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Thursday, February 8, 2024

Antisemitism Sharply Incidents Rise in January

Just the News: An antisemitism watchdog organization documented a 171% surge in antisemitic incidents worldwide last month over January 2023. The report from the Combat Antisemitism Movement’s Antisemitism Research Center identified 468 antisemitic reports worldwide in January, for an average of 15.1 daily incidents. Among those were 52 physical threats and 87 incidents of antisemitic vandalism. Making up the clear majority (65.4%) were incidents of “Israel-related antisemitism” (Just the News). Combat Antisemitism Movement: The CAM Antisemitism Research Center (ARC) detected and monitored a significant increase in antisemitic incidents in Turkey over the three months following the October 7^th massacres. Turkish President Erdoğan reached new levels of antisemitic rhetoric, describing Israeli PM Netanyahu as “worse than Hitler” and saying Israel was running “Nazi camps” for Palestinians (Combat Antisemitism Movement).

Treasure Secretary Janet Yellen Testifies Why Financial Institutions Flagged Purchases of Bibles

Townhall: Testifying in front of the House Financial Services Committee Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was cornered about why her agency demanded private banking institutions flag and turn over data on purchases made by Americans without a warrant. More specifically at stores like Bass Pro Shop, Cabela’s and purchases of religious texts — including the Bible (Townhall). RNC Research: “Has Treasury … instructed financial institutions to search Americans’ legal transactions in attempts to surveil their purposes?” Biden Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen dodges — three times in a row (X).

Maine Votes To Create New Office To Help Illegal Immigrants

Portland Press Herald: A legislative committee has advanced a proposal to create an Office of New Americans in state government to help support Maine’s growing immigrant population and communities that absorb the new arrivals. The State and Local Government Committee voted 6-3 Tuesday in support of L.D. 2167, which would create a two-person office housed within the Governor’s Office of Policy, Innovation and the Future, and that would be tasked with improving the economic and civic integration of immigrants to the state. Five Democrats and one independent voted in favor, while the three opponents are Republicans. The bill now faces further votes in the House and Senate (Portland Press Herald). Libs of TikTok: New Maine Bill would establish a State office to help illegals integrate. When questioned why they don’t use those resources to help our veterans whose needs are ignored, State Rep Deqa Dhalac explains that illegals deserve priority over veterans (X).

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Declines Cease Fire; Wants Full Destruction of Hamas

National Review: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas cease-fire demands on Wednesday, vowing to fight on until “absolute victory.” Netanyahu made the comments shortly after meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in the region Tuesday night after meeting with leaders of Qatar and Egypt in the most serious diplomatic push of the war to secure a cease-fire agreement. Through these diplomatic channels, Hamas presented Israel with a proposal for a three-stage cease-fire that would last for 135 days and culminate in the end of the war. “Surrendering to Hamas’s delusional demands that we heard now not only won’t lead to freeing the captives, it will just invite another massacre,” Netanyahu said (National Review). Israel Hayom English: “The day after is the day after Hamas. All of Hamas,” Netanyahu told a news conference, saying Israel’s military had killed or wounded more than half of Hamas’s armed forces in the four months of war (X).

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona Refuses To Acknowledge Antisemitic Chants on College Campuses

Politico: Rep. Virginia Foxx is calling on Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to resign after he declined to condemn a chant used by pro-Palestinian protesters as antisemitic. Foxx, the House Education and the Workforce Committee chair, slammed Cardona’s remarks to a group of Jewish reporters on Tuesday after he did not outright say whether the phrase “from the river, to the sea, Palestine will be free” should be considered antisemitic by college officials. “Jewish students deserve to know that their Education Secretary understands the hate they face and has the necessary courage and clarity to confront it,” she added. “It is time for the Secretary to resign” (Politico). Virginia Foxx: Secretary Cardona should resign immediately (X). Hill: Cardona is the latest target for Republicans as they have locked in on antisemitism at college campuses amid the Israel-Hamas war, launching investigations into multiple universities they allege are creating a hostile environment for Jewish students (Hill).

Iranian Militia Members Killed in U.S. Drone Strike

BBC: A senior commander of an Iran-backed militia has been killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad. The leader of Kataib Hezbollah and two of his guards were in a vehicle when it was targeted in the east of the Iraqi capital. All three of them died. The Pentagon said the militia leader was responsible for directing attacks on American forces in the region. The US has linked the militia to a drone attack in Jordan that killed three US troops last month. In the wake of that attack, Kataib Hezbollah said it was suspending attacks on American troops to prevent “embarrassment” to the Iraqi government (BBC). Visgrad 24: Crowds are surrounding the US Embassy in Baghdad after the U.S. drone strike in Baghdad killing 2 high-level commander of the Iranian proxy group Kataib Hezbollah 2 hours ago (X).

Princeton Touts DEI Initiatives in Annual Report

National Review: Princeton University released its annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion report last week, touting the many DEI initiatives and programs implemented over the previous academic year, which include awarding “inclusive pedagogy grants,” hosting “faculty diversity salons,” and hiring a DEI librarian. The McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton issued ten “inclusive pedagogy grants” in 2023, which award $1,800 to teachers tasked with revising a given course “to more strongly reflect equitable and inclusive teaching practices.” The McGraw Center’s recommendations for “equitable and inclusive teaching” include 1) “Be thoughtful about identity language, making sure you are using terminology that is up-to-date and inclusive, not essentialist or divisive” and 2) “Connect course material to contemporary concerns, if possible. Create activities and assignments that help students apply the course material to broader issues of equity” (National Review).

Oreo Cookies Partners With Radical LGBT Group

Townhall: Nothing is immune to woke ideology, not even cookies. Oreo’s latest partnership signifies a disturbing trend in U.S. corporations advancing the LGBTQ+ agenda, as far-left ideologues impose it on children through programs like Drag Queen Story Hour and by placing pornographic books in public school libraries. The findings uncovered by the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), a conservative watchdog non-profit, reveal that cookie kingpin Oreo is a “proud” partner of PFLAG, formerly the national Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays network… PFLAG is a leading LGBTQ+ pressure group pushing sexually explicit reading material onto school-aged children. These graphic texts include mature content ranging from rape to masturbation (Townhall). Daily Wire: The National Legal and Policy Center also holds stock in Oreo’s parent company, Mondelez International, and has drafted a shareholder proposal calling for a committee to examine the risks of Oreo’s associations with groups like PFLAG. The shareholder proposal calls for the committee to issue a public report by the end of March 2025 and publish it on Mondelez International’s website. The proposal will be presented at the next shareholder meeting. It also notes that other companies have experienced customer backlash and damage to their bottom lines after taking a side on controversial cultural issues (Daily Wire).

Republicans Raise Concerns the Government Can Utilize AI to Censor Americans

Katie Pavlich: Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government are sounding the alarm about the government’s partnership with new artificial intelligence technology in order to censor differing viewpoints. In a new and lengthy report, lawmakers detail extensive findings of an investigation into taxpayer funded collaboration between federal agencies, academic institutions and their efforts to quash dissent through claims of “misinformation” (Townhall). Weaponization Committee: “While AI has the potential to be a powerful tool, it can also be used for many nefarious purposes that infringes on the liberties’ of American citizens.” LISTEN as Rep. Greg Steube outlines how MIT asked for federal funds to target certain Americans’ speech through AI (X).

10.

Washington D.C. Crime Rates Keep Escalating

Guy Benson: Last year, there were nearly 1,000 carjackings in DC, continuing a stunning spike in recent years. So far, year to date, dozens of carjackings have already taken place in the District. The Washington Post published a guide on how to avoid being victimized by this crime, including avoiding driving after dark. Murders have soared. Last year, DC’s murders actually surpassed Baltimore’s, a shocking milestone. In the past, the city’s bad crime was mostly limited to certain areas and neighborhoods. Nowhere feels safe these days (Townhall). Julie Tsirkin of NBC: Violent crime up by 39%. Homicide up by 35%. Motor vehicle theft up 82% … and that likely does not include the many attempts (like my car, which was totaled in unsuccessful carjacking TWICE in a private garage). What is happening in the nation’s capital (X)? Josh Holmes: DC is like working in the Wild West except they ban guns for the innocent to protect themselves (X).