ZUCK’ BLAMES FBI FOR 2020 ELECTION CENSORSHIP… Mark Zuckerberg Says Facebook Censored The Hunter Biden Laptop Story After The FBI Asked Them To Restrict Misinformation (VIDEO)
Mark Zuckerberg alleged Thursday on “The Joe Rogan Experience” that the FBI warned Facebook of a “Russian propaganda” dump just before the Hunter Biden laptop story broke.
The exchange began when Rogan asked how Facebook handled the Hunter Biden laptop story, with Zuckerberg responding that his company took a different path after the FBI warned of misinformation.
“The FBI basically came to us and some folks on our team and said, ‘Hey, just so you know, you should be on high alert, we thought there was a lot of Russian propaganda in the 2016 election and we have noticed that basically there’s about to be some kind of dump that’s similar to that, so be vigilant.’”
Zuckerberg said he can’t recall whether the FBI specifically mentioned the Hunter Biden laptop story but said it fit “the pattern.”
FLASHBACK… OCT 2020… FOX: Facebook official who said platform is reducing distribution of Hunter Biden story has worked for top Dems
Facebook Policy Communications Director Andy Stone, who said Wednesday the site is reducing the distribution of a New York Post exposé revealing private emails between Hunter Biden and an adviser to Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings, has years of professional experience working for top Democrats.
“While I will intentionally not link to the New York Post, I want be clear that this story is eligible to be fact checked by Facebook’s third-party fact checking partners. In the meantime, we are reducing its distribution on our platform,” Stone wrote on Twitter.
The Facebook communications director has worked for Facebook for more than six-and-a-half years. He previously served as communications director for the House Majority PAC between 2012 and 2014; press secretary for Democratic California Sen. Barbara Boxer between 2011 and 2012; and press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) between 2009 and 2011, according to his LinkedIn profile.
‘CORPORATE POWER FUSING WITH STATE POWER’ … RACHEL BOVARD: There are now multiple instances of the federal government dictating to social media what to suppress and amplify on their platforms, and the platforms complying.
The social media platforms in question, namely Twitter, Facebook, and Google, represent the infrastructure of how modern information flows, and take marching orders from the state. Corporate power fusing with state power. Free societies don’t survive when that is the status quo.
FLASHBACK… FEB 2021… DEMS PRESSURED BIG TECH TO BANISH PARLER APP… GLENN GREENWALD: Congress Escalates Pressure on Tech Giants to Censor More, Threatening the First Amendment
Democrats now openly pressure Silicon Valley companies to censor content they dislike. In the immediate aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riot, when it was falsely claimed that Parler was the key online venue for the riot’s planning — Facebook, Google’s YouTube and Facebook’s Instagram were all more significant — two of the most prominent Democratic House members, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), used their large social media platforms to insist that Silicon Valley monopolies remove Parler from their app stores and hosting services[…]
Within twenty-four hours, all three Silicon Valley companies complied with these “requests,” and took the extraordinary step of effectively removing Parler — at the time the most-downloaded app on the Apple Store — from the internet. We will likely never know what precise role those tweets and other pressure from liberal politicians and journalists played in their decisions, but what is clear is that Democrats are more than willing to use their power and platforms to issue instructions to Silicon Valley about what they should and should not permit to be heard.
UNPOPULAR BIDEN RESORTS TO PROJECTION, NAME CALLING… WAPO: In fiery midterm speech, Biden says GOP’s turned toward ‘semi-fascism’
President Biden on Thursday night launched a push toward the midterm elections with a fiery speech in Rockville, Md., in which he cast the Republican Party as one that was dangerously consumed with anti-democratic forces that had turned toward “semi-fascism.” […]
“The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and economic security,” Biden said, referencing former president Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan. “They’re a threat to our very democracy. They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace — embrace — political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.” […]
As if on cue, the rally was interrupted by a heckler yelling, “You stole the election!” The crowd booed as the man was escorted out, holding his two fingers up like President Richard M. Nixon and taking a brief bow.
KARINGE HAS TROUBLE EXPLAINING IT TO *CNN*… KEVIN TOBER: Karine Jean-Pierre is struggling to answer Don Lemon’s question about what Joe Biden meant by Republicans being “semi-fascists.” (VIDEO)
‘COLLEGE IS ON ME’ … AXIOS: GOP ad blitz mocks Biden’s student loan plan … SEE THE AD… (VIDEO)
The American Action Network, a conservative advocacy organization with ties to House GOP leadership, is going up with a national ad campaign for the next 10 days arguing President Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan is unfair to working-class Americans. […]
The ad, which will be airing during upcoming college football and Major League Baseball games, features a waitress, mechanic and landscaper talking about working extra shifts to help theatre majors and business majors get out of debt.
A landscaper in the spot says: ” Biden’s right — you should take my tax dollars to pay off your debts. My family will figure out how to get by with less. What’s most important is we spare college graduates from any extra stress.” A mechanic follows up: “Wanna be a struggling artist? College is on me.”
EARLIER THIS WEEK… CHARLIE CRIST CALLS RON DESANTIS A ‘WANNABE DICTATOR’…
DESANTIS RESPONDS… DESANTIS WAR ROOM: Reporter to Governor DeSantis: “[Charlie Crist] says you’re a dictator. How do you respond to that?” (VIDEO)
NATION’S CAPITAL REWARDS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION… DC To Allow Illegals To Enroll In Schools
Washington, D.C. schools will begin enrolling illegal migrant students, according to The Washington Post.
The program can enroll 40 illegal migrants in Washington schools for the fall school year, the Post reported.
“We will ensure that students have access to the services needed, and if they reside in a particular area, we will ensure that they have access to their neighborhood school,” District of Columbia Public Schools Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee said Wednesday, according to the Post.
Ferebee added that the school district has a “strong welcoming center” to enroll the migrants, according to the Post.
DC DISPROPORTIONATELY BARS BLACK STUDENTS FROM ATTENDING SCHOOL… DOUG BLAIR: DC Mayor Says No Virtual Learning, Giving Unvaccinated Black Teens Zero Alternative Options
The District of Columbia does not appear to have a contingency plan for unvaccinated students, who are banned from attending schools in person this fall after the first 20 days, according to comments made by Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser Thursday.
During a press conference, Bowser, a Democrat, admitted there are no alternative options, including virtual learning, for students who cannot attend school due to the District’s vaccine mandate, meaning unvaccinated children will effectively be left without an education.
Over 40% of blacks ages 12-17 are not vaccinated, according to city data.
The Daily Signal asked Bowser what the plan was for unvaccinated students. Washington, D.C., public schools start Monday.
Bowser responded, “They can go to school on Monday. But they need to get their vaccinations … and their families will be alerted as to the dates.”
JUDGE FINALLY SMACKS DOWN DC WORKER VACCINE MANDATE… WAPO: D.C. vaccine mandate for government workers is unlawful, judge says
A D.C. Superior Court judge on Thursday said the vaccination mandate Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) imposed on city government workers earlier this year was unlawful in response to opposition from the D.C. police union.
The order from Judge Maurice A. Ross comes in response to a lawsuit filed in February by the D.C. Police Union and other police groups that opposed the mandate, which was first imposed by Bowser last year. The August 2021 mayor’s order instructed D.C. government employees to submit proof that they had received the coronavirus vaccination, although workers could also apply for religious or medical exemptions or opt for weekly testing instead.
In November 2021, however, Bowser issued another mayor’s order that empowered the D.C. city administrator to remove the test-out option. In January, city officials said D.C. government employees who did not apply for a religious or medical exemption were required to get vaccinated by Feb. 15, including a booster shot, with enforcement set to begin the following month. The city implemented a tiered discipline system for those without exemptions, which could result in suspension or being fired.
The mandate frustrated many within the city’s police ranks. D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III told the city council in March that the department was losing a “significant” number of recruits because they did not want to be vaccinated, DCist reported at the time.
STATEMENT FROM DC POLICE UNION… (SCREENGRAB)
GREGG PEMBERTON: “This is a significant victory for our union that protects the rights of our members and ensures that they will no longer be forced to receive the COVID-19 vaccine against their will and will no longer be subjected to discipline for deciding not to receive the vaccine.”
VAX COMPANIES GO TO WAR… AXIOS: Moderna sues Pfizer, BioNTech over COVID-19 vaccine
Moderna is suing Pfizer and BioNTech, alleging they copied technology that Moderna first developed well before the pandemic in producing the first COVID-19 vaccine approved in the U.S., the company announced Friday.
AFTER JILL POPS POSITIVE AGAIN, BIDEN BREAKS PROMISE TO MASK AS HE DIVES INTO MARYLAND CROWD… END WOKENESS: This was Biden at a DNC event in Maryland tonight. I never want to hear another word about COVID. (VIDEO)
SEX SECRET FOR MEN: TAKE OUT THE TRASH… Women Feel More Sexual Desire When Their Partners Do Chores
The findings were stark. Women who rated their relationships as equal also reported greater relationship satisfaction and higher dyadic desire (intertwined with the dynamics of the relationship) than other women in the study.
Unfortunately (and perhaps, tellingly), the partner’s work group was too small to draw any substantial conclusions.
However, for the women’s work group it was clear their dyadic desire was diminished. This group was also less satisfied in their relationships overall.
TODAY’S DUMBEST CONTROVERSY: DANCING IN THE RAIN IS RACIST… JOHN SEXTON: Drew Barrymore danced in the rain on TikTok, does that make her a racist colonizer? (VIDEO)