'The hoax calls caused emergency responses' from cops and 'first responders'

'Substantial lobbying pursuits'

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The upcoming hearing on February 16 before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit represents a pivotal moment in the fight for free speech online. This court session will address the significant concerns raised by Eugene Volokh‚ a renowned First Amendment professor and legal blogger‚ alongside social media platforms Rumble and Locals. These parties have joined forces with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)‚ a leading national group advocating for free speech‚ to challenge a contentious New York law. This law‚ enacted in December 2022‚ has been a point of contention for its mandate requiring websites to actively engage with speech considered “humiliating” or “vilifying” toward any group based on race‚ color‚ religion‚ or other protected characteristics. The lawsuit‚ initiated by Volokh‚ Rumble‚ and Locals‚ argues that this requirement infringes on constitutional rights. A federal judge previously sided with this viewpoint‚ deeming the law likely unconstitutional. Following this‚ FIRE secured an injunction against the law’s enforcement‚ prompting New York to appeal. Eugene Volokh confidently anticipates the Second Circuit’s agreement with the District Court’s decision‚ highlighting the absence of a ‘hate speech’ exception within the First Amendment. “The District Court correctly held that the New York law unconstitutionally targeted certain viewpoints‚ since there’s no ‘hate speech’ exception to the First Amendment‚” Volokh stated. Rumble’s Chairman and CEO‚ Chris Pavlovski‚ expressed a strong stance against the law‚ emphasizing Rumble’s dedication to safeguarding free speech. Pavlovski remarked‚ “New York’s law commands social media platforms to crack down on a variety of forms of protected speech‚ and fighting to defend that speech is the very reason Rumble exists. We cannot let activist governments continue to chip away at the freedom of expression‚ which is one of the most basic of all human rights. We are grateful to our partners in this fight‚ Locals‚ Eugene Volokh‚ and FIRE‚ for helping to carry the torch of freedom with us.” The post Second Circuit Set To Hear Oral Arguments in Rumble’s Free Speech Case Against New York’s Online Censorship Law appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Will It Ever Be Acceptable to Simply Expect a Professional WOC to Be Accountable for Their Actions?

In the video game Simcity 2000‚ one of the futuristic types of energy plants was a microwave power plant where solar energy was collected in space and transmitted back down to Earth. That idea is now a reality. Since June last year‚ an experiment in space has been transmitting energy down to Earth via solar panels on a satellite in orbit and now we have the first results of how the experiment is going.Using their Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment (MAPLE)‚ the Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD) has showcased that transmitting power in space and from space to Earth is possible. This is the first time solar power has been transmitted from orbit and could be the first step toward a solar power station in space.First launched in January 2023‚ just two months later the device was able to transmit about 100 milliwatts worth of power through space and could easily be refocused to send the beam in any direction. The test sending power to Earth had about 1 milliwatt of power getting to the ground and was conducted three times over eight months.The idea is to create a modular spacecraft constellation around a kilometer in scale that can transmit enough power to provide for 10‚000 homes. Individual 1-meter cube satellites will unfurl into a flat square 50 meters (164 feet) per side with solar cells on one side and microwave transmitters on the other. Because MAPLE can beam energy in any direction‚ the idea is this approach can directly send energy and power to a remote location or during an emergency as it does not require transmission infrastructure."In the same way that the Internet democratized access to information‚ we hope that wireless energy transfer democratizes access to energy‚" lead researcher and co-director of SSPP‚  Ali Hajimiri‚ said last year."No energy transmission infrastructure will be needed on the ground to receive this power. That means we can send energy to remote regions and areas devastated by war or natural disaster."The SSPD has other components being tested alongside MAPLE: DOLCE (Deployable on-Orbit ultraLight Composite Experiment)‚ which is testing the architecture deployment structure of the spacecraft‚ and ALBA which is testing the best type of photovoltaic cells to use. Results about them have not been shared yet but they are crucial components for the SSPD.As this experiment is currently a proof-of-concept‚ the new preprint paper describing the results highlights some of the weaker areas of the design and where improvements are needed. The next version will build on this one's strengths and get closer to a fully functioning prototype. The study is awaiting peer review and is available on the ArXiv. [H/T: New Scientist]

"A district the Republicans should have won." That's how‚ on today's Morning Joe‚ Joe Scarborough described yesterday's special election in New York's 3rd district‚ won by the Democrat‚ Tom Suozzi‚ who represented the district from 2017 to 2023‚ and so was the virtual incumbent in the race. He won the district in 2018 by 59-41 percent‚ and in 2020 by 56-43. The election was held to fill the seat vacated by serial fabulist Republican George Santos‚ only the third person since the Civil War to be expelled from the House. There was surely significant voter sentiment wanting to punish Santos retroactively. Moreover‚ it was in a district that in 2020‚ per Ballotpedia‚ Biden carried by over 10 points (although‚ before correcting himself‚ Willie Geist had said‚ trying to support Scarborough's point‚ that Trump won the district in 2020.) Scarborough blamed Trump for the loss. This despite the fact that Mazi Pilip‚ the Republican candidate‚ had distanced herself from Trump‚ never endorsed him‚ declined to say if she even voted for Trump in 2020—and is reportedly still a registered Democrat! Moreover‚ running to be the successor to the disgraced Santos‚ if there was one thing Pilip absolutely had to avoid was being caught "embellishing"—to use Santos' phrase—her resume. But the Democrats at the New York Times published an article on how Pilip had described herself on social media as having been a "paratrooper" in the Israeli military‚ she was not: "She was an armorer maintaining weapons in the paratrooper’s brigade‚ not a paratrooper or trained parachutist. She did not face combat." Trump's post on her loss might have been ungracious‚ calling her a "very foolish woman" for failing to endorse him. But the fact is that Pilip was anything but a MAGA candidate. But Morning Joe the Biden Adviser Show had to parrot a statement put out by the Biden campaign‚ as read by Geist:  "Donald Trump lost again tonight. When Republicans run on Trump's extreme agenda even a Republican-held seat‚ voters reject them." Morning Joe even needled Trump by adding a statement from Nikki Haley saying "Donald Trump continues to be a huge weight against Republican candidates. Until Republicans wake up‚ we will continue to lose." Here's the transcript. MSNBC Morning Joe 2/14/24 6:03 am ET JOE SCARBOROUGH: So Willie‚ the big news coming out yesterday in the political world‚ sure to shake up the Republicans‚ yet another loss in an off-year election.  I mean‚ the Republicans just continue to lose. They continue to underperform. This continues to happen in the age of Trump. If you're running in a special election‚ in the age of Trump‚ you're most likely going to lose. I mean‚ Democrats just over -- I mean‚ Donald Trump has turned the Democratic party into the Kansas City chiefs of special elections. Just‚ it's always -- there's always areaction. And there was again last night. MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Oh‚ yeah. SCARBOROUGH: In a district Republicans should have won‚ again! WILLIE GEIST: Exactly. In a district that Donald Trump just won in 2020. A district that George Santos took in 2022. And now it goes back to the Democrats. They're celebrating this morning after former Congressman Tom Suozzi's special election win in New York's third district. The victory against Nassau County legislator Mazi Pilip flips that district from red to blue‚ cutting now Republicans' razor-thin majority in the House even closer. He replaces disgraced former Congressman George Santos who was ousted last year.. . .  After Suozzi's win last night in New York‚ the Biden campaign wrote in a statement‚ "Donald Trump lost again tonight. When Republicans run on Trump's extreme agenda even a Republican-held seat‚ voters reject them. Trump and the MAGA extremists in the House are already paying the political price for derailing a bipartisan deal to secure our borders and to fix our broken immigration system." Nikki Haley's campaign also reacted to last night's Democratic victory in New York‚ writing‚ "Let's just say the quiet part out loud. Donald Trump continues to be a huge weight against Republican candidates. Until Republicans wake up‚ we will continue to lose. Time for a new generation of conservative leadership that doesn't turn off the American people." Donald Trump‚ as you can imagine‚ blamed anyone but himself for the loss‚ calling Pilip‚ the Republican candidate‚ a "very foolish woman" and saying his MAGA supporters stayed home again yesterday.  So‚ Joe‚ I think I misspoke. I said Trump won in 2020. I meant‚ Joe Biden won by eight points in 2020. Then it flips to Santos‚ a Republican‚ by eight points in 2022. And now this is looking like another eight-point win‚ or so‚ for the Democrat Tom Suozzi‚ a known entity there‚ a guy people trust. 

A 60-second ad ran during the Super Bowl depicting various individuals washing the feet of their supposed ideological‚ social‚ or professional antagonists. The apparent thesis of the controversial "He Gets Us" campaign — itself an apparent effort to proselytize — is that Christianity today is "associated with hatred and oppression" but should instead be associated with "unconditional love‚ peace‚ and kindness." While the ad prompted the usual outrage of those reflexively antipathetic to Christianity‚ it also generated controversy among many Christians. Some took issue with the theology behind the ad. Others felt uneasy about the campaign's potentially unintended conflation of love for sinners with tolerance of sin. A number of critics also figured that with tens of millions of dollars on the line and a global audience‚ the campaigners could have made a far more impactful pitch. A Christian pastor in Northern Ireland cut through the noise with an alternative video this week that he figured would better convey the good news. That video has since gone viral‚ overwhelming viewers with a clip show of striking redemption stories and an unmistakable message: "He saves us." The Super Bowl ad During the first quarter of Super Bowl LVIII‚ an ad entitled "Foot Washing" played‚ depicting various people having their feet washed by individuals contextually implied to be unlikely scrubbers. The 60-second ad is set to Jenn Mundia's cover of the INXS song "Never Tear Us Apart." A police officer can be seen cleaning the feet of an apparent homeless man; a conservatively dressed female student washes the feet of a red-haired punk; a pro-life protester washes the feet of a young woman ostensibly on her way to or from murdering her unborn child; an oil worker pours water on the feet of an environmentalist; a suburban woman washes the feet of an illegal alien being dropped off in Chicago; and a priest washes the feet of what appears to be a roller-skating homosexual. The ad concludes with the following text: "Jesus didn't teach hate. He washed feet. He gets us. All of us." — (@) According to Adweek‚ the "He Gets Us" campaign was initially kicked off by the Kansas-based nonprofit Servant Foundation in 2022 but was run this year by a newly formed charitable organization called Come Near‚ led by CEO Ken Calwell. The "He Gets Us" campaign site claims that "whether it's hypocrisy and discrimination in the church‚ or scandals both real and perceived among religious leaders‚ or the polarization of our politics‚ many have relegated Jesus from the world's greatest love story to just another tactic used to intensify our deep cultural divisions." "That is our agenda at He Gets Us: to move beyond the mess of our current cultural moment to a place where all of us are invited to rediscover the love story of Jesus‚" the campaign added. AdAge noted that the "Foot Washing" ad was created by the Dallas-based agency Lerma/. Jon Lee‚ brand leadership principal at the ad firm‚ told AdAge‚ "We hope that [this campaign] is an invitation for all people‚ no matter what they believe‚ to see the story of Jesus as belonging to them and invite them to explore it. In order to do that‚ some of our imagery is designed to be disruptive of our preconceived notions of who Jesus was." A powerful alternative Jamie Bambrick‚ an associate pastor of Hope Church‚ Craigavon‚ in Northern Ireland evidently figured the "He Gets Us" campaign missed the mark. Rather than simply complain‚ he fashioned his own alternative. Bambrick noted in a Feb. 13 post on X‚ "A group known as 'He Gets Us' released an advert during the Super Bowl which‚ whilst perhaps well intentioned‚ failed to convey anything of the gospel to the hundreds of millions who saw it." The pastor then provided his "take on what they should have done‚" which he later indicated took him "about an hour to make." The alternate video runs through a striking list of high-profile converts to Christianity‚ some of whom had previously worked at cross-purposes with the faith and others who may have been been regarded as unlikely prospects. The video makes a point of stressing that their "former" identifiers‚ ostensibly associated with sin‚ are no more. Among the individuals featured in the video are: "Former witch" and celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D‚ who revealed last year that following her renunciation of witchcraft and the occult‚ she had undergone baptism and accepted Christ; "Dawkins' former right hand man‚" Josh Timonen‚ a former associate of celebrity God-denier Richard Dawkins who discovered that "[a]theism is a really useful worldview for weak men" and returned to the faith during the pandemic; "Former jihadist" Mohamad Faridi‚ a former member of Iran's Islamic morality police who braved death threats to become a Christian; "Former drag queen &; prostitute" Kevin Whitt‚ who told a crowd gathered in 2019 for the Freedom March in Orlando‚ Florida‚ that in turning to Christ‚ he was able to overcome his gender dysphoria and leave behind a life of selling his body to strangers; and "Former abortionist" Dr. John Bruchalski‚ who came to understand that "Jesus' mercy is the most wonderful medicine." Bambrick also highlighted the conversion stories of a former transgender‚ a former porn star‚ a former New Age guru‚ a former lesbian activist‚ a former KKK member‚ and a former gang leader. After running through the examples‚ the video blasts the following message: "Jesus doesn't just get us. He saves us. He transforms us. He cleanses us. He restores us. He forgives us. He heals us. He delivers us. He redeems us." Bambrick's video concludes with a quote from 1 Corinthians 6:11‚ which says‚ "And such were some of you: but ye are washed‚ but ye are sanctified‚ but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus‚ and by the Spirit of our God." — (@) The video has already received an overwhelmingly positive response online. Conservative radio host Eric Metaxas responded on X‚ writing‚ "If THIS ad had aired during the Super Bowl yesterday‚ lives would have been changed." Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said‚ "This...is...beautiful. And it absolutely is the ad that should have run. It tells the Good News of God's love. With Truth‚ not modern politics." Joel Berry‚ managing editor of the Babylon Bee‚ wrote‚ "In just a few hours‚ @j_bambrick's 'He Gets Us' ad he put together in a couple hours at home has more likes and shares than a multi-million dollar Super Bowl ad put together by the 'He Gets Us' marketing team. The true gospel resonates." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Canadian teacher has taken down his own website after numerous outlets pointed out that the educator was allegedly selling the artwork of his students without permission.The teacher‚ Mario Perron‚ was reportedly outed by students at Montreal's Westwood junior high after they discovered their teacher had been posting their own art on his website. The art was allegedly available for purchase on mugs‚ phone cases‚ and clothing. A parent claimed that a student found the site by simply Googling the teacher's name.On his now-removed website‚ the teacher reportedly described himself as a "life-long student of art" and boasted that his works have appeared in private collections in Spain‚ Italy‚ and the United States.More than 90 pieces were visible on the site‚ which included names like "Julia’s Creepy Portrait" and "Charlotte’s Creepy Portrait‚" appearing to denote the names of the children who made them.The artwork pricing was set at $118 each‚ according to SCNR. He also sold T-shirts for $55‚ while the mugs and phone cases were listed for $41 and $35‚ respectively."Imagine your 13-year-old son coming home from school today with a story that his art teacher is selling students’ artwork online at $94 per drawing without their prior knowledge!? That is completely insane‚" parent Joel DeBellefeuille posted on X."I’m sure I’m not the only parent that wants answers‚" he added. Teacher accused of selling students' art without permission https://t.co/OXQbrM6FaC \n#artgate #quebec #saintlazare #canada — (@) "It’s unbelievable that he felt that he had the right to utilize and essentially exploit these children’s rights and their artwork for his own financial satisfaction‚" DeBellefeuille told CTV News.Another parent named Michael Bennet allegedly discovered artwork from both of his daughters on the teacher's website.“I’m extremely disgusted with this person. It’s extremely‚ you know‚ it’s unbelievable‚” Bennett said. “Is [the teacher] asking for these types of portraits to be done so it meets the market? I’m not quite sure on that aspect. However‚ I am not impressed at all with this person. I’m not impressed with the school‚ or the school board. … [My daughters] feel cheated‚" he added.The school district has opened in investigation into the matter‚ with a Lester B. Pearson School Board spokesman telling Law &; Crime that the school in question had received a legal notice. The notice was forwarded to the school's insurance company‚ according to Darren Becker‚ the board's director of communications.The teacher did not respond to inquiries from multiple outlets‚ including the Guardian and CTV News.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Senate has passed a $95 billion “national security bill‚” but Glenn Beck believes it should actually be called a foreign war bill‚ as it does less for the border than it does for foreign countries. However‚ that’s not the end of it. Senator J.D. Vance is under the impression that this bill could give Democrats a powerful tool if Donald Trump were to win the 2024 presidential election — as there is a hidden clause within it. The hidden clause would give Democrats the ability to impeach Trump if he tried to stop funding Ukraine. “Using a weird archaic rule from the Impound Control Act‚ the Democrats argued in 2019 that because money had been appropriated to Ukraine‚” Vance explains to Glenn‚ “and because Trump had refused to spend the money as appropriated‚ he had actually violated the law.” Vance goes on to tell Glenn that what the Democrats have done with this law is appropriate money not just through the end of 2024‚ but into 2025 and 2026. “So if Trump again refused to give the money that was appropriated to Ukraine in exactly the manner prescribed‚ they would not have just a similar but the exact same argument for impeaching him in 2025‚” he says. “It would be absurd and spurious‚ and we would hopefully defeat it‚ but we shouldn’t give the Democrats weapons‚ because they might stupidly use them‚” Vance warns. Glenn isn’t pleased with this hidden clause nor the bill itself. “This is a wrong-headed bill‚” he says. “It will be discovered at some point: Who enriched themselves? What NGOs enriched themselves‚ what politicians enriched themselves‚ where did all this money go?” “It will be revealed; it’s just a matter of time‚” 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.

Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton claimed that she left her congregation because the church was talking to her about abortion‚ citing that she decided to leave her church at just 6 years old.Clinton made remarks at a fundraiser for her mother‚ former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‚ and commented on accusations that her family aren't as religious as they have purported to be."I find it quite insulting sometimes when people say to my mom‚ my dad‚ or me ... that they question our faith‚" she said‚ according to Daily Fetched. The 43-year-old then claimed that it was during her time at Sunday school when she made a heavy ideological choice at the young age of 6."I was raised in a Methodist church and I left the Baptist church before my dad did‚ because I didn’t know why they were talking to me about abortion when I was 6 in Sunday school — that’s a true story‚" she continued. "My mother is very deeply a person of faith‚" the former president's daughter went on. "It is deeply authentic and real for my mother‚ and it guides so much of her moral compass‚ but also her life’s work."Clinton chalked up her stance on religion to the idea that there are different interpretations of the Bible but stated she takes issue with liberals who disapprove of her family's religious background."I recognized that there were many expressions of faith that I don’t agree with and feel [are] quite antithetical to how I read the Bible.""I find it really challenging when people who are self-professed liberals kind of look askance at my family’s history‚" she added.Clinton previously made headlines when she provided her stance on Roe v. Wade during a 2018 town hall on Sirius XM Radio."Optimism is a moral choice‚" she began‚ in regard to how she felt about the fight for abortion rights.“When I think about all of the statistics that are painful of what women are confronting today in our country and what even more women confronted pre-Roe and how many women died and how many more women were maimed because of unsafe abortion practices‚ we just can’t go back to that‚” Clinton told the radio hosts."That’s unconscionable to me‚ and also‚ and I’m sure that this will unleash another wave of hate in my direction‚ but as a deeply religious person‚ it’s also unChristian to me‚" she claimed.Clinton added that she had been compared to slave owners and Nazis at the time and stated that it was due to her being bold enough to say what the Supreme Court and Planned Parenthood had before her."Our ability to participate fully in our society — including economically — hinges on our ability to be able to make choices for our our bodies."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!