The federal government shouldn’t be permitted to use taxpayer funds to house illegal aliens on federal government land‚ under a bill passed by the House on Thursday.  The legislation was introduced by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis‚ R-N.Y.‚ and specifically prohibits federal funding from being used to provide housing for illegal aliens on land that is under the jurisdiction of federal land management agencies‚ including land belonging to the National Park Service‚ the Bureau of Land Management‚ the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service‚ and the Forest Service.  “Turning our federal parks into encampments for unvetted migrants from all over the world is unfair to surrounding communities‚ and the taxpayers being forced to foot the bill while having their public spaces taken away‚” Malliotakis said in a statement.   The bill passed almost entirely along party lines in a vote of 224 to 203‚ with all Republicans voting for it‚ along with six Democrats. The Biden administration announced that it “strongly opposes” the bill in a statement from the Office of Management and Budget on Monday.   “The Administration opposes this legislation‚ because it would significantly restrict the ability of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to make decisions regarding the appropriate uses of their lands and resources‚ even in emergency or other situations‚” the Biden administration said.   The bill also would revoke the Biden administration’s lease‚ signed in September‚ with New York City to house illegal aliens at Floyd Bennet Field in the Gateway National Recreation Area in New York.  While speaking on the House floor on Wednesday‚ Malliotakis placed blame at the feet of the Biden administration for needing to use federal lands to house illegal aliens.   “The root of the problem is that the president of the United States chose to put in place executive orders that dismantle public safety‚ that took away the tools of our Customs and Border Patrol agents‚ that it allowed for the free flow of individuals into the country‚” the New York lawmaker said.   Malliotakis leads fight to stop NYC from housing migrants &; CANCEL Floyd Bennett Field encampment. WATCH ?? pic.twitter.com/bjJ0haE6b8— Office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (@RepMalliotakis) November 29‚ 2023 On his first day in office‚ Biden signed an executive order stopping all border wall construction. Under the Biden administration‚ Customs and Border Protection has encountered more than 8 million illegal aliens at America’s borders. An estimated nearly 4 million illegal aliens have either been paroled into the interior of the U.S. or have escaped Border Patrol to enter the county‚ according to data from the House Judiciary Committee.  Rep. Juan Vargas‚ D-Calif.‚ expressed his opposition to Malliotakis’ bill on X‚ formerly Twitter‚ on Thursday‚ writing that the bill “is not a public lands solution; it is cruel legislation that spreads anti-immigrant rhetoric.”   H.R. 5283 is not a public lands solution; it is cruel legislation that spreads anti-immigrant rhetoric. As a representative on the U.S.-Mexico border I will continue to welcome and assist asylum seekers.— Rep. Juan Vargas (@RepJuanVargas) November 30‚ 2023 Rep. Sylvia Rodriguez‚ D-Texas‚ said she opposes the bill‚ writing on X‚ “Anti-immigrant rhetoric will not make us safer.”   I am strongly opposed to H.R. 5283. As someone who was born and raised in south Texas‚ I understand the importance of a secure border. Anti-immigrant rhetoric will not make us safer. The American Dream and Promise Act is a real bipartisan solution for millions of Dreamers. pic.twitter.com/YJUrXnN8xS— Rep. Sylvia Garcia (@RepSylviaGarcia) November 29‚ 2023 Rep. Byron Donalds‚ R-Fla.‚ co-sponsored the bill with Malliotakis and‚ in an interview on Fox News‚ called it “insane” that Congress has to propose legislation to prevent the White House from using public land to house illegal aliens.  On Day 1‚ President Biden instituted the destructive open borders policy that has been indiscriminately harming all communities across our nation.I am proud to cosponsor @RepMalliotakis's bill–H.R. 5283–to prohibit the Biden admin from housing illegal migrants on federal land. pic.twitter.com/kxdXHXJx0B— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) November 29‚ 2023 Given the bill’s largely partisan passage in the House‚ it’s likely to face an uphill battle in the Democrat-controlled Senate.   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 House Passes Bill Barring Funding to House Illegal Aliens on Federal Land appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton‚ a Republican‚ filed a lawsuit Thursday against Pfizer Inc.‚ arguing that the pharmaceutival corporation misrepresented the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine and “conspired to censor” critics. The lawsuit alleges Pfizer “deceived the public” by claiming its vaccine was 95% effective‚ as well as through suggestions it made about the vaccine’s duration of protection‚ protection against transmission‚ and protectiveness against variants. Pfizer then “coerced social media platforms to silence prominent truth-tellers‚” including former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Brett Giroir and journalist Alex Berenson‚ engaging in a “censorship campaign” to suppress content that would negatively impact sales‚ according to the lawsuit. “Pfizer intentionally misrepresented the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine and censored persons who threatened to disseminate the truth in order to facilitate fast adoption of the product and expand its commercial opportunity‚” Paxton’s complaint alleges‚ adding: In light of the multibillion dollar bet that Pfizer made on the vaccine and its need to quickly establish the product as the marketing leader‚ Pfizer was heavily incentivized to‚ and in fact did‚ make misrepresentations intended to confuse and mislead the public in order to achieve widespread adoption of its vaccine. The complaint filed by Texas also states that government reports show that by 2021‚ in some places “a greater percentage of the vaccinated were dying from COVID-19 than the unvaccinated.” “We are pursuing justice for the people of Texas‚ many of whom were coerced by tyrannical vaccine mandates to take a defective product sold by lies‚” Paxton said in a formal statement. “The facts are clear. Pfizer did not tell the truth about their COVID-19 vaccines.” “Whereas the Biden administration weaponized the pandemic to force illegal public health decrees on the public and enrich pharmaceutical companies‚ I will use every tool I have to protect our citizens who were misled and harmed by Pfizer’s actions‚” the Texas attorney general said. Pfizer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This article was published first 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 Texas Sues Pfizer for ‘Conspiring to Censor’ COVID-19 Vaccine Critics appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The American kidnap victim released by the terrorist group Hamas during its ongoing cease-fire with Israel is a great-niece of Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali‚ a major Democratic Party donor who paid handsomely for Hunter Biden’s art and won an appointment to a plum cultural post from President Joe Biden. Hirsh Naftali’s Biden connections went all but unmentioned as she advocated in a series of nationally televised interviews for the release of her 4-year-old grandniece‚ Abigail Mor Idan‚ a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen whose parents were murdered by marauding jihadists in southern Israel on Oct. 7. She is the only American thus far among the 61 mostly women and children exchanged for Palestinian Arab prisoners in a fragile negotiated truce. While noting that the Biden administration has worked with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to free all the hostages‚ a senior administration official told RealClearInvestigations that “U.S. officials insisted that Abigail be included on an early list as well as the other two Americans in this category [of women and children].” “The president raised Abigail in nearly all of his phone calls with counterparts as well as with the Amir of Qatar on Saturday‚” the official said‚ adding that “U.S. officials have also remained in close touch with Abigail’s family members‚ including those the president spoke with on Sunday‚” the day Abigail was returned from Gaza to Israel. After Abigail’s release on Nov. 26‚ Hirsh Naftali co-signed a statement thanking “President Biden and his dedicated team‚” among others‚ for “securing Abigail’s release and reuniting other hostages with their loved ones.” Republican House members have been investigating possible connections between Hirsh Naftali’s art buying and her government appointment to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad since July. In a letter that month to Hirsh Naftali‚ Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer of Kentucky said‚ “Your position on the Commission is particularly suspicious because of Hunter Biden’s previous actions to elevate his business partner—Eric Schwerin—to the same post while his father was Vice President.” This month‚ Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman of New York used Abigail’s abduction to demean the inquiry‚ describing Republican questions regarding Hirsh Naftali’s art buying and her government appointment as “soulless.” According to Hirsh Naftali’s account in media interviews‚ her grandniece endured sheer horror: She witnessed the murder of her mother and father‚ the latter shot dead with the girl in his arms as he tried to protect her. Hirsh Naftali suggests this account was relayed in part by the little girl’s two older siblings‚ 6-year-old Amalia and 9-year-old Michael‚ who hid in a closet next to their mother’s body. Abigail fled to a neighbor’s house‚ where she was captured.  Even as they hail the administration’s efforts to gain Abigail’s release after her harrowing ordeal‚ some Biden critics say the episode is another example of how his family’s financial dealings cast a shadow over his official actions by suggesting conflicts of interest. Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch told RealClearInvestigations: “Once you start making deals with terrorists‚ even potentially innocent coincidences become controversial. It is fair to ask whether this is another example of Biden’s family corruption compromising our national security.” Hirsh Naftali is a Los Angeles real estate investor and philanthropist who served on the 2020 Biden campaign’s national finance committee and donated over $200‚000 to his candidacy. In July 2022‚ Biden announced her appointment to the commission. That nomination came eight months after Hunter Biden’s first art opening at New York’s Georges Bergès Gallery. Business Insider reported that Hirsh Naftali purchased at least one of Hunter Biden’s pieces‚ which were priced at up to $500‚000 each‚ and which generated sales proceeds totaling nearly $1.4 million. Visitor logs show she visited the White House at least 13 times since December 2021‚ the month following the art show’s opening date. It is unclear whether Hirsh Naftali’s art buying preceded her appointment to the commission. Hunter Biden’s counsel‚ Abbe Lowell‚ has said his client was unaware that Hirsh Naftali purchased the art until after the sale was executed. The identities of the buyers were supposed to be kept private in what the White House described as an effort to avoid ethical issues. After Hirsh Naftali was identified as one of the buyers‚ the House Oversight Committee sent her a letter requesting documents pertaining to the transactions‚ her appointment to the commission‚ and her visits to the White House. Unsatisfied with her response‚ Comer issued a subpoena to her on Nov. 9 demanding she appear for a transcribed interview. Hirsh Naftali’s lawyer did not respond to RealClearInvestigations’ request for comment. In the cover letter associated with the subpoena addressed to Hirsh Naftali’s counsel‚ Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan‚ R-Ohio‚ wrote: “The Committees require your client’s testimony to determine whether individuals … are obtaining access to President Biden or securing benefits from him by purchasing his son’s artwork.” A House Oversight Committee spokesperson told RealClearInvestigations that the “Oversight and Judiciary Committees intend to question Ms. Naftali about her purchase of Hunter Biden’s artwork and her appointment to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.” The spokesperson did not comment on whether the panel would explore any of the uncomfortable questions that might be raised about the Biden appointee’s ties to the administration and any nexus it might have to the hostage crisis and U.S. policy deliberations more broadly associated with the Israel-Hamas war. Hirsh Naftali‚ a Los Angeles native‚ has substantial ties to the Jewish state. She moved to Israel during the 1990s and partnered in founding BIG Shopping Centers‚ a publicly traded company on the Tel Aviv stock exchange. She has maintained philanthropic interests there associated with Israeli and Jewish causes‚ in addition to serving on the board of the RAND Corporation Center for Middle East Public Policy. The Biden administration has cited this background in justifying her appointment to the commission‚ which aims to protect and preserve landmarks‚ including those in Eastern and Central Europe “associated with the heritage of U.S. citizens” whose families were targeted during the Holocaust. As the current temporary cease-fire is extended‚ nine Americans remain unaccounted for‚ according to the Biden administration. “As the president said‚ [we] will not rest until every American missing since the horrible attacks on October 7 is located and for those that remain alive returned home to their families‚” the senior administration official wrote in an email response to RealClearInvestigations’ questions. As for the freed 4-year-old‚ the official added: “We are thrilled that Abigail is now home and back in the loving arms of her extended family. She will receive the care and attention she needs through the Israelis and we are also ready to provide all appropriate support.” This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire. 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 Hunter Biden Art Buyer Advocated for Her Grandniece’s Release From Hamas Captivity appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Americans are now taking their own lives at a rate never before observed in the United States. On Wednesday‚ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report revealing that in 2022‚ the suicide rate reached 14.3 per 100‚000 people‚ the highest rate ever recorded‚ dating back to at least 1941. Experts and public policy leaders are ascribing the rise to a spiritual crisis brought on by increased secularization and the continued effort to rid the public square of God and biblical principles. While mainstream media outlets are largely attributing the record surge to increases in mental health issues and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic‚ the steady increase in the suicide rate over the past two decades indicates that larger issues are lurking under the surface. Since 2001‚ the suicide rate has consistently climbed with each passing year‚ increasing incrementally from 10.7 to 11 from 2001 to 2006‚ reaching 12.3 five years later‚ and ascending to 14 in 2017. While there were glimmers of hope in the CDC report for young people‚ who saw the suicide rate drop 18% for 10- to 14-year-olds and 9% for 15- to 24-year-olds as compared with last year‚ men older than 75 saw their rate rise to the highest of any age group‚ to 43.7 per 100‚000. Overall‚ men comprise the vast majority of suicides. In 2022‚ 39‚255 men took their own lives‚ a 2% increase from last year‚ while 10‚194 women died by suicide‚ a 4% increase. The overall total is expected to increase more once final data is available. Dr. Jennifer Bauwens‚ a psychologist with extensive clinical and research experience working with survivors of trauma and abuse‚ joined “Washington Watch With Tony Perkins” on Wednesday to analyze what is behind the alarming suicide increase‚ particularly among older males. “[Y]ou [may] think‚ ‘Why on earth would this population‚ white males 75 or older‚ be at risk for suicide?’” she pointed out. “… [W]hen we look to some of the things that happen with post-traumatic stress‚ sometimes you see this age group … not show any symptoms until they start retiring. … Maybe they have a loss of a spouse or a loss of relationships‚ a loss of meaning. They’re not productive in that sense of what they’ve lived their whole life in. And so‚ now they’re faced with‚ ‘What is my life about?’ … [O]ur whole world right now is saying‚ ‘What is life about?’” Bauwens‚ who serves as director of the Center for Family Studies at the Family Research Council‚ went on to observe that the mainstream media largely does not cover the spiritual aspect of suicide “even though the [social science] literature recognizes that having a spiritual belief or a religious affiliation is protective against suicide. And yet that’s what we’re seeing decline in our world. So‚ we should be emphasizing that in every sector of our society: Belong. Find a place of faith.” Bauwens further emphasized that there are dark spiritual forces at work that are contributing to the increase in societal hopelessness. “[A]s believers‚ … we need to recognize that there is an attempt to steal our hope in this hour‚” she noted. But I really believe that if we can remain hopeful in the face of adversity‚ we are going to have the most influence‚ because people are looking for hope-filled people. And when we can rise up in the midst of what’s going on in our world and say‚ “There is a way through this. There is a way to not just [survive]‚ but to thrive.” And we can only get that in connection to the Holy Spirit. That’s not something that we can drum up‚ but that comes through relationship with Jesus. Because He is hope‚ and if we’re not anchored in that hope‚ we can’t offer that hope. Perkins added that “as believers‚ we need to be in the Word‚ because that’s really what … inoculates us to the attacks of the enemy‚ the hopelessness [and] despair that often comes on everybody in this world.” As for practical action steps that can be taken to respond to the suicide crisis‚ Bauwens urged believers to simply reach out. “[A]t a very practical level‚ if you know people who are in these age groups or people who’ve experienced some of the risks‚ they’ve been through a loss of a job or a loss of a family member or friend. Reach out to them‚ visit them‚ because we are the hands and feet of Jesus‚ and we show that connection with Him to others.” Perkins concurred: It doesn’t have to be anything profound. It’s just coming alongside‚ having conversations‚ and doing life together. I know a lot of people [are] hesitant‚ “I just don’t know what to say.” Just go have a cup of coffee. Originally published at WashingtonStand.com 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 As Suicide Rate Soars to Record‚ Experts Urge Believers to ‘Reach Out‚’ ‘Be Present’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FBI Hiding the Ball on Communications With Twitter

A huge prehistoric cemetery discovered in Lapland‚ just south of the Arctic Circle‚ is challenging what we know about how far Stone Age societies trekked into the bitterly cold‚ far-flung stretches of Northern Europe. As per a new study on the prehistoric graveyard‚ this 6‚500-year-old site might be one of the largest Stone Age cemeteries in northern Europe.Known as Tainiaro‚ the site is located in the sprawling boreal forest of northern Finland near Bothnian Bay in southwestern Lapland‚ around 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the Arctic Circle.It was discovered by chance in 1959 thanks to a group of local workers extracting sand. After unearthing several stone artifacts‚ the workers reported the findings to local authorities – but their discovery didn’t receive the attention it deserved.Around 30 years ago‚ a team of archeologists led by Tuija Laurén attempted to excavate the site‚ but their funds dried up and the research was left unpublished. Now‚ Laurén and a team from the University of Oulu have returned to the cemetery and compiled the first detailed picture of the site. Archeologists from the University of Oulu working at the site.Image credit: Aki HakonenTo their surprise‚ the Tainiaro cemetery was found to hold way more bodies than previously realized. Initial estimates suggested that 120 people were buried here‚ but their research indicates that the figure is closer to 200. This scale is pretty unusual considering how far north (not to mention how cold) this part of the world is. "The research on Tainiaro shows that apparently large cemeteries also existed near the Arctic Circle‚" Aki Hakonen‚ lead study author from the Department of Archaeology at the University of Oulu‚ said in a statement sent to IFLScience."The research raises questions about why such a site exists so high up on the map and whether there are similar cemeteries yet to be discovered in the dozen-or-so river valleys of the Bothnian Bay‚” continued Hakonen.The researchers describe the evidence as “quite elusive.”  Unfortunately‚ the physical remains of the bodies – even bones – have been completely broken down due to the highly acidic soil over the millennia. As such‚ the main evidence is dozens of elongated pits.The team compared the shape of the uniformly shaped pits to over 800 other Stone Age graves from 14 cemeteries in Northern Europe‚ affirming their argument that they were used to bury people. Excavations of the Tainiaro site.Image credit: Tuija LaurénSignificantly‚ the pits often contained traces of charred remains and red ochre pigments. The researchers aren’t totally certain about the significance of this‚ but they believe it might have had some deep cultural significance to the unknown culture that buried their dead in this unsympathetic region of the planet. “An ancient association between red ochre and fire‚ and with the warmth of the lifegiving hearth is just one possibility out of many‚ but one which resonates deeply‚ especially in the subarctic context‚” the study authors write. To pry deeper into this mystery‚ the researchers have started mapping Tainiaro with geophysical radar imaging‚ which will be able to uncover more insights without physically disturbing the site. They’re also hoping further research and excavations will reveal new information to illuminate the mysterious culture behind this cemetery. “New soil samples could be analyzed for fossilized hair‚ which has been found in Stone Age graves in recent years. It seems animal furs and bird feathers were often used in burial rituals. Chemical analyses‚ such as the collection of ancient DNA directly from the soil‚ may provide unequivocal evidence for the burial interpretation or reveal entirely new findings that will guide our understanding of the Stoen Age society to an even more fascinating direction‚” Hakonen remarked.The study is published in the journal Antiquity.

Twitter Files journalist Michael Shellenberger called government censorship efforts “profoundly un-American” in his Congressional testimony Thursday. The Nov. 30 Congressional hearing on the “Weaponization of the Federal Government” featured Twitter Files journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger. “In 2020‚ the Department of Homeland Security’s CISA violated the First Amendment and interfered in the election‚” Shellenberger testified in his opening statement. “[I]n 2021‚ CISA and the White House violated the First Amendment and undermined America’s response to the COVID[-19] pandemic by demanding that Facebook and Twitter censor content” that even Facebook confessed was “often true‚” including about the COVID-19 vaccines. Shellenberger offered solutions to the free speech crisis too. CISA‚ Shellenberger emphasized‚ now focuses on “cognitive security‚ which is basically attempting to control the information environment and how people think about the world.” He asked for CISA to be abolished and added a request to Congress to make “Section 230 liability protections contingent upon social media platforms” having transparent algorithms and allowing users to moderate their own legal content. Shellenberger also encouraged Congress to “prohibit government officials from asking the platforms to remove content.” If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the government in the ongoing Missouri v. Biden case‚ Shellenberger ended‚ such government requests for censorship should be‚ by law‚ required to be public “instantaneously.” Shellenberger began his statement by mentioning his previous testimony nine months ago on government-Big Tech censorship‚ before noting‚ “the scope‚ power‚ and lawbreaking of the Censorship Industrial Complex are even worse than we had realized.” He referred to evidence he and his colleagues recently published on the Cyber Threat Intelligence League (CTIL) or the birth of government anti-disinformation work. In their piece‚ Shellenberger‚ Taibbi and independent journalist Alex Gutentag exposed U.S. and UK military contractors who interfered in the 2020 election and targeted Americans’ free speech‚ in what Shellenberger labeled a major First Amendment violation. Shellenberger noted that the federal government cannot “induce‚ encourage or promote” what it cannot legally do on its own – in this case censorship – “and there is now a large body of evidence proving that the government did precisely that.”  The UK “former” intelligence analyst who headed CTIL received her instructions to form “a counter-disinformation project to ‘stop a repeat of 2016’” while at the Obama White House in 2017‚ Shellenberger explained‚ citing a whistleblower. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) “has been … the center of gravity for much of the censorship‚” Shellenberger went on. “The National Science Foundation [NSF] financ[ed] the development of censorship and disinformation tools and other federal government agencies play[ed] a supportive role.” Shellenberger also discussed the CISA-created Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) with government contractors‚ noting that EIP and “the Virality Project urged Twitter‚ Facebook‚ and other platforms to censor social media posts [of] ordinary citizens and elected officials alike.” EIP itself reported a 75 percent response rate from tech companies with 35 percent of flagged URLs being censored. Both CISA and the White House violated the First Amendment‚ he said. “All of this is profoundly un-American‚” Shellenberger insisted. “One’s commitment to free speech means nothing if it does not extend to your political enemies.” He cited Prof. Jeff Kosseff’s book “Liar in a Crowded Theater” to note that the view that “the government can censor false speech and/or speech that ‘causes harm’ is mostly wrong‚” based on Supreme Court rulings. Shellenberger urged Congress “to abolish CISA.” Short of that‚ Shellenberger advised the creation of “significant guardrails and oversight to prevent such censorship from happening again.” 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. 

PBS’s Amanpour &; Co. show hosted journalist and anti-Israel activist Nathan Thrall‚ author of the non-fiction book A Day in the Life of Abed Salama. But first‚ Monday’s show host‚ Bianna Golodryga recounted the joyful reunions of “detainees” released by Israel in return for hostages taken by Hamas -- detainees that included a prisoner whose car blew up at an Israeli checkpoint in 2015‚ leaving her disfigured‚ and was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to prison‚ “the charge she has continuously denied.” That was the awkward segue into Thrall’s segment. His ostensible subject was a Palestinian father whose son died in a bus accident‚ and emergency response was delayed by Israeli security bureaucracy‚ but of course‚ the story was twisted to symbolize the plight of the Palestinians under the thumb of Israel and excuse violence.     Golodryga heavy-handedly noted the book “comes as Palestinians are subject to ongoing restrictions‚ particularly freedom of movement": THRALL: There’s tremendous trauma right now for millions of people‚ millions of Israeli Jews‚ millions of Palestinians‚ and the subject of my book is that theme‚ is the deep‚ deep trauma that millions of Palestinians face‚ living in a system of gross inequality….And when we’re looking now at the tremendous suffering of more than 14‚000 dead in Gaza‚ and hundreds of hostages‚ and more than 1‚200 dead in Israel‚ it’s easy for us to focus narrowly on this immediate suffering and it’s right that we focus on it‚ but we should also look at the decades-long system that keeps producing these traumas‚ that keeps producing this bloodshed. And that’s really what my book aims to highlight‚ is the structural forces that are in place‚ that are producing daily violence‚ in order to keep the system in place‚ because no people will willingly accept oppression‚ and the violence that it produces in return. Abed’s green West Bank ID didn’t get him to places like a blue Jerusalem ID would have (he couldn’t go to a nearby Israeli military base)‚ which made finding news of his son's condition more difficult. But Thrall didn’t touch on how Israel perceives such measures are necessary after decades of Palestinian terror attacks within Israel. Thrall has worked for the International Crisis Group‚ funded by both left-wing billionaire George Soros and the country of Qatar‚ which quarters the Hamas leadership and funds the terrorist organization. Needless to say‚ that question didn’t come up on PBS. The New York Times recently made a martyr of Thrall for his refusal to sign a pledge not to participate in anti-Israel boycotts. He’s written several pieces for the paper suggesting Palestinian terrorism was a rational response and was a strong supporter of the anti-Semitic B.D.S. movement (“B.D.S.” stands for “Boycott‚ Divestment‚ and Sanctions” against Israel). In a 2014 Times op-ed‚ he blamed Israel‚ not Hamas‚ for starting the 2014 Gaza War‚ even though Hamas actually launched it by kidnapping and killing three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. Try not to cry too loudly when you read Thrall talking of “…Hamas’s desperation and isolation” at the time. The Washington Free Beacon’s Adam Kredo wrote in March 2019 that Thrall “serves as director of the Arab-Israeli Project at the International Crisis Group‚ or ICG‚ a left-leaning advocacy organization that has received around $4 million from the Qatari government in the just the last year." Neither the Times then nor Amanpour &; Co. now noted that affiliation. A transcript will be posted when it becomes available.

New files reviewed by independent journalists Matt Taibbi and Michael Shellenberger reveal that data scientists and defense and intelligence veterans allegedly conspired to censor Americans via an “‘anti-disinformation’” group called the Cyber Threat Intelligence League (CTIL). In three X threads‚ Shellenberger and Taibbi wrote Nov. 28 that a whistleblower has come forward with damning documents further detailing the lengths to which U.S. and UK government agencies went to attack free speech online. The CTIL group purportedly started as a volunteer effort composed of data scientists and intelligence experts to prevent a repeat of Trump-2016 and Brexit but later evolved into a digital censorship conspiracy centered on relationships with U.S. federal government agencies‚ including the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency‚ the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Defense. “Many people insist that governments aren't involved in censorship‚ but they are‚” Shellenberger said in an X post. “And now‚ a whistleblower has come forward with an explosive new trove of documents‚ rivaling or exceeding the Twitter Files and Facebook Files in scale and importance.” Shellenberger and Taibbi have both reported extensively on Big Tech censorship‚ including through exposing attacks on Americans’ free speech in the Twitter Files. Shellenberger noted that the new CTIL files‚ combined with the Twitter and Facebook files‚ “offer a comprehensive picture of the birth of the ‘anti-disinformation’ sector.” According to Taibbi‚ the CTIL Files revealed that members of the group conducted “offensive” operations against the American people in contrast to the “defensive” nature of the Twitter Files. “Unlike the #TwitterFiles‚ which detail mostly defensive activity like censorship and deamplification‚ the #CTIFiles show members instructed in a wide array of “offensive” operations‚ including infiltration‚ creation of fake personas‚ use of burner phones‚ and more‚” Taibbi wrote of the second file dump. Both Taibbi and Shellenberger wrote on X that the new files could be bigger than the Facebook Files and the Twitter Files combined. As written by Shellenberger‚ the group thrived on pressuring social media networks to censor certain views in the name of national security: “The CTIL framework…includ[ed] masking censorship within cybersecurity institutions and counter-disinformation agendas; a heavy focus on stopping disfavored narratives‚ not just wrong facts; and pressuring social media platforms to take down information or take other actions to prevent content from going viral.” Taibbi‚ who wrote his own X threads on the file dump‚ reported that the group utilized “spy tactics” to censor the American people. “While #TwitterFiles confirmed use of defensive tactics like censorship/deamplification‚ the #CTIFiles show ‘anti-disinformation’ operatives planning to go on offense to disrupt speech‚ using fake personas and spy tactics‚” Taibbi wrote. He added that members of the group created fake profiles to infiltrate groups they were suspicious about‚ known as a “spy disguise.” The members also allegedly used burner phones and email accounts. Of particular note‚ Taibbi referenced the group’s request that memes making fun of the COVID-19 lockdowns online removed or “at a minimum reported and checked.” If the takedown operation failed‚ CTIL reportedly used a “troll” to join the group and combat the humor. While United States government agencies frequently use “spy” tactics to combat terrorism and foreign influence operations around the world‚ the U.S. government is “‘expressly forbidden’ to operate they are not allowed to use them ‘against U.S. citizens.’” Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech and U.S. government agencies be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us at the CensorTrack contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

A top United Nations women's rights official declined on Tuesday to condemn Hamas for its use of sexual violence in its barbaric Oct. 7 attack. In an interview on CNN‚ network host Bianna Golodryga confronted U.N. Women deputy executive director Sarah Hendriks over U.N. Women — the U.N. agency responsible for advocating for women and girls — choosing not to condemn Hamas for how terrorists targeted women for rape and murder in its attack on Israel last month.Hendriks claimed her agency is "deeply alarmed at the disturbing reports of gender-based and sexual violence on Oct. 7‚" adding that "gender-based violence as a weapon of war is totally reprehensible" and any such allegations should be "fully investigated with the utmost priority." Yet nowhere in her statement did she condemn Hamas‚ and Golodryga called her out for it. "Is there a reason‚ though‚ that you can't specifically call out Hamas and the mounting evidence now over seven weeks that Israeli investigators have collected‚ that we’ve shown our viewers about the atrocities they committed‚ specifically on Oct. 7?" Golodryga asked. "Because I think that’s the crux of the issue here. It's not just condemning sexual violence against women and in any war in general‚ it's specifically what occurred on Oct. 7 perpetrated by Hamas." But Hendriks refused. The U.N. Women official claimed her agency "supports impartial‚ independent investigations into any serious allegations of gender-based or sexual violence" before spending the next minute explaining how the U.N. investigates such allegations. At no point did Hendriks condemn Hamas for its atrocities against Jewish women in Israel‚ nor did she explain why U.N. Women has been silent. Instead‚ she talked about the atrocities as mere allegations not worthy of being discussed as fact. Meanwhile‚ U.N. Women has been outspoken about how the war — which Hamas started — has impacted women and girls in Gaza‚ relying on the casualty figures provided by Hamas. The U.N.'s failure to condemn Hamas outright for its attacks on women has led to bipartisan outrage among U.S. lawmakers. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tried to quiet the criticism on Wednesday but did not condemn Hamas and spoke about Hamas' atrocities as allegations‚ not facts. "There are numerous accounts of sexual violence during the abhorrent acts of terror by Hamas on 7 October that must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted. Gender-based violence must be condemned. Anytime. Anywhere‚" Guterres said. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!