'I would have signed it'

'They love him on a personal level'

The rare whitetip shark was caught on video

The Biden administration has backed off and decided not to demolish a statue of William Penn‚ the founder of Pennsylvania. In case you haven’t been following the latest in the war on history‚ the National Park Service announced over the weekend that it would be removing the famous Quaker’s statue from in front of his historic home in Philadelphia as part of a supposed “rehabilitation” of the site. It was trying to pull this off even as Vice President Kamala Harris was posting on X‚ apparently with no sense of irony‚ about how “extremists” are trying to “erase” history. At this moment‚ we are seeing extremists ban books and attempt to erase‚ overlook‚ and rewrite the dark parts of America's history. For example: The Civil War‚ which was about slavery.— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 7‚ 2024 Clearly‚ the only “history” this administration won’t erase is one warped by ideology to fit the narrative of how America has been such a bad‚ awful place. After the move to topple Penn was announced‚ there was a firestorm of anger on X. The National Park Service account got blasted. After a few days of anger‚ Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro‚ a Democrat‚ announced that the Biden administration would halt the demolition project. My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision. I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue — right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded. https://t.co/awSTpcyrNp— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) January 8‚ 2024 It’s good news‚ I guess‚ but I won’t exactly celebrate this decision. That’s like celebrating a thief who‚ when he discovers a homeowner is armed‚ decides not to burglarize the house. It’s shameful that removing Penn’s statue was even considered. The National Park Service didn’t even really give a specific reason. The only justification was that it was done for the purpose of making a more “inclusive experience for visitors.” The Park Service said‚ according to Fox News‚ that it would be working with representatives from “the Haudenosaunee‚ the Delaware Nation‚ the Delaware Tribe of Indians‚ the Shawnee Tribe and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma” to make changes. This is a clear demonstration of how the ideology of “diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion” is often the opposite of the literal definition of those three words. “Inclusion‚” according to DEI‚ actually means removing what Hillary Clinton would call “deplorables”—whether living or dead—from society‚ so that the “oppressed” no longer have to think of their existence. It’s why Christ Church in Alexandria‚ Virginia‚ removed plaques for Robert E. Lee and George Washington in 2017 in the name of “inclusion.” Inclusion means exclusion. What’s interesting about Penn is that in addition to founding Pennsylvania as a colony‚ he was responsible for a treaty among Pennsylvania colonists and local tribes intended to establish just and amicable relations between the peoples. That treaty created the so-called long peace in Pennsylvania that lasted for more than half a century. That’s a considerable accomplishment‚ given the complicated nature of relations between people of vastly different cultures and forms of government. Don’t think this fact will prevent Penn from ultimately being erased‚ however. As we’ve seen with countless other figures‚ pretty much any historical figure alive more than two weeks ago can be canceled for not upholding the ever-changing standards of the modern Left. They certainly didn’t seem to care about that fact when they first decided to tear Penn down. It didn’t matter. This was an exercise of raw power. What really saved the statue from oblivion wasn’t the good sense of left-wing bureaucrats. It was the power of social media and politics. If it weren’t for the story going viral and likely embarrassing Democrats in a swing state during an election year‚ the woke bureaucratic scrubbing of America’s past would have continued apace. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising‚ if President Joe Biden were to win the 2024 election‚ for the statue to come down anyway. Or‚ alternatively‚ to have a plaque installed next to it shaming Penn for all his purported sins against modernity. The war on history has moved on from the activist street phase of 2020. The Left no longer needs literal mobs to pull down statues. Instead‚ they can rely on the vast federal apparatus to erase and rewrite the past to conform to the ideology of DEI. Whether that’s done through the National Archives‚ the Smithsonian‚ the National Park Service‚ or any other agency‚ the game plan is the same. And they won’t stop until they are met by the soft power of X (thanks to Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter) and the hard power of electoral politics. Arguments and reason don’t matter to these revolutionaries. They will take down every statue if they can—Confederate‚ Unionist‚ Founding Father‚ Quaker colonist‚ whatever. It’s all part of the same history of what they see as a shameful nation‚ built on nothing but oppression and systemic racism. If you still think this is just about Confederates or if you are wasting your time arguing about the Civil War‚ then I’ve got a bridge being blockaded by pro-Palestinian activists to sell you in Brooklyn. The Biden administration’s reversal is a good sign. It means that the Jacobins who have marched forth from our elite universities to transform every American institution are still in some way accountable to the American people. But this victory is like Dunkirk. We’ve only managed to save one statue‚ one shred of our history. That doesn’t mean we are winning the war‚ nor does it mean the Biden administration will halt its efforts at cultural transformation. Remember‚ just a few weeks ago they tore down a memorial to the Confederate dead in Arlington National Cemetery meant to recognize reconciliation between Americans. It’s emblematic of what they would like to do to anyone who questions “our democracy”—meaning the left-wing values they insist we all adopt‚ or else. This war will be won when the iconoclasts won’t touch a single statue‚ and when every attempt to take one down is opposed‚ ridiculed‚ and rejected. It will be won when‚ instead of even thinking about tearing down our history‚ we put up new statues to the Founding Fathers and the countless great Americans who‚ whatever their human faults‚ transformed a sparsely populated set of colonies at the edge of the world into the most powerful and prosperous country on the planet. The only reasonable response to fanatics—and that’s really what they are—is to be unreasonable. Don’t give an inch. We still have the tools to fight back. All we need to do is to be willing to fight. 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 Biden Admin Reverses Decision to Tear Down William Penn Statue. It Shows How the War on History Can Be Won. appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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Volkswagen announced Monday plans to integrate OpenAI's ChatGPT into its vehicles as a standard feature starting in 2024.The artificial intelligence-powered chatbot will be incorporated into the automobile manufacturer's existing IDA voice assistant."Volkswagen will be the first volume manufacturer to offer Chat GPT as a standard feature from the second quarter of 2024 in many production vehicles‚" the company stated in a Monday press release.According to the Verge‚ ChatGPT-enabled vehicles will first be available to European customers this year. The company also intends to bring the vehicles to the United States‚ though those plans have not been finalized‚ the outlet reported.The automaker's voice assistant‚ powered by Cerence Chat Pro‚ will now offer additional capabilities‚ including the ability to control the vehicle's infotainment‚ navigation‚ and air conditioning. Volkswagen stated that the new feature will be helpful to drivers by providing "enriching conversations‚ clearing up questions‚ interacting in intuitive language‚ receiving vehicle-specific information‚ and much more – purely hands-free."Owners will not be required to create a ChatGPT account or install an application to use the AI system. Driver inquiries that cannot be addressed by the basic capabilities of Volkswagen's voice assistant will be anonymously referred to ChatGPT to generate a response."The voice assistant is activated by saying 'Hello IDA' or pressing the button on the steering wheel. IDA automatically prioritises whether a vehicle function should be executed‚ a destination searched or the temperature adjusted. If the request cannot be answered by the Volkswagen system‚ it is forwarded anonymously to AI and the familiar Volkswagen voice responds‚" the company explained.Addressing possible privacy and security concerns‚ the auto manufacturer claimed that ChatGPT would not be able to access the vehicle's data. Any inquiries forwarded to the AI system will be "deleted immediately to ensure the highest possible level of data protection‚" the company said.Kai Grünitz with Volkswagen stated‚ "Volkswagen has always democratised technology and made it accessible to the many. This is simply ingrained in our DNA. As a result‚ we are now the first volume manufacturer to make this innovative technology a standard feature in vehicles from the compact segment upwards. Thanks to the seamless integration of ChatGPT and strong collaboration with our partner‚ Cerence‚ we are offering our drivers added value and direct access to the AI-based research tool. This also underlines the innovative strength of our new products."Stefan Ortmanns‚ CEO of Cerence‚ said the new integration will provide "unmatched flexibility‚ customisation‚ and ease of deployment‚ while prioritising security and usability for drivers." "As we look to the future‚ together Volkswagen and Cerence will explore collaboration to design a new‚ large-language-model-based (LLM) user experience as the foundation of Volkswagen's next-generation in-car assistant‚" Ortmanns added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Elon Musk's platform X announced that it has partnered with three different personalities to develop shows exclusively for the platform in an ever-increasing attempt to become a video-hosting leader on social media.X stated in a blog post that it considered itself a "video-first platform‚" Reuters said‚ with users watching videos in 80% of their sessions.The platform is certainly moving in that direction with the announcement of at least three new shows.First‚ X announced a partnership for a documentary-style series with politician Tulsi Gabbard."The Army Reserve officer and veteran‚ 4-term congresswoman‚ and 2020 presidential candidate will be sharing her unique POV through an exclusive series of documentary style videos and broader content on X‚" the platform announced.The former congresswoman is a defector of sorts from the Democratic Party and spoke out against the regime when Hillary Clinton labeled her a "Russian asset." Welcome to X!\n@donlemon @TulsiGabbard @jimrome — (@) Just 15 minutes after the first announcement‚ X told followers that sports commentator Jim Rome "will be bringing his wildly popular content to digital video‚ for the first time ever."A sports broadcaster since the late 1980s‚ Rome has been a controversial figure in the sports world for his uncensored opinions and stubborn attitude. Perhaps most famously‚ Rome had an altercation with an NFL quarterback on his show in 1994. Quarterback Jim Everett took offence at Rome comparing him to a female tennis player and flipped the table and pushed Rome over.30 minutes after the initial Gabbard announcement‚ X then dropped news that former CNN anchor Don Lemon would also be hosting an exclusive show."We’re delighted to announce a new content partnership with Don Lemon for his new project‚ The Don Lemon Show‚" the platform stated. "The award winning TV journalist will share his unique and honest voice in 30 minute episodes‚ three times a week‚ covering politics‚ culture‚ sports and entertainment."Lemon worked for CNN for approximately 13 years before he was fired abruptly in 2023. The host's commentary was arguably becoming too risqué for CNN‚ particularly when he drew criticism for stating that presidential candidate Nikki Haley "isn’t in her prime." Don Lemon: "Nikki Haley isn\xe2\x80\x99t in her prime. Sorry‚ when a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s‚ and 30s‚ and maybe 40s\xe2\x80\xa6"\n\nPoppy Harlow: "Are you talking about prime for like child bearing?"\n\n"Don\xe2\x80\x99t shoot the messenger! I\xe2\x80\x99m just saying what the facts are! Google it!" — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A new California law‚ known as AB1013‚ will soon encourage bars and nightclubs in the state to sell kits that would detect the presence of so-called date-rape drugs.Drugs such as Rohypnol‚ ketamine‚ or GHB — commonly referred to as "roofies" — can be surreptitiously slipped into a beverage‚ causing the person who consumes it to become disoriented or even black out completely. However‚ certain "strips‚ stickers‚ straws‚ and other devices" can detect the presence of such drugs‚ AB1013 indicated‚ if placed in a substance relatively quickly.Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal‚ D-Long Beach‚ introduced AB1013 last year‚ and it was signed into law last October. The new law aims to make a night out on the town safer‚ especially for "women and members of the LGBTQ communities‚" Lowenthal explained.If those cited by KFSN-TV are to be believed‚ date-rape drugs are a major problem in California watering holes. In fact‚ Lowenthal called it "a crisis." "I have members of my staff that have been roofied‚" he said. "There are members of the legislative body that have been roofied.""It happens all the time‚" said Daniel Aguilera from Oakland. "I worked at a bar‚ and someone got roofied there one time. So‚ I've seen it myself."AB1013 compels all those who own or have applied for a Type 48 liquor license — required for establishments such as bars and nightclubs that are not primarily restaurants and that serve patrons who are at least 21 years old — offer such date-rape drug kits available for purchase. The cost of these kits must be "reasonable" in comparison with wholesale prices‚ the bill said‚ though it also notes that the law "does not prevent a Type 48 licensee from offering drug testing devices to their customers free of charge." The tests must also be current‚ and the licensee is responsible for ensuring that the tests have not expired.To make sure that patrons are aware of the kits‚ the law also requires bar owners to post a scripted notice about the kits in "a prominent and conspicuous location" within the establishment. "Don’t get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details‚" the scripted message reads. The law is scheduled to go into effect officially on July 1 and is set to expire on January 1‚ 2027‚ if it is not extended. Even when the law is in effect though‚ enforcement of it will be almost impossible — by design. The text of the law states clearly that "a violation of this section is not a crime‚" even though "[e]xisting law generally provides that a violation of the act is a misdemeanor."It appears that the law is meant to deter would-be predators from slipping substances into the drinks of unsuspecting victims‚ to encourage establishments to cooperate with the law of their own accord‚ and to bring greater awareness to the dangers of consuming alcohol near or with strangers.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

It turns out pushback works. Philadelphia’s Welcome Park will not be “rehabilitated‚” in the words of the National Park Service. The federal agency had announced it would remove the statue of William Penn‚ the man after whom Pennsylvania is named‚ that had been standing in Philadelphia’s Welcome Park since 1982. The trouble is Penn was a slave owner back in the 1600s. That one fact effaces everything else about Penn’s role in the history of Pennsylvania. But the people of Pennsylvania pushed back. The National Park Service on Monday announced Penn’s statue will remain in Welcome Park after all. The plan to efface Penn was “released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review.” Translation: The people of Pennsylvania found out about the plan prematurely — that is‚ before the NPS could drag away Penn’s statue‚ leaving the people with no recourse. “Upon completion of all the necessary internal reviews‚” NPS said in a statement‚ “the park looks forward to engaging in a robust public process to consider options for refurbishing the park in the coming years.” By which they mean‚ “We'll try this again another time.” That time won’t come if every time these “rehabilitators” of history attempt to expunge the past and overwrite it with a new history‚ the public pushes back with the same intensity that has kept William Penn's statue standing in Welcome Park. Give in to American history’s enemies‚ and you will give away everything. Their demands will never end. Note their use of the word “rehabilitation.” One does not "rehabilitate" a park. One landscapes it. But rehabilitating how people think is another matter. A political matter. It’s the sort of thing we might associate with countries such as North Korea‚ China‚ and the old Soviet Union‚ where wrongthink was a crime against the state. One punishable by “rehabilitation” or “re-education.” Often in a camp. We're not quite there yet‚ but we are getting close. The National Park Service wanted to “rehabilitate” Welcome Park in order to “provide a more welcoming‚ accurate‚ and inclusive experience for visitors.” The idea is that William Penn’s statue is somehow unwelcoming and not “inclusive.” The remedy was to get rid of the statue — thus disconnecting the “experience” of the park from the history of the man who was largely responsible for the state’s founding. How long will it be before history’s enemies turn their attention toward rehabilitating that? They obviously won’t stop with Penn’s statue‚ just as they haven’t stopped with Confederate monuments in southern states and at Arlington National Cemetery. So don’t be surprised when the statue-demolishers try to change the name of the state named in Penn’s honor. Don’t be shocked when they demand the bulldozing of George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello or that their faces be sandblasted from Mt. Rushmore. How long before the Washington Commanders (née Redskins) also require “rehabilitation”? How about rehabilitating Washington itself? How can the nation’s capital continue to bear the name of that old white slaveholder? Never mind that without Washington the man‚ there would be no Washington‚ D.C. There might not even be a country. The left’s mode of rehabilitation has no end‚ which is why it must be stopped before it ends everything we love. Don’t think for a moment that compromise is possible. A middle-ground approach that allows for a balanced view of American history might be a reasonable outcome. But these are not reasonable times. The history of the country must be effaced. By removing statues and‚ inevitably‚ other public acknowledgments of the role played by the flawed men who founded the United States‚ the country no longer has a history. History is complex. So are the men who made it. Nobody’s perfect. William Penn certainly wasn’t. Neither was Thomas Jefferson‚ who owned slaves even as he professed to abhor slavery. Martin Luther King‚ Jr.‚ was unfaithful to his wife and likely plagiarized swaths of his doctoral dissertation. But we take the history of these men in toto. We do not obliterate them from the history books because of some things they said or did that were less than admirable or even abhorrent. A balanced standard no longer seems to apply to those needing “rehabilitation.” They must be effaced — the history of the past must be effaced — so that a new country can arise from the forgotten memories of the old. But even these new‚ politically correct memories will prove ephemeral — destined to be "rehabilitated" in their turn as the winds of politics shift and what was doubleplusgood today becomes crimethink tomorrow. Just ask George Orwell. Until‚ of course‚ he's been obliterated‚ too.