If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The Irish leader is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has proclaimed his belief in the sanctity of free speech‚ while simultaneously advocating for “limitations and standards” in its expression. This call comes as he urges a more stringent censorship approach from X. Varadkar‚ with a tone of resolute determination‚ has vowed a significant shift in the digital landscape‚ particularly for X‚ which he described as a “sewer” in the realm of social media. His critique centers on what he perceives as the platform’s inadequate management of allegedly “harmful” content. This stance emerges amidst a broader governmental consensus. Several ministers have conveyed to The Sunday Times their intention to empower the Coimisiún na Meán‚ the online watchdog‚ with robust capabilities to combat misinformation starting in 2024. “Despite what other people may say‚ I am actually somebody who believes in free speech but there have to be limitations and standards. I don’t believe that Twitter‚ or X‚ implements its own community standards. “Other social media platforms do‚ and I think if you’re not even able to live up to your own standards it doesn’t reflect very well on any organization. The government does have a role to play.” Varadkar added: “We said very clearly a year or two ago that the era of self-regulation was over. We have laws and they’re European laws. We have an online safety commissioner now and we have Coimisiún na Meán‚ and I think things are going to change.” In a scenario where compliance falters with the censorship demands‚ X and similar platforms could find themselves grappling with punitive fines — a staggering €20 ($22) million or 10% of their annual revenue. This is in line with the new safety codes set to be unveiled by the online media regulator in February. Varadkar‚ targeting the platform’s post-Musk ownership period‚ condemned its alleged failure to adhere to its own community standards. He asserted‚ “Twitter‚ as it used to be called‚ has always been a bit of a sewer as far as social media goes. Despite what other people may say‚ I am actually somebody who believes in free speech but there have to be limitations and standards. I don’t believe that Twitter‚ or X‚ implements its own community standards. Other social media platforms do‚ and I think if you’re not even able to live up to your own standards it doesn’t reflect very well on any organization. The government does have a role to play.” Varadkar further emphasized that the era of self-regulation for these platforms is conclusively over‚ referencing the advent of European laws and the establishment of an online safety commissioner. The post Irish Leader Leo Varadkar Claims He “Believes in Free Speech” Then Demands X Censorship‚ Censorship Laws appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Sign Up To Keep Reading This post is for Reclaim The Net supporters. Gain access to the entire archive of features and supporters-only content. Help protect free speech‚ freedom from surveillance‚ and digital civil liberties. Join Already a supporter? Login here The post Media and Sports Groups Want Piracy Takedown Notices To Remove Online Content “Instantaneously‚” Creating Massive Overreaching Censorship Implications appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Not the Babylon Bee

Blinken Suddenly Wants to Talk to Mexico About Border Crisis

Dream Chaser Tenacity‚ a next-generation reusable spaceplane‚ is set to undergo testing at NASA ahead of its maiden voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled for 2024.Sierra Nevada Corporation‚ the aerospace company behind the spaceplane‚ has just delivered the first Dream Chaser spaceplane‚ called Tenacity‚ to NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. Here‚ it will undergo environmental training to ensure it can cope with the extreme conditions of space travel. If it passes all the necessary tests‚ it will be tasked with carrying out uncrewed cargo supply missions to the ISS‚ delivering everyday goods and scientific equipment to the astronauts onboard. However‚ it has a highly customizable design‚ which means it has the potential for other applications in the future.     Measuring just 9 meters (30 feet) long‚ the Sierra Nevada Corporation has heralded their space plane as the “spiritual successor” to NASA's iconic Space Shuttle‚ which completed 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. Although a quarter of the size of the now-retired space shuttles‚ it too will be launched into space via a rocket. Once in orbit‚ it will use its fully autonomous navigation to reach the ISS‚ drop off up to 5‚500 kilograms (12‚000 pounds) of goods‚ and return to planet Earth.Resuability is its main selling point. The Dream Chaser crafts will land on conventional runways‚ as opposed to crashing into the sea like current ISS delivery vehicles‚ and can be reflown a minimum of 15 times per system. With greater reusability will come cheaper missions‚ overcoming a major hurdle for space travel.   “At Sierra Space‚ we are ushering in the next industrial revolution with a business and technology platform that provides our customers with a complete turn-key solution offering space as a service‚” Tom Vice‚ CEO of Sierra Space‚ said in a statement. “Our platform includes Dream Chaser‚ a revolutionary‚ highly reusable commercial spaceplane with global runway access‚ and the first business-ready commercial space station‚ leveraging the most advanced expandable structural architecture that will exponentially decrease the cost of product development and manufacturing in space‚” Vice added.Plenty of hard work has already gone into the development of the Dream Chaser program. In November 2017‚ Dream Chaser pulled off its first successful flight test at Edwards Airforce Base in southern California. To test out its flight computers and avionics systems‚ the uncrewed vessel was hoisted into the air by a heavy-duty helicopter‚ before gliding down soft and landing on a runaway. Now‚ with its upcoming tests at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility‚ engineers and researchers will see whether Dream Chaser can stomach the much more challenging task of launching into space. 

Sea turtles of different species have become somewhat of a poster child for all things climate change and plastic pollution-related‚ with dramatic pictures and rescue videos flooding our news feeds. However‚ conservationists have some good turtle-based news for once.In Cambodia‚ nine green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) nests have been found along a remote island coastline. Combined. the nests contain hundreds of eggs that could be a lifeline for the threatened populations of sea turtles that call this area home. Hawksbill turtles are critically endangered. They feed on sponges and jellyfish and are vital to the health of sea grass beds and coral reefs‚ according to the World Wildlife Fund. Green turtles are the only turtles that are strictly herbivorous as adults‚ eating mainly sea grasses and algae. While both populations are under threat from a warming ocean as well as pollution‚ green sea turtles face the problem of feminization from pollutants leading to only female offspring.The team at Fauna and Flora has been searching for turtle nests in this area for many years‚ believing that the untouched coastline would make the perfect nest site for these marine reptiles. In March 2022‚ they finally received the news they had been hoping for: a nest had been discovered.    The team from Fauna and Flora has been working with the Cambodia Navy as well as volunteers to train them in turtle ID and nest location. There are now daily patrols to check for signs of turtles and their nests. “For me‚ being part of this volunteer team is a joy‚ and witnessing sea turtle nests in Cambodia for the first time is a wonder.” said Chea Bona‚ the Cambodian Navy volunteer who made the first of the discoveries‚ in a statement sent to IFLScience.As 2023 draws to a close‚ the team was thrilled to discover a further nine nests‚ with five confirmed and two already hatched. “The dedication and commitment of our volunteers was not in vain. This significant evidence will play a crucial role in shaping policies and decision-making related to sea turtle conservation in Cambodia‚ which will contribute to the survival of these incredible species.” said Chandara Tak‚ a member of Fauna &; Flora marine team in Cambodia. 

A woman with two uteruses and two cervixes has recently given birth to two baby girls‚ each of whom was carried in a separate uterus. Kelsey Hatcher delivered the babies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital‚ with Roxi born at 7:45 pm on December 19 and Rebel born at 6:10 am on December 20 – the two even had separate birthdays!Hatcher had been diagnosed with uterus didelphys aged 17‚ and had experienced three typical pregnancies before this one at 32 years old. “I had already taken care of Kelsey through her third pregnancy and knew she had a double uterus‚ but that was only one baby – two babies in two uteri were a true medical surprise‚” said her obstetrician‚ Dr Shweta Patel‚ in a statement.Only about 0.3 percent of the population has a double uterus. It is caused by the Müllerian ducts‚ which usually fuse during fetal development‚ not joining together properly. Although those with the condition can have healthy pregnancies‚ it is associated with complications such as miscarriage‚ low birth weight‚ and early labor. So when Hatcher noticed bleeding a few weeks into the pregnancy‚ she decided to get an ultrasound to check things out – and got a huge surprise.“As soon as she moved the wand to the other uterus‚ I gasped‚” she said. “Sure enough‚ there was another baby. We just could not believe it.”"Most likely what happened is that she ovulated separately and had one egg come down each fallopian tube‚ meaning coming down on each side of the uterus‚ and then sperm traveled up on each separate uterus and fertilization occurred separately‚" Patel told Good Morning America. Dr Richard O. Davis‚ who co-managed the pregnancy‚ told GMA that the chances of this phenomenon‚ called a dicavitary pregnancy‚ was “one in a million”.“In a typical twin pregnancy‚ the twins share one womb‚ which can limit the amount of space each has‚ making preterm or early birth a high possibility‚” Davis said in the statement. “With Kelsey’s babies‚ they each had their own womb‚ sac‚ placenta and umbilical cord‚ allowing them extra space to grow and develop.”Hatcher was induced at 39 weeks as spontaneous labor didn’t happen‚ having one labor and delivery nurse for each baby. She had already been pregnant twice in her right uterus‚ and the baby’s head was lower and the birth was progressing faster on that side. “As my contractions began‚ they were not consistently together but were within a few seconds of each other‚” Hatcher explained. “I felt each side contracting in different areas as well. I felt one consistent with the monitor that started on the left side and moved to the right.”“Kelsey was essentially laboring in the left uterus while simultaneously undergoing the postpartum process in the right. She was having contractions with Baby B while breastfeeding Baby A‚” said Patel. “It goes to show that the field of obstetrics is always changing and unpredictable‚ and you don’t always have clear-cut answers.”“I think it is safe to call the girls fraternal twins‚” explained Davis. “At the end of the day‚ it was two babies in one belly at the same time. They just had different apartments.”“After such a long and crazy journey‚ it meant the world to see both of my girls together for the first time‚” Hatcher said. What a way to finish 2023!

A pro-free speech group is suing Oregon officials to stop an attempt to undermine online free speech. Twelve individuals‚ including lawmakers‚ filed a motion for a preliminary injunction order to block the Oregon governor‚ secretary of state and elections director from signing a contract with censorship vendors. The contract would “identify and mitigate harmful information online‚” typical leftist catchwords for censoring free speech. The group aims to prevent what they call a “blatant violation of the First Amendment‚” according to the lawmakers’ motion. “Plaintiffs move for a preliminary injunction order prohibiting Defendants from surveiling and/or suppressing speech concerning alleged misinformation‚ disinformation‚ or malinformation‚” the motion stated. The plaintiffs specifically requested an order stopping any “performance of work pursuant to the Secretary of State’s Office Request for Proposal titled ‘Election False Information Solution.’” The latter proposal has reportedly not come into effect but would target any criticism of the state’s election system. Gov. Tina Kotek‚ Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade and Elections Director Molly Woon are the defendants in the lawsuit. Heading into an election year‚ Oregon officials appear to be trying to control the narrative around voting and elections. Would the contested contract‚ if it went into effect‚ constitute election interference? According to the motion‚ “Oregon seeks to sign a contract to identify and mitigate harmful information online as it relates to elections (mis-‚ dis-‚ and mal- information‚ or ‘MDM’).” But the pro-free speech group argued that the targeted speech “is only harmful in the sense that it damages the credibility of Oregon’s repeated claims that its elections are ‘safe and secure.’”  The plaintiffs continued in the motion‚ “Like authoritarians since time immemorial‚ Oregon seeks to suppress and silence those who disagree with its message‚ in violation of the First Amendment.” But the group is challenging this attempted anti-free speech effort: “The State of Oregon only exists to serve the people‚ for whom it works. Oregon is prohibited from interfering in the public’s speech criticizing Oregon’s elections or any other matter.” Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand government agencies and Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the Media Research Center contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Fitness entrepreneur Jillian Michaels warned that allowing men who identify as women to compete in women's sports is not only unfair to women but could mark the end of women's competitive athletics altogether.Michaels‚ who has been a celebrated fitness trainer for decades‚ spoke to OutKick's Tomi Lahren on her show‚ "Tomi Lahren Is Fearless‚" when she was asked about the controversial topic."What do you say to those that say that transgender athletes should compete against women and that Title IX should be open to anybody and everybody who feels they are a female?" the host asked."Sports is biological. It just is‚ and I think that you’re starting to actually see women get hurt."Michaels then referenced Fallon Fox‚ a former mixed martial arts fighter who was born a man but declined to inform promoters of such when he began fighting against women."Fallon Fox‚ for example‚ is an MMA fighter who is a transgender female. Beating the s**t … out of biological women. Like‚ this is beyond the fact of fairness. What we have trouble with as a society is fairness‚ right? Everybody wants to be fair. It’s not fair‚" Michaels explained."I understand it’s not fair to trans athletes because where are they going to compete? It’s also not fair to biological female athletes. You have an issue‚ right? You’re not going to be able to be fair to everyone‚" the entrepreneur explained. Michaels then referenced would-be swimming sensation Will "Lia" Thomas‚ a male swimmer who was the center of controversy after competing against females in NCAA women's swimming."Lia Thomas is six foot one. The percentage of biological females who are six foot one is under 1%. Lia Thomas was No. 400 when she swam as a male. And No. 1 when she swam as a female‚" Michaels pointed out."We’re going to systematically destroy women’s sports. I’m sorry‚ listen‚ if you want to be trans‚ I support you. I want you to have all the same rights that I do. But at the end of the day‚ someone’s going to get effed here. And if you’re looking at‚ okay‚ you’ve got X amount of trans athletes and X amount of women‚ you’re not going to win this one. Right. No one’s coming out unscathed."Fallon FoxFox fought six women between 2012 and 2014‚ winning five fights. In his second fight‚ he brutally knocked out a woman in 39 seconds. In his final fight‚ he reportedly broke opponent Tammika Brents' skull. "I’ve never felt so overpowered ever in my life and I am an abnormally strong female in my own right‚" Brents told Whoa TV in 2014.The only female who defeated Fox‚ Ashlee Evans-Smith‚ also spoke out and said Fox shouldn't compete against men or women; "she did have an advantage. She definitely did.”Fox didn't care for the remarks and cited the fact that Evans-Smith defeated him as evidence that he didn't have an advantage."The fighter WHO BEAT ME says I have UNFAIR ADVANTAGES‚" Fox wrote in 2015‚ according to Calf Kicker. "Then she went on to say that I hit hard. Damn right I hit hard! I’m a MMA fighter and that’s what we do!" the transgender athlete claimed.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Tal Heinrich‚ a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‚ shamed CNN anchor Brianna Keilar on Tuesday for suggesting that Israel views Palestinian children as "justifiable enemies."Throughout the interview‚ Keilar repeatedly asked Heinrich about Israel's alleged responsibility for the suffering of Palestinians‚ while Heinrich insisted that only Hamas is responsible because‚ without Oct. 7‚ there would be no war. But the interview came to a tense climax when Keilar asked Heinrich how people can have hope when they see the destruction of Gaza."We are in the middle of a war that Israel did not start and did not want‚" Heinrich told Keilar."Well‚ it is prosecuting it forcefully‚" the CNN anchor snarked.Heinrich then explained that "hope and peace and a better future" are the "greatest enemy of terrorists" — but those aspirations will never be achieved if Hamas exists. "First‚ Hamas must be gone‚ and then we hope that the Palestinian society will de-radicalize‚" she said. "What our troops are finding right now‚ on the ground‚ in certain neighborhoods in Gaza: pictures of children‚ women with guns‚ Hamas uniforms tailored for children. And Hamas terrorists that we have arrested —" the Israeli spokeswoman continued when Keilar interrupted."Does that make the children justifiable enemies to you? Is that what you're saying? Does that make all of the children justifiable enemies to you?" Keilar interjected.Heinrich was visibly shocked that Keilar asked the question."No‚ no‚ no. No‚ no‚ no. This is not what I'm saying‚" Heinrich corrected. "I'm saying that a Hamas terrorist that we have interrogated has admitted in the interrogation that Hamas are exploiting children. They're using them to transfer ammunition. That is outrageous. Where is UNICEF?"We want to see a better hope for this entire future. And for that reason — we say that [Palestinian] education to glorify martyrs‚ that Jews must be killed‚ that the Jewish state should be obliterated — this can be no longer‚" she explained.Heinrich's answer exposed the absurdity of Keilar's question: Not only is Hamas 100% responsible for the deaths of Palestinian civilians because the terrorist force uses civilians as human shields and prevents civilians from leaving Gaza‚ but Hamas exploits children by raising them up into terrorism. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!