Twin boys went missing in their neighborhood while walking their dog. When they returned they stated that they had an encounter with a large triangular-shaped craft.I received the following account:"Lon‚ my twin boys were about 7 when we got them a Dalmatian puppy for Christmas. One day while walking their puppy the boys disappeared for several hours. I searched the neighborhood‚ but couldn't find them. Just as we were beginning to panic‚ they returned home. We scolded them for being late‚ but they insisted they'd only walked to the corner when a large triangular-shaped aircraft had appeared above them‚ and they decided to return home. They thought they'd been gone 10 minutes.I had them draw what they'd seen. They both drew an arrowhead-shaped craft which they described as the size of a football field. The craft had hovered above them for a moment when the neck began to glow and the craft accelerated‚ disappearing beyond the horizon. We didn't know what to think. Our boys weren't prone to making up elaborate stories. Where had they been?Years later we had our first grandson. The first time he spent the night at our place‚ I had my first and only case of sleep paralysis. I awoke to the throbbing sound of what I thought was a helicopter just outside our bedroom window. Then a bright light showed through the window. From the hall‚ our dog entered the room and collapsed in the light. I tried to wake my wife but found myself unable to move or speak. I tried to keep my eyes open‚ but could not.Upon waking the next morning‚ I asked my wife if she'd heard the sound. She had not. I told her of my experience‚ and we both decided it must have been a dream.My wife got up to make breakfast and check on our grandson. A minute later she returned with the sheet from our bed which she'd found on the kitchen floor. Somehow the sheet had been stripped off the bed from under the covers which were still on our bed. Neither of us had awakened during what must have been a struggle. I keep my arms above the sheet‚ and my wife tucks the corners.We still have no idea what had occurred." JNOTE: The first incident occurred near Cincinnati‚ Ohio in the early 1990s. The 2nd incident happened recently. LonShapeshifters: Morphing Monsters &; Changing CryptidsCryptid Cinema: Meditations on Bigfoot‚ Bayou Beasts &; Backwoods Bogeymen of the MoviesMonsters Among Us: An Exploration of Otherworldly Bigfoots‚ Wolfmen‚ Portals‚ Phantoms‚ and Odd PhenomenaAncient Monsters: An Anthology of First AppearancesCryptid U.S.: Tales of Bigfoot‚ Lake Monsters‚ and More from Across AmericaSkinwalker Ranch: No TrespassingFor Nobody's Eyes Only: Missing Government Files and Hidden Archives That Document the Truth Behind the Most Enduring Conspiracy TheoriesALIEN DISCLOSURE: EXPERIENCERS EXPOSE REALITY - AudiobookRegister a SNAP EBT CardTHE MEME HUMANOIDS: MODERN MYTHS OR REAL MONSTERS - AudiobookTry Audible PlusPHANTOMS &; MONSTERS READING LISTFeel Free to Post PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS DIRECT LINKS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA &; WEBSITE. Thanks For Your Support!Have you had a sighting or encounter?Contact me by email or call the hotline at 410-241-5974Thanks. LonAccess Phantoms &; Monsters Posts on Twitter 'X'-----YOUR SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED! THANKS-----CREEPY CHRISTMAS CHEER SHOW - Our Favorite Holiday Horrors! - LIVE - JOIN US! Lon Strickler (Host)Thanks for spending the Holidays with Phantoms &; Monsters Radio! We present our annual 'Creepy Christmas Cheer Show' with our Phantoms &; Monsters Fortean Research team guests. This year we welcome Sean Forker‚ Bernadette McDaniel‚ Thomas Carroll‚ &; Kit Taylor. We are bringing together our favorite Creepy Christmas stories and reports for your listening pleasure. The chat will be open for LIVE discussion‚ comments‚ &; questions.-----ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONORDER THE AUDIOBOOK VERSIONProject Threshold: Team Riker: Division A-----TODAY'S TOP LINKSC2C's Best Bigfoot Stories of 2023Thousands of Dead Fish Mysteriously Wash Ashore in JapanCHICAGO/LAKE MICHIGAN MOTHMAN UPDATE W/ TOBIAS WAYLAND - LIVE Chat - JOIN US! 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LonAlso available with audiobooknarration by Terry Springs‚CBS-TV Las Vegas affiliate.The Dark Arts of MISTER SAM SHEARON - Original Prints &; MerchandiseThis blog and newsletter are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Work 3.0 United States License.Registered trademark PHANTOMS AND MONSTERS ® / PHANTOMS &; MONSTERS ® - USPTO #90902480 - Lon D. Strickler© 2005-2023 Phantoms &; Monsters - All Rights Reserved

315 Bowery‚ East Village‚ Manhattan‚ New York City‚ U.S.A. That address might not mean anything to the average rock n’ roll fan‚ but certainly the name CBGB means something.  Picture this: it’s a Friday evening in the summer of 1974‚ August specifically‚ and you and your closest buddies decide to go to the local rock club for the night. You’ve never heard of the band. Apparently‚ this is their first gig‚ but you shrug and say‚ “Fu*k it‚ let’s go; it’s Friday night!” You enter a club with walls entirely covered in posters and graffiti. Your nostrils quiver at the The post A Vist To CBGB In 2023: From Punk Landmark to Fashion Store appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has officially completed exploring Jezero Crater‚ an ancient crater lake that the agency determined would be an excellent place to search for signs of life. Having just passed its 1‚000th day of operations‚ Perseverance has collected 23 samples of regolith‚ containing silicates‚ fine-graned silica‚ phosphates‚ and carbonates—in other words‚ a recipe for […] The post NASA Summarizes What New Mars Rover has Found as it Finishes it’s Mission at Just Over 1‚000 Days appeared first on Good News Network.

The post The Perils of Working From Home with a Demanding Cat by Dr. Karyn Kanowski‚ BVSc MRCVS (Vet) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. As I’m sure many of you know‚ one of the very few positives to come from the COVID-19 lockdowns is a greater appreciation for flexible work environments. Even as a vet‚ when it comes to my writing and research‚ I’m able to complete my work from the comfort of home‚ at a time that suits me‚ fluffy slippers firmly in place. There is one minor challenge to this delightful arrangement‚ and his name is Cyril. My squishy‚ lazy‚ cartilaginous cat Cyril is most happy when his comfort results in my inconvenience‚ or so it seems. Cyril: The King of Inconvenience Cyril blocking the computer screen I’m sure many of you have experienced the frustration of the cat that ignores you 90% of the time‚ until you are doing something that requires your full attention. Suddenly‚ your computer keyboard becomes the most appealing spot in the house‚ and people have been known to use the plastic stand their laptop was supposed to be sitting on‚ to keep their hands free of feline interference. This phenomenon is so widespread that these stands are now marketed for this exact purpose—a perfect example of identifying a niche market! Now don’t get me wrong‚ I love that Cyril enjoys my company‚ and his affection is very much appreciated. What I do find frustrating‚ however‚ is the fact that he seems to be able to pinpoint exactly when his loving advances will be least convenient. If I’m looking at my phone‚ he must sit on my chest. If I’m reading a book‚ he’s suddenly on my head! And when I’m trying to work‚ well‚ that is the time that he must shower me with smooches and rubs and affectionate nibbles. Cyril helping me read in bed Working from Home With a Cat (and Giving in to the Loveable Rebellion) Not too long ago‚ I wrote an article about how intelligent cats are—short answer: very. Many people say that dogs show their intelligence by how easily they can be trained‚ which is true. Cats‚ on the other hand‚ appear to have worked out that they can still get what they want without doing what we ask them. They have an almost rebellious intelligence‚ whereby they assess a situation‚ identify the simplest‚ most convenient action‚ and defiantly do the exact opposite; and we love them for it! Just ask the millions of people around the globe who are currently stuck in sofas and chairs‚ unable to move due to feline paralysis. No matter how infuriating their behavior‚ we cannot get enough of being taunted by cats. So‚ do I push Cyril away when I’m trying to work? Do I lock him out of the office or yell at him to leave me alone? Of course I don’t. I buy a sodding cat platform for my keyboard. Obviously. Cyril on his keyboard platform The post The Perils of Working From Home with a Demanding Cat by Dr. Karyn Kanowski‚ BVSc MRCVS (Vet) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

I’ve always felt like escape rooms occupy a similar mental space as fantasy books. There’s something thrilling about walking into a room full of puzzles and curious trinkets‚ then solving a series of riddles to free yourself and your friends from the clutches of whatever narrative the room constructs. I’ve done escape rooms themed around zombies‚ wizards‚ and even The Legend of Zelda. Every time‚ I feel fully entrenched in an alternate world‚ and it scratches the same escapist itch as a fantasy novel. I tend to look for the same kind of experiences in games‚ be they video games or board games. Recently‚ I’ve been on a kick of escape room-esque games with a fantasy bent. If you‚ like me‚ enjoy the unique intersection of these three delightful mediums‚ I present the following: my five favorite fantasy games that have a distinctly escape room vibe.   Inscryption According to its Steam description‚ Inscryption is an “inky black card-based odyssey that blends deckbuilding roguelike‚ escape-room style puzzles‚ and psychological horror…” Okay‚ I can’t stand video game genre naming conventions. That aside‚ “escape room” is right there in the blurb‚ and it’s accurate! Inscryption plops players down in a log cabin with a mysterious set of eyes belonging to an opponent‚ against whom they must play a deck-building game. The card game itself is amazing‚ but the added flair of escape room elements seals the deal. Eventually‚ your opponent tells you it’s okay to stand up and walk around. The cabin is littered with puzzles that unlock new cards‚ power-ups‚ and other benefits. Solving them—and unraveling their relation to the game’s story—is intensely fulfilling. If you’re worried about spoilers‚ rest assured I have barely touched on the game’s depths. Tip of the iceberg‚ folks! I’ll let you discover Inscryption’s remaining secrets on your own.   The Witness Designer Jonathan Blow’s The Witness took the video game world by storm in 2016. The first-person exploration-puzzle game offered simple mechanics and beautiful scenery‚ then added hundreds of challenging puzzles. The Witness is best played as a game of discovery. Different regions deploy thematically-relevant puzzle elements‚ requiring you to figure out how each puzzle works through trial and error or pattern recognition. A lonely kind of whimsy permeates The Witness‚ and solving the puzzles within is as satisfying as the ending (or at least‚ I find it satisfying; fans occasionally differ on the ending and what it all means). The Witness plays not so much as an escape room‚ instead giving you an escape world.   Forbidden Island Let’s hop into the world of board games for a moment! Forbidden Island is simple. Players are dropped into ancient ruins‚ which will soon flood and render them impossible to explore. It’s a cooperative experience‚ much like escape rooms‚ and the pressure of the looming flood throws a race-against-the-clock element into the mix. Each player commandeers one character—diver‚ pilot‚ engineer‚ messenger‚ navigator‚ and/or explorer. Every role has a special ability‚ and players need to coordinate to make proper use of them to retrieve the treasures while avoiding danger as the water level rises. There aren’t many outright puzzles in Forbidden Island. Instead‚ the game itself is a riddle with many solutions. Only proper teamwork will get everyone safely off the island‚ priceless treasures in hand. Forbidden Sky and Forbidden Desert are more complex spinoffs of Forbidden Island. I haven’t played them yet‚ but they’re available if you love the original game!   Strange Horticulture Few video games have captured my heart as quickly as Strange Horticulture. It only takes five to ten hours to complete‚ but every minute of that time is a puzzle-lover’s dream. You run a shop called Strange Horticulture‚ where you sell mysterious and magical plants and remedies for ailments. People travel from all over the land to acquire your wares. Often they’ll come with a vague request: “I need something to quell my nightmare‚” for example. You then need to look through your plants and encyclopedia to determine what that person needs. Meanwhile‚ you can “travel” to locations on your map‚ which triggers a small bit of text describing your adventure there. Clues emerge throughout the game‚ and as you figure them out‚ you’re guided to new places on the map where undiscovered plants reside. The riddles of Strange Horticulture would feel right at home in an escape room. They’re the perfect blend of challenging and solvable; I got stuck a few times‚ but never for so long that it became a slog. There are few consequences for getting things wrong—fail often enough‚ and you’ll have to solve a separate puzzle to get back into the action.   Kosmos Escape Games EXIT: The Game is a series of physical escape games that come in a small box. Each box features a story and a mystery to solve. Items within the box are key to solving the riddles and cracking the codes within. The system for determining whether you’re right or wrong on a particular riddle is pure genius: you turn a wheel to indicate your intended answer‚ and it tells you which card to look at from a deck. Flipping that card will reveal whether you have it right or if you’ve missed the mark. Each game comes with three hint cards that can give you helpful nudges toward tricky answers‚ with the third in each set outright telling you the answer. I’ve played three of these games‚ and each time I’ve been floored by the level of intricacy Kosmos can pack into such a small box. They come in all sorts of themes‚ too. A Lord of the Rings box is available‚ for example‚ and there are various fantasy‚ sci-fi‚ and horror boxes to enjoy. If escape rooms and fantasy are up your alley‚ but video games aren’t‚ give EXIT: The Game a go!   Originally published July 2023 Cole Rush writes words. A lot of them. For the most part‚ you can find those words at The Quill To Live or on Twitter @ColeRush1. He voraciously reads epic fantasy and science-fiction‚ seeking out stories of gargantuan proportions and devouring them with a bookwormish fervor. His favorite books are: The Divine Cities Series by Robert Jackson Bennett‚ The Long Way To A Small‚ Angry Planet by Becky Chambers‚ and The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune.

I do wish I could banish winter on my own schedule‚ though. Summary The winter gets worse and worse and all Tiffany can do is help Annagramma get better‚ and use the cornucopia to make sure there’s enough food to see people through; all the witches are running ragged trying to keep their villages alive through the bitter cold. The Wintersmith has finally completed a body and knows what it is to be a man. Granny wakes Tiffany one day and tells her she should go home and be with her people‚ and that she thinks she expected too much of the girl‚ thinking she’d come into Summer’s power. Except‚ she points out that Tiffany did make an oak sapling‚ and tells her that she suspects Tiffany will be stopping by Miss Treason’s cottage on her way home; Tiffany realizes that Granny knew what Tiffany and the other girls had been doing all along‚ and had probably planned it that way. Tiffany goes to Miss Treason’s and finds notes on her grave that villagers are leaving to get her help. The Wintersmith shows up‚ but Annagramma appears in full stereotypical witch garb (she bought the whole Boffo catalogue) to bat him away from Tiffany. She loads Tiffany onto her own broom—as Tiffany is a bit delirious from panic and lack of sleep—and sends her home. Buy it Now Granny sends the Feegle to train Roland to be a Hero for the story‚ and to send him to the Underworld to fetch the Summer Lady. Tiffany continues her journey home and stops briefly at Mrs. Umbridge’s to sleep; she dreams of the Summer Lady telling her that she’s ruined everything. When she wakes‚ Mrs. Umbridge is there and she’s got all the mail for Tiffany that’s been held up‚ including three letters from Roland and a very expensive paint box. Tiffany makes it the rest of the way home while Granny and Nanny send the Feegles to their task. Once Tiffany is home she feels more herself; she gets to see her family‚ and feels the ground beneath her feet‚ and she paints with her new paint box. She knows that people from the Chalk will be asking for her help soon‚ and it feels like a good day. The Feegle show up in Roland’s room and realize that he doesn’t have any practical fighting experience. They bring him into the armory and get into a suit of armor so that he has someone to practice against. At home‚ Tiffany’s mother is confused about her inability to use magic to do housecleaning. Roland stands up to his aunts and pauses his fight training to see his father—if he doesn’t see the man every day‚ his father forgets who he is. Wentworth‚ Tiffany’s brother‚ catches a very large pike from the river‚ and Tiffany cleans it out for supper the following day. As she finishes cleaning it‚ she goes to remove the lure and finds it’s actually her silver horse. The Wintersmith knows where she is‚ and she will have to face him‚ here‚ in her home. But first‚ she finds her father so they can see to their flock of sheep. And with that‚ we catch up to the start of the book: Tiffany has been taken by the Wintersmith and wakes in a palace he has made for her. Tiffany tries to cow him‚ but he’s getting better at being a man‚ and insists that he is keeping her safe from death here. The Feegles get Roland kitted out and are sending him to the Underworld to find the Summer Lady. He encounters bogles‚ and only manages to survive the encounter because he’s too scared to run. Rob tells him that’s alright‚ and they make it all the way to the ferry‚ where Death is waiting to take them across. (Death is not happy to see the Feegle again.) Roland gets rid of his sword because the Feegle admit it’s no use against the bogles. They tell him he’ll have to kiss Summer to wake her; Roland gets to her and she looks just like Tiffany. The Wintersmith has finally worked out that Tiffany is not the Summer Lady. He promises to bring summer to the Chalk to make Tiffany happy and then they will be happy. Roland retrieves the Summer Lady and fights off the bogles with a sword made of light that he creates in his own head‚ that is never too heavy. Tiffany knows that the Wintersmith cannot be human because he constructed himself according to the folk song but cannot understand the last three lines because they are not things to build himself from‚ but attributes he cannot possess. She kisses him and brings down the sun‚ ending the story. The Summer Lady comes to retrieve her crown from Tiffany and means to give her a reward‚ but Tiffany refuses: Witches don’t accept payment. The Summer Lady shows Tiffany the beauty and terror of summer‚ warning her to fear it as much as winter. Tiffany visit Nanny Ogg to tell her the whole story‚ slips in to see that Annagramma is getting on alright‚ then heads to Granny Weatherwax’s‚ and tries to call her on the set-up with Annagramma. Granny doesn’t react. She asks about Tiffany’s new ring‚ made from the nail the Wintersmith used to become human. Then she brings Tiffany to the Morris dance in Lancre‚ and Tiffany asks her how to move pain out of a body so she can help the Baron. Granny tells her she’s playing with fire‚ but seems pleased at Tiffany’s choices. Tiffany sees Summer in the dance‚ and gives the iron ring to the Fool. Commentary Tiffany spends this story in the throes of growing up‚ and the whole conceit is framed as a romance… but ultimately ends with compassion. And this is true for the previous story as well‚ with the hiver‚ but it’s more personal here‚ of course. Because the Wintersmith believed he was in love with her‚ but also because she understands better what his mistake was in trying to make himself human‚ the aspects he would always lack. There’s one line from the Wintersmith that is underplayed‚ but actually hit me the hardest‚ when he says that he and Tiffany will be together and happy: “Happiness is when things are correct.” The gaping flaw in that thought‚ partly being that plenty of people do think that’s the definition of happiness‚ but also that imposing “correctness” on the idea of happiness is in itself utterly backward. Ouch. I also do love the moment when the Wintersmith palace realm creates that dress for Tiffany and we get this: She was shocked‚ then angry. Then she wished she had a mirror‚ felt guilt about that‚ and went back to being angry again. And resolved that if by chance she did find a mirror‚ the only reason she’d look in it would be to check how angry she was. Just the extremely relatable feeling of not having time for this nonsense! But being young and curious and kind of wishing that you did. The idea that Tiffany’s formative romance‚ or formative idea of romance (because the Wintersmith is a concept more than a sentient being) is fundamentally tragic seems important as well. Whether it’s because she’s a witch‚ or because she’s more aligned to Esme Weatherwax’s manner of doing the job‚ it’s a clue to readers about the sort of adult Tiffany will become. While I appreciate that it feels entirely right for Tiffany‚ I always want a bit more of Nanny’s perspective on things like this. Just a little‚ for balance. There’s the “reckoning” language that gets more prominent as the story finishes‚ with Tiffany thinking the word more and more frequently whenever she is angry‚ and I love how dramatic it is? Tiffany’s anger is always her clearest emotion‚ too‚ which is so refreshing to see both for the rarity of this being allowed to young women in fiction‚ but also for how it focuses her. When Tiffany is angry‚ she knows what she needs‚ what she has to do. Anger provides clarity. Which is a commonality among Pratchett’s protagonists‚ but I particularly love the way he executes it in her. And the way these books seamlessly weave the Feegle plots in‚ much in the manner Pratchett uses with the university wizards: They’re here to cause mayhem and make jokes‚ but they’re so enjoyable that you’re never really sorry about it? These endings with Tiffany and Granny‚ though… they bring the story back around to its heart‚ yet again. These moments when you can see how proud Granny is of Tiffany‚ how comforted she is in knowing that someone like her will be around when she’s gone‚ and the genuine childlike joy we get from Esme when she shares things with the girl. It anchors these stories in something far deeper than simple coming-of-age mechanics. Being a witch is so much more than that‚ after all. Asides and little thoughts: FTW being for “Friendly To Witches” is excellent. And the “witch sign” to let people know about it is‚ of course‚ similar to the Hobo Code‚ a way that travelers used to leave each other notes made of symbols to help each other find safe places to rest and eat. Orpheo and Euniphon are‚ of course‚ just the Disc version of Orpheus and Eurydice‚ which gets reenacted by Roland here when he retrieves the Summer Lady. That’s why Rob tells him not to look back‚ of course‚ the tragic mistake Orpheus makes when enacting his own rescue. “He was great at air sword.” The entire bit about Roland’s difficulty with the heaviness of real swords… as a person who adores stage combat‚ but doesn’t have fully working wrists‚ and is also a bit small for your average broadsword‚ I feel all of Roland’s complaints in my bones. Literally. Rob on this particular Underworld: ’This one used tae be called Limbo‚ ye ken‚ ‘cuz the door was verra low.” How dare he make that joke. It is so good. Pratchettisms: The woods weren’t silent. They were holding their breath. A witch ought never to be frightened in the darkest forest‚ Granny Weatherwax had once told her‚ because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her. Before‚ he hadn’t been apart; he’d been a part‚ a part of the whole universe of tug and pressure‚ sound and light‚ flowing‚ dancing. He’d run storms against mountains forever‚ but he’d never known what a mountain was until today. You couldn’t make a picture by pouring a lot of paint into a bucket. If you were human‚ you knew that. Okay‚ one of them was a cheese that rolled around of its own accord‚ but nobody was perfect. It was easier here‚ and because it was easier it was worse‚ because he was bringing winter into her heart. There are times when everything that you can do has been done and there’s nothing for it now but to curl up and wait for the thunder to die down.   We’ve got a break into the new year‚ but we’ll be back in 2024 with Where’s My Cow?

President Joe Biden’s White House has hosted staff and leadership of the Southern Poverty Law Center at least 11 times‚ and congressional Republicans want answers about whether the Department of Education has used the SPLC to demonize concerned parents. Rep. James Comer‚ R-Ky.‚ chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee‚ sent a letter Monday to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona demanding all communications between his department and the SPLC‚ as well as all internal documents regarding the SPLC. The Southern Poverty Law Center is notorious for branding mainstream conservative and Christian organizations as “hate groups” and placing them on a “hate map” with Ku Klux Klan chapters. “The SPLC has a track record of labeling anything or anyone they disagree with as ‘hate’ or ‘hate groups‚’ which ironically cheapens real hate they claim to want to root out‚” Comer told The Daily Signal this week in a written statement. Comer and two other committee chairmen are leading the House impeachment inquiry into Biden’s alleged wrongdoing regarding his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business deals in Ukraine‚ China‚ and elsewhere. “These false labels and claims have been used in the private sector as a basis to discriminate against certain groups and we need to know if the Biden administration is relying on them as well‚” Comer added. “I wrote to Secretary of Education Cardona to understand how extensively federal employees are using biased information that discriminates against Americans for their First Amendment protected political opinions.” “The First Amendment is not a suggestion‚ and the Oversight Committee will continue to hold the Biden administration accountable for ignoring the Constitution to further a political agenda‚” Comer concluded. In his letter to Cardona‚ Comer announces that his committee “is investigating the extent to which the Southern Poverty Law Center influences federal employees performing their duties on behalf of taxpayers as well as input from federal officials that could affect SPLC decisions to designate groups.” Comer requests information to further the investigation. As I wrote in my book “Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center‚” the SPLC has leveraged its track record of suing Ku Klux Klan groups into bankruptcy to develop the “hate map” it uses to smear enemies and raise money. Earlier this year‚ the SPLC placed parental rights organizations on the map‚ branding them “anti-student inclusion antigovernment extremist groups.” In 2012‚ a terrorist used the SPLC’s map to target the Family Research Council for a mass shooting in Washington‚ D.C. The SPLC condemned the attack but kept the conservative organization on its map. Despite a sexual harassment and racial discrimination scandal that prompted the SPLC to fire its co-founder in 2019‚ and a former employee revealing the SPLC’s “hate” accusations to be a “highly profitable scam‚” many on the Left continue to use the SPLC as a political and ideological weapon to silence their opponents. Comer’s letter notes that “the SPLC has weaponized its designation of ‘hate group’ to target conservative persons‚ organizations‚ and non-profits who hold opposing viewpoints or policy positions. In 2019‚ a federal judge concluded that the SPLC’s ‘hate group’ label does not ‘depend upon objective data or evidence’ and described the designation as ‘an entirely subjective inquiry.’ Despite this subjective slant‚ SPLC’s labels have been used in the private sector as a basis for decisions to exclude partnerships with certain groups.” Comer’s letter also notes that the SPLC added parental rights groups to the “hate map” “only a few years after the Biden administration and the Department of Justice acquiesced to demands of the National School Boards Association to investigate parents and parents’ rights activists who had chosen to speak up at school board meetings throughout the country.” “The committee is concerned and seeks to understand the extent of engagement‚ influence‚ and the impact of SPLC within your department as well as any steps you may be taking to mitigate against it‚” Comer writes to the education secretary. “The American people have a right to know how extensively federal employees are utilizing or disseminating flawed and subjective information that effectively discriminates against them for their First Amendment protected political views.” His letter requests that the agency hand over “all communications between the Department of Education and the Southern Poverty Law Center‚ its representatives‚ or other outside entities pertaining to SPLC‚” along with all of the department’s internal communications pertaining to the SPLC‚ its “hate map‚” and its “antigovernment group” designation. Finally‚ the letter requests all communications “pertaining to the SPLC’s designation of any parental rights groups as ‘antigovernment groups’ or its placement of any parental rights groups on its ‘hate map.'” The letter from the chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee doesn’t mention Learning for Justice‚ the SPLC’s education arm‚ which promotes critical race theory (an approach to learning that analyzes America as institutionally or systemically racist) and LGBTQ orthodoxy. The Southern Poverty Law Center dropped the previous name for its education program‚ “Teaching Tolerance‚” in 2021 after the George Floyd riots of 2020. The SPLC previously trumpeted the spread of its Teaching Tolerance magazine in schools across the country‚ but its website no longer notes the magazine’s distribution. Comer-DOE-SPLC-letterDownload 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 Is Biden’s Education Department Scheming With SPLC to Demonize Concerned Parents? Rep. Jim Comer Demands Answers appeared first on The Daily Signal.

There is growing concern in the U.S. over terrorists crossing America’s southern border and entering the country illegally‚ according to Pinal County‚ Arizona‚ Sheriff Mark Lamb. And after Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7‚ Lamb said some Americans asked‚ “Should we be concerned about Hamas coming in across our borders?”   But the reality‚ according to Lamb‚ is “they’re already here. The devil’s come in the back door. And now it’s a matter of whether we can identify who might pose a threat to America before they pose a threat to us.”   In fiscal year 2023‚ Customs and Border Protection encountered 736 illegal aliens who were listed on the U.S. Terrorist Screening Database‚ also referred to as the terrorist watchlist‚ including both at ports of entry and between the ports‚ according to CBP data.   Pinal County is about the same size as the state of Connecticut and is located 80 miles from the border of Mexico. The county’s Anti-Smuggling Unit and Aviation Unit are encountering illegal aliens daily‚ Lamb told The Daily Signal during a recent interview.   Lamb’s Anti-Smuggling Unit officers are the “last line of defense” to catch human and drug smugglers‚ he said‚ “before they get into Phoenix and ultimately spread throughout the country.”   From 2016 to 2020‚ Lamb said his office was “able to really work hand-in-hand with the Trump administration.”   “On the federal level‚ we had countless visits to the White House‚ we had a lot of meetings and phone calls with the [Department of Homeland Security] and [Homeland Security Investigations] and all of our partners at [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]‚” he said.   “There was so much work working in conjunction to fight this problem‚” he said of his time serving as sheriff during the Trump administration‚ “which is why ultimately‚ because of local law enforcement and federal law enforcement working together‚ you saw the lowest number of apprehensions we had seen in decades.”   In 2020‚ the final full fiscal year of the Trump administration‚ CBP encountered 646‚822 illegal aliens on America’s northern and southern borders. In fiscal year 2023‚ over 3.2 million illegal aliens were encountered on the nation’s borders‚ a record high.  The increase of illegal aliens crossing the southern border and traveling through Pinal County has creating financial and staffing challenges for Lamb’s office‚ he said. But he added that the men and women who work for the sheriff’s office “are not of the sort that raises the white flag because the problem is becoming overwhelming.”   The Anti-Smuggling Unit exists to interdict human and drug smugglers who have successfully crossed the border illegally and are usually bound for Phoenix.   The cartels “contract” drivers to pick illegal aliens up at the border and drive them into the interior of the U.S.‚ Deputy Sheriff Mark Terry‚ who serves on the Anti-Smuggling Unit‚ told The Daily Signal during a ride-along.    The cartels “go on social media‚ and they’ll basically put a job offering a certain amount of money to just take people from point A to point B‚” Terry said. “That money can go for between $500 per person to $1‚000 per person.”    Drug smuggling used to be the biggest issue the unit faced‚ but now‚ according to Detective Shawn Wilson‚ “there’s hardly any marijuana or drugs‚ and it’s mainly human smuggling.”    Lamb said illegal aliens from Mexico and Guatemala are the primary groups crossing the border into Pinal County‚ but just over 200 miles west in Yuma County‚ Arizona‚ officials there may encounter illegal aliens from over 140 different countries in a single month.   Already in fiscal year 2024‚ which began Oct. 1‚ more than 4‚000 Chinese nationals have been encountered on America’s southern border. In the same time period‚ CBP has encountered nearly 2‚000 Russian nationals and over 1‚200 people from Turkey. Fox News reported in October that Border Patrol has encountered 72‚823 “special interest aliens” on America’s borders over the past two years—many from the Middle East. A special interest alien is a government term used to refer to an illegal alien from a nation that either promotes terrorist activity‚ harbors terrorists‚ or poses a possible security threat to the U.S.   Data obtained by Fox and “confirmed by multiple CBP [Customs and Border Protection] sources … which reflects apprehensions between ports of entry between Oct. 2021 and Oct. 2023‚ shows that agents encountered 6‚386 nationals from Afghanistan in that period‚ as well as 3‚153 from Egypt‚ 659 from Iran‚ and 538 from Syria‚” according to the outlet.    But “Border Patrol doesn’t actually see everybody that comes across‚” Lamb said‚ “especially not when they’re processing 6‚000 to 10‚000 people a day. The cartels are savvy to this‚ and they know where to push people through that they don’t get caught.”   Lamb said he is confident that the border can be secured and the flow of illegal aliens entering the country can be stopped if the right policies are put in place‚ but the challenge‚ according to the sheriff‚ is finding and removing those who are living in the country illegally.   “Now‚ we have to deal with the amount—the millions of people that have come in over the last two and a half years—of identifying them‚ removing them from this country‚ getting Congress and [the] Senate to figure out a comprehensive immigration plan. The list goes on and on. This is not a simple fix‚” Lamb said.  Ultimately‚ the sheriff said it is the job of the federal government to secure the border‚ citing Article IV‚ Section 4 of the Constitution.  “So‚ Joe Biden‚ do your job‚” Lamb said. “And [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas‚ do your job. Secure our southern border and protect the American people and start putting America first and Americans first.”   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 ‘They’re Already Here‚’ Arizona Sheriff Says of Terrorists Coming Across the Border appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Worldcoin‚ the eye-ball scanning protocol co-founded by Sam Altman‚ is cracking open a wider integration network by adding support for platforms such as Minecraft‚ Reddit‚ Telegram‚ Shopify‚ and Mercado Libre to its World ID offering. This comes on the back of the cohesive upgrades it has already sealed with Discord‚ Talent Protocol‚ and Okta’s Auth0. Digital ID systems‚ like the one used by WorldCoin‚ raise significant privacy concerns due to the sensitive nature of the biometric data they collect and store. The other issue is that identity becomes immutable. Consider a scenario where your digital identity becomes inaccessible‚ perhaps due to regulatory action or technical issues. In conventional financial systems‚ including traditional cash and most cryptocurrencies‚ you can simply create a new wallet and start over. However‚ with systems tied to unique biometric identifiers‚ such as iris scans‚ you can’t easily replace your identity. Unlike a plot from a science fiction movie‚ obtaining a new iris scan is not a feasible option. Worldcoin was unleashed on the world approximately four months ago and recently revved up its protocol to reach World ID 2.0. The company underlines that this upgrade simplifies the task of distinguishing between bots and “verified” humans in the digital world. As explained by Tiago Sada‚ the head of product for Tools for Humanity and a prime mover in the Worldcoin project‚ to TechCrunch‚ Reddit moderators can now employ these fresh integrations to assign unique permissions to users of the World ID. The article frames a possible benefit of this digital ID system as fighting spam. Furthermore‚ Shopify merchants could leverage World ID for anti-fraud measures or fleeting promotions. Accentuating the bespoke potential of their platform‚ Sada conveys‚ “This is not just about the first wave of applications‚ but a new developer platform where developers can build.” He expresses his enthusiasm for the innovative solutions the developer community will bring. World ID‚ involves creating a profile and proving identity through an iris scan. The highest level security‚ christened as “World ID Orb+”‚ involves facial recognition security in addition to the previous steps. However‚ Sada confirms that the system is not infallible. Users can generate more than one World ID across multiple devices until they opt for an Orb scan‚ which limits them to a single ID. Despite the limitations‚ Sada believes the system can help curb misuse of various platforms‚ such as manipulative voting or maintaining multiple fraudulent accounts. Worldcoin is broadening its presence in Mexico and Singapore‚ with plans to increase its footprint in Asian countries. However‚ it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the project. The Kenyan government‚ citing privacy concerns‚ has banned Worldcoin from scanning their citizens’ eyes. The post Eye-Ball Scanning Digital ID Company Worldcoin Integrates With Reddit‚ Telegram‚ and More appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. During a hearing titled “Censorship Laundering Part II: Preventing the Department of Homeland Security’s Silencing of Dissent” this week‚ Democrats once again denied or downplayed the large amounts of evidence showing that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had pressured Big Tech to censor. Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) opened the hearing by providing an overview of some of the most egregious examples of government agencies pressuring Big Tech companies to censor. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-1.mp4 Several of the witnesses‚ including journalist Michael Shellenberger‚ President and General Counsel of the New Civil Liberties Alliance Mark Chenoweth‚ and Senior Fellow at The Council to Modernize Governance‚ Gary Lawkowski‚ spoke out about against the federal government leaning on Big Tech to censor and provided further examples of this. But several Democrat lawmakers downplayed this evidence and testimony and insisted that the platforms were making their own content moderation decisions. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) asserted that “claims about CISA being a giant censorship entity completely misses the mark” and claimed that platforms were never compelled to take down content. To support his claims‚ Ivey showed several quotes from CISA members who denied that the censorship occurred and invoked disclaimers that CISA included in their emails. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-2.mp4 “This is not government censorship or censorship by proxy‚” Ivey said. “Social media companies are privately owned and make content decisions based on their terms of service.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-3.mp4 Ivey even accused one of the district courts in Missouri v. Biden‚ a major social media censorship case that accuses the Biden administration of violating the First Amendment‚ of issuing opinions “based on false information or misinformation.” He concluded his opening comments by framing the attempts to halt government censorship pressure as having a “chilling effect” on CISA and the researchers who have been flagging content for censorship. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-4.mp4 When Ivey questioned Chenoweth on where he would draw the line on governments reaching out to platforms and flagging content‚ Chenoweth said that when the government reaches out to platforms to shut down speech‚ it becomes censorship and that the line should be based around whether the speech is lawful. https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-5.mp4 Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) focused her comments on how some of CISA’s censorship programs no longer exist and framed concerns about CISA flagging content for censorship as “fearmongering.” She added: “It is clear that CISA has not engaged in any nefarious or unconstitutional activity. There is simply no evidence of it.” https://video.reclaimthenet.org/articles/censorship-laundering-part-2-6.mp4 Republicans are also backed up by the courts in their allegations. The court case Missouri v. Biden revolves around allegations that federal government officials influenced social media companies to suppress certain viewpoints. The plaintiffs‚ including the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and several private parties‚ filed a lawsuit claiming that federal officials coerced or significantly encouraged social media platforms to remove or demote content on various topics‚ such as the COVID-19 pandemic’s origins‚ the efficacy of masks and vaccines‚ the security of mail-in voting‚ the integrity of the 2020 presidential election‚ and more. The case began in the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana‚ where a preliminary injunction was issued on July 4‚ 2023. This injunction prohibited a broad range of federal government officials from communicating with social media companies for the purpose of urging or encouraging the removal‚ suppression‚ or reduction of content containing protected free speech. The case is currently being looked at by The Supreme Court. The post Watch: Democrats Continue to Deny Evidence of Government Pushing Big Tech to Censor Americans appeared first on Reclaim The Net.