An email sent to Oklahoma State University’s psychology department solicited students to participate in a “Week of Rage” hosted by the school’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The email, sent by the psychology department’s Student Diversity Committee (SDC), said that the “Week of Rage” would begin on October 7 – the anniversary of the terrorist attack on Israel that killed 1,200 and wounded more than 5,000. “Since it’s been a year of genocide in Palestine, the students are continuing their commitment to the liberation of the Palestinian people and the end of the Zionist regime through a week of action from October 7th-11th,” the email said, according to a copy posted to X. The official diversity committee at Oklahoma State University’s psychology department sent an email soliciting students to participate in the “Week of Rage” sponsored by SJP. The first event is on Oct. 7th to celebrate the massacre. This is systemic antisemitism. pic.twitter.com/yQbatSzSwj — Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) October 5, 2024 The email listed the events for each day of the week, which includes a “Vigil For Our Martyrs” on Monday night, a “Demand Divestment” protest on Tuesday, a bake sale on Wednesday, a panel on Thursday, and a movie on Friday. In response to the post about the email, Oklahoma State’s official X account said the email “was student-authored and distributed by a student group. It was not reviewed or endorsed by the university.” This email was student-authored and distributed by a student group. It was not reviewed or endorsed by the university. — Oklahoma State Univ. (@okstate) October 5, 2024 In a statement to The Daily Wire, OSU further said: This email was student-authored and distributed only within the psychology department by a student group on campus. It was not reviewed or endorsed by the university’s administration. Student use of university email to distribute political content is protected by the First Amendment.  At OSU, we support free speech and an environment that encourages the sharing of different ideas and perspectives. We believe a robust public discourse is a contribution to the process of addressing society’s most pressing challenges, which is our charge as a land-grant institution. We appreciate the opportunity to educate students and the public about the First Amendment and protected vs. unprotected speech on public campuses. OSU didn’t respond to a Daily Wire inquiry about whether there would be consequences for those behind the email, who used a university mailing list and the official sounding “osupsychdiversity” account name to send the email. The language of the email from the SDC would appear to violate OSU’s current Code of Conduct, specifically its rule against discrimination. “Discrimination includes but is not limited to, disparate treatment directed toward an individual or group of individuals based on sex, race, color, sexual orientation, age, status as a veteran, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, sex stereotype, national origin, religion or a qualified individual with a disability that adversely affects their employment or education,” the code says. It is also unclear whether the SDC is a student group in the same way that SJP is, since the SDC isn’t a chapter of a national group and is specific to the school. Other universities are also facing anti-Semitism on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks against Israel. Protesters at the City University of New York vandalized the school’s Advanced Science Research Center, the New York Post reported. Pro-Palestinian protesters have also gathered at Columbia University, but Pro-Israel protesters are drowning them out with chants of “Bring them home,” referring to the 97 people – including 7 Americans – still being held hostage in Gaza.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz took center stage on “Fox News Sunday” where he ardently defended his state’s notably progressive abortion law amidst a landscape of increasing national debate. This Minnesota abortion law allows late-term abortions even if a woman is 9 months pregnant. And if the baby is born alive which many babies are, the doctors are not obligated to provide life-saving care. Tim Walz argues the bill is necessary for women to decide on their bodies. Minnesota’s Controversial Abortion Law During a challenging interview, Governor Tim Walz defended his state’s abortion legislation, which permits procedures without limitation up to birth. Host Shannon Bream questioned the governor about the potential national implications. Walz responded by advocating for the restoration of Roe v. Wade, positioning the law as a return to women’s control over healthcare. Walz emphasized the legislation places decision-making solely with women and healthcare professionals, stating, “What we did is restore Roe v. Wade; we made sure that we put women in charge of their health care.” Voters react to Gov. Tim Walz claiming abortion is a 'basic human right' https://t.co/Eqti5VuY0W — Fox News (@FoxNews) October 2, 2024 Debate Over Restrictions and Protections The debate intensified when Walz was pressed on the law’s removal of protective clauses for infants born alive post-abortion attempts. Critics argue this change could lead to ethical and medical concerns, while supporters claim it aligns with prioritizing women’s health decisions. Walz dismissed allegations about late-term abortion unrestricted permissibility, clarifying that the claims have been debunked by fact-checkers. “The law is very clear. It does not change that. That has been debunked on every occasion,” Walz replied. Walz accused former President Donald Trump of misrepresenting his stance, yet also stated that his administration maintains a clear pro-choice position, describing abortion as a “basic human right.” In 2023, MN Gov Tim Walz signed laws permitting abortion up to birth with no restrictions and removing life-preserving protections for newly born babies. Minnesota now allows denying care for infants and the effective completion of abortion after birth.https://t.co/GXPHlkawmc pic.twitter.com/HT6qL9UuAY — Clarity (@covid_clarity) September 12, 2024 National Impact and Political Ramifications Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris advocate for safeguarding abortion rights nationwide, opposing movements to enforce a federal ban. The pair call for the restoration of the Roe precedent, viewing it as a fundamental American right. ‘Look, the vice president and I have been clear, the restoration of Roe v. Wade is what we’re asking for,’ Walz replied. With Minnesota’s abortion law at the forefront, the nation watches closely, as such policies could influence broader legislative battles. For many conservative and patriotic Americans, the discussion raises significant questions about individual rights versus ethical governance. Sources: Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., debate abortion access in the United States during the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate. “What we did is restore Roe v. Wade, we made sure that we put women in charge of their health care,” Walz said. “Look, the vice president and I have been clear, the restoration of Roe v. Wade is what we’re asking for,” Walz replied. “President Trump has long been consistent in supporting the rights of states to make decisions on abortion,” said Karoline Leavitt, national press secretary for the Trump campaign. The post VP PICK SLAMMED – Backlash Erupts! appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

'You can't call a question you don't like misinformation'

The threat in the past year is not just abroad

'I put my hand on his face'

'All of these individuals and entities in my view have exposure here'

'Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness'

News Books on the Hill Press Small Press Releasing Dyslexic-Friendly Books Signs Major Novella Deal One small press is making reading more accessible than ever By Vanessa Armstrong | Published on October 7, 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share The Clevedon U.K. bookstore, Books on the Hill, already has a dyslexic-friendly shop,  and its owner, Alistair Sims, set up a small press that just closed a deal with major authors like Peter James, Lee Child, Karin Slaughter, and Bernard Cornwell to publish dyslexic-friendly novellas. Books on the Hill Press has different formatting than typical books, which makes reading easier for those who are dyslexic. Some of those attributes include larger font size, more space between lines, and having left-aligned text. You can see their current offering here, which includes books by Neal Asher, Garth Nix, Gareth Powell, and Adrian Tchaikovsky. Today marked the beginning of World Dyslexia Awareness Week, and Sims is urging all publishers to have one percent of their books printed in a dyslexic-friendly fashion. “People assume that, if a book is for dyslexic adults, then it’s simplified in plot and language, but it’s not,” he told The Guardian. “We’re not really changing the contents, we’re changing the formatting to make it easier to read.” Sims—who has dyslexia—also shared with The Guardian that his books have been well-received by those with the same condition: “I’ve had people come into the shop and once they’ve looked at those books, they’ve said: ‘That’s something for me specifically, I can read this.’ A couple of people even cried. So it does make a difference to people’s lives.” [end-mark] The post Small Press Releasing Dyslexic-Friendly Books Signs Major Novella Deal appeared first on Reactor.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., appears to have used tax dollars to communicate with constituents too close to the Nov. 5  election. Both federal law and House ethics rules restrict the use of taxpayer-funded resources to communicate with constituents within 90 days of an election.  Photos provided to The Daily Signal show boxes of documents marked as “499s,” a Capitol Hill term for mass mailings to fewer than 500 constituents.  A photo provided to The Daily Signal appears to show 499s from the office of Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan. Any mass mailings to 500 or more recipients must be approved by the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards, which also is known as the House Franking Commission.  The photos show documents in the boxes said: “Rep. Davids’ Final 499 APC Mailer Drop Checklist.” It wasn’t clear what APC stands for in this context. The documents are dated Sept. 16 and the named staff contact is Eric Stecklow, listed online as a senior communications adviser to Davids.  Federal law imposes a 90-day ban on a member of the House or Senate spending official funds for any unsolicited mass communication within 90 days of an election in which the lawmaker’s name is on the ballot.  Further, House Administration Committee regulations prohibit a House member from spending official funds to make any unsolicited mass communication within 90 days of any election in which the member’s name is on the ballot. The regulation defines “unsolicited mass communication” as “any unsolicited communication of substantially identical content to 500 or more persons in a session of Congress.”  A photo provided to The Daily Signal appears to show a box of documents designated as 499s from the office of Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan. Davids was first elected to represent Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District in the House in 2018, a major year for Democrats that saw the party flip the House of Representatives.  The Daily Signal reached two spokespersons for Davids—Zac Donley and Riley George—on Friday and Monday. Neither responded to requests for comment.  Davids, a lawyer, previously was a professional fighter in mixed martial arts. In 2019, the chief of staff to a fellow House freshman Democrat, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, publicly attacked Davids for voting to fund border security.  Categories and issues of interest are noted among documents from the office of Rep. Sharice Davids. It’s not clear how or if federal law on congressional mailings close to an election is enforced, but the House Ethics Committee could choose to enforce it, said Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department lawyer who is a senior legal fellow with The Heritage Foundation. “If she was going to do this mass mailing, it would seem to not only be in violation of ethics rules, but also federal law,” von Spakovsky told The Daily Signal, referring to Davids.  “This would be up to the U.S. Justice Department [to pursue],” he added. “Given the way that [Attorney General] Merrick Garland has totally politicized the department, the chances of him enforcing the law against a Democrat are nil.”  The post EXCLUSIVE: Do House Democrat’s Mass Mailings Run Afoul of Law and House Rules? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri released a letter Friday pressing the FBI in response to an audit from the Office of the Inspector General that found “egregious failures” in the agency’s handling of child sexual abuse cases. Schmitt, who was joined by 10 other Senate Republicans, addressed FBI Director Christopher Wray after the OIG report found instances of “gross negligence” in areas such as victim services, mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse, case transfers between offices, and timely responses to child sexual abuse allegations, according to the letter. Schmitt asked the FBI to explain how these lapses took place, if the agency implemented any disciplinary measures, and to describe how resources were allocated to handle child sexual abuse cases. “This level of negligence is beyond unacceptable—it’s indefensible,” Schmitt said in the letter. “At a time of historically low trust in American institutions, the FBI continues to undermine its own credibility when it comes to safeguarding our children from predators who wish to do them harm,” Schmitt said in a press release. “It is not only outrageous but unacceptable that the FBI continues to fail the victims of sexual abusers. These victims deserve justice. The FBI has questions to answer and changes to make in the coming days and months.” In nearly half of the cases reviewed by the OIG, the FBI failed to fulfill mandatory reporting requirements to state and local law enforcement as well as to social services, according to the letter. Of the reports that were filed, only 43% were reviewed within 24 hours, and only 17% were fully documented. The audit also revealed that an alarming 73% of transferred allegations lacked verbal contact or confirmation of a receipt, according to the letter. In one case, the FBI delayed action on an allegation against a registered sex offender for over a year, during which he began to allegedly abuse another individual. “How can the American public trust the FBI when it consistently neglects to fulfill its duties in protecting our children from abuse?” Schmitt said in the letter. Following the Larry Nassar scandal, where the U.S. gymnastics coach was convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of athletes, the FBI said it would improve its standards to ensure cases like these are properly handled, according to the letter. Schmitt pointed out that the OIG report proves the FBI’s enforcement is not sufficient. “Under [Wray’s] leadership, the FBI has not only failed to implement effective changes but has instead continued to mishandle cases of child sexual abuse with disturbing frequency,” Schmitt said in the letter. Along with these findings, Schmitt points out a whistleblower report from 2022 alleging child sexual abuse investigations were “deprioritized in favor of politically charged January 6 inquiries,” according to the letter. The Department of Justice requested over $30 million from Congress specifically for Jan. 6 investigations, prioritized “DEI hiring practices,” and other “radical reforms.” “Protecting all Americans, especially children, must take priority over politically motivated sideshows,” Schmitt said. “Ignoring child exploitation investigations for political expediency is a grave betrayal to the victims who depend on the FBI’s expertise and resources.” The letter was signed by Schmitt as well as Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Braun of Indiana, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Marco Rubio of Florida, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Mike Lee of Utah, and Roger Marshall of Kansas. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation The post Eric Schmitt, GOP Senators Press FBI Over ‘Indefensible’ Mishandling of Child Sexual Abuse Cases appeared first on The Daily Signal.