚ staggeringly described by PBS as “what one critic called a cluttered‚ genocidal mess‚” with a less offensive‚ abstract design. Well‚ that escalated quickly. The online headline captured the politically correct motivation but without going crazy with “genocidal” rhetoric: “How Minnesota redesigned its state flag to remove insensitive imagery.” Host John Yang first noted the original flag’s “culturally insensitive imagery” in the show’s introduction before going even further. Yang: State flags have become part of the national reckoning of cultural sensitivity and the historic treatment of Native Americans by white settlers. Ali Rogin is back to tell us how Minnesota is poised to get a new flag in May‚ redesigned to get rid of what one critic called a cluttered‚ genocidal mess. Reporter Ali Rogin: Atop Minnesota's flag‚ which has flown over the state for six decades‚ the phrase L'etoile De Nord‚ the North Star‚ but critics say this flag needs a new direction. Rep. Mike Freiberg (D)‚ Minnesota: That just was kind of a cluttered mess and you couldn't really tell what was going on‚ on it. Oddly‚ the word “genocidal” wasn’t aired in Rogin’s actual report. State flags have become part of the national reckoning over cultural sensitivity and the historical treatment of Native Americans.@AliRogin reports on how Minnesota is poised to get a new flag that's redesigned to get rid of what one critic called “a cluttered genocidal mess.” pic.twitter.com/BSNvHVI46J — PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) January 6‚ 2024 Rogin: In 2021‚ State Representative Mike Freiberg introduced the bill to replace the flag‚ which depicts a Native American man riding away [?] on a horse as a settler plows the land. Freiberg: The problems with the imagery on the seal are pretty incontrovertibly racially motivated. Shelley Buck‚ State Emblems Redesign Commission: For me as a Dakota woman‚ I felt the old flag was offensive. The irony here‚ similar to that of the ridiculous kerfuffle over removing the American Indian from the Land O’Lakes butter packaging‚ was apparently lost on the liberal producers at PBS. Instead of an Indian riding on a horse‚ Minnesota now honors American Indians by eliminating all traces of them from the flag. Teddy Kaye‚ North American Vexillological Association: State flags are starting to change for two reasons removing offensive symbolism and improving the branding of the state. Rogin allowed a few Minnesotans to sound unimpressed with the new design‚ but there was no dissent from the whole woke "genocidal" argument. And what if you put this flag (and the new state seal) to a vote? An Associated Press report had a punch line:  Two Republican lawmakers who were nonvoting members of the commission objected to putting the Dakota name for Minnesota on the seal. They said they will propose letting voters decide up or down this November. That proposal is unlikely to get traction in the Democratic-controlled Legislature. And Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon‚ a commissioner who backed both designs‚ said a referendum would probably be unconstitutional. This odd segment was brought to you in part by Cunard. A transcript is available‚ click “Expand” to read: PBS News Weekend 1/7/24 7:20:25 p.m. (ET) John Yang: State flags that become part of the national reckoning of cultural sensitivity and the historic treatment of Native Americans by white settlers. Ali Rogin is back to tell us how Minnesota is poised to get a new flag in May redesigned to get rid of what one critic called a cluttered‚ genocidal mess. Ali Rogin (voice-over): Atop Minnesota's flag‚ which has flown over the state for six decades. The phrase the L'etoile De Nord‚ the North Star‚ but critics say this flag needs a new direction. Rep. Mike Freiberg (D)‚ Minnesota: That just was kind of a cluttered mess and you couldn't really tell what was going on on it. Ali Rogin (voice-over): In 2021‚ State Representative Mike Freiberg introduced the bill to replace the flag‚ which depicts a Native American man riding away on a horse as a settler plows the land. Mike Freiberg: The problems with the imagery on the seal are pretty incontrovertibly racially motivated. Shelley Buck‚ State Emblems Redesign Commission: For me as a Dakota — we are Dakota woman I felt the old flag was offensive. Ali Rogin (voice-over): Shelley Buck represents the Prairie Island Indian community southeast of Minneapolis. She was part of a 17-member commission set up by the Democratic majority legislature to choose a new flag and state seal. Shelley Buck: It was important to see this flag change because this is our ancestral homeland. A lot of tribes have throughout the country have a migration story to where they are currently. But for the Dakota people here in Minnesota‚ this is our place of birth of our creation story tells us we come into human form from the waters here in Minnesota. Ali Rogin (voice-over): In fact‚ Native people have called this region home for more than 10‚000 years. And today there are 11 federally recognized tribes with reservations across the state. Teacher and historian Anita Gaul‚ who previously ran for state senate also served on the commission. Anita Gaul‚ Vice Chair‚ State Emblems Redesign Commission:  Minnesota's current flag is what many people call a seal on a blue bedsheet‚ you know‚ slap your state seal on top of that sheet‚ which about 20 other states in the union have basically the exact same design. Ali Rogin (voice-over): The Commission received more than 2‚100 submissions‚ ranging from serious and symbolic to just silly. Anita Gaul: Somebody submitted a picture of their dog‚ which went absolutely viral all over the states others had and this is one of my favorites. So our state bird is the loon. And so some people submitted a loon but with laser eyes coming at laser eye loons. Mike Freiberg: I remember when some of the funnier flag submissions came in‚ like the picture of the bag with the word B-A-Y-G written on it or bag for the way apparently people hear Minnesotans pronouncing that word. If not‚ oh my god‚ people are going to think this whole process is just a joke‚ but I actually think it kind of had the opposite effect and I think it generated a lot of interest and public involvement in the process. Ali Rogin (voice-over): Minnesota wasn't the first state to redesign its flag. There have long been calls for several southern states to scrap flags with ties to the Confederacy‚ Mississippi changed its flag and 2020. Other states sought a more distinctive symbol. Utah's new flag becomes official next year. Illinois‚ Maine and Michigan are also considering redesigns also for design purposes. Teddy Kaye‚ North American Vexillological Association: State flags are starting to change for two reasons removing offensive symbolism and improving the branding of the state. Ali Rogin (voice-over): Teddy Kaye represents the North American Vexillological Association. That's the formal way to describe a flag enthusiast. He also wrote the book "Good Flag‚ Bad Flag." Kaye says the winning design by 24-year-old Andrew pecker is a very good flag. The new design includes a light blue panel representing the state's lakes‚ a navy one resembling its shape. And a white eight pointed North Star. Teddy Kaye: Minnesota's flag design probably would rate among the top 10 of U.S. state flags. Anita Gaul: Now it will be one of those flags that people look at. And they'll be instantly no‚ that's Minnesota. That's Minnesota's flag. Ali Rogin (voice-over): At the famous Mall of America. Some fellow Minnesotans agreed. Others objected very nicely‚ of course. Ariyana: I mean‚ it's pretty decent. They could add some‚ you know‚ little sparkler with dads‚ but it's pretty — it's pretty decent. It's not so bad. Lisa Tjepkes: I was hoping that it would really you know‚ like you'd look at it and be like there's Minnesota and I don't get that from what was decided upon. Blake Davis: I think Minnesotans have a bit more personality than that. I think just the three colors. I think they could have put a little bit more thought into it. Ali Rogin (voice-over): In the statement‚ Prekker said he hoped his design can finally represent our state and all its people properly. That was the Commission's goals as commission chair Luis Fitch‚ a graphic designer who represented the state's Council on Latino Affairs. Luis Fitch‚ Chair‚ State Emblems Redesign Commission: All of us doesn't matter which party you are socio economic if you are a recent arrival‚ immigrant. If you've been here for generations and generations or if you're American Indian We all want the same. We want our government to be transparent. We want housing. We want our kids to have a good education. Ali Rogin (voice-over): The new design becomes official on May 11. Minnesota Statehood Day‚ a fitting birthday present for the North Star State. For PBS News Weekend‚ I'm Ali Rogin.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent a prostatectomy last month due to cancer‚ according to a statement from trauma medical director Dr. John Maddox and Center for Prostate Disease Research of the Murtha Cancer Center director at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Dr. Gregory Chesnut."On December 22‚ 2023‚ after consultation with his medical team‚ he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer. He was under general anesthesia during this procedure. Secretary Austin recovered uneventfully from his surgery and returned home the next morning. His prostate cancer was detected early‚ and his prognosis is excellent‚" they noted in a Tuesday statement.According to the Mayo Clinic‚ the procedure involves removing "part or all of the prostate gland."In their statement‚ Maddox and Chesnut discussed the health issues that Austin faced following the surgery."On January 1st‚ 2024‚ Secretary Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with complications from the December 22 procedure‚ including nausea with severe abdominal‚ hip‚ and leg pain. Initial evaluation revealed a urinary tract infection. On January 2‚ the decision was made to transfer him to the ICU for close monitoring and a higher level of care. Further evaluation revealed abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines. This resulted in the back up of his intestinal contents which was treated by placing a tube through his nose to drain his stomach. The abdominal fluid collections were drained by non-surgical drain placement. "He has progressed steadily throughout his stay. His infection has cleared. He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery although this can be a slow process. During this stay‚ Secretary Austin never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia‚" the statement notes.President Biden was informed on January 4 that Austin was in the hospital‚ and he learned January 9 about the prostate cancer‚ NSC coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby indicated during a Tuesday press briefing. Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a Tuesday press briefing that he did not have any information regarding when Austin could be released from the hospital.Last week‚ in a January 5 statement‚ Ryder announced that Austin had been "admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for complications following a recent elective medical procedure." Former President Donald Trump has called for the Pentagon chief to be fired‚ and some Republicans have called for him to resign. Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana is pushing to impeach the defense secretary. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An Arizona woman says that she fired through her front door in order to protect herself and her 16-year-old son when a strange man tried to break it down. The harrowing incident began over the weekend as Jenele Williams and her son tried to leave their apartment in order to go to the grocery store. Instead‚ they ran back inside. She said that she saw a man yelling and screaming at the apartment complex. She says the man turned his attention to her apartment and started trying to break down her door after he saw her. "I opened my door like a deer caught in headlights. We make eye contact and I was like‚ oh you’re right here‚" she told KSAZ-TV. "To almost knock a door down like that‚ you have to be really raging." She said she retrieved her gun and warned him before firing. "It was going to come down. I saw it bend in‚ like bend‚ not break or crack‚ just bend. That’s when I was announcing already‚ ‘Hey‚ I got a gun‚ I got a gun. Get away from my house.’ Then‚ I shot. I fired‚" she said. She added that she remembered she was in a stand-your-ground state‚ and that encouraged her to fire in order to defend herself. "It’s not the shooting range. It’s real life‚" Williams explained. "What went through my head was‚ ‘This is a stand-your-ground state‚ this is a stand-your-ground state‚ so you can defend yourself‚ Jenelle.' I’m just aiming‚ and I’m like‚ 'He’s coming in‚ you can defend yourself‚ Jenelle.’ It took a lot of courage to do that." She called police‚ and they arrived but were unable to identify the alleged suspect. Williams believes that the man was involved in a domestic violence situation with another tenant in the apartment complex. She added that she was a survivor of domestic violence herself and that her father had recently told her to buy a gun in order to protect herself. "I finally did earlier this year. It just kind of happened. I happened to be there‚ and they happened to have it and I happened to get it‚" she said. "I’m very happy that I did." Here's the interview with Williams: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Alarming video from a live television studio in Ecuador captured a group of armed criminals storming in and holding people hostage as the government tried to crack down on organized gangs. The men wore balaclavas and mostly black garb while screaming "no police!" at cameras and firing off gunshots before the feed ended abruptly. Police later said they stabilized the situation at the station in the city of Guayaquil and arrested 13 of the armed men. They posted photos of young men with their hands zip-tied behind their backs on social media. National Police Commander César Zapata said that they recovered two grenades and other explosives while proclaiming that the assailants would be brought to justice for what he called “acts of terrorism.” Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa had previously issued a decree declaring 22 gangs as terrorist organizations in response to a spree of police kidnappings. Reporter Leonardo Flores Moreno told Reuters that the men assaulted staff at another broadcaster and left dynamite before they made their way to the live television studio. "We were in a meeting and they alerted us and we were able to hide‚" said Flores. "We don't know what is happening‚ people are nervous‚ there are many colleagues... who are hiding." Another anchor said that one person was shot by the assailants but police had not confirmed that report. The country has been rocked by prison escapes and destructive explosions that Noboa blames on the criminal gangs. Noboa took office in November and promised to crack down on drug trade-related violence. A 60-page declaration of a state of emergency allows the president to order military patrols and institute a nationwide curfew between 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. A state prison agency said that 139 guards and other staff were being held hostage after 11 prison guards were released. Here's video of the live attack: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

After the SEC's X account made a post announcing the approval of bitcoin exchange-traded funds‚ or ETFs‚ the agency clarified that its X account had been "compromised" and that it "has not approved the listing and trading of spot bitcoin exchange-traded products."The post‚ which came amid widespread anticipation that the SEC may soon greenlight spot bitcoin ETFs‚ apparently caused a brief spike in the cryptocurrency's price‚ quickly followed by a price drop‚ likely as people learned the post was not authorized."Today the SEC grants approval for #Bitcoin ETFs for listing on all registered national securities exchanges‚" the post‚ which has apparently been deleted‚ read‚ according to a screenshot. "The approved Bitcoin ETFs will be subject to ongoing surveillance and compliance measures to ensure continued investor protection." — (@) The SEC and its chair‚ Gary Gensler‚ announced that such approval had not been given: "The @SECGov twitter account was compromised‚ and an unauthorized tweet was posted. The SEC has not approved the listing and trading of spot bitcoin exchange-traded products‚" Gensler tweeted. — (@) "The SEC has determined that there was unauthorized access to and activity on the @SECGov x.com account by an unknown party for a brief period of time shortly after 4 pm ET. That unauthorized access has been terminated. The SEC will work with law enforcement and our partners across government to investigate the matter and determine appropriate next steps relating to both the unauthorized access and any related misconduct‚" an SEC spokesperson noted in a statement‚ according to reports. — (@) Republican Sens. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming called for clarity on what lead to the debacle."Just like the SEC would demand accountability from a public company if they made such a colossal market-moving mistake‚ Congress needs answers on what just happened. This is unacceptable‚" Hagerty tweeted."Fraudulent announcements‚ like the one that was made on the SEC's social media‚ can manipulate markets. We need transparency on what happened‚" Lummis tweeted. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A group of Jewish students were arrested after they tried to stop police from filling in a tunnel dug underneath a historic synagogue in Brooklyn‚ New York. Officials were tipped off to the presence of the tunnel that led to the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights. Chabad spokesperson Motti Seligson said that a "group of extremist students" dug the tunnel in an attempt to expand the synagogue to a row of nearby office buildings. Police said nine young males were arrested after a riot ensued from students refusing to leave the tunnel so that police could fill it with cement. Videos show furniture being tossed about and people shoving police before one officer deploys an irritant spray at the group. The nine men were charged with criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. They were all between the ages of 19 and 21 years old. The religious organization released a statement thanking the NYPD and blaming "agitators" for the tunnel. "The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue below Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway Monday night‚" read the statement. "These odious actions will be investigated‚ and the sanctity of the synagogue will be restored‚" they added. "Our thanks to the NYPD for their professionalism and sensitivity. We are grateful for the outpouring of concern‚ and for the support of our Chabad-Lubavitch institutions around the world." New York City Fire Department spokesperson Amanda Farinacci said that the tunnel was not detected by a fire prevention team when they inspected the synagogue on Dec. 20. The synagogue says that they have tried to use the New York court system to gain control of the premises but that their efforts have dragged on for years. On Tuesday‚ the synagogue had been closed in order for officials to determine whether the structural integrity of the famed building had been undermined by the tunnel. Worshippers prayed outside in the rain while it was shut down. “The community feels terrible‚” said Baruch Dahan‚ a student of the synagogue. “It’s a disgrace‚ instead of expanding‚ they destroyed.” The news of the Jewish tunnels beneath the streets of New York City led to countless viral memes on social media. Here's a video about the incident: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

While I've been mostly seeking out the latest in gaming PC tech at CES 2024‚ the single biggest theme of the world's biggest trade show so far has been AI. AI integrated into new Intel CPUs‚ AI workloads run on GPUs‚ a clearly AI-derived logo for the show‚ and even AI-driven speakers. Most of it is a little too "crypto enthusiast" for my liking but while watching the CES keynote conversation with Intel CEO‚ Pat Gelsinger‚ I was somewhat won over. Continue reading Intel just told us why AI PCs matter‚ and we’re kinda convinced MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Core i5 14600K review‚ Best gaming CPU‚ Core i9 14900K review

A protector of the forests in Slavic lore‚ Leshy is known to play tricks on those who enter his woods — while some legends say he’s a malevolent spirit who kidnaps babies. The post The Haunting Legend Of Leshy‚ The Child-Snatching Trickster Spirit Said To Stalk The Forests Of Eastern Europe appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Though the Pony Express is synonymous with the Old West today‚ it was only in service from April 1860 to October 1861. The post The Groundbreaking History Of The Pony Express‚ The Short-Lived Mail Delivery Service Of The Wild West appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Trump’s lawyers are straining to find a constitutional clause that could be their peg. The impeachment clause does not serve the purpose.