FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL: Some media outlets have come under fire in recent years for buying into activists’ framing and talking points on so-called gender-affirming care‚ attempted transgender sex-change operations‚ hormonal interventions‚ and social affirmations‚ even for minors. Emails obtained by the organization Do No Harm‚ which combats gender ideology in the medical profession‚ provide a look at how that type of story is crafted. The organization obtained a June 15 exchange between Capital Times reporter Erin McGroarty‚ who specializes in “investigating disinformation” for the newspaper in Madison‚ Wisconsin‚ and Sara Benzel‚ media manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Health‚ a medical organization that offers “gender-affirming care” for children. McGroarty‚ who did not personally respond to requests for comment‚ asked for information to “counter” the messaging put out by the pro-family organization Wisconsin Family Action. That messaging highlighted the dangers of administering cross-sex hormones to young people and condemned a Dane County‚ Wisconsin‚ resolution to declare itself a “sanctuary county” for individuals who identify as transgender. In the June 15 press release‚ Wisconsin Family Action referenced the possibility that minors may be sterilized through the use of cross-sex hormones. (For example‚ a young woman injecting herself with testosterone in attempts to become a boy might find herself unable to have children later in life.) That is acknowledged by the very medical institutions that offer “gender-affirming care” for children. For example‚ as The Daily Wire reported‚ Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA)’s parent or guardian consent form states‚ “If your child starts puberty blockers in the earliest stages of puberty‚ and then goes on to gender-affirming hormones‚ they will not develop sperm or eggs. This means that they will not be able to have biological children.” ‘What I’m Hoping to Get From You’ “We spoke a while back when I was working on a story for Our Lives magazine on the UW Health gender services clinic‚” McGroarty wrote in her email to UW Health. “I’m working for Cap Times now as a disinformation reporter. I’m helping our local government reporter‚ Ali Garfield‚ on a story she’s writing about the county ordinance to make Dane County a sanctuary county for trans and nonbinary people.” McGroarty then reveals why she is reaching out: She wants UW Health to condemn Wisconsin Family Action and to confirm her claim that children are not getting surgeries: “Wisconsin Family Action has put out a statement full of false claims about the types of procedures that are being performed on trans and nonbinary youth. What I’m hoping to get from you is just a brief statement clarifying that no‚ in fact‚ minors are not getting genital surgery and only in extremely rare cases are older adolescents getting top surgery and only after extensive psychiatric screening and parental consent.” McGroarty explicitly admits that she wants to “counter” Wisconsin Family Action’s messaging ahead of a local meeting that evening: “Their claims are that children are getting genital and top surgery and sterilizations‚ all of which we know is false. Just a brief statement clarifying what is allowed for minors and the parameters within that‚ and what isn’t performed would be great for us to be able to include to counter whatever I’m sure they will claim when they testify at the meeting tonight.” Removing Breasts of Up to 10 Girls Yearly UW Health gave McGroarty a statement‚ Do No Harm’s Freedom of Information Act request found. That statement actually reveals that UW Health does indeed perform “top surgeries‚” or mastectomies‚ on minors (five to 10 per year‚ to be exact). “In December 2022‚ of the approximately 315 patients at UW Health’s pediatric and adolescenttransgender health (PATH) clinic‚ about 40% are on puberty blockers or hormones‚” Benzel said in a June 15 statement to McGroarty. The statement denies that UW Health performs “bottom surgeries” (such as the removal of a biological boy’s genitalia or creating fake genitalia on a biological girl) or “breast augmentation” surgeries on children before admitting that it does remove the healthy breasts of young women: UW Health does not perform and has never performed bottom surgery or breast augmentation surgery on minors. Top surgery (mastectomy) for patients under age 18 is rare and considered only after multidisciplinary evaluation‚ long-term engagement in mental health care and a requisite letter from their primary therapist‚ duration of hormonal therapy if indicated‚ and consent from legal guardian(s). Approximately five to 10 older teenage patients under the age of 18 receive top surgery at UW Health per year. Surprisingly‚ McGroarty doesn’t address or ask about the five to 10 young girls getting their breasts removed every year. She instead thanks Benzel for her help and tells her: “I’ll connect with you again on Monday about the longer story I’m considering writing regarding larger trends in disinformation surrounding gender-affirming care.” And when Benzel asks McGroarty to add the following to her statement‚ “We support efforts that protect and advance the health of trans and gender nonbinary youth and enable us to provide needed care to our patients‚” McGroarty replies‚ “Will do!” The Published Story On June 16‚ the Capital Times published a story on the topic with the headline‚ “Dane County becomes transgender ‘sanctuary’ despite opposition.” The article was written by a different reporter‚ Allison Garfield‚ but it included parts of the statement that McGroarty obtained from UW Health. The article did not‚ however‚ include some key details. Garfield did not mention that UW Health is removing the healthy breasts of five to 10 young women every year. She did‚ however‚ emphasize that UW Health does not perform “bottom surgeries” on minors‚ a claim that Wisconsin Family Action does not appear to have made. Garfield also swung at Wisconsin Family Action‚ accusing the organization of making “false claims” that children are undergoing procedures “resulting in sterilization”—a claim commonly expressed by groups advocating for the protection of children from dangerous hormonal treatment. Benzel‚ who did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Signal‚ similarly did not address the possibility that hormone treatment can result in sterilization in her statements to the Capital Times. In a statement to The Daily Signal on behalf of the Capital Times and its reporters‚ Capital Times editor Mark Treinan wrote that the publication was responding to Wisconsin Family Action’s assertions that “children are undergoing medical procedures that ‘result in sterilization.'” Like his reporters‚ Treinan seemed to misunderstand or ignore that putting children on hormones may result in their sterilization. Instead‚ he focused on “bottom surgeries.” He did not return further requests for comment on that point. “Doctors in Dane County‚ and across the country‚ say they act in accordance with medical standards that do not condone the performance of bottom surgeries (phalloplasties or vaginoplasties) that [Wisconsin Family Action] was claiming are being performed‚” Treinan said. “As a news organization that seeks to provide accurate and factual information to our community‚ we believe our journalists have a responsibility to counter false information that is presented as fact.” But Julaine Appling‚ president of Wisconsin Family Action‚ emphasized to The Daily Signal that her organization has drawn attention to the dangers of cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for years. “It’s unfortunate that local liberal media choose to often misrepresent our statements on this very sensitive issue of how minors are being counseled and advised relative to gender confusion‚” Appling said. “That a ‘disinformation reporter’ has done this is especially disturbing.” Mary Margaret Olohan is a senior reporter for The Daily Signal and a visiting fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum. 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 EXCLUSIVE: Here’s a Look at How Reporters Push Transgender Ideology appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Elected Tyranny: Irish Government Dublin Down on Big Brother

Democrat Support for Israel Is Beginning to Crumble

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt announced his aims for an unelected globalist board to monitor artificial intelligence. In an interview with Axios on Tuesday‚ the leftist and anti-free speech former executive claimed that current guardrails on artificial intelligence (AI) “aren’t enough” and called for a global entity to monitor the risky technology. Schmidt’s years-long connection to Democrat presidents (including the embattled incumbent‚ Joe Biden) could raise serious questions about his objectivity‚ however. According to a summary of the interview‚ Schmidt compared the dangers of AI to those of atom bombs. Yet he also celebrated the idea of replacing humans with robots in certain jobs. “After Nagasaki and Hiroshima‚ it took 18 years to get to a treaty over test bans and things like that. We don't have that kind of time today‚” Schmidt told Axios. He asserted that the world is fast approaching “the point at which the computer can start to make its own decisions to do things‚” including about weapon systems‚ possibly only two or four years in the future. Schmidt‚ displaying his leftist ideology‚ urged the creation of a global body like the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to assess AI and “feed accurate information to policymakers.” Notably‚ Schmidt previously caused controversy by arguing AI shouldn’t have “true anonymity” and privacy for users. According to MRC Free Speech America VP Dan Schneider‚ neither Google nor Schmidt is to be trusted. “Google is desperate to reclaim its place at the top of the AI heap. Google uniquely wants to operate in secret and it does so always while trying to upend freedom-oriented societies‚” Schneider said. Both Google and Schmidt are happy to have an AI board as long as they dominate it. “We need diversity in AI development and protections against Big Tech using AI to control and manipulate us. The last thing we want is for Google to monopolize AI‚” Schneider added. The former Google CEO portrayed the replacement of humans with robots in some jobs as a positive‚ according to Axios. “I defy you to argue that an AI doctor or an AI tutor is a negative. It's got to be good for the world‚” Schmidt pronounced. But in an already difficult job market‚ replacing humans with AI could cause widespread job loss‚ as even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admitted. In 2022‚ a Politico report accused Schmidt of having monetary ties to the Biden White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)‚ even paying government employees’ salaries. The former Google CEO has also worked with former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama‚ along with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Specifically‚ Schmidt worked for the Obama Defense Department‚ and under Biden‚ he called for tech companies to get more involved in national security‚ a suggestion that Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) exclusively told MRC Free Speech America would be “incredibly dangerous.” Schmidt has been actively involved with and invested in AI and other tech companies after leaving his position at Google. Conservatives are under attack. Contact Google at 650-253-0000 and demand it 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 using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Rumble filed a federal defamation lawsuit against Check My Ads after the so-called disinformation "watchdog" made reportedly false claims about the video platform. The video platform announced the suit in a press release Wednesday. Check My Ads is a left-wing bully organization that pressures advertisers to defund websites that supposedly allow so-called “disinformation.” Rumble‚ however‚ has had enough of this brand safety policing and is now suing the watchdog’s co-founders‚ Nandini Jammi and Claire Atkin. “Defamation is not free speech‚” said Rumble Chairman and CEO Chris Pavlovski according to the press release. “We have filed this lawsuit because we have a responsibility to our shareholders‚ creators‚ users‚ and advertisers to act‚ and not sit idly by‚ when someone attacks our company’s reputation solely to silence differing political views. Our mission requires it.” Rumble specifically accused Check My Ads of making defamatory allegations regarding the pro-free speech video platform’s funding. “Defendants have repeatedly peddled the false narrative that Rumble is primarily monetized by and wholly dependent upon revenue from Google Ads‚ when in reality‚ Google Ads now represents less than 1% of the Company’s revenue‚” Rumble reportedly stated in the lawsuit complaint.  The suit noted that this claim is “particularly damaging” to the company from a speech perspective. “The notion that Rumble is heavily dependent on ad revenue from Google is wholly inconsistent with Rumble’s publicly stated mission to be free from the political and economic pressures of Big Tech‚” Rumble alleged in its complaint according to the press release. The complaint reportedly also said that Check My Ads not only made the claims but “knew their claim about Rumble’s reliance on Google Ad revenue for survival was false‚ and the defendants refused to correct their statements when Rumble demanded a retraction.” The hypocrisy is not lost on Pavlovski who pointed out the ridiculousness of the disinformation police spreading reportedly false information. “The irony is that the defendants piously claim to be in the business of protecting all of us from disinformation‚ but they are the ones lying to the public‚” he said. “For those of us who value free expression and the free exchange of ideas‚ it is important to stand up to bullies—and people who lie and use intimidation tactics are most assuredly bullies‚ just as they are enemies of free speech.” Check My Ads is far from the only organization using this sinister tactic to defund alternative pro-free speech media. For example‚ news reliability rating firm NewsGuard works with ad agencies “to help keep their advertisers off of misinformation and to put their ads onto legitimate news sites‚” according to NewsGuard co-CEO Steve Brill. Yet‚ MRC Free Speech America has repeatedly found that the organization has a flawed rating system with a leftist bias. The ideological split is painfully obvious when looking at The Federalist or Newsmax which received a 12.5/100 and 15/100 respectively. Meanwhile‚ USA Today which openly admitted to publishing 23 fabricated stories continues to have a 100/100 rating from NewsGuard.   MRC Free Speech America also uncovered the wild biases of Ad Fontes‚ another media ratings firm that works with advertisers.  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.

Google Maps could not locate D.C.’s Capitol Hill Crisis Pregnancy Center until The Daily Signal pointed it out to the tech giant. The Daily Signal reported that on Monday Google Maps would not give directions to the pro-life pregnancy center. “Instead‚ Google Maps suggested two different doula locations‚ a pro-life pregnancy center across the river in Maryland‚ and ‘Planned Parenthood – Carol Whitehill Moses Center‚’ an abortion clinic‚” the news outlet reported. A Google spokesperson confirmed in statements to MRC Free Speech America that the pregnancy center’s listing was indeed missing. “This listing was incorrectly removed and we have since reinstated it‚” the spokesperson told MRC. “We use many sources to keep Maps updated‚ including feedback from our community‚ information from businesses‚ and imagery. When we find inaccuracies‚ we correct them as quickly as possible." The tech company did indeed update Google Maps to now display and offer directions to Capitol Hill Crisis Pregnancy Center. Although it is unclear whether the glitch was intentional‚ Google’s negligence is unsurprising to say the least. Earlier this month the Media Research Center reported on Google’s consistent and very public pro-choice stance. For example‚ in Sept. 2021‚ Google prioritized leftist ideology over human life when it banned Live Action’s ads for abortion pill reversal medication which has saved thousands of children’s lives‚ according to Live Action founder Lila Rose. In January‚ MRC Free Speech America researchers also found that Google made Planned Parenthood’s website the first result in a search for the word “pregnancy” on the eve of the 50th annual national March for Life in Washington‚ D.C.. Google’s AI chatbot Bard has similarly shown pro-choice bias. When asked whether the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade or Dobbs v. Jackson correctly‚ Google’s AI chatbot‚ Bard claimed that “both sides” in Dobbs had “strong arguments.” However‚ in its summary of the majority opinion’s pro-life argument in Dobbs‚ Google’s chatbot notably omitted the strongest argument of all: That an abortion ends the life of a defenseless human being. The tech giant even puts its money where its mouth is as the company and its employees have supported Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups. USA Today reported that Google’s employee-led 2016 Global Giving Week raised $800‚000 for Planned Parenthood. “Donations from Google employees during giving week‚ which ran from Dec. 5 to Dec. 9 [2016]‚ were matched by Google‚” the outlet claimed. Google has also been listed as a corporate supporter of the pro-abortion group Center for American Progress since 2013‚ and for 2022 Google was listed as having given in the $5‚000 to $49‚999 range. Conservatives are under attack. Contact Google at 650-253-0000 and demand it be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Police in Northern Ireland are treating "Irish Lives Matter" graffiti seen in west Belfast as a "hate incident‚" Independent Television reported. — (@) ITV said the graffiti appeared after signs saying the community "will no longer accept the re-housing of illegal immigrants" were put up Tuesday in the Suffolk area.Gerry Carroll‚ a member of the Legislative Assembly in West Belfast‚ told the station there was no place for this "racist poison"; Paul Maskey‚ a Sinn Féin member of Parliament‚ called the graffiti an "attempt to create fear and intimidate people."Inspector Andrew Matson told ITV "we are treating the matter as a hate incident."The development comes on the heels of violent protests in Dublin after a stabbing attack outside a school. An Algerian immigrant reportedly stabbed three children and two adults‚ leaving a 5-year-old girl and 30-year-old woman in critical condition. — (@) Former UFC champion Conor McGregor called for change and greater safety in Ireland: "In a war you are nothing. We are not backing down‚ we are only warming up. There will be no backing down until real change is implemented for the safety of our nation. We are not losing any more of our woman and children to sick and twisted people who should not even be in Ireland in the first place. Call it what you want. We do not care. May God help us all. Ireland for victory."Following McGregor's comments‚ police in Ireland launched an investigation into whether his words amounted to hate speech.In addition‚ a June speech from Green Party Senator Pauline O’Reilly went viral over the weekend. O'Reilly argued in favor of a bill that would allow the government to punish people for hate speech‚ noting that it's also important to put a damper on free speech.“When you think about it‚ all law‚ all legislation is about the restriction of freedom. That’s exactly what we are doing here ... we are are restricting freedom‚ but we’re doing it for the common good‚" she said. "You will see throughout our constitution‚ yes you have rights‚ but they are restricted for the common good. Everything needs to be balanced." Violent protests break out across central Dublin after stabbing attack at school youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Chaos is a state in which those on the left thrive best‚ which is why they’re creating it. They’ve discredited the press‚ intelligentsia‚ and the experts — all while forcing us to listen to them. “How easy would it be to regain the trust of our doctors and our scientists if they would just come out and say‚ ‘Yeah‚ we really blew it here and we’re finding the people responsible for it; we know it was Fauci’?” Glenn Beck asks. However‚ as Glenn is aware‚ they won’t do it. According to him‚ this is “because they want experts to continue to be discredited by the average‚ so that way when there’s chaos on the street — do you trust the police? Do you trust the FBI? Do you trust the medical association? Do you trust the media? Who’s coming for you if there’s real trouble?” And they’re succeeding in creating a world where no one knows whom to trust‚ which is why Javier Milei in Argentina is the newly elected president. He seems like an antidote to the chaos‚ truth in a political landscape shrouded in lies. “You can’t give left-tards an inch‚” Milei told a news anchor. “If you think differently from them‚ they will kill you. This is the point‚ you can’t give ... leftists an inch. If you give them an inch‚ they will use it to destroy you. You can’t negotiate with left-tards.” Stu Burguiere thinks Milei — while rather crudely spoken — is being dismissed by people at “their own peril.” Glenn agrees‚ noting that everything Milei is saying is focused on “standing up against an ideology of collectivism.” “I hope he does exactly what he says he’s going to do‚” he adds. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

An elderly Tennessee man is facing attempted murder charges after police say he repeatedly stabbed his own daughter.Police officers were dispatched to a south Nashville residence Monday afternoon in response to an ongoing domestic disturbance. When officers arrived on the scene‚ they discovered a female victim suffering from stab wounds to the chest‚ neck‚ and face. They immediately detained 81-year-old Floyd Allen Seay‚ the father of the victim.Neighbors who witnessed the brutal assault provided police with surveillance footage revealing what happened‚ according to WKRN-TV.That footage allegedly shows Seay and his daughter engaging in a verbal dispute outside the residence that quickly escalated into a physical attack. Seay allegedly struck his daughter multiple times in the face before retrieving a large kitchen knife from the house. He then exited the residence and stabbed his daughter repeatedly.After stabbing his daughter‚ Seay handed the knife to a neighbor and allegedly uttered a chilling admission."I tried to kill her‚ but I couldn't‚" he reportedly said.Neighbor Dustin Del-Rio‚ who witnessed the assault‚ told WKRN that he was left shocked because Seay‚ in his estimation‚ "didn't look able enough to hurt her."When investigators interviewed Seay‚ he admitted that he intentionally retrieved the knife and that he does not regret trying to murder his own daughter. He attributed the assault to "everything that had been building up" — it's not clear what exactly was happening between the father and daughter — and allegedly admitted that he would try to kill her again if given the opportunity‚ WZTV-TV reported.Fortunately‚ Seay's daughter is expected to survive after being treated at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.Seay was slapped with a charge of attempted criminal homicide. He was booked into the Nashville jail Monday evening‚ and his bond was set at $500‚000. 'I tried to kill her': TN man charged after stabbing daughter multiple times with kitchen knife www.youtube.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The lockdowns and societal restrictions championed by teachers' unions and other leftists during the pandemic were not just ruinous for the mental health of children and teens. A new study out of the U.K. indicates pandemic restrictions also had a deleterious impact on the minds of the elderly. Dr. Anne Corbett of the University of Exeter Medical School and her team examined neuropsychology data from 3‚142 individuals‚ all 50 years of age or over‚ who had been participating in a multi-decade dementia study in Britain. The researchers compared data on this cohort collected before the pandemic‚ early in the pandemic‚ then once more toward the tail end of the pandemic. The researchers observed "[s]ignificant worsening of executive function and working memory" in the first year of the pandemic across the whole cohort‚ the average age of which was 67.5. Working memory continued to worsen across the whole cohort in the second year of the pandemic. By the time restrictions had ultimately been eased‚ the damage had been done. According to the study‚ cognitive decline was significantly associated with reduced exercise and increased drinking across the whole cohort. Depression‚ another driving factor of cognitive decline‚ was notable amongst those who contracted COVID-19. Loneliness proved especially detrimental to those with mild cognitive impairment. "People aged 50 years and older in the UK had accelerated decline in executive function and working memory during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic‚ during which the UK was subjected to three societal lockdowns for a total period of 6 months‚" said the study‚ published in the Lancet journal Healthy Longevity. The British government‚ which funded this study via the National Institute for Health and Care Research‚ not only limited the number of times citizens could exercise outside during the pandemic‚ but shuttered gyms‚ golf courses‚ sports courts‚ swimming pools‚ and indoor sports facilities. "The scale of change is also of note‚ with all groups—the whole cohort and the individual subgroups—showing more than a 50% greater decline in working memory and executive function and many effect sizes reaching a clinically significant threshold of greater than 0·3‚" said the researchers. The researchers further stressed that "[t]hese factors map closely to the population-wide changes in health and lifestyle seen during and after the lockdowns‚ raising the important question of the effect of the pandemic on cognitive health and risk across populations." Governments across the West imposed lockdown measures on and off throughout the pandemic despite early indications there would be serious cognitive fallout‚ particularly amongst the elderly. For instance‚ Italian scientists noted in an October 2020 paper in Frontiers in Psychiatry that social disconnection — of the kind all but guaranteed by the closure of voluntary associations‚ churches‚ parishes‚ gyms‚ and other meeting places for seniors — was a risk factor for dementia and likely to increase the risk of depression and anxiety for elderly people. "Lockdown could affect disproportionately the mental health of old people‚ whom relatives contracted COVID-19‚ people who live alone and whose only social contacts take place outside home‚ and people who do not have close relatives or friends and rely on the support of voluntary services or social assistance‚" said the paper. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!