The Media Research Center (MRC) seeks to uphold the original vision of Free Speech Week, and nothing encapsulates those efforts more than the free speech advocates MRC has honored this year. Free Speech Week was founded in 2005 by The Media Institute and the National Association of Broadcasters “to raise public awareness of the importance of free speech in our democracy – and to celebrate that freedom.” The freedom of speech is a fundamental American liberty, one that transcends political differences. According to the official website, the event, “is designed as a unifying celebration, elevating the vision of the Founding Fathers above the political fray and recognizing free speech as something we can all believe in and cherish.”  Holding true to that vision, the MRC honored 35 champions of the First Amendment, including five members of the U.S. Senate (announced Monday), 10 members of the U.S. House of Representatives (announced Tuesday), 10 additional public officials (announced Wednesday) and 10 outstanding advocates of free speech in non-governmental organizations (announced Thursday). MRC Founder and President Brent Bozell commended all the award recipients in a statement: “Free speech is under attack in America. It is time we honor the best defenders of free speech. It is thanks to them that we are not under a full censorship regime." The left, in a dystopian twist, has flipped the First Amendment on its head in the years that followed Free Speech Week’s establishment. Now the left actively pushes to suppress speech it disagrees with under the guise of protecting Americans from mis-, dis- and mal-information.  In fact, a new MRC Free Speech America study unearthed a shocking number of current and former U.S. presidential nominees that have pushed for online censorship. Since the 2020 election cycle, seven of the most recent 10 presidential nominees have called for censorship and/or government regulation of constitutionally-protected free speech. The Biden-Harris administration has presided over one of the most expansive censorship enterprises ever seen in American history as government agencies have routinely colluded with Big Tech platforms to suppress speech. Democratic lawmakers have also recently put the squeeze on Big Tech platforms to censor political speech just before the November elections. In 2020, MRC polling research provided damning evidence showing how Big Tech platforms and Big Media stole the 2020 election by insulating Biden by censoring stories that would damage his political image amongst his voter base. MRC studies have shown that the media and Big Tech are attempting to do the same thing on behalf of Kamala Harris.  In another chilling example, leftist billionaire George Soros’s empire has poured an ungodly tens of millions of dollars into numerous groups pressuring Big Tech to censor speech that doesn’t comport with his radical views before the 2024 elections.  With such a massive onslaught against Americans’ free speech rights today, it is incumbent upon those standing for freedom to highlight the patriots who have met this threat head-on in their respective fields. Free Speech Week is a time to celebrate one of our most sacred freedoms. Congratulations to all MRC Free Speech Award recipients! The MRC and a grateful nation salute you. The winners of the MRC’s 2024 Free Speech Awards in the Senate are as follows: Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO).  The winners of the MRC’s 2024 Free Speech Awards in the House are as follows: Reps. Jim Banks (R-IN), Dan Bishop (R-NC), Ben Cline (R-VA), Tom Cole (R-OK), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Darrell Issa (R-CA), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rich McCormick (R-GA) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA). The winners of the MRC’s 2024 Free Speech Awards for additional public officials are as follows: Greg Abbott, Andrew Bailey, Brendan Carr, Ron DeSantis, Bryan Hughes, Paul Kanitra, Jeff Landry, Ashley Moody, Ken Paxton and Dave Yost. The winners of the MRC’s 2024 Free Speech Awards for Top Thought Leaders are as follows: Rachel Bovard, Mike Davis, The Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, Seth Dillon, Kara Frederick, Elon Musk, Terry Schilling, Michael Shellenberger, Matt Taibbi and Jonathan Turley. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.  

CNN’s Brian Stelter touted that CBS lawyers sent a “blunt letter” on Wednesday to Trump’s legal counsel Edward Paltzik, refusing to bend to public demands for the release of a full transcript of its sneakily edited Kamala Harris interview with Bill Whitaker on 60 Minutes. CBS News senior vice president for legal affairs Gayle Sproul insisted the First Amendment “fiercely protects” their work on 60 Minutes. Sure, but that included Dan Rather’s freedom to use phony documents in an attempt to smear George W. Bush in 2004. Today it applies to  CBS deciding to lead its evening newscast with anonymously sourced smears of Donald Trump. “For that reason,” Sproul argued, Trump has no legal basis to sue, “and I note that you do not identify one,” Sproul wrote. “Nor is there any legal basis for your demand that we provide you with the unedited transcript of the interview, which we decline to do.” In a two-page response obtained by CNN, Sproul wrote that Paltzik’s letter was “based on the faulty premise that 60 Minutes distorted its interview” with Harris “in order to present her in a positive light.” Banish the thought!  The CBS lawyer claimed “the interview was not doctored” and the newsmagazine “did not hide any part of the Vice President’s answer to the question at issue.” That’s not entirely true, since the word-salad portion shown on Face the Nation was hidden from viewers of the Monday night election special. Sproul also cited case law and insisted there was nothing special in this latest interview. “Editing is a necessity for all broadcasters to enable them to present the news in the time available, and that is what 60 Minutes did here, as it does with its other reports,” she wrote. Stelter sympathized with CBS not wanting to bend to Trump: “From the network’s point of view, caving to Trump’s demands to see the unedited interview transcript would break with precedent, suggesting that a powerful politician can bully a news organization into doing whatever he wants.” Stelter complained in his “Reliable Sources” newsletter that “In an environment of low-to-no trust in institutions, even routine editing decisions are ripe for exploitation and conspiratorial renderings. That's what happened to CBS News this month.”

The liberal media have continually circled back throughout the 2024 campaign to the impact of Nebraska’s proportional allotment of electoral votes and the fact that its second congressional district (and thus one of the state’s four votes) is purple in its partisan breakdown and has swung between the two parties.  But ABC’s Good Morning America took it to a whole other level Thursday to follow in the footsteps of puff pieces like this from The Washington Post to insinuate it going blue would not only give Kamala Harris the presidency, but a Democratic House and Senate. Chief Washington correspondent and three-time anti-Trump author Jonathan Karl beamed in from Omaha that “[w]e don't usually think about Nebraska as a battleground state, but this year, it does have the potential to be a decisive factor in the race for the White House and even for the battle over which party controls the House of Representatives and the Senate.” EYEROLL: ABC's Jonathan Karl and 'Good Morning America' are VERY, VERY excited about #NE02, arguing it's going to help Democrats win the White House AND both houses of Congress in a blue wave. pic.twitter.com/I06peFpDwM — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 24, 2024 Karl — who makes no secret his disgust for Trump (despite having been paid handsomely for his derangement syndrome) — gushed that “in Omaha, the state's biggest city, Democrats outnumber Republicans — a blue dot in a sea of red and, because Nebraska divides its electoral votes, that blue dot along with its one electoral vote, could be the deciding factor in the presidential election.” On-screen, there stood what the left has fawned over as an ingenious yard sign with a blank square and blue dot for Democrats to thumb their noses at their neighbors. Karl shifted to a tight reelection battle for Republican Congressman Don Bacon (which he’s fought off before, but Karl never mentioned that) and implied him being a Republican with Trump at the top of the ticket was toxic.  Karl then went to the Senate race, painting faux independent Dan Osborn as totally not a Democrat going up against incumbent Republican Deb Fischer (click “expand”): KARL: In the battle over control of the House of Representatives, one of the top targets for Democrats is Republican Don Bacon who represents Omaha. He has Trump's endorsement, but he'll need Democratic votes to win, so he's keeping his distance. [TO BACON] Would it help for Trump to be here if he's unpopular in your district? BACON (R-NE): You know, I think it would help in some ways and hurt in some ways and I don't worry about things I can't control, so — KARL [TO BACON]: So, you’re not asking him to come out there for you? BACON: I just accept — I accept who ever comes out. I’ll — I'll try and work with them. That’s what I do. KARL: And, in one of the year's most surprising development, Republican Senator Deb Fischer is suddenly  facing a tough challenge nobody saw coming from independent candidate Dan Osborn. He's a Navy veteran, blue collar worker, and political novice. Republicans are spending millions of dollars attacking him, portraying him as a liberal Democrat who is disguising himself as an independent. Osborne's response to the onslaught of negative ads has gone viral. Karl concluded by teasing an upcoming interview with Osborn and the laughable assertion Osborn would “have to decide whether or not to caucus with the Democrats or the Republicans” to then determine who controls the Senate. Co-host and former Clinton official George Stephanopoulos was enthused, reacting to this news with an “okay, great!” What Karl left out was the fact that Osborn’s fundraising through the Democratic Party’s small-donor platform, ActBlue. Further, our friend Gabe Kaminsky at the Washington Examiner reported Monday that Osborn said in a fundraising page he’d be up for “sell[ing] my vote” as a senator. And, last month, the Examiner reported Osborn has been privately praising socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). To see the relevant ABC transcript from October 24, click “expand.” ABC’s Good Morning America October 24, 2024 7:00 a.m. Eastern [TEASE] [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: 12 Days to Go; Race for the White House] ROBIN ROBERTS: Plus — GOVERNOR TIM WALZ (D-MN): One dot takes a difference. ROBERTS: — which state could determine the presidency, the House, and the Senate? (....) 7:03 a.m. Eastern ROBIN ROBERTS: And Jon Karl in Nebraska on the impact of the pivotal state (....) 7:10 a.m. Eastern [ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: New This Morning; All Eyes on Nebraska; Why State Could Decide Control of the White House & Congress] MICHAEL STRAHAN: And Nebraska could have a huge impact on this election. There's a chance it could decide the next president and control of the House and Senate, with both chambers so narrowly split. Our chief Washington correspondent Jon Karl is in Omaha with more. Good morning, Jon. JONATHAN KARL: Good morning, Michael. We don't usually think about Nebraska as a battleground state, but this year, it does have the potential to be a decisive factor in the race for the White House and even for the battle over which party controls the House of Representatives and the senate. Nebraska is Republican territory, but here in Omaha, the state's biggest city, Democrats outnumber Republicans — a blue dot in a sea of red. And, because Nebraska divides its electoral votes, that blue dot along with its one electoral vote, could be the deciding factor in the presidential election. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz know that — WALZ: One dot makes a difference. KARL: — and so does Donald Trump. DONALD TRUMP [on 10/23/24]: I would love to get that vote and to the people of Omaha please be nice to me. KARL: And it's not just the race for the White House. In the battle over control of the House of Representatives, one of the top targets for Democrats is Republican Don Bacon who represents Omaha. He has Trump's endorsement, but he'll need Democratic votes to win, so he's keeping his distance. [TO BACON] Would it help for Trump to be here if he's unpopular in your district? CONGRESSMAN DON BACON (R-NE): You know, I think it would help in some ways and hurt in some ways and I don't worry about things I can't control, so — KARL [TO BACON]: So, you’re not asking him to come out there for you? BACON: I just accept — I accept who ever comes out. I’ll — I'll try and work with them. That’s what I do. KARL: And, in one of the year's most surprising development, Republican Senator Deb Fischer is suddenly  facing a tough challenge nobody saw coming from independent candidate Dan Osborn. He's a Navy veteran, blue collar worker, and political novice. Republicans are spending millions of dollars attacking him, portraying him as a liberal Democrat who is disguising himself as an independent. Osborne's response to the onslaught of negative ads has gone viral. DAN OSBORN: This is why people hate politics. It makes you want to cut your TV in half. KARL: If Osborn wins, he's going to have to decide whether or not to caucus with the Democrats or the Republicans. That decision could single handedly determine which party controls the Senate. He hasn't said what he's going to do. Later today, I am going to interview, ask him that question and many others. It will be the first time he has ever done a network interview. George? GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay, great! Jon Karl, thanks very much.

Two women with masculine facial hair have sparked controversy in a Spanish women's soccer league as their team claims they are facing "violence" and "fascism."Alex Alcaide Llanos and Nil Alcon Labella play for Club Esportiu Europa B, a women's team in Barcelona. The duo have been reported as biological women by multiple outlets, including the Daily Mail, which noted that the women are in the middle of gender transitions and are still ineligible for men's soccer.'It was clear from an early age that I wanted to be a boy.'You can view images of the players in question — Alex and Nil — on the team's website. Both sport fully grown facial hair, likely from testosterone treatments.Alex can be seen in a 2022 Beteve article without any facial hair.The women's facial hair appears to have caused confusion, specifically following a recent 3-1 win over Terrassa.After the game, Alicia Tomas — a councilor from the conservative Vox party — called the players "two guys with beards who consider themselves women.""It is as unfair for men who perceive themselves as women to participate in a women's competition as it is for women who are undergoing male hormone therapy to participate," Tomas reportedly said. "They want to erase us from public spaces, from sports and from all areas."The politician later asserted that institutions are carrying out "violence against women."Tomas also said, "A man who perceives himself as a woman cannot play in a women's category. A woman up on testosterone and male hormones (doped) cannot play in a women's category. Only sexists can defend this encroachment on our rights."Alex reportedly said, "As long as my ID card still has the F for female, I'm playing in the category that corresponds to me."Alex went on that "it was clear from an early age that I wanted to be a boy, and that I wanted to be called Alex."The striker then claimed, "I started the transition of my body early, it hasn't changed that much, I've always had this male body and hormones help me to build muscle sooner, not to build more muscle. The moment I feel superior, with advantages, I'll quit, I'll step aside."CE Europa responded to the political backlash by saying it stands for values of "sportsmanship," "fair play," and "compliance with current sports regulation."As reported by Marca, the team also likened criticisms to violence and fascism and said it fights for the right of people to live lives "free from all kinds of violence.""Combating hate crimes and transferable violence is a collective duty that challenges us throughout society," the team reportedly added. "Therefore, we reiterate and say very loudly that we remain firm. Against aggression and fascism, we say 'not a step back.'"Councilor Tomas responded by accusing the team of inflicting violence against women.At the same time, despite both players being born women, playing on a women's team, and having identification that labels them as female, CE Europa still chooses to refer to them as males."Alex is developing as a player, he has obvious technical shortcomings, he is a fast player, but we have four or five more like him. He is not the fastest," team coordinator Nany Haces said in 2022.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

20 years is a ridiculous amount of time for a game to continue running, but somehow World of Warcraft has managed to beat the odds and is still fighting fit, two decades later. To celebrate this milestone Blizzard has just hit the game with a massive event looking back at some of the highlights of the game’s history, but there’s a catch. The anniversary update also came with some class balance changes, and things are looking a little wild out there right now. Continue reading WoW 20th anniversary celebrations kick off with class balance chaos MORE FROM PCGAMESN: WoW The War Within beta sign up, WoW The War Within release date, The best WoW addons

Balatro has already won over millions of players with its addictive, roguelike card game loop, so now it’s moving on to wooing other games’ fanbases too with some surreal but amazing collaborations. The free Friends of Jimbo update released earlier in the year already saw it team up with the likes of The Witcher for some wicked card art, and now its second pack of crossovers is here. Once again being completely free, you can now find Johnny Silverhand from Cyberpunk 2077 and Pierre the shopkeeper from Stardew Valley in the same hand thanks to Balatro’s Friends of Jimbo 2 update. Continue reading Unbelievably, Cyberpunk 2077 and Stardew Valley now exist in the same game MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty review, Best Cyberpunk 2077 mods, Buy Cyberpunk 2077

Tim Walz's Attempt at Being Manly and 'Talking to the Guys' About Protecting ABORTION Goes REALLY Wrong

MSNBC Host Al Sharpton Goes on the Campaign Trail for Kamala but It's (D) Different When Democrats Do It

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 comes out tomorrow, which means your drive is going to get a lot cozier.

Developer Misfit Village and publisher Nordcurrent Labs announced that first-person psychological thriller investigation game "Go Home Annie" will be launching on PC via Steam, GOG, and Epic Games Store on December 3rd, 2024, and later next year on console.