The White House's Office of Management and Budget‚ currently in the hands of the Biden administration‚ has announced that significant changes have been made to questions related to race and ethnicity on most standard federal surveys and questionnaires‚ including the U.S. census. These are the first such changes to be made in nearly 30 years.The first major change is that race and ethnicity‚ which had been addressed in separate questions‚ will now be conflated‚ though respondents may still select multiple options. One purpose for this change‚ the AP reported‚ is to simplify the process for Hispanic people. The AP claimed that people of Hispanic heritage often "aren't sure how to answer the race question" and as a result either select "some other race" or leave the question blank. There will also be a new racial category added to the mix. Since 1997‚ the U.S. has recognized five minimum racial categories: American Indian or Alaska Native‚ Asian‚ Black or African American‚ Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander‚ and white. Now‚ respondents will have the additional option of selecting Middle Eastern and North African. Those in charge of creating surveys should also consider breaking several racial categories down even further‚ the OMB said. For instance‚ the office suggested‚ some who select the category "black" might more specifically identify as Haitian or Jamaican.Finally‚ the OMB has eliminated the following terms from federal surveys and questionnaires because they are either offensive or inadequate: Negro‚ Far East‚ majority‚ and minority.Many on the left are celebrating these new changes‚ which — according to the AP — were made over the last two years by "a group of federal statisticians and bureaucrats who prefer to stay above the political fray.""It feels good to be seen‚" said Democrat state Rep. Anna Eskamani of Florida‚ whose parents were born in Iran. "Growing up‚ my family would check the 'white' box because we didn’t know what other box reflected our family. Having representation like that‚ it feels meaningful.""You can’t underestimate the emotional impact this has on people‚" added Meeta Anand‚ senior director for Census and Data Equity at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. "You are seeing a desire for people to want to self-identify and be reflected in data so they can tell their own stories."However‚ the AP's reporting also notes that the new changes‚ which will greatly reduce the number of people considered white‚ will likely have political consequences in terms of congressional districts and the understanding and enforcement of civil rights laws.Others have some reservations because they believe the Middle Eastern and North African category still isn't inclusive enough. "It is not reflective of the racial diversity of our community‚" said Maya Berry‚ executive director of the Arab American Institute. "And it’s wrong."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins reported that they had recovered their shipment of 19‚000 bobbleheads after 11 days of rescue missions that involved federal authorities and ransom demands.The bobbleheads‚ which were meant to commemorate hockey legend Jaromir Jagr‚ were announced by the team as stolen when the shipment arrived in California in early March 2024.Nearly two weeks later‚ team officials announced they had recovered the cargo as part of an operation that involved Los Angeles police forces‚ the Department of Homeland Security‚ and the FBI."They were due to arrive at the arena‚" Pittsburgh Penguins executive Kevin Acklin told KDKA. "They didn't arrive. At first‚ we heard that there was some engine trouble‚ and then it sounded like a group of extortionists had stolen the bobbleheads‚ maybe along with some other merchandise‚ and they were negotiating with the trucking company to release them."Acklin‚ the team's president of business operations‚ told the local outlet that a person or persons used fake documentation to take the shipment of bobbleheads out of the holding facility."Somebody put fake paperwork in the hands of a distribution center‚" Acklin said. "They walked away or drove away with our product. And were starting to make contact with the company about delivering it back. Ultimately‚ it took about a week."The shipping company then used its own "cargo recovery team" to acquire the shipment. The Penguins executive also alluded to the fact that the thieves made ransom demands but could not clarify if the shipping company paid a ransom."We weren't directly involved in paying any ransom‚" Acklin explained. "It was on the supplier to recover them and deliver them‚ and they did that. Now‚ I'm not sure 100% if they paid anything for that. My guess is that they probably did‚ and they have insurance for this kind of loss."The hockey executive said that the thieves had not been arrested but that the truck with the bobbleheads was indeed secured by the recovery team.An official team announcement said that the "special cargo recovery team negotiated the return of the stolen property to a secure warehouse." THE JAGR BOBBLEHEADS ARE HOME!\n\nFull details on how to redeem your @68Jagr bobblehead voucher: https://t.co/3lSIozXTYY — (@) After the shipment initially went missing‚ the Penguins' publicity team quickly went to work and made light of the situation‚ capitalizing on the popularity of the all-time great player Jagr."Did anybody see my bubbleheads?? 18000 of them. Actually‚ I got one‚ missing 17‚999. Let me know. Thank you‚" Jagr wrote on his X account. Did anybody see my bubbleheads?? 18000 of them. Actually‚ I got one ‚missing 17‚999. Let me know. Thank you. — (@) The team then quickly filmed Jagr taking a fictional journey in his car to find the remaining figurines. That video prompted conspiracy theories that the shipment theft was a publicity stunt‚ with hosts on "The Pat McAfee Show" wondering if the story had been "a work" of fiction."Was the theft a publicity stunt?" a fan asked the hockey team directly on Instagram."They were actually stolen‚ unfortunately‚" the team replied. "All fans in attendance will receive a voucher that includes a one-time scannable barcode that will be required to pick up the bobblehead at a later date‚" the team added.The cargo never it made it out of California‚ although Acklin had a moment of concern that they might have gone north of the border."I got the call‚ and they said we have the cargo‚ it's in Ontario. I'm like‚ 'How did they get to Canada?' But apparently‚ it was Ontario‚ California." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) Ticket-holders will use vouchers to acquire the precious memorabilia that was promised to them nearly a month before.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Democratic-appointed judges on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that only those mail-in ballots that are correctly dated can be counted in elections held in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Republican National Committee celebrated the result‚ suggesting it would bolster voter confidence in the integrity of their elections. The ACLU of Pennsylvania and other leftist outfits alternatively denounced the ruling‚ intimating the fight to permit the counting of unsound ballots in Pennsylvania is not over. Background Following a lawsuit from the Republican National Committee‚ the Republican Congressional Committee‚ and the Republican Party of Pennsylvania‚ the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered state election officials in November 2022 to refrain from counting any mail-in ballots bearing undated or incorrectly dated envelopes. The court had evidently agreed with the Republicans seeking the injunction who argued the "General Assembly could not have been clearer" when it "mandated that a voter who chooses to vote via absentee or mail-in ballot 'shall ... fill out‚ date and sign the declaration' printed on the outer envelope of the ballot." Since Democrats relied more on mail-in ballots than Republicans in previous years‚ the ruling was expected to lead to more disqualified Democrat votes in the general election. The Pennsylvania State Conference of the NAACP and other leftist groups subsequently sued Pennsylvania election officials in an effort to force the state to count such invalid mail ballots. The original complaint in NAACP v. Schmidt alleged that the refusal to count ballots supposedly mailed on time but lacking a date or incorrectly dated "violates the Materiality Provision of the Civil Rights Act‚ which makes it unlawful to deny the right to vote based on an 'error of omission' on a voting-related 'record or paper' that is 'not material in determining whether [a voter] is qualified under State law to vote in [the election].'" In November 2023‚ the U.S. Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania ruled in favor of the plaintiffs‚ concluding that federal law requires mail ballots be counted even if undated or bearing a date that is "incorrect." Republicans swiftly appealed the decision to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Fortunes reversed The federal appeals court handed down a 2-1 ruling Wednesday‚ reversing the district court's ruling. Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro noted in the majority's opinion Wednesday that contrary to the claim advanced in the Pennsylvania State Conference of the NAACP's complaint‚ "The Materiality Provision only applies when the State is determining who may vote. In other words‚ its role stops at the door of the voting place." "The Provision does not apply to rules‚ like the date requirement‚ that govern how a qualified voter must cast his ballot for it to be counted‚" continued Ambro. The court underscored that individuals "are not 'denied' the 'right to vote' if non-compliant ballots are not counted." Ambro added‚ "We reach this conclusion because a contrary approach cannot be reconciled with the text and historic backdrop of the statute‚ nor cabined to the date requirement while leaving intact other vote-casting rules that serve valid state interests." Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement‚ "This is a crucial victory for election integrity and voter confidence in the Keystone State and nationwide." "Pennsylvanians deserve to feel confident in the security of their mail ballots‚ and this 3rd Circuit ruling roundly rejects unlawful left-wing attempts to count undated or incorrectly dated mail ballots‚" added Whatley. "Republicans will continue to fight and win for election integrity in courts across the country ahead of the 2024 election." The RNC further emphasized the importance of reinforcing mail ballot safeguards in Pennsylvania as it is a "crucial swing state." Mike Lee‚ executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania‚ bemoaned the result‚ claiming thousands of Pennsylvanian voters might "lose their vote" over their apparent inability to properly cast a ballot. Ari Savizky‚ an attorney with the ACLU's Voting Rights Project who unsuccessfully argued the case before the court‚ said‚ "We are considering all of our options at this time. And we will not stop fighting for voters." Philip Hensley-Robin‚ the director of Common Cause Pennsylvania‚ a plaintiff in the case‚ claimed that this ruling will "undoubtedly have a negative impact on elderly voters and voters of color" but did not specify why minorities are supposedly more likely to submit faulty ballots. "We will work with partners to ensure that voters across the state of Pennsylvania know how to make sure their votes are counted‚" added Hensley-Robin. Spotlight PA noted earlier this month that the decision is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court‚ whereon certain justices have indicated an interest in taking up the issue. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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While we first expected Apple to introduce the OLED iPad Pro in early March‚ users were now hoping for an early April release. Now‚ it seems Apple's most premium tablet will only launch by May‚ at least‚ this is what Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Gurman was first to say Apple would release this tablet in March or April‚ but now he says this device won't launch until May as Apple ramps up overseas production. The journalist writes that "complex new manufacturing techniques" might add to the delay. A few weeks ago‚ display analyst Ross Young hinted at Apple suffering from a short supply of the 11-inch OLED model. In an X post‚ Ross Young said LG Display would start to deliver its 11-inch OLED panels for Apple this March to complement Samsung’s delivery. LG is also the only supplier of the 12.9-inch display‚ but this one seems to be fine. Interestingly‚ Samsung has been shipping 11-inch OLED panels since February. Besides that‚ Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has previously said that Apple is still readying a special version of iPadOS 17.4 to launch alongside the new OLED iPad Pro. Now‚ it seems it might come with iPadOS 17.5. Also‚ the two new iPad Air models are also launching with the Pro versions. Why the OLED iPad Pro launch seems like a big deal? After a few underwhelming upgrades with expensive accessories and little changes to the software‚ the iPad is in a similar position to when Apple sold Intel Macs. While the company was able to revamp its Mac category‚ the iPad needs the same care. With this new display‚ Apple will also add a new design‚ revamped accessories‚ and a better chip. In addition‚ it will also soon announce iPadOS 18‚ which might have a lot of AI applications. That said‚ Apple has one more chance to make this iPad Pro worth it. Otherwise‚ I don’t think people will be here for an M4 version. Don't Miss: iPad Pro 2024: Release date‚ OLED‚ price‚ features‚ &; everything we know The post OLED iPad Pro reportedly launching in early May appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Amazon Big Spring Sale: 40 best-selling deals you need to see Best Ring Video Doorbell deals in March 2024 Best Apple deals for March 2024 Today’s deals: Leftover Amazon Big Spring Sale deals‚ $349 iPad 10‚ free Samsung TV‚ LG laptops‚ more