A top FBI official is actively encouraging agents to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans using a controversial spy program that has been repeatedly misused, according to an internal email obtained by WIRED. In an April 20 email, FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate urged employees to “continue to look for ways to appropriately use US person queries to advance the mission” of the bureau’s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 program. This program allows warrantless wiretapping of communications where at least one party is a foreigner outside the US. Abbate stated the need to “use” tools like Section 702 to…
Author: Phil Donel
Target has announced that it will be scaling back LGBTQ Pride merchandise for June. While the retailer stated it will be offering Pride-themed merchandise this year, the collection will only be “available on Target.com and in select stores, based on historical sales performance.” This is a shift from Target’s previous strategy of offering Pride products across all of its retail locations during Pride Month celebrations. The company cited its reasoning for the revised approach in a statement, saying the collection was “curated based on guest insights and consumer research.” In addition to the limited product assortment being sold online and…
On Friday, May 10, 2024, Rudolph W. Giuliani was suspended from his radio show on WABC and the show was canceled by the station’s billionaire owner John Catsimatidis. This disciplinary action was taken after Giuliani violated company policy by attempting to discuss discredited claims about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election on air, despite repeated warnings not to do so. Catsimatidis, a major Republican donor who owns WABC, explained the decision in a phone interview: “We’re not going to talk about fallacies of the November 2020 election. We warned him once. We warned him twice. And I get a…
On Friday, May 10, 2024, the Shenandoah County School Board in Virginia voted 5-1 to restore the Confederate names to two schools in the district. The decision reinstated the names Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary School, honoring Confederate Generals Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Turner Ashby. These schools had been called Mountain View High School and Honey Run Elementary School since July 2021. The decision to restore the Confederate names came nearly four years after the school board had voted to change the names in 2020 as part of a resolution condemning racism and affirming…
Nearly three in four recipients of the 2024 Truman Scholarship have clear ties to Democratic politicians or progressive causes, according to a College Fix analysis. Approximately 43 out of 60 students have worked for Democratic politicians, advocated for progressive causes, or identify as left-leaning. In contrast, only five scholars have worked for Republican politicians, advocated for conservative causes, or identify as right-leaning. Terry Babcock-Lumish, the executive secretary of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, denied claims of political favoritism, stating: “The Truman Foundation’s selection process is based solely on applicants’ demonstrated commitment to public service, leadership potential, and academic excellence.”…
Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman was confronted and scolded by Wall Street executives over his attacks on DEI initiatives during a closed-door session at this week’s Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills. In the private, invitation-only panel on Monday, around 40 attendees crowded a room to criticize Ackman for his public denunciation of DEI as “inherently racist and illegal.” The Pershing Square founder faced backlash from panelists and audience members for views deemed detrimental to progress for women and minorities. Panelists included heavyweight investors like Jarvis Hollingsworth of the $200 billion Texas Teachers’ fund and Dina DiLorenzo of…
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s attempt to remove Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson was overwhelmingly rejected Wednesday in a bipartisan 359-43 vote to table her motion. Greene followed through on her threat after Johnson pushed through billions in foreign aid, including $61 billion for Ukraine. However, her motion was destined to fail with Republicans holding just a one-seat House majority. The 43 no votes to block Greene’s measure came from 11 Republicans and 32 Democrats. Both parties aimed to avoid the chaos that erupted when Rep. Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker last October. Greene was reportedly booed by GOP colleagues…
In a defiant Victory Day speech on May 9th in Moscow’s Red Square, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning that Russia’s nuclear forces are “always on alert.” The annual parade marks the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Putin heaped praise on his troops fighting in Ukraine, accusing “Western elites” of fomenting global conflicts. “Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash, but at the same time we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always on alert,” he told the crowd of thousands of soldiers in ceremonial attire. The…
A national student organization that advocates for Palestinian rights is facing allegations that it mobilized supporters on American college campuses to promote a “unity intifada” and defend the deadly Hamas terror attack against Israel last October, according to a strategy document cited in a new federal lawsuit. The 33-page “day of resistance toolkit” from National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) provides instructions for organizing campus protests and portrays the Hamas violence as a legitimate “resistance” that students should help “normalize” through disruptions, sit-ins and other actions. The previously unpublished materials emerged as evidence in a landmark case filed last…
Martha E. Pollack announced on Thursday that she will step down as president of Cornell University effective June 30, 2024, capping a seven-year tenure marked by significant achievements but intense recent turmoil over the institution’s handling of campus tensions related to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Provost Michael Kotlikoff will serve as interim president for two years while the university conducts a search for its 15th president, according to Kraig Kayser, chair of Cornell’s Board of Trustees. In a message to the Cornell community, Ms. Pollack, 64, said her decision followed “extensive reflection” and came after a year of upheaval stemming from…