President Joe Biden’s White House has hosted staff and leadership of the Southern Poverty Law Center at least 11 times‚ and congressional Republicans want answers about whether the Department of Education has used the SPLC to demonize concerned parents. Rep. James Comer‚ R-Ky.‚ chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee‚ sent a letter Monday to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona demanding all communications between his department and the SPLC‚ as well as all internal documents regarding the SPLC. The Southern Poverty Law Center is notorious for branding mainstream conservative and Christian organizations as “hate groups” and placing them on a “hate map” with Ku Klux Klan chapters. “The SPLC has a track record of labeling anything or anyone they disagree with as ‘hate’ or ‘hate groups‚’ which ironically cheapens real hate they claim to want to root out‚” Comer told The Daily Signal this week in a written statement. Comer and two other committee chairmen are leading the House impeachment inquiry into Biden’s alleged wrongdoing regarding his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business deals in Ukraine‚ China‚ and elsewhere. “These false labels and claims have been used in the private sector as a basis to discriminate against certain groups and we need to know if the Biden administration is relying on them as well‚” Comer added. “I wrote to Secretary of Education Cardona to understand how extensively federal employees are using biased information that discriminates against Americans for their First Amendment protected political opinions.” “The First Amendment is not a suggestion‚ and the Oversight Committee will continue to hold the Biden administration accountable for ignoring the Constitution to further a political agenda‚” Comer concluded. In his letter to Cardona‚ Comer announces that his committee “is investigating the extent to which the Southern Poverty Law Center influences federal employees performing their duties on behalf of taxpayers as well as input from federal officials that could affect SPLC decisions to designate groups.” Comer requests information to further the investigation. As I wrote in my book “Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center‚” the SPLC has leveraged its track record of suing Ku Klux Klan groups into bankruptcy to develop the “hate map” it uses to smear enemies and raise money. Earlier this year‚ the SPLC placed parental rights organizations on the map‚ branding them “anti-student inclusion antigovernment extremist groups.” In 2012‚ a terrorist used the SPLC’s map to target the Family Research Council for a mass shooting in Washington‚ D.C. The SPLC condemned the attack but kept the conservative organization on its map. Despite a sexual harassment and racial discrimination scandal that prompted the SPLC to fire its co-founder in 2019‚ and a former employee revealing the SPLC’s “hate” accusations to be a “highly profitable scam‚” many on the Left continue to use the SPLC as a political and ideological weapon to silence their opponents. Comer’s letter notes that “the SPLC has weaponized its designation of ‘hate group’ to target conservative persons‚ organizations‚ and non-profits who hold opposing viewpoints or policy positions. In 2019‚ a federal judge concluded that the SPLC’s ‘hate group’ label does not ‘depend upon objective data or evidence’ and described the designation as ‘an entirely subjective inquiry.’ Despite this subjective slant‚ SPLC’s labels have been used in the private sector as a basis for decisions to exclude partnerships with certain groups.” Comer’s letter also notes that the SPLC added parental rights groups to the “hate map” “only a few years after the Biden administration and the Department of Justice acquiesced to demands of the National School Boards Association to investigate parents and parents’ rights activists who had chosen to speak up at school board meetings throughout the country.” “The committee is concerned and seeks to understand the extent of engagement‚ influence‚ and the impact of SPLC within your department as well as any steps you may be taking to mitigate against it‚” Comer writes to the education secretary. “The American people have a right to know how extensively federal employees are utilizing or disseminating flawed and subjective information that effectively discriminates against them for their First Amendment protected political views.” His letter requests that the agency hand over “all communications between the Department of Education and the Southern Poverty Law Center‚ its representatives‚ or other outside entities pertaining to SPLC‚” along with all of the department’s internal communications pertaining to the SPLC‚ its “hate map‚” and its “antigovernment group” designation. Finally‚ the letter requests all communications “pertaining to the SPLC’s designation of any parental rights groups as ‘antigovernment groups’ or its placement of any parental rights groups on its ‘hate map.'” The letter from the chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee doesn’t mention Learning for Justice‚ the SPLC’s education arm‚ which promotes critical race theory (an approach to learning that analyzes America as institutionally or systemically racist) and LGBTQ orthodoxy. The Southern Poverty Law Center dropped the previous name for its education program‚ “Teaching Tolerance‚” in 2021 after the George Floyd riots of 2020. The SPLC previously trumpeted the spread of its Teaching Tolerance magazine in schools across the country‚ but its website no longer notes the magazine’s distribution. Comer-DOE-SPLC-letterDownload 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 Is Biden’s Education Department Scheming With SPLC to Demonize Concerned Parents? Rep. Jim Comer Demands Answers appeared first on The Daily Signal.

There is growing concern in the U.S. over terrorists crossing America’s southern border and entering the country illegally‚ according to Pinal County‚ Arizona‚ Sheriff Mark Lamb. And after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7‚ Lamb said some Americans asked‚ “Should we be concerned about Hamas coming in across our borders?”   But the reality‚ according to Lamb‚ is “they’re already here. The devil’s come in the back door. And now it’s a matter of whether we can identify who might pose a threat to America before they pose a threat to us.”   In fiscal year 2023‚ Customs and Border Protection encountered 736 illegal aliens who were listed on the U.S. Terrorist Screening Database‚ also referred to as the terrorist watchlist‚ including both at ports of entry and between the ports‚ according to CBP data.   Pinal County is about the same size as the state of Connecticut and is located 80 miles from the border of Mexico. The county’s Anti-Smuggling Unit and Aviation Unit are encountering illegal aliens daily‚ Lamb told The Daily Signal during a recent interview.   Lamb’s Anti-Smuggling Unit officers are the “last line of defense” to catch human and drug smugglers‚ he said‚ “before they get into Phoenix and ultimately spread throughout the country.”   From 2016 to 2020‚ Lamb said his office was “able to really work hand-in-hand with the Trump administration.”   “On the federal level‚ we had countless visits to the White House‚ we had a lot of meetings and phone calls with the [Department of Homeland Security] and [Homeland Security Investigations] and all of our partners at [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]‚” he said.   “There was so much work working in conjunction to fight this problem‚” he said of his time serving as sheriff during the Trump administration‚ “which is why ultimately‚ because of local law enforcement and federal law enforcement working together‚ you saw the lowest number of apprehensions we had seen in decades.”   In 2020‚ the final full fiscal year of the Trump administration‚ CBP encountered 646‚822 illegal aliens on America’s northern and southern borders. In fiscal year 2023‚ over 3.2 million illegal aliens were encountered on the nation’s borders‚ a record high.  The increase of illegal aliens crossing the southern border and traveling through Pinal County has creating financial and staffing challenges for Lamb’s office‚ he said. But he added that the men and women who work for the sheriff’s office “are not of the sort that raises the white flag because the problem is becoming overwhelming.”   The Anti-Smuggling Unit exists to interdict human and drug smugglers who have successfully crossed the border illegally and are usually bound for Phoenix.   The cartels “contract” drivers to pick illegal aliens up at the border and drive them into the interior of the U.S.‚ Deputy Sheriff Mark Terry‚ who serves on the Anti-Smuggling Unit‚ told The Daily Signal during a ride-along.    The cartels “go on social media‚ and they’ll basically put a job offering a certain amount of money to just take people from point A to point B‚” Terry said. “That money can go for between $500 per person to $1‚000 per person.”    Drug smuggling used to be the biggest issue the unit faced‚ but now‚ according to Detective Shawn Wilson‚ “there’s hardly any marijuana or drugs‚ and it’s mainly human smuggling.”    Lamb said illegal aliens from Mexico and Guatemala are the primary groups crossing the border into Pinal County‚ but just over 200 miles west in Yuma County‚ Arizona‚ officials there may encounter illegal aliens from over 140 different countries in a single month.   Already in fiscal year 2024‚ which began Oct. 1‚ more than 4‚000 Chinese nationals have been encountered on America’s southern border. In the same time period‚ CBP has encountered nearly 2‚000 Russian nationals and over 1‚200 people from Turkey. Fox News reported in October that Border Patrol has encountered 72‚823 “special interest aliens” on America’s borders over the past two years—many from the Middle East. A special interest alien is a government term used to refer to an illegal alien from a nation that either promotes terrorist activity‚ harbors terrorists‚ or poses a possible security threat to the U.S.   Data obtained by Fox and “confirmed by multiple CBP [Customs and Border Protection] sources … which reflects apprehensions between ports of entry between Oct. 2021 and Oct. 2023‚ shows that agents encountered 6‚386 nationals from Afghanistan in that period‚ as well as 3‚153 from Egypt‚ 659 from Iran‚ and 538 from Syria‚” according to the outlet.    But “Border Patrol doesn’t actually see everybody that comes across‚” Lamb said‚ “especially not when they’re processing 6‚000 to 10‚000 people a day. The cartels are savvy to this‚ and they know where to push people through that they don’t get caught.”   Lamb said he is confident that the border can be secured and the flow of illegal aliens entering the country can be stopped if the right policies are put in place‚ but the challenge‚ according to the sheriff‚ is finding and removing those who are living in the country illegally.   “Now‚ we have to deal with the amount—the millions of people that have come in over the last two and a half years—of identifying them‚ removing them from this country‚ getting Congress and [the] Senate to figure out a comprehensive immigration plan. The list goes on and on. This is not a simple fix‚” Lamb said.  Ultimately‚ the sheriff said it is the job of the federal government to secure the border‚ citing Article IV‚ Section 4 of the Constitution.  “So‚ Joe Biden‚ do your job‚” Lamb said. “And [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas‚ do your job. Secure our southern border and protect the American people and start putting America first and Americans first.”   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 ‘They’re Already Here‚’ Arizona Sheriff Says of Terrorists Coming Across the Border appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Worldcoin‚ the eye-ball scanning protocol co-founded by Sam Altman‚ is cracking open a wider integration network by adding support for platforms such as Minecraft‚ Reddit‚ Telegram‚ Shopify‚ and Mercado Libre to its World ID offering. This comes on the back of the cohesive upgrades it has already sealed with Discord‚ Talent Protocol‚ and Okta’s Auth0. Digital ID systems‚ like the one used by WorldCoin‚ raise significant privacy concerns due to the sensitive nature of the biometric data they collect and store. The other issue is that identity becomes immutable. Consider a scenario where your digital identity becomes inaccessible‚ perhaps due to regulatory action or technical issues. In conventional financial systems‚ including traditional cash and most cryptocurrencies‚ you can simply create a new wallet and start over. However‚ with systems tied to unique biometric identifiers‚ such as iris scans‚ you can’t easily replace your identity. Unlike a plot from a science fiction movie‚ obtaining a new iris scan is not a feasible option. Worldcoin was unleashed on the world approximately four months ago and recently revved up its protocol to reach World ID 2.0. The company underlines that this upgrade simplifies the task of distinguishing between bots and “verified” humans in the digital world. As explained by Tiago Sada‚ the head of product for Tools for Humanity and a prime mover in the Worldcoin project‚ to TechCrunch‚ Reddit moderators can now employ these fresh integrations to assign unique permissions to users of the World ID. The article frames a possible benefit of this digital ID system as fighting spam. Furthermore‚ Shopify merchants could leverage World ID for anti-fraud measures or fleeting promotions. Accentuating the bespoke potential of their platform‚ Sada conveys‚ “This is not just about the first wave of applications‚ but a new developer platform where developers can build.” He expresses his enthusiasm for the innovative solutions the developer community will bring. World ID‚ involves creating a profile and proving identity through an iris scan. The highest level security‚ christened as “World ID Orb+”‚ involves facial recognition security in addition to the previous steps. However‚ Sada confirms that the system is not infallible. Users can generate more than one World ID across multiple devices until they opt for an Orb scan‚ which limits them to a single ID. Despite the limitations‚ Sada believes the system can help curb misuse of various platforms‚ such as manipulative voting or maintaining multiple fraudulent accounts. Worldcoin is broadening its presence in Mexico and Singapore‚ with plans to increase its footprint in Asian countries. However‚ it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the project. The Kenyan government‚ citing privacy concerns‚ has banned Worldcoin from scanning their citizens’ eyes. The post Eye-Ball Scanning Digital ID Company Worldcoin Integrates With Reddit‚ Telegram‚ and More appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. During a hearing titled “Censorship Laundering Part II: Preventing the Department of Homeland Security’s Silencing of Dissent” this week‚ Democrats once again denied or downplayed the large amounts of evidence showing that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had pressured Big Tech to censor. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) opened the hearing by providing an overview of some of the most egregious examples of government agencies pressuring Big Tech companies to censor. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-1.mp4 Several of the witnesses‚ including journalist Michael Shellenberger‚ President and General Counsel of the New Civil Liberties Alliance Mark Chenoweth‚ and Senior Fellow at The Council to Modernize Governance‚ Gary Lawkowski‚ spoke out about against the federal government leaning on Big Tech to censor and provided further examples of this. But several Democrat lawmakers downplayed this evidence and testimony and insisted that the platforms were making their own content moderation decisions. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) asserted that “claims about CISA being a giant censorship entity completely misses the mark” and claimed that platforms were never compelled to take down content. To support his claims‚ Ivey showed several quotes from CISA members who denied that the censorship occurred and invoked disclaimers that CISA included in their emails. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-2.mp4 “This is not government censorship or censorship by proxy‚” Ivey said. “Social media companies are privately owned and make content decisions based on their terms of service.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-3.mp4 Ivey even accused one of the district courts in Missouri v. Biden‚ a major social media censorship case that accuses the Biden administration of violating the First Amendment‚ of issuing opinions “based on false information or misinformation.” He concluded his opening comments by framing the attempts to halt government censorship pressure as having a “chilling effect” on CISA and the researchers who have been flagging content for censorship. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-4.mp4 When Ivey questioned Chenoweth on where he would draw the line on governments reaching out to platforms and flagging content‚ Chenoweth said that when the government reaches out to platforms to shut down speech‚ it becomes censorship and that the line should be based around whether the speech is lawful. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-5.mp4 Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) focused her comments on how some of CISA’s censorship programs no longer exist and framed concerns about CISA flagging content for censorship as “fearmongering.” She added: “It is clear that CISA has not engaged in any nefarious or unconstitutional activity. There is simply no evidence of it.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-6.mp4 Republicans are also backed up by the courts in their allegations. The court case Missouri v. Biden revolves around allegations that federal government officials influenced social media companies to suppress certain viewpoints. The plaintiffs‚ including the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and several private parties‚ filed a lawsuit claiming that federal officials coerced or significantly encouraged social media platforms to remove or demote content on various topics‚ such as the COVID-19 pandemic’s origins‚ the efficacy of masks and vaccines‚ the security of mail-in voting‚ the integrity of the 2020 presidential election‚ and more. The case began in the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana‚ where a preliminary injunction was issued on July 4‚ 2023. This injunction prohibited a broad range of federal government officials from communicating with social media companies for the purpose of urging or encouraging the removal‚ suppression‚ or reduction of content containing protected free speech. The case is currently being looked at by The Supreme Court. The post Watch: Democrats Continue to Deny Evidence of Government Pushing Big Tech to Censor Americans appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. During a recent House Financial Services Committee hearing‚ several government officials shared updates on their work on digital ID and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) — two types of technology that have the potential to give the government unprecedented levels of control and surveillance power. Several Democrats also praised these technologies and criticized lawmakers who are pushing legislation that would shut down CBDCs. Digital IDs received an enthusiastic endorsement from Rep. Bill Foster (D-Il)‚ who positioned them as a way to mitigate the risks of artificial intelligence (AI). He also praised digital ID systems in other countries‚ such as India‚ Estonia‚ and Korea. “A secure digital ID biometrically synced to your smartphone allows individuals to remotely verify that they are who they say they are‚ saving costs‚ reducing likelihood of fraud‚ and to allow individuals to defend themselves against deep fake identity fraud‚” Foster said. He continued by asking the witnesses whether digital ID would have been beneficial during Covid and whether using digital ID for online transactions would be beneficial. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/house-financial-services-committee-digital-id-cbdc-1.mp4 While Foster seemed to be a fan of India’s digital ID system‚ he didn’t mention any of the many controversies swirling around it‚ which include large-scale privacy issues‚ the financial blacklisting of those who refuse to participate‚ and the enforcement of checkpoint-style digital ID authentication in certain areas of society. Foster also positioned the digital IDs in India‚ Estonia‚ and Korea as optional‚ saying that these countries “provide citizens who wish with a secure form of digital identification that can be presented online.” But in Estonia‚ citizens don’t get to choose whether they use digital ID. Before they even have a name‚ babies are plugged into the system and given an identity code. Charles Vice‚ Director of Financial Technology and Access‚ National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)‚ also discussed digital ID. He told lawmakers that his agency is evaluating digital ID technology‚ noted that several credit unions have piloted digital ID‚ and praised the mobile digital driver’s licenses that have rolled out in several US states. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/house-financial-services-committee-digital-id-cbdc-2.mp4 Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) turned the focus to CBDCs and warned that “the US should not risk falling behind” other countries with its CBDC exploration. He also complained that “many of my colleagues on this subcommittee want regulators to encourage innovation‚ yet are pushing legislation that shuts down a CBDC before agencies have adequately researched and explored it.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/house-financial-services-committee-digital-id-cbdc-3.mp4 Although Foster criticized lawmakers who are against CBDCs‚ he failed to mention why these lawmakers have concerns about this technology. Some of the points of contention among lawmakers pushing anti-CBDC bills are that CBDCs could pave the way for increased surveillance of citizens’ transactions and be programmed to restrict purchases and dictate what people can buy. Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) took a more skeptical tone when he questioned Michael S. Gibson‚ Director of the Division of Supervision and Regulation at the Federal Reserve‚ about CBDCs. He focused on the San Francisco Fed and Boston Fed hiring for CBDC development roles and pressed Gibson on the nature of the Federal Reserve’s CBDC research and whether this research is evolving into something more expansive. “You hire people that write code‚ it starts seeming like you’re developing and building versus researching‚” Davidson said. However‚ Gibson insisted that it’s solely a research effort and that the Federal Reserve is “a long way off from the thinking about implementation of anything related to a CBDC.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/house-financial-services-committee-digital-id-cbdc-4.mp4 The divide between Democrats and Republicans during this hearing is reflective of the larger clash in political party ideologies that has manifested during the wider debate on these technologies. Republicans are generally skeptical of these technologies‚ recognize their terrifying potential‚ and have introduced various bills that would restrict or ban them. Democrats‚ on the other hand‚ have framed these technologies as innovative and are pushing for legislation that would accelerate the implementation of digital IDs and CBDCs. The post Watch: Democrat Lawmaker Pushes for “Secure Digital ID Biometrically Synced to Your Smartphone” appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The TikTok account of a popular show hosted by journalist Glenn Greenwald was permanently banned‚ sparking debate over censorship practices on social media platforms. The account‚ primarily used for posting show clips‚ was banned for allegedly violating TikTok’s community guidelines‚ specifically the integrity and authenticity policy. “Your account was permanently banned due to multiple violations of our community guidelines‚” the notice from TikTok said‚ giving little detail about why. “We could not get any kind of an answer on why it is that our account is banned‚ but we know that it’s permanently banned‚” Greenwald said. Display content from Twitter Click here to display content from Twitter. Learn more in Twitter’s privacy policy. Always display content from Twitter Open content directly Greenwald‚ a seasoned journalist with numerous awards‚ expressed frustration over the lack of clear reasons provided for the ban. He emphasized that his show strictly adheres to fact-based reporting and avoids disinformation or conspiracy theories. The content often critiques US foreign policy and censorship regimes‚ which Greenwald suspects might have influenced the ban. This incident has raised questions about the influence of the US security state on social media platforms. Greenwald argues that companies like TikTok‚ Facebook‚ and Google are under pressure from US authorities to censor content‚ a claim that resonates with wider concerns about free speech and media control. The ban on Greenwald’s show highlights the precarious nature of relying on major tech platforms for disseminating information. With the risk of sudden and unexplained bans‚ content creators find themselves vulnerable and at the mercy of these platforms’ opaque policies. This situation underscores the importance of alternative platforms committed to free speech principles‚ as pointed out by Greenwald. “Look at how arbitrary and capricious this is. If your livelihood‚ if your ability to be heard‚ rests on Big Tech‚ you’re just in the palm of their hands‚” Greenwald said. The post TikTok Permanently Banned Glenn Greenwald’s System Update Show Last Week and Refuses To Say Why appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Union personnel prepare to shoe a horse in one of the Army of the Potomac’s temporary blacksmith shops at Petersburg‚ Va.‚ in August 1864. We take a closer look at immigrant inventor Henry Burden of Troy‚ N.Y.‚ and the crucial role he and his horseshoes played in the Union Army’s military success during the war.  historynet magazines Our 9 best-selling history titles feature in-depth storytelling and iconic imagery to engage and inform on the people‚ the wars‚ and the events that shaped America and the world. subscribe today

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