War on ESG Update: BlackRock Laying Off 600

Volkswagen announced Monday plans to integrate OpenAI's ChatGPT into its vehicles as a standard feature starting in 2024.The artificial intelligence-powered chatbot will be incorporated into the automobile manufacturer's existing IDA voice assistant."Volkswagen will be the first volume manufacturer to offer Chat GPT as a standard feature from the second quarter of 2024 in many production vehicles‚" the company stated in a Monday press release.According to the Verge‚ ChatGPT-enabled vehicles will first be available to European customers this year. The company also intends to bring the vehicles to the United States‚ though those plans have not been finalized‚ the outlet reported.The automaker's voice assistant‚ powered by Cerence Chat Pro‚ will now offer additional capabilities‚ including the ability to control the vehicle's infotainment‚ navigation‚ and air conditioning. Volkswagen stated that the new feature will be helpful to drivers by providing "enriching conversations‚ clearing up questions‚ interacting in intuitive language‚ receiving vehicle-specific information‚ and much more – purely hands-free."Owners will not be required to create a ChatGPT account or install an application to use the AI system. Driver inquiries that cannot be addressed by the basic capabilities of Volkswagen's voice assistant will be anonymously referred to ChatGPT to generate a response."The voice assistant is activated by saying 'Hello IDA' or pressing the button on the steering wheel. IDA automatically prioritises whether a vehicle function should be executed‚ a destination searched or the temperature adjusted. If the request cannot be answered by the Volkswagen system‚ it is forwarded anonymously to AI and the familiar Volkswagen voice responds‚" the company explained.Addressing possible privacy and security concerns‚ the auto manufacturer claimed that ChatGPT would not be able to access the vehicle's data. Any inquiries forwarded to the AI system will be "deleted immediately to ensure the highest possible level of data protection‚" the company said.Kai Grünitz with Volkswagen stated‚ "Volkswagen has always democratised technology and made it accessible to the many. This is simply ingrained in our DNA. As a result‚ we are now the first volume manufacturer to make this innovative technology a standard feature in vehicles from the compact segment upwards. Thanks to the seamless integration of ChatGPT and strong collaboration with our partner‚ Cerence‚ we are offering our drivers added value and direct access to the AI-based research tool. This also underlines the innovative strength of our new products."Stefan Ortmanns‚ CEO of Cerence‚ said the new integration will provide "unmatched flexibility‚ customisation‚ and ease of deployment‚ while prioritising security and usability for drivers." "As we look to the future‚ together Volkswagen and Cerence will explore collaboration to design a new‚ large-language-model-based (LLM) user experience as the foundation of Volkswagen's next-generation in-car assistant‚" Ortmanns added. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Elon Musk's platform X announced that it has partnered with three different personalities to develop shows exclusively for the platform in an ever-increasing attempt to become a video-hosting leader on social media.X stated in a blog post that it considered itself a "video-first platform‚" Reuters said‚ with users watching videos in 80% of their sessions.The platform is certainly moving in that direction with the announcement of at least three new shows.First‚ X announced a partnership for a documentary-style series with politician Tulsi Gabbard."The Army Reserve officer and veteran‚ 4-term congresswoman‚ and 2020 presidential candidate will be sharing her unique POV through an exclusive series of documentary style videos and broader content on X‚" the platform announced.The former congresswoman is a defector of sorts from the Democratic Party and spoke out against the regime when Hillary Clinton labeled her a "Russian asset." Welcome to X!\n@donlemon @TulsiGabbard @jimrome — (@) Just 15 minutes after the first announcement‚ X told followers that sports commentator Jim Rome "will be bringing his wildly popular content to digital video‚ for the first time ever."A sports broadcaster since the late 1980s‚ Rome has been a controversial figure in the sports world for his uncensored opinions and stubborn attitude. Perhaps most famously‚ Rome had an altercation with an NFL quarterback on his show in 1994. Quarterback Jim Everett took offence at Rome comparing him to a female tennis player and flipped the table and pushed Rome over.30 minutes after the initial Gabbard announcement‚ X then dropped news that former CNN anchor Don Lemon would also be hosting an exclusive show."We’re delighted to announce a new content partnership with Don Lemon for his new project‚ The Don Lemon Show‚" the platform stated. "The award winning TV journalist will share his unique and honest voice in 30 minute episodes‚ three times a week‚ covering politics‚ culture‚ sports and entertainment."Lemon worked for CNN for approximately 13 years before he was fired abruptly in 2023. The host's commentary was arguably becoming too risqué for CNN‚ particularly when he drew criticism for stating that presidential candidate Nikki Haley "isn’t in her prime." Don Lemon: "Nikki Haley isn\xe2\x80\x99t in her prime. Sorry‚ when a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s‚ and 30s‚ and maybe 40s\xe2\x80\xa6"\n\nPoppy Harlow: "Are you talking about prime for like child bearing?"\n\n"Don\xe2\x80\x99t shoot the messenger! I\xe2\x80\x99m just saying what the facts are! Google it!" — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A new California law‚ known as AB1013‚ will soon encourage bars and nightclubs in the state to sell kits that would detect the presence of so-called date-rape drugs.Drugs such as Rohypnol‚ ketamine‚ or GHB — commonly referred to as "roofies" — can be surreptitiously slipped into a beverage‚ causing the person who consumes it to become disoriented or even black out completely. However‚ certain "strips‚ stickers‚ straws‚ and other devices" can detect the presence of such drugs‚ AB1013 indicated‚ if placed in a substance relatively quickly.Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal‚ D-Long Beach‚ introduced AB1013 last year‚ and it was signed into law last October. The new law aims to make a night out on the town safer‚ especially for "women and members of the LGBTQ communities‚" Lowenthal explained.If those cited by KFSN-TV are to be believed‚ date-rape drugs are a major problem in California watering holes. In fact‚ Lowenthal called it "a crisis." "I have members of my staff that have been roofied‚" he said. "There are members of the legislative body that have been roofied.""It happens all the time‚" said Daniel Aguilera from Oakland. "I worked at a bar‚ and someone got roofied there one time. So‚ I've seen it myself."AB1013 compels all those who own or have applied for a Type 48 liquor license — required for establishments such as bars and nightclubs that are not primarily restaurants and that serve patrons who are at least 21 years old — offer such date-rape drug kits available for purchase. The cost of these kits must be "reasonable" in comparison with wholesale prices‚ the bill said‚ though it also notes that the law "does not prevent a Type 48 licensee from offering drug testing devices to their customers free of charge." The tests must also be current‚ and the licensee is responsible for ensuring that the tests have not expired.To make sure that patrons are aware of the kits‚ the law also requires bar owners to post a scripted notice about the kits in "a prominent and conspicuous location" within the establishment. "Don’t get roofied! Drink spiking drug test kits available here. Ask a staff member for details‚" the scripted message reads. The law is scheduled to go into effect officially on July 1 and is set to expire on January 1‚ 2027‚ if it is not extended. Even when the law is in effect though‚ enforcement of it will be almost impossible — by design. The text of the law states clearly that "a violation of this section is not a crime‚" even though "[e]xisting law generally provides that a violation of the act is a misdemeanor."It appears that the law is meant to deter would-be predators from slipping substances into the drinks of unsuspecting victims‚ to encourage establishments to cooperate with the law of their own accord‚ and to bring greater awareness to the dangers of consuming alcohol near or with strangers.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

It turns out pushback works. Philadelphia’s Welcome Park will not be “rehabilitated‚” in the words of the National Park Service. The federal agency had announced it would remove the statue of William Penn‚ the man after whom Pennsylvania is named‚ that had been standing in Philadelphia’s Welcome Park since 1982. The trouble is Penn was a slave owner back in the 1600s. That one fact effaces everything else about Penn’s role in the history of Pennsylvania. But the people of Pennsylvania pushed back. The National Park Service on Monday announced Penn’s statue will remain in Welcome Park after all. The plan to efface Penn was “released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review.” Translation: The people of Pennsylvania found out about the plan prematurely — that is‚ before the NPS could drag away Penn’s statue‚ leaving the people with no recourse. “Upon completion of all the necessary internal reviews‚” NPS said in a statement‚ “the park looks forward to engaging in a robust public process to consider options for refurbishing the park in the coming years.” By which they mean‚ “We'll try this again another time.” That time won’t come if every time these “rehabilitators” of history attempt to expunge the past and overwrite it with a new history‚ the public pushes back with the same intensity that has kept William Penn's statue standing in Welcome Park. Give in to American history’s enemies‚ and you will give away everything. Their demands will never end. Note their use of the word “rehabilitation.” One does not "rehabilitate" a park. One landscapes it. But rehabilitating how people think is another matter. A political matter. It’s the sort of thing we might associate with countries such as North Korea‚ China‚ and the old Soviet Union‚ where wrongthink was a crime against the state. One punishable by “rehabilitation” or “re-education.” Often in a camp. We're not quite there yet‚ but we are getting close. The National Park Service wanted to “rehabilitate” Welcome Park in order to “provide a more welcoming‚ accurate‚ and inclusive experience for visitors.” The idea is that William Penn’s statue is somehow unwelcoming and not “inclusive.” The remedy was to get rid of the statue — thus disconnecting the “experience” of the park from the history of the man who was largely responsible for the state’s founding. How long will it be before history’s enemies turn their attention toward rehabilitating that? They obviously won’t stop with Penn’s statue‚ just as they haven’t stopped with Confederate monuments in southern states and at Arlington National Cemetery. So don’t be surprised when the statue-demolishers try to change the name of the state named in Penn’s honor. Don’t be shocked when they demand the bulldozing of George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello or that their faces be sandblasted from Mt. Rushmore. How long before the Washington Commanders (née Redskins) also require “rehabilitation”? How about rehabilitating Washington itself? How can the nation’s capital continue to bear the name of that old white slaveholder? Never mind that without Washington the man‚ there would be no Washington‚ D.C. There might not even be a country. The left’s mode of rehabilitation has no end‚ which is why it must be stopped before it ends everything we love. Don’t think for a moment that compromise is possible. A middle-ground approach that allows for a balanced view of American history might be a reasonable outcome. But these are not reasonable times. The history of the country must be effaced. By removing statues and‚ inevitably‚ other public acknowledgments of the role played by the flawed men who founded the United States‚ the country no longer has a history. History is complex. So are the men who made it. Nobody’s perfect. William Penn certainly wasn’t. Neither was Thomas Jefferson‚ who owned slaves even as he professed to abhor slavery. Martin Luther King‚ Jr.‚ was unfaithful to his wife and likely plagiarized swaths of his doctoral dissertation. But we take the history of these men in toto. We do not obliterate them from the history books because of some things they said or did that were less than admirable or even abhorrent. A balanced standard no longer seems to apply to those needing “rehabilitation.” They must be effaced — the history of the past must be effaced — so that a new country can arise from the forgotten memories of the old. But even these new‚ politically correct memories will prove ephemeral — destined to be "rehabilitated" in their turn as the winds of politics shift and what was doubleplusgood today becomes crimethink tomorrow. Just ask George Orwell. Until‚ of course‚ he's been obliterated‚ too.

A Boston city councilmember who has a troubled history with rules and regulations has blamed racism after a viral video proved she never uttered a word of the oath of office during the inaugural ceremony held last week.On New Year's Day‚ the 13 members of the Boston City Council‚ including the four newly elected members‚ arrived at Faneuil Hall to take the oath of office‚ as required by the city charter. Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu led the group in the recitation of the oath‚ and most members stood smiling with their right hands raised proudly in the air.However‚ video of the ceremony showed that Democrat Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson‚ who represents District 7‚ neither raised her hand nor uttered the words along with her colleagues. Boston Accountability Network first shared the video on Wednesday‚ but the video went viral after Libs of TikTok shared it about six hours later. — (@) After the video spread across social media‚ several Boston leaders indicated that Anderson had not properly taken the oath‚ thereby negating the votes she cast later that day. Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and others ordered Anderson to retake the oath the following Thursday‚ four days after the initial ceremony."The city charter is clear that anyone elected to serve at the city level — the mayor‚ the city council — must take an oath verbally and sign the oath book in order to begin their service to the city and their official actions in that office‚" Mayor Wu said last Friday.Wu added that she had been "informed" that Anderson had taken the verbal oath on Thursday as directed. "So that issue is resolved now‚" she stated.For her part‚ Councilor Anderson did not take kindly to the criticism leveled by LOTT and others. She initially blocked LOTT on X then‚ according to an apparent screenshot‚ issued a statement dismissing the criticism as "anti-immigrant racist vitriol.""You're okay with someone mindlessly mouthing an oath only to betray every promise they've ever made‚ but me internalizing my oath‚ committing a prayer between myself and God in honor of that very oath is a problem for you?" she ostensibly asked LOTT and those of like mind. — (@) Anderson's X account has since gone private‚ so Blaze News was not able to verify the statement or its provenance.The description Libs of TikTok offered of Anderson is brutal. LOTT called her "a radical activist" who "hates this country and constitution." LOTT also alleged that Anderson has engaged in pro-Muslim and pro-Palestinian activism‚ including proposing a "Hijab Day" in the city and downplaying the atrocities Hamas committed against innocent Israelis on October 7. Anderson's X account‚ though private‚ publicly features a picture of Rep. Rashida Tlaib‚ a strongly pro-Palestinian congresswoman‚ wearing a keffiyeh‚ which the AP described as a scarf denoting "Palestinian solidarity."LOTT even claimed that Anderson is married to Tanzerious Anderson‚ a murderer serving a life sentence for the brutal slaying of 35-year-old Iman Yazbek in 2000. Reports indicate that they married in 2008 or 2009‚ when Tanzerious had already been behind bars for years. Neither Anderson's campaign website nor the bio of her on the city's official website make any mention of her marital status‚ let alone the name of her alleged spouse.Anderson‚ a West African native‚ has been surrounded by controversy since she was sworn into office for the first time in January 2022. Screenshots of previous tweets shared by the TB Daily News‚ an independent outlet‚ indicate a history of anti-white bigotry. Using emojis‚ she even appeared to criticize the superintendent of Boston schools and the new fire chief just because they are white.On her website‚ Anderson describes herself as a "strong Black woman" who is eager to "hold police accountable."Anderson also got herself in hot water when she not only hired her sister and son to work on her staff‚ a violation of council rules‚ but she then increased each of their annual salaries to $70‚000. According to a disposition agreement that Anderson signed‚ the two left her staff in August 2022‚ just eight months into Anderson's tenure‚ and Anderson paid a $5‚000 fine.Anderson did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment‚ though an automatic reply email from her office requested a response time of 48 hours. Should she provide any comments at a later time‚ Blaze News will happily update this article to include them in full.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Opinion writers at Bloomberg and other liberal publications appear to share at least one thing in common with President Joe Biden: a sense that democracy is safe only so long as the right candidates are winning. It turns out‚ the right candidates happen to be establishment liberals. Return of the 'unthinkables' On Sundays‚ Bloomberg Opinion senior editor Tobin Harshaw cobbles together the various opinions his publication spat out over the course of the previous week and attempts to pull at the threads common among them. This Sunday‚ in a roundup entitled "2024 Is the Year of Elections and That's a Threat to Democracy‚" Harshaw exposed his team's disdain for democratic processes that yield results unfavorable to the liberal status quo. India‚ Indonesia‚ Pakistan‚ Russia‚ Mexico‚ Iran‚ the U.K.‚ South Africa‚ Austria‚ Taiwan‚ the Czech Republic‚ and possibly Ukraine are among the 64 countries set to hold elections this year‚ along with the European Union. "41% of the world's population is having major elections this year. Yay democracy! Right?" wrote Harshaw. "Not really‚ what with extremist populist parties — mostly right-wing — on the rise everywhere from the European Union to the Pacific rim." Harshaw referenced a weekend piece by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge‚ which cast the 2016 election of Donald Trump and the restoration of British sovereignty via its Brexit break with the European Union as "unthinkables‚" then suggested the world in 2024 "is almost a mirror image of 2016." "In this year of elections‚ voters in countries representing 41% of the world's population will go to the polls — and in a terrifying number of cases‚ candidates who would have been seen as extremist wild cards in 2016 look the strongest‚" wrote the Bloomberg duo. "The long-shot unthinkables from eight years ago are now the firm favorites‚ or even just the accepted status quo‚" wrote Micklethwait and Wooldridge. "Bookmakers give Trump a 40% chance of winning November's presidential election. His closest rival‚ Joe Biden‚ is an 81-year-old prone to gaffes and memory lapses‚ exactly the rival that Trump would want in the grueling marathon that is a modern presidential race." Not only is a candidate loathed by establishment Washington and the liberal media poised to win the 2024 presidential election‚ but right-leaning populists farther afield — such as Dutch prime ministerial candidate Geert Wilders and France's Marine Le Pen — are also ascendant‚ to the chagrin of liberal onlookers in the media. The Bloomberg duo suggested optimists might be satisfied to know there's a 10% chance of "more benign possibilities" seizing the day. In the case of the U.S. election‚ they floated the names of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Nikki Haley as so-called "benign" options. After insinuating that the basic requirement that things turn out "alright" in 2024 is that "somebody other than Trump wins the US presidency‚" Harshaw noted that voters may also threaten democracy in the island nation of Taiwan‚ where "another victory by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party may bring the territory closer to a Chinese invasion." The head of the DPP‚ current Vice President Lai Ching-te‚ has been called a "complete troublemaker" by the Chinese regime. To deliver the Bloomberg opinion team a "surprisingly good year‚" voters will have to make sure that "America will be celebrating its first female president; Trump and Netanyahu will be spending more time with their lawyers; the US and China will be devoting more time to mending their economic relationship and less to shadowboxing over Taiwan; [British leftist Keir] Starmer will have begun [reunification] negotiations with the EU; the Israelis and Palestinians will be talking to each other seriously‚ for the first time in decades; and one or another of the world’s nastier dictatorships will have fallen." Birds of a feather The Atlantic is another liberal outfit that has fearmongered over the possibility that voters may not provide establishmentarians with what Harshaw called a "good year." Brian Klaas‚ a contributing writer for the Atlantic‚ suggested Saturday that "even with all this voting‚ democracy is under severe threat‚ endangered by predatory politicians who rig elections and disgruntled voters willing to hand over power to autocratic leaders." Klaas even came up with a term to denote the tendency for democratic elections to produce results he doesn't like: "counterfeit democracy." The decision to seek remedy for bad leadership at the ballot box is emblematic of democracy's erosion‚ according to Klaas. Rather than lean into the kind of "stolen election" rhetoric failed Democratic candidates Stacey Abrams and Hillary Clinton have deployed in recent years‚ Klaas suggested that democracy is failing because of a "toxic cycle: Governance is dysfunctional‚ so politicians fail to deliver for voters—and voters respond to those failures by contemplating whether authoritarian rule might be better." "Billions of ordinary people around the world will vote this year‚" wrote the Atlantic contributor. "If they make the wrong choice‚ 2024 may be remembered as the year the world embraced elections without democracy." Campaigning on theme The democracy rhetoric deployed in the Atlantic and Bloomberg pieces has been central to Biden's re-election campaign. Within hours of a Democrat-aligned group getting his top rival removed from the primary ballot last month‚ Biden tweeted‚ "Trump poses many threats to our country: The right to choose‚ civil rights‚ voting rights‚ and America's standing in the world." "But the greatest threat he poses is to our democracy‚" continued Biden. "If we lose that‚ we lose everything." In his first major campaign event of 2024‚ Biden said‚ "America‚ as we begin this election year‚ we must be clear‚ democracy is on the ballot. Your freedom is on the ballot." While he claimed that "democracy is about being able to bring about peaceful change‚" Biden also insinuated that voters' decision to change the man in the White House could mean democracy's end. The Biden campaign has also capitalized on this suggestion in the decrepit candidate's new 2024 campaign ad. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A gun-toting Arizona homeowner told police he spotted an intruder in his Buckeye backyard after midnight Sunday and ordered him to leave — but instead‚ the intruder walked toward the homeowner‚ after which the homeowner shot the intruder.What are the details?Police said they received a call just before 2:30 a.m. about shots fired at a home near 237th Avenue and Mohave Street. Police said when officers arrived‚ a man was walking out of the home with his hands up‚ and officers detained him.Police said officers searched the home and found a man in the backyard bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest.The homeowner‚ who's in his 30s‚ told investigators he and his family were asleep when they heard the doorbell‚ police said.The homeowner added to police that he grabbed a handgun and looked out the front window but didn’t see anyone.The homeowner told cops he soon heard noise from the rear of the house‚ so he opened the back door and confronted an unknown man. The homeowner added to police that the man ignored his commands to leave and walked toward the homeowner‚ after which the homeowner fired a single shot that hit the man in the chest.Police said the wounded man — who's in his early 20s — was taken to a hospital and at last check was in critical condition. The investigation is ongoing‚ cops said.No one has been identified so far‚ KNXV-TV reported‚ adding that it's unclear if anyone will face charges. How are folks reacting?Commenters reacting on the police department's Facebook post about the shooting appear to be siding with the homeowner. The following are but a few examples:"FAFO!" one commenter wrote. "Thankfully the homeowner had the smarts to be armed. Things could have turned out much differently.""2:30 in the morning‚ in somebody else’s backyard‚ you get what you get. Most people would have done the same thing this man did by protecting his family‚" another commenter declared. "Stand your ground.""Self Defense. You keep shooting until you stop the threat whether that is once or five + times. It is what is taught. Great job BPD and homeowner‚" another commenter said."Finally a feel good story!" another commenter exclaimed. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Connecticut’s Office of the Secretary of the State warned voters Monday about election fraud concerns and encouraged residents to vote in person.According to a press release from the office‚ Democratic Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas is urging voters to head to their polling stations instead of filling out an absentee ballot in the upcoming January primary in Bridgeport.Thomas noted that the state is working to increase presence at City Hall but that it has only two officials slated to monitor Bridgeport elections‚ the CT Examiner reported. She stated that they “cannot do it all.”“We encourage anyone who can do so to vote in person on January 23rd. If someone voted by absentee ballot‚ but is unsure if they should have done so‚ they may withdraw their absentee ballot by going in-person to the Town Clerk’s office before 10 a.m. on Election Day‚ and they may then vote at their assigned polling place‚” Thomas said.In November‚ a judge ruled to overturn Bridgeport’s Democratic primary election following allegations of absentee ballot fraud. Mayor Joe Ganim‚ who initially appeared to win his re-election campaign‚ was accused of fraud by his primary opponent‚ John Gomes.Gomes’ attorney presented the court with 180 pieces of evidence and alleged video footage proof. An 18-minute video reportedly showed Wanda Geter-Pataky‚ vice chair of the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee and operations specialist for the city‚ stuffing stacks of ballots into a drop box and handing ballots to others from her desk. Eneida Martinez‚ a former city council member‚ was also allegedly captured depositing ballots.“Mr. Ganim was also correct to be ‘shocked’ at what he saw on the video clips in evidence that were shown to him while he was on the witness stand‚” Judge William Clark wrote. “The videos are shocking to the court and should be shocking to all the parties.”Clark ruled that the “volume of ballots so mishandled is such that it calls the result of the primary election in serious doubt and leaves the court unable to determine the legitimate result of the primary.”Ganim appeared to win the primary election by 250 votes only after stacks of ballots were deposited overnight. On election evening‚ Ganim was trailing Gomes by 487 votes. The mayor has denied any involvement in the apparent election fraud. City and state officials were ordered to work together to schedule a new primary election.First elected mayor in 1991‚ Ganim was in office for 12 years when he was caught accepting bribes‚ the Associated Press reported. He stepped down from office and spent seven years in prison after being convicted of racketeering‚ extortion‚ and other crimes. In 2015‚ following his release‚ he was re-elected to his former position.Director of communications Tara Chozet told the CT Examiner on Monday that Bridgeport has a history of absentee ballot fraud allegations.“The allegations of absentee ballot fraud in this city go back decades‚ and because of that‚ it’s important for Bridgeport voters to know that in-person voting is just one of the many tools they can use to counter the problems that Judge Clark’s order seeks to address‚” Chozet stated.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Aaron Rodgers is not apologizing.The NFL quarterback responded on Tuesday to late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday and the controversy involving comments he made last week when he allegedly suggested that Kimmel's name would be found in the tranche of Jeffrey Epstein court documents. Kimmel threatened to sue Rodgers and dedicated a monologue on his show to attacking the star quarterback.Speaking on the "The Pat McAfee Show‚" Rodgers suggested his comments were intentionally misinterpreted.According to Rodgers‚ the beef between Kimmel and himself dates back to the COVID-19 pandemic when Kimmel mocked Rodgers for being skeptical of the COVID-19 vaccine and dominant government narratives about the pandemic. Kimmel‚ according to Rodgers‚ turned out to be wrong about the shot despite saying that medical care should be withheld from those who didn't take it.The second issue‚ according to Rodgers‚ is that Kimmel believed Rodgers is "an overly concussed wacko" for believing that an Epstein client list exists."Fast forward to this last week and I said that 'a lot of people‚ including Jimmy Kimmel‚ are really hoping that doesn't come out' — that's the entire quote‚" Rodgers explained."I was referring to the fact that if there is a list ... and there are names on it‚ then that would be the second time that a soft-brained‚ junior college student‚ wacko‚ anti-vax‚ anti-Semite‚ purveyor of misinformation‚ conspiracy theorist‚ MAGA — whatever other things that have been said by him and other people in the media — would be right twice‚" he added‚ mocking his critics.Rodgers acknowledged that he understands "how serious an allegation of pedophilia" is and thus he understands why Kimmel is upset. But‚ referring back to the quote of his comment that invoked Kimmel‚ Rodgers said he made no such suggestion against Kimmel."I’m not stupid enough — even though you think I'm an idiot and you made a lot of comments about my intelligence — but I'm not stupid enough to accuse you of that with absolutely zero evidence‚ concrete evidence. That's ridiculous‚" Rodgers explained. — (@) Later in the interview‚ Rodgers slammed ESPN senior VP Mike Foss for releasing a statement accusing Rodgers of making a "dumb and factually incorrect joke" about Kimmel."Mike‚ you're not helping. You're not helping because I just read earlier exactly what I said‚" Rodgers began."This is the game plan of the media. This is what they do. They try and cancel‚" he continued. "And it's not just me — it's nowhere near just me. If you look at all the different people who've been censored from the internet — especially during COVID. The canceling that went on‚ the censorship‚ using the government to try and censor people that happened."According to Rodgers‚ when media outlets' attempts at canceling people do not work‚ they resort to "name-calling‚" which he said also doesn't work because people can see the truth for themselves."This is the game plan they use. Incorrect‚ but that's the environment we're in‚" he said. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!