Imagine driving your kids through a city plastered with graphic, inappropriate billboards—images that assault their innocence at every turn. You’d try everything to protect them: blacking out car windows, taking detours. But no matter how hard you try, you can’t shield them entirely. Now, imagine families petitioning their city council to restrict public obscenity, simply asking for a chance to move through public spaces without fear of exposing their children to harmful imagery. How do you think the billboard companies would respond? If they’re anything like Big Tech’s reaction to proposed legislation in Congress, they’d unleash a storm of exaggerated claims, lobbyists, and manufactured outrage. But unlike billboards—which can’t track your kids or target them based on their vulnerabilities—Big Tech knows exactly who your children are, what content grabs their attention, and how to keep them hooked. Although kids may spend about seven hours a week in the car, they spend up to nine hours a day online. And while most cities have rules governing billboards, Big Tech’s influence over our kids remains largely unchecked. When parents rightfully ask for transparency and control over their children’s digital lives, Big Tech’s reaction is alarmist. It accuses concerned parents of wanting censorship, government overreach, and even poor parenting. But why the panic? Because Big Tech knows the free pass to exploit our kids for profit is running out. This Bill’s Critical Role The proposed Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, is our best chance in a generation to improve online child safety. In July, the bill passed the Senate with a landslide 91-3 vote. The momentum of the legislation is driven by the real stories of parents whose children might have been spared had KOSA’s protections been in place. Under the bill, greater transparency requirements would allow a mother to see the extent of cyberbullying overwhelming her son. David Molak might still be here. A father could use direct messaging restrictions to prevent predators from harassing his daughter. Grace McComas might still be here. And harmful design features, like algorithms pushing videos that encourage self-harm or suicide, would be prohibited. Annalee Schott might still be here. These are common-sense rules that would save lives. Big Tech’s False Claims But Big Tech is crying wolf, throwing up smokescreens with three false claims: The Kids Online Safety Act is burdensome, illegal, and unconservative. Let’s look at these arguments one by one. Big Tech claims KOSA is too burdensome. It says that the bill mandates age verification and limits what users can search for online. However, the bill’s text directly refutes these accusations: Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require a covered platform to implement an age gating or age verification functionality. Nothing in [this Act] shall be construed to require a covered platform to prevent or preclude any minor from deliberately and independently searching for, or specifically requesting, content. If Big Tech were genuinely concerned with regulatory burdens, it would embrace a tightly constructed, national framework such as KOSA. Without this legislation, Big Tech faces a patchwork of laws from different states, creating far more complex and costly compliance challenges. Social media companies are being asked to prevent their platforms from using design features to promote harmful behavior to children, including suicidal behavior, substance abuse, addiction, and sexual exploitation. This is well within their ability and wouldn’t threaten their business model. Big Tech claims KOSA violates the First Amendment. But legal precedent and societal norms long have established protections for children against certain harms. Is it unconstitutional for your city to ban pornographic billboards? Certainly not. The Kids Online Safety Act wouldn’t require companies to restrict appropriate content on their social media platforms, and wouldn’t impose restrictions on individual searches. Protecting children from exploitative digital design features is lawful, necessary, and doesn’t require violating others’ First Amendment rights. Big Tech claims KOSA isn’t conservative. Conservatives weigh the costs and benefits of public policy with a focus on protecting the family—the most important institution in society. The Kids Online Safety Act embodies this principle. It was authored by conservative leaders, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla. The bill enjoys overwhelming support from the Senate Republican Conference, movement organizations such as Heritage Action, and 87% of Republican voters. It’s no surprise that groups such as the ACLU are opposing the bill. But that opposition only highlights how deeply conservative the values behind the Kids Online Safety Act are. Protecting a parent’s sovereignty over a child’s digital life isn’t just conservative—it’s a necessity. Holding Big Tech Accountable Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, especially when it’s coming from the internet itself. The Kids Online Safety Act is a reasonable, carefully constructed measure to establish commonsense rules for protecting the innocence and well-being of our children. Big Tech is crying wolf. It’s time to hold these companies accountable and fight for our kids. The post Why Does Big Tech Oppose the Kids Online Safety Act? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Late-term abortion is happening all the time, despite Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris’ denial at last week’s debate, according to a memo from a think tank founded by former Vice President Mike Pence. Thousands of babies who could survive outside the womb are aborted every year, the memo from Advancing American Freedom says. Advancing American Freedom, which Pence founded in 2021, is a conservative think tank dedicated to promoting the policies of the Trump-Pence administration, according to the organization’s website. About 0.9% of abortions in 2021 were performed at or after 21 weeks, when the baby can survive outside the womb with proper medical care, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Since the CDC tabulated 625,978 legal induced abortions in the 48 states that report them, that means abortionists killed at least 5,600 babies who were at or beyond 21 weeks gestation that year. AAF – Yes Late Term Abortions Are Real JS-1Download Yet Vice President Kamala Harris said during the presidential debate that women aren’t getting late-term abortions. “Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion—that is not happening,” Harris said in her debate last Tuesday with former President Donald Trump hosted by ABC News. The former chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party was caught on camera advocating for abortions “all the way to the end” of pregnancy in an undercover recording made at last month’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.FULL STORY BELOW??@TheElizMitchell pic.twitter.com/LH0BmseCUm— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) September 17, 2024 Nine states and Washington, D.C. have no time limit on abortion. Five premature babies, likely the victims of partial-birth abortions, were recovered from a D.C. abortion center in 2022. Former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said the fate of babies who survive failed abortions should be between the doctor and the mother, Advancing American Freedom pointed out in the memo. “If a mother is in labor…the infant would be delivered,” Northam explained in a 2019 radio interview. “The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated, if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and mother.” Here’s the video of Ralph Northam saying he’s cool with killing babies born alive after botched abortions.Kamala’s lying. This happens. pic.twitter.com/rRbXIxiIwA— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) September 11, 2024 Warren Hern, a well-known late-term abortionist in Colorado, told The Atlantic in a profile that he performs abortions well after viability, including sex-selective abortions. He said about half the babies he aborts are healthy and have no fetal abnormalities. Hern believes that the “viability of a fetus is determined not by gestational age but by a woman’s willingness to carry it,” The Atlantic reported. A Pennsylvania jury convicted infamous late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell of murder in 2013 for slitting the necks of babies born-alive, the Advancing American Freedom memo highlights. Pro-life activists have called abortion clinics to ask if they perform late-term abortions. A clinic offered Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins an abortion at 34 weeks. Last night during the debate, @ABC said that late-term abortions don’t happen. Obviously, abortion extremist @KamalaHarris got on board with that lie. Literally just call a late-term abortion facility to fact-check that false… like I did. pic.twitter.com/XtsuaVfgh9— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) September 11, 2024  “Late-term abortions happen all the time,” Advancing American Freedom said in the memo. “Anyone saying otherwise is misinformed or lying. We must stand for life and confront the dark reality of abortion.” The post Conservative Think Tank Debunks Harris’ Claim That Late-Term Abortions Don’t Happen appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Heads Explode Along With the Pagers

Reporter Wonders Why Media Took Routh Seriously -- and Answers the Question

In 2022, Daily Wire host Matt Walsh produced a documentary called “What Is a Woman?” The film explored that very question — what does it mean to be a woman? — since society has decided to make that a controversial issue. Now, Walsh has moved on to a new subject — white racism. In his latest documentary, “Am I Racist?” he explores the progressive agenda to push the narrative of systemic racism as a means of control. Now, he joins James Poulos on “Zero Hour” to discuss the film. - YouTube www.youtube.com “Are you a racist?” James asks sarcastically. “Well, I’m white, aren’t I?” says Walsh, adding that “the answer is automatically yes.” “As you continue along the journey [of discovering your inherent racism], you just feel worse and worse about yourself,” he says. “That's really the goal. You just have to keep hating yourself more and more with each passing day.” “The actual program is to get millions and millions of people to feel incredibly depressed and despairing and self-loathing, and then it’s much easier to control people when you have them in that state, right?” James asks. “Exactly,” says Walsh, noting that the documentary, while technically a comedy, reveals a tragedy about society: “[Progressives’] goal is to build up resentment, self-loathing, suspicion, [and] guilt,” because “all of these things are very profitable to them.” “Their core message is a simple one, which is that if you're a white person, then you are the villain of the story; you are history's great villain, and you have much to be ashamed of and much to atone for; although you can never really atone for it. ... If you're anywhere in the non-white category, which of course is a vast category, then you're automatically the victim; you're oppressed; you have no control over your life; you have no agency, no real autonomy. ... It's a very demoralizing and dehumanizing message to everybody.” Unfortunately, “They've been very effective in pursuing that goal especially over the last decade,” Walsh laments. “What’s it gonna take to roll it back?” James asks. “I think what it ultimately takes is at this point, basically, just leaving people alone. I don't know that we need a competing message about racism. ... We don't need to talk about it all the time,” says Walsh, pointing to the famous “60 Minutes” interview with Morgan Freeman, during which he advised that we stop talking about racism. To hear more of the conversation, watch the episode above. Want more from James Poulos?To enjoy more of James's visionary commentary on politics, tech, ideas, and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Hundreds of thousands of residents in the San Antonio area may have received voter registration applications this month without asking for them after county leaders approved a mass mailing in defiance of Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.On September 2, Paxton sent a letter to Bexar County — a heavily Democratic region of Texas where San Antonio is located — demanding that officials there strongly reconsider sending out the applications. In the letter, Paxton expressed concerns that such an unsolicited application "potentially confuses residents" about their eligibility to vote and may even convince some unscrupulous ineligible residents to circumvent state and federal law and "provide false information" that would allow them to register to vote.'The target of the mailing — qualified individuals who recently moved to or within Bexar County — have received those forms, and perhaps have already returned them.'"Either way, it is illegal, and if you move forward with this proposal, I will use all available legal means to stop you," Paxton warned.The warning apparently fell on deaf ears.On September 3, the commissioners court in Bexar County voted 3-1-1 in favor of sending out approximately 210,000 voter registration applications. The voter registrar gave the lone "no" vote.WOAI indicated that only "eligible" residents of Bexar County would receive the applications, though the outlet did not clarify how such unregistered "eligible" voters had been identified.County officials did not mail out the applications themselves but instead shelled out nearly $400,000 to have Civic Government Solutions do so on their behalf.Civic Government Solutions is a self-described "nonpartisan company," though domain information associated with its website, civicgs.com, appears to be directly linked to Civitech, according to Texas Scorecard. On its website, Civitech brags that it is a political outreach company "trusted by Democratic and progressive leaders."Paxton filed suit against Bexar County the following day, and his attorneys argued in court that county officials lacked the authority to approve the mass mailings and that they failed to consider competitive bids from other organizations besides Civic Government Solutions.At a hearing on Monday, Bexar County Assistant Criminal District Attorney Robert Piatt noted that "the target of the mailing — qualified individuals who recently moved to or within Bexar County — have received those forms, and perhaps have already returned them."Judge Antonia Arteaga was apparently persuaded by the defense's case, ruling that Paxton's lawsuit was moot since the applications had already been sent."Our position from the very beginning was that the commissioners had every right to do what they did, and we are very pleased with the judge’s ruling today," said Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales, according to CNN. Gonzales also indicated that Paxton's attorneys had not shown up for a previous hearing about the issue, prompting Bexar County to proceed with the mailings.A spokesperson for Paxton confirmed to Blaze News that the attorney general has already filed an appeal of Judge Arteaga's ruling."In a display of bad faith, Bexar County engaged in dirty tricks to avoid appropriate judicial review of a clearly unlawful program that invites voter fraud," Paxton said in a statement. "These actions demonstrate that Bexar County knew what they were doing was wrong, yet expedited the mailout of unsolicited registration forms before the issue could be argued in court. I will fight every step of the way to hold them accountable."Paxton has filed a similar lawsuit against Travis County, home of the capital city of Austin. Harris County, where Houston is located, considered sending out voter registration applications en masse but ultimately decided against it.In response to Blaze News' request for comment, marketing Vice President Tracy Davis denied that Civic Government Solutions had partnered with any partisan group. She also described the controversy surrounding the mass mailing "concerning.""At Civic Government Solutions, we are committed to ensuring that every eligible voter has the opportunity to register — an essential investment in the future of our state and nation. As a nonpartisan company, our focus is solely on identifying and assisting unregistered individuals. We do not use demographic, political, or any other criteria; we simply segment eligible records based on county and registration status," Davis said.In response to Blaze News' question about a possible connection between Civic Government Solutions and Civitech, Davis said: "CGS is a subsidiary of Civitech, but has its own bylaws, operating procedures, etc."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A viral video shows Creed lead singer Scott Stapp calling for greater unity among Americans while extolling the biblical basis of the constitutional republic. 'The only way to make change is to wake up and come together as one. Focus on what we have in common, which is life, freedom, love, happiness.' Stapp made the comments during a concert on the band's reunion tour. “Divided is exactly the way they want us to be,” he said, “to keep us distracted from holding them accountable.”He went on to say that people were programmed to be divided beginning in kindergarten. “Nearly everything we accuse every other country of doing, we’re doing right here. Your civil rights are being violated every single minute of every single day! And what do we do about it? We focus on what divides us!" he continued. “We’re keyboard warriors,” said Stapp. “And we go to entertainment and become perfect little citizens and go buy the latest trends. Everything to keep us distracted from what’s happening right in front of our eyes.”Stapp didn't make mention of any political party during the speech, which garnered a lot of applause and cheering from the audience. “The only way to make change is to wake up and come together as one. Focus on what we have in common, which is life, freedom, love, happiness. We find our common ground, and we build from there. And as we’re building that common ground, we start keeping the powers that be accountable," he continued. "We start reminding them of what our Constitution says. We start reminding them of what our Bill of Rights says. We start reminding them that we are a constitutional republic based upon the Bible and the word of God, not a democracy. Go study. Go do your homework.”One version of the speech garnered more than 3.1 million views. Scott Stapp of Creed getting a bit political and going hard af between songs — (@) Stapp became outspoken about his Christian faith after several personal setbacks including a divorce and a problem with addiction. Historians critical of the biblical founding viewpoint point to comments from some of the founders denying Christianity as a basis for the U.S., especially one from John Adams, a Christian and our second president. Christian theologians and philosophers however, counter that many of the intellectual underpinnings of the Constitution spring directly from Christian thought. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Northern Virginia police officer fatally shot a 6'5" 330-pound woman who slashed his face while continually advancing toward the officer despite his repeated warnings for her to stop, police said. The officer’s body-worn camera was activated during the encounter in the 11800 block of Sunrise Valley Drive at the Reston Heights apartments Monday morning, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis told WDVM-TV. The woman fell to the ground after the shooting, the station said, adding that medics took her to a hospital with critical injuries, and she died there. Davis said at a news conference that the woman’s health care provider asked for a wellness check, the station said, adding that the uniformed officer identified himself and that the woman slammed her door in the officer’s face. The chief added that the officer kept knocking on the door, offering to get help for the woman, and that the woman opened it minutes later while in possession of a knife, WDVM said. Davis noted that the woman — who has had multiple encounters with police this year — began attacking the officer with the knife and cut his face at least once, the station reported. Bodycam video shows the officer repositioning himself, backing away several feet, after which the woman moved toward the officer and cut him, the chief told WDVM. David described the 33-year-old woman as standing six feet, five inches tall and weighing around 330 pounds, the station said. The officer told the woman at least eight times to drop the knife and stop, WDVM said, adding that she kept moving toward the officer. Davis said during the news conference that the officer opened fire multiple times. The woman fell to the ground after the shooting, the station said, adding that medics took her to a hospital with critical injuries, and she died there. Davis said he expects the officer to recover from his injuries, WDVM noted, adding that the woman had family and friends and that the chief and his officers feel the loss of life. The station said this was the second deadly shooting at this apartment complex in about a month. “Seeing police here again is of course uncomfortable,” Marvin Somoza told WDVM. “You want to feel safe where you live, right, and so I think a lot of tenants right now might be feeling unsafe.” The chief said he reviewed the entire bodycam video and that he will release it to the public well within 30 days, the station said. - YouTube www.youtube.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An Ohio sheriff recently suggested sending illegal aliens to live with Americans who have Harris-Walz yard signs in their yards.Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski has come under fire from some local residents for comments he made on his personal campaign account last weekend.'Elections have consequences.'Zuchowski wrote, "When people ask me… What's gonna happen if the Flip - Flopping, Laughing Hyena Wins?? I say…write down all the addresses of the people who had her signs in their yards!" "Sooo… when the Illegal human 'Locust' (which she supports!) Need places to live… We'll already have the addresses of the their [sic] New families…who supported their arrival!" he added.The sheriff's post also noted the immigration crisis impacting Springfield, Ohio, and Aurora, Colorado. Approximately 20,000 Haitian immigrants have been brought into the Springfield area, which previously had a population of 60,000 residents. There have been many reports that the town has been experiencing an uptick in traffic accidents and increased housing costs due to the new arrivals.Zuchowski, who has served as sheriff since 2021, is currently up for re-election. While some Portage County residents found Zuchowski's comments amusing, others filed complaints against the sheriff, accusing him of voter intimidation, the Akron Beacon Journal reported. One resident told the news outlet that he submitted a complaint to the Department of Justice, writing, "That sort of doxxing, sanctioned by a gun-toting man with a badge, is downright scary."Other residents have reportedly requested the Ohio Secretary of State open an investigation into the sheriff over his statements. Another local told the Akron Beacon Journal, "What that statement was on Facebook was intended for oppression, intimidation, and suppression of freedom of speech."Zuchowski's challenger, Jon Barber, also reportedly claimed the sheriff's comments amounted to voter intimidation."Now it's like you are deciding who you are going to protect and who you aren't if they are not like minded," Barber stated. "I certainly hope the sheriff's office isn't looking up voter registration before he offers to send people out, but people have a right to wonder about that."The Portage County Republican Party backed Zuchowski, telling the news outlet, "I believe the sheriff's statement is a bit of artistic license getting toward the principal belief that elections have consequences.""Our sheriffs are elected to stand for the citizens of the county, and Bruce Zuchowski stands for Portage," a spokesperson said. Zuchowski did not respond to multiple requests for comment from various news outlets.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

One of the things it’s incredibly hard to do in gaming is overcome a rough launch. Company of Heroes 3 definitely struggled when it arrived on the scene, with a core campaign that definitely needed some more time in the oven before players got their hands on it. Over a year later, however, the RTS is in much ruder health - with a ton of updates behind it, both major and minor. The latest patch has added to all that, with a slew of new maps and enhanced atmospheric details to enjoy. Continue reading Rejuvenated RTS Company of Heroes 3 adds new maps, improves atmosphere MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best strategy games, Best war games, Best RTS games