Apple will allow Parler, the pro-free speech alternative social media app favored by conservatives and Trump supporters, back on to its iOS app store, the tech giant told Republican lawmakers Monday.
Parler was kicked off the iOS Store in the days following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol after Apple accused the company of failing to moderate violent content on its platform. Until now, Parler users have been unable to download the app on iOS devices. Apple had said Parler would not be allowed back in its store until the company made changes to comply with the App Store Review guidelines.
“There is no place for hateful, racist, discriminatory content on the App Store,” Apple reportedly told Parler last month.
But in a letter responding to an inquiry from Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) about Apple’s actions toward Parler, Apple Senior Director of Government Affairs for the Americas Timothy Powderly said his company has been “engaged in substantial conversation” with Parler about bringing the app into compliance with its guidelines.
WINTER HAVEN, Florida — Corporate media is one of the “most divisive forces” in the country, and Democrat politicians such as Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) are contributing to the civil unrest across the country, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview immediately following his signing of the state’s anti-riot bill Monday.
DeSantis signed the anti-riot bill during a press conference at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Monday. The bill itself effectively takes defunding the police in Florida “off the table” and enhances criminal penalties for those who engage in criminal activity during a riot. The signing coincides with yet another spark of civil unrest in various blue areas across the country as Democrats renew their calls to defund police.
The Republican governor, however, believes the corporate media is playing a primary role in feeding the division, particularly by leaving out key facts in these breaking stories, further fueling lawless behavior.
“Corporate media is one of the most divisive forces in our country. They foment division. They foment these things. A lot of the time, they won’t tell the whole facts,” he said, using the officer-involved shooting of Jacob Blake as a recent example of journalistic malfeasance.
The Biden education department proposed a rule Monday urging the development of “culturally responsive teaching” in American History and Civics and holding up the widely discredited New York Times’ “1619 Project” as a model for schools to teach children the United States is fundamentally a racist nation.
The U.S. Education Department states the proposed rule is in keeping with President Joe Biden’s executive order titled “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.”
“[T]here is growing acknowledgement [SIC] of the importance of including, in the teaching and learning of our country’s history, both the consequences of slavery, and the significant contributions of Black Americans to our society,” the education department states in providing background for the proposed rule. “This acknowledgement [SIC] is reflected, for example, in the New York Times‘ landmark ‘1619 Project’ and in the resources of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History.”
The education department elaborated on its proposal, citing the work of Critical Race Theory proponent Ibram X. Kendi, author of Antiracist Baby:
Accordingly, schools across the country are working to incorporate anti-racist practices into teaching and learning. As the scholar Ibram X. Kendi has expressed, “[a]n antiracist idea is any idea that suggests the racial groups are equals in all their apparent differences—that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group. Antiracist ideas argue that racist policies are the cause of racial inequities.” … It is critical that the teaching of American history and civics creates learning experiences that validate and reflect the diversity, identities, histories, contributions, and experiences of all students.
Anjali Singh. Regina Brooks (@reginalbrooks). Join the conversation On Developing a Successful Book Proposal at the Antiracist Book Festival @antiracismctr.
The Supreme Court declined on April 19 to hear a lawsuit regarding a Pennsylvania voting dispute nearly six months after the Nov. 3, 2020, election.
The court rejected an appeal from a Republican congressional candidate’s unsuccessful challenge of the state’s mail-in ballot initiatives, which is the final Nov. 3-related action to be dismissed related to Pennsylvania’s voting laws.
In a two-line order (pdf), the Supreme Court wrote: “The petition for a writ of certiorari is granted. The judgment is vacated, and the case is remanded to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit with instructions to dismiss the case as moot.”
The decision is the Supreme Court’s latest rejection of a slew of election lawsuits that came before and after the Nov. 3 election, as President Donald Trump and his Republican allies attempted to challenge the results.
The suit, which was filed by GOP congressional candidate Jim Bognet, concerned whether the Pennsylvania Supreme Court exceeded its authority by allowing greater access to early and mail-in voting in Pennsylvania, which, he argued, circumvented the state General Assembly’s authority. Four individual voters joined Bognet, who ultimately lost his congressional bid.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court had ruled in 2020 that extended mail-ballots could come in until three days after Election Day.
Trump and other Republicans have said that President Joe Biden had unfairly benefited from relaxed mail-in balloting measures that were implemented due to the CCP virus pandemic.
Bognet’s case was initially dismissed by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, saying that neither Bognet nor the other challengers had the legal right to bring the case.
A Canadian court ruled earlier this week that the government of Alberta will not be required to show scientific evidence backing up its COVID-19 restrictions during the upcoming trial of Pastor James Coates, who was arrested and jailed for holding in-person worship gatherings.
Alberta will not be required to produce scientific evidence supporting the orders of Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the chief medical officer of health for the province, during the May 3 trial of Coates from GraceLife Church in Edmond, the Provincial Court in Stony Plain has ruled. The court added that the challenge to the constitutionality and legality of those orders will be heard at an unknown later date, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms said in a statement released Friday.
The pastor spent one month and six days in jail before his release on March 22, “because he would not sign an agreement to stop pastoring his church according to the congregation’s beliefs,” noted the Justice Centre, which is representing the Coates and his church.
“After 13 months of violating Charter freedoms, the Alberta government refuses to present evidence in support of lockdowns in court, and unfortunately the courts have permitted the government to delay facing accountability in regard to Charter violations,” said Justice Centre President John Carpay.
The group added: “The Alberta government supposedly has enough medical and scientific evidence to shut down hundreds of small businesses, pushing many of them into bankruptcy, and to cancel over 20,000 medically necessary surgeries, and to force Albertans into a third lockdown. But when asked to produce this medical and scientific evidence at trial, the Alberta government declares itself incapable of doing so.”
A little over a week ago, police placed metal fencing around the church ahead of last Sunday’s worship, the Edmonton Journal reported.
Officials have accused GraceLife of violating public health guidelines on multiple occasions by holding in-person worship services where attendees allegedly did not social distance or wear face masks.
Last month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police charged the church as an entity for holding worship services in February that exceeded the limit of 15% capacity.
Consumer Product Safety Commission warned Americans to stop using the Peloton Tread+ treadmill following 39 reports of injuries, including one death
Government watchdogs are warning Americans to stop using a popular Peloton treadmill, but the company is disputing officials’ take on the situation.
Investors reacting to the weekend news driving shares lower in Monday’s session.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the alert about Peloton’s Tread+ exercise machines Saturday morning after multiple incidents of small children and a pet being injured under the machines, officials said. At least one child died following an accident with the treadmill, Peloton announced last month.
The CPSC is aware of 39 incidents, including the death, officials said Saturday. It is continuing to investigate all the cases.
“CPSC staff believes the Peloton Tread+ poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures, and death,” the agency said in its announcement. “In light of multiple reports of children becoming entrapped, pinned, and pulled under the rear roller of the product, CPSC urges consumers with children at home to stop using the product immediately.”
A recall has not been issued.
Officials released a disturbing video from one incident that shows a child in Virginia playing near a running Tread+ and getting caught under the machine. The child survived, but addition details about his condition weren’t immediately available.
A new TIPP poll found that the overwhelming majority of Americans – including Democrats – favor appointing a special counsel for President Biden’s son Hunter.
68 percent of Americans expressed support for Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel for Biden family members in response to the following question:
“President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, and President Biden’s brother, James Biden, are allegedly under federal investigation for tax and financial matters. Do you agree or disagree that Attorney General Merrick Garland should appoint a special counsel to manage their cases independently of the Biden administration?”
42 percent agreed strongly, 26 percent agreed somewhat, 7 percent disagreed somewhat, and 6 percent disagreed strongly. An additional 18 percent were uncertain.
The poll also found that 85 percent of Republicans support the appointment of a special counsel, as do 65 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of independents.
President Joe Biden is currently exploring the idea of canceling federal student loan debt, awaiting memos on how much he can do legally.
The Biden White House tasked Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to explore the issue, effectively stalling immediate action on the issue as activists increasingly push for him cancel the debt.
White House chief of staff Ron Klain said Biden has not made a decision on the issue either way, as he is waiting for the policy memos.
“Hopefully we’ll see that in the next few weeks, and then he’ll look at that legal authority; he’ll look at the policy issues around that and he’ll make a decision,” Klain said in an April 1 interview with Politico.
In February, Biden opposed the idea of canceling $50,000 in debt during a CNN town hall.
“I will not make that happen,” he said to a questioner at the event.
But Biden expressed support for the idea of $10,000 in student debt forgiveness.
“I’m prepared to write off a $10,000 debt, but not 50,” he said. “Because I don’t think I have the authority to do it by signing the pen.”
Biden also spoke about canceling student debt for school teachers or volunteer activity.
But activists in favor of canceling $50,000 in student debt per person, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), continue pushing Biden to take action.
Encouraging riots if the legal system fails to deliver upon demand should get Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California booted out of the House of Representatives, according to Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.
Waters visited Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on Saturday to whip up a crowd of protesters angry over the death of Daunte Wright, 20, a black man shot by a white police officer after a traffic stop.
During her appearance, she was asked about the ongoing trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with murder and manslaughter in connection with last year’s death of George Floyd.
Waters said that if the trial does not go the way rioters want, they need to turn up the heat.
“We’ve got to stay on the street and we’ve got to get more active, we’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business,” she said.
Maxine Waters is marching in Brooklyn Center tonight and told people to take to the streets if Chauvin is acquitted pic.twitter.com/RemfvCCLAn
