I say it all the time and I'll say it again ... I love my head coach

Who says you need a big rhythm section to be classified as a good band? The White Stripes are living proof that all you need is a little minimalism‚ raw energy‚ and an antithesis of theory and form. Founded in 1997‚ this boisterous duo‚ who hailed from the hard-rock capital of Detroit‚ never would’ve assumed they’d be one of the most influential and freshest bands of the 21st century. Jack White‚ a prodigy in his own right‚ infused his passion for the Blues and the crushing ferocity of lo-fi‚ punk rock and birthed something so precocious that every garage band The post Top 10 White Stripes Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

With the introduction of Honkai Star Rail Version 1.6‚ new events have been introduced to the game that come with exciting gameplay and rewards. All events of Honkai Star Rail Version 1.6 Critter Pick Image: HoYoverse Event Duration: 12/27 – 05/02 Critter Pick is the latest event in Honkai Star Rail which will require you to collect critters by roaming all around the map and grow them up. You will need to meet objectives for growing these creatures by cross-breeding them. Completing the event will give you the following rewards. x750 Stellar Jade Tracks of Destiny Traveler’s Guide Lost Crystal Credit Refined Aether New Chat Bubble Planar Fissure Event Duration: 01/10 – 01/17. The Planar Fissure event is making its return to Honkai Star Rail through version 1.6. Before playing the Planar Fissure event‚ you must complete the Simulated Universe 3. Through this event‚ you can earn...

In LEGO Fortnite‚ there are many NPCs you can find out in the wild — some who might even visit your village. They can be turned into villagers if you have room for them. I’ve decided to rank them based on their looks‚ as they’re all built mostly the same. The Best villagers in LEGO Fortnite‚ ranked Below is my listing of the best villagers in LEGO Fortnite. It’s been rumored that some villagers perform tasks better than others‚ although nothing concrete has been confirmed and no stats have been released about this. Here are my top 10 favorite villagers in LEGO Fortnite based purely on looks. If I could fill three villages with these guys‚ I’d be very happy indeed. Related: How to remove NPC Villagers in LEGO Fortnite Blue Squire I first found the Blue Squire when I set up a village in the Dry Valley‚ strangely. He is regal‚ he is professional‚ and I envy his awesome suit of armor. Make sure to build him a nice manor...

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted “woke” new rules to control internet services that will increase consumer costs‚ slow investment in new technologies‚ and raise the prospect of yet more government intrusion and censorship. Commissioner Brendan Carr—one of two Republicans on the five-member FCC—called the plan “an unlawful power grab that gives the government a roving mandate to micromanage nearly every aspect of how the internet functions.” Former FCC adviser Adam Candeub added: “The FCC is dishonestly claiming that it is promoting equity and fairness. However‚ the FCC is just seizing control over business decisions‚ funneling resources to politically preferred constituencies.” The timing is particularly suspect‚ given entrepreneur Elon Musk’s effort to provide uncensored internet access via Starlink to go with the uncensored speech he already has delivered on his social media site X (formerly Twitter). The FCC adopted the package of regulations Nov. 15. The new rules would empower the commission to prosecute internet service providers for alleged discrimination based on race‚ ethnicity‚ and other protected classes‚ as well as income. The rules empower the FCC to “crack down on digital inequities‚” as The Associated Press put it. By which the commission might mean‚ for example‚ punishing companies for building infrastructure in neighborhoods where the agency expects people actually will buy it. The newly Democrat-dominated FCC allegedly imposed the new rules to “eliminate discrimination” in access to internet services. By which the commission means the uneven rollout of 5G service‚ itself stymied by regulatory red tape. Congress‚ in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill‚ delegated to the FCC the task to “ensure that all people of the United States benefit from equal access to broadband internet access.” In fact‚ the agency found no evidence of intentional discrimination‚ but the leftists on the FCC used Congress’ delegation as an excuse to force equity and diversity mandates ranging from controls over discounts‚ language options‚ and credit checks to marketing and advertising. What’s the goal? Essentially to reinstate so-called “net neutrality” rules that dictate how internet service providers treat traffic and use those rules to ram through a federal takeover of Americans’ access to the internet. Beyond risking a dramatic expansion of federal control of the internet‚ the rules are likely to raise costs and slow service—the exact opposite of the stated intent. And the rules could radically expand government intrusion in the economy by characterizing a business that pursues more affluent customers as engaging in a form of discrimination. As for costs‚ the rules will push companies to waste money building services that customers don’t want‚ to avoid charges of discrimination. This effectively would pass the costs on to actual paying customers‚ who would have to foot the bill for building potentially billions of dollars in broadband to nowhere. The likely result will be higher costs for internet service for all customers‚ along with higher cable or streaming services—even phone bills—if the FCC uses these restrictions as a template for  other services. After all‚ companies already have plenty of incentive to build infrastructure where they think customers will pay for it. This rule is intended to make companies build even where customers won’t pay. We know how that turns out from then-President Donald Trump’s repeal of similar “net neutrality” rules: The repeal actually lowered prices and raised speeds. This new rule puts all that at risk‚ piling more costs on families who already are suffering under inflation. Indeed‚ given that companies themselves have limited capital budgets they now will have to spread over nonbuying customers‚ companies are likely to degrade service across the network. This will force not only higher costs but slower speeds. The second effect is even more ominous: The risk of a radical increase in the federal government’s interference across the economy by expanding diversity mandates to include income and wealth. This is because any product with a price automatically discriminates by income. The carmaker Ferrari‚ for example‚ disproportionately sells to rich people not because it doesn’t like poor people‚ but because poor people can’t afford its cars. Are we to regard the very concept of price as implicit discrimination that requires a government solution? If so‚ we would need a Ministry of Prices and a Ministry of Incomes to ensure the proletariat are all equally chained. As incompetent as the Biden administration has proven to be from inflation to the southern border to foreign policy‚ the one thing the president’s men and women put on their thinking caps for is capturing power. The collateral damage‚ to both the economy and free speech‚ could be catastrophic. 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.  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’s Ministry of Diversity Comes for the Internet appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Beginning in January‚ federal civilian employees will see their salaries increase by the largest percentage since the Carter administration. President Joe Biden signed an executive order in December giving federal employees an average of a 5.2% increase in pay‚ the largest increase since former President Jimmy Carter raised federal salaries by 9.1% in 1980. Meanwhile‚ Americans are dealing with inflation and a generally poor economy‚ with some blaming high government spending‚ according to recent polling. Seventy-six percent of Americans reported that their income is not keeping up with inflation‚ according to a poll conducted by CBS News and YouGov this month. Fifty-six percent of Americans polled felt government spending‚ like the pay increases Biden is giving to federal bureaucrats‚ is causing high inflation. Federal employees will see a 4.7% pay increase across the board as well as an additional bump‚ averaging 0.5%‚ depending on where they are based. Federal workers in the San Francisco area‚ for instance‚ will get an additional 0.9% raise‚ according to the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Members of the armed forces will also receive an average pay bump of 5.2% in the coming year‚ per the National Defense Authorization Act. Their pay increase‚ however‚ was approved by Congress through the  while the pay increase for civilian bureaucrats was implemented unilaterally by Biden. “The Federal government is the nation’s largest employer and must ensure it has the talent to meet the needs of the American people‚” a spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Executing on the President’s 5.2 percent pay increase for both military and civilian workers recognizes the Federal workforce’s dedication and service to the American people and positions the Federal Government to better compete in the labor market to attract and retain a well-qualified workforce.” All American employees working in private industry saw a 4.5% salary increase between Sept. 2022 and Sept. 2023‚ according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Inflation grew at 3.1% between Nov. 2022 and Nov. 2023‚ according to the BLS. Federal employees received a pay bump of 4.6% in 2023‚ according to Government Executive. Federal employees already make significantly more money than those working outside the federal government. The average pay for federal employees was $98‚943 in 2023‚ according to data collected by OPM. Pay in some locales is even higher‚ with federal employees in Washington‚ D.C.‚ bringing in an average of $135‚078 per year and feds in Maryland taking home an average of $128‚663. The median salary in the United States was $1‚118 per week as of October‚ which works out to about $58‚000 a year‚ according to the BLS. That figure includes federal employees. Federal employees can use their salaries to contribute to political campaigns. When federal employees donate‚ they heavily favor the Democratic Party. Of the $2 million that federal workers at 14 agencies donated to presidential campaigns as of the month before the 2016 election‚ approximately $1.9 million went to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton‚ according to The Hill. Only about 5% of federal employee donations went to Donald Trump during the 2016 cycle. Even when Trump was in charge of the executive branch during the 2020 election cycle‚ federal employees still heavily favored Biden‚ the Democratic presidential nominee. Biden raised $1.06 million from federal employees between 2019 and October 2020 while Trump raised just $743‚000‚ according to Government Executive. Public sector unions also heavily favor the Democratic Party. The top 20 recipients of public union funds were Democrats during the 2020 election cycle‚ with Biden leading the pack with more than $420‚000 in donations‚ according to OpenSecrets. 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 Biden Gives Bureaucrats Biggest Pay Bump Since Carter appeared first on The Daily Signal.

When TV producer Norman Lear died‚ The New York Times‘ obituary said there were “critics” who insisted the date “All in the Family” premiered on CBS in January 1971 represented a “day of infamy” in American broadcasting. By contrast‚ for conservative television‚ 30 years ago this month‚ Dec. 6‚ 1993‚ was a welcomed day and one well worth remembering. Now‚ conservatives had their own TV channel. That’s when National Empowerment Television started broadcasting live out of studios converted from office space on 2nd Street NE in Washington‚ D.C. Before there was the Fox News Channel‚ OAN or Newsmax TV‚ there was NET. Little remembered now‚ NET started broadcasting when Roger Ailes was president of CNBC and a couple of years before Fox News debuted under his guidance. Newsweek called NET “the first of its kind … an unabashedly ideological TV channel.” NET was the brainchild of Paul Weyrich‚ at the time president of the Free Congress Foundation‚ a political leader with an entrepreneurial mindset who became a familiar face to a small but politically significant segment of cable-TV viewers in the mid-1990s. A Racine‚ Wisconsin‚ native‚ who held only a high school diploma‚ Weyrich used his background as a radio news reporter and posts as press secretary to two U.S. senators to help launch The Heritage Foundation and played important roles in helping to create other conservative organizations. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.) Leadership Institute President Morton Blackwell wrote in a 2015 blog post: “If there had been no Paul Weyrich‚ there would‚ in all likelihood‚ have been no Heritage Foundation.” But NET represented Weyrich’s biggest gamble‚ offering programming billed as “brash” and “bold.” As early as the late 1950s‚ even with publications such as Human Events and National Review‚ many Republicans and conservatives still desired more alternatives to the traditional media’s preference for liberal and centrist viewpoints. After the GOP’s disastrous performance in the 1958 elections‚ The Des Moines Register in Iowa reported on Jan. 22‚ 1959‚ that the Republican National Committee proposed sponsorship of a TV and radio program to counterbalance the “slanted” views of the “mainstream” media. In the mid-1970s‚ brewing executive Joseph Coors funded Television News Inc.‚ whose aim was to deliver an alternative to the “Big Three” networks using satellite television to relay news reports to local TV stations. Weyrich and Ailes were involved with that effort‚ but it failed to take off. Then‚ by the 1990s‚ the growth of cable and satellite TV made alternatives to network news and communicating electronically with activists feasible. Weyrich‚ along with then-Rep. Newt Gingrich and former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander‚ realized the opportunity. Each conducted his own experiments with satellite broadcasts. Weyrich’s experiments led to launching NET on Dec. 6‚ 1993‚ promising viewers a “C-SPAN with attitude” experience. True to form‚ Weyrich insisted NET was not reflexively Republican‚ but rather “anti-establishment”— against Big Government‚ but often against Big Business and Big Labor‚ as well.  “We are skeptical of all people that are in power‚” he told Terry Gross on WHYY public radio’s “Fresh Air” program in 1995. Viewers calling in‚ not hosts‚ grilled the steady stream of movers and shakers appearing on NET as Brian Jones‚ NET’s general manager and later president of Fox Business Network‚ told C-SPAN. One frequent caller was a “Walter from Ruston” in Louisiana. People could watch Weyrich on Monday through Friday on his own “Direct Line” call-in program. Another daily mainstay was “Mitchells in the Morning‚” hosted by conservative-leaning economic experts Dan and Nancy Mitchell (now Nancy Pfotenhauer). “Youngbloods‚” which The Washington Post called “the conservative answer to MTV’s ‘The Real World‚’”  showcased Genevieve Wood‚ now with The Heritage Foundation‚ and Tom Fitton‚ the president of Judicial Watch. “Freedom’s Challenge” and “Worldwise‚” weekly programs examining international affairs‚ introduced viewers to experts such as National Security Adviser-to-be John Bolton and future Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky. Political analyst Stu Rothenberg‚ Arianna Huffington (pre-Huffington Post)‚ and syndicated columnist Robert Novak had their own programs. “Ways &; Means‚” a monthly program initially hosted by Weyrich and Americans for Tax Reform’s Grover Norquist (later Bob Siegrist)‚ urged NET viewers to advocate for conservative policies. With Republican hopes rising for a takeover of Congress‚ NET encapsulated the conservative movement’s optimistic zeitgeist. Indeed‚ Gingrich’s Progress and Freedom Foundation aired “The Progress Report” on NET. Ultimately‚ Fox News Channel launched in 1996. Continued expansion of NET’s audience became more difficult‚ given the greater resources of Fox News. Plus‚ changes in the management team led to internal struggles and a name change to “America’s Voice.” By November 1997‚ the experiment under the now-deceased Weyrich’s auspices came to an end. The new management’s watered-down version of NET filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2000‚ and although it continued for a while‚ its new managers left by that fall. Weyrich’s son‚ Peter‚ recalled‚ “We helped show there really was an audience for conservative TV‚” which represented “the seminal goal” of NET. In a 2022 email‚ political historian Nicole Hemmer‚ author of “Partisans: the Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s‚” called NET “important‚ ideologically and technologically‚ for the rise of Fox News.” Certainly‚ there were skeptics before and even after NET’s launch—and plenty of critics once NET started airing. But for nearly four years‚ NET was‚ as producer Ferman Patterson called it‚ “a little TV engine that could.” Working at a network broadcasting live with big ambitions—but limited resources—produced its share of obstacles and conflicts to overcome. Usually‚ perseverance‚ compromise‚ sacrifice and teamwork overcame them. Weyrich was the driving force behind NET’s vision‚ and his unceasing energy and connections made NET possible. The hard work and dedication by the set and control-room crews‚ the camera operators and film editors‚ the directors and graphics experts ensured that vision got seen. For at least some of us who worked at NET‚ the “off” button may have been pushed‚ but its memory remains vivid. The Daily Signal publishes a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Heritage 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 Remembering National Empowerment Television appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Criticism continues to mount against so-called diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion offices on college campuses. And the list of state policymakers calling for defunding the offices and eliminating their discriminatory practices is also growing—just in time for state legislators to work on the issue in the new year. The latest lawmaker to prohibit the use of taxpayer spending on DEI programs that “grant preferential treatment” based on race‚ ethnicity‚ or national origin is Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt‚ a Republican. Stitt issued an executive order prohibiting any executive agency‚ including public colleges‚ from requiring job applicants to complete a DEI statement or “loyalty oath” to diversity as a condition of applying. Such requirements have been found in job applications at schools around the country‚ including in Arizona and California. Stitt also called for a review of DEI offices across Oklahoma’s state government to make sure the DEI practices do not violate state civil rights laws. College presidents should take note. Federal courts have specifically condemned some DEI offices’ practices‚ such as bias response teams. Under these bias teams‚ individuals on campus can make anonymous reports to campus administrators about something that they heard or saw (such as a poster)‚ and school officials will investigate. Courts have said these teams have “vague” guidelines and “chill” speech. Both the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University have bias response teams. Stitt’s executive order follows a state legislative hearing that lawmakers held in October to learn more about DEI practices. Oklahoma state Sen. Rob Standridge‚ a Republican‚ was among those voicing opposition to the discriminatory “ideology being crammed down the throats of our young kids.” Standridge has introduced proposals that would prohibit the operation of DEI offices on Oklahoma’s public college campuses. In November‚ the Iowa Board of Regents‚ which governs the state’s public colleges‚ approved a policy eliminating DEI offices “that are not necessary for [colleges’] compliance or accreditation.” The board specified that all DEI services must be “broadly available to all students and/or employees.” It also called for removing DEI positions. DEI offices routinely support programs that favor individuals based on skin color‚ racial preferences in college admissions being one. DEI offices at schools nationwide were part of briefs in support of racial preferences before the Supreme Court ruled against racial preferences in admissions. It is not helping DEI’s “vague” cause that high-profile college leaders closely associated with their schools’ DEI offices badly failed to answer questions about free speech and genocide at a recent congressional hearing. Harvard President Claudine Gay is the latest Ivy League president facing accusations that she couldn’t adequately explain her school’s position on speech and genocide at a hearing before the House of Representatives. A significant Harvard donor says Gay was hired in no small part due to support from the school’s DEI office. The University of Pennsylvania’s president‚ Liz Magill‚ and the school’s board chairman already have resigned after Magill’s mediocre performance at the congressional hearing. Free expression and calls for genocide and harm against students sound like topics on which DEI offices would be able to advise college presidents. Harvard’s DEI office says it “promotes an inclusive culture” and wants to establish “a profound sense of belonging for each member of our community.” But given college administrators’ failure to protect free expression on campuses nationwide over the past 15 years (or more)‚ including those at Harvard‚ it is not clear what DEI offices support. In fact‚ the Iowa regents’ report says DEI doesn’t have a “standardized definition” and notes the “broad” terminology used by DEI offices‚ reinforcing what federal courts have said about DEI. Policymakers in Oklahoma and Iowa now have joined lawmakers in Florida and Texas in pointing out DEI’s discriminatory activities and calling for an end to the offices’ racism. State legislators across the country should seek to protect civil rights and shut down DEI offices when many return to session in January. Oklahoma’s executive order expands the list of states where lawmakers have done so already to four. More should be on the way. This commentary originall was published by the Washington Examiner 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 Oklahoma Becomes Latest State to Condemn DEI on Campus appeared first on The Daily Signal.

30% of Young Americans Think Osama bin Laden Was 'a Force for Good'

I Saw the New Indiana Jones Film and I Have Mixed Feelings