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Harris VP hopeful worked with trans activists targeting therapists who wouldn’t ‘affirm’ kids’ gender: report

Harris VP hopeful worked with trans activists targeting therapists who wouldn’t ‘affirm’ kids’ gender: report

Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, reportedly among the top contenders to be Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, partnered with a major transgender lobbying group to challenge counselors who support children with gender dysphoria without promoting progressive medical transition methods. The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention nonprofit for LGBTQ youth, collaborated with Shapiro’s office to weed out licensed counselors – many of whom were part of Christian groups – who were opposed to suggesting so-called “gender affirming care” for children with gender dysphoria. The nonprofit and Shapiro’s office worked together to stomp out what they deemed as individual therapists doing “conversion therapy,” according to emails obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation through public record requests.  2024 SHOWDOWN: TRUMP CAMPAIGN REJOICES AFTER HARRIS LEANS IN ON KEY ISSUE HAUNTING HER VICE PRESIDENCY While conversion therapy traditionally focuses on altering same-sex attraction, it now also encompasses gender identity. New policy statements from Pennsylvania’s licensing boards, effective June 8 and adopted by five boards, classify attempts to help gender-distressed children accept their biological sex – rather than endorsing a transgender identity – as conversion therapy, the Dailey Caller reported. The new policies in Pennsylvania denounce licensed professionals who address a child’s gender distress without supporting their desired transgender identity as engaging in “immoral” and “unprofessional conduct.” Such actions could lead to penalties from the state board, including potential revocation or suspension of professional or medical licenses. Michael Geer, president of the nonprofit Pennsylvania Family Institute, told the news outlet that Shapiro’s action “hinders the ability of counselors and therapists to help their patients and threaten to punish those with convictions on sexuality and gender that differ from the governor’s.” “Pennsylvanians who seek help in facing unwanted same-sex attractions or gender dysphoria should be free to speak with professional counselors who could help them achieve their personal goals,” he said in a statement to the outlet. TWO OUTRAGEOUS BILLS KAMALA HARRIS SPONSORED WOULD CRUSH TAXPAYERS According to the emails, Perry Monastero, who worked for more than five years in the Trevor Project’s campaign against conversion therapy in Pennsylvania, commended the state boards for adopting the new policy statements. He described them as “more binding” than state law, according to a May report by the Philadelphia Business Journal. “This action by the boards is more binding than if we had a state law, because the decision makers are the professionals and their own peers, so they’re the ones that are saying this is not up to standard, and they’re the ones that could impact the discipline,” Monastero said in an email. Monastero sent Ashleigh Strange, executive director of Shapiro’s Advisory Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, an internal Trevor Project memo listing alleged conversion therapy practitioners in Pennsylvania. The Daily Caller reported that the Trevor Project undertook an extensive review of publicly available data to identify individuals and organizations involved in conversion therapy. Many of these were discovered through databases of Christian groups like the Restored Hope Network and Focus on the Family. The report indicates that Pennsylvania has a notably high number of faith-based organizations employing licensed “conversion therapy” providers. GOP SENATE CANDIDATE IN PA TOURS NATURAL GAS PLANT AS VP HARRIS PIVOTS FROM ANTI-FRACKING COMMENTS In a March 8 email, Strange informed Shapiro’s LGBTQ commission that the administration is working with the Trevor Project to improve reporting mechanisms for alleged conversion therapy practitioners, stating, “We are working with the Trevor Project to amplify ways the public can report conversion ‘therapists.’” Additionally, meeting minutes from state licensing boards – including those for Medicine, Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists, Professional Counselors, Psychology, and Osteopathic Medicine – reveal that the Shapiro administration has been pressuring these boards to eliminate practices labeled as conversion therapy between April 8 and May 2. “We are offended, yet not surprised, that opponents of counseling choice are unfairly targeting our Christian counselors who respect client goals and support those who seek to walk out their faith with their bodies,” Anne Edward, an executive director at one of the faith-based counseling hubs, Restored Hope Network, told the news outlet. “This counseling reduces suicidality for minors by a whopping 50 percent according to the Williams Institute Generations data reviewed by Dr. Paul Sullins. Disturbingly, The Trevor Project is seeking to ban counseling choice and punish counselors.” Fox News Digital reached out to Shapiro’s office but did not hear back by press deadline.

Dems hit as ‘hypocritical’ for failure to criticize Biden for similar oil deal slammed as bailout under Trump

Dems hit as ‘hypocritical’ for failure to criticize Biden for similar oil deal slammed as bailout under Trump

A significant oil purchase by the Biden administration for the purpose of replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) — which was tapped to artificially lower gas prices — has managed to fly under the radar for many, and Republicans are beginning to take notice.  “It is a little hypocritical,” Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, told Fox News Digital. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said, “They’re being kind of two-faced about this.” The Department of Energy (DOE) announced the purchase of 4.65 million barrels of oil for the SPR last week. The response was minimal, with many lawmakers unaware the purchase had even occurred. The president did not officially announce the SPR replenishment or tout the purchase.  HARRIS’ BORDER REMARKS HAUNT DOWN-BALLOT DEMS AS LAKE AD PREVIEWS GOP GENERAL ELECTION STRATEGY In 2020, when former President Trump’s administration sought to include replenishment for the SPR in a COVID-19 economic stimulus package, Senate Democratic leadership slammed him for what they referred to as a “bailout” for Big Oil. During that time, oil prices had fallen relatively low, and a purchase could have been made at roughly $30 per barrel.  Democrats were successful in removing the SPR replenishment from the ultimate version of the stimulus package.  The Biden administration, on the other hand, purchased 43.25 million barrels of oil at an average price of $77 per barrel, which is roughly $20 less than what it sold for in 2022 for an average $95, but still significantly higher than it was in 2020.  When questioned about the vastly different responses to the Trump and Biden administration’s similar actions, Senate Democrats were less than willing to address it.  REPUBLICANS LAMBASTE BIDEN FOR ISRAEL WEAPONS DELAYS: ‘STOP ACCOMMODATING IRAN’ “They made money. Yeah. So, sell high, buy low,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., an outspoken proponent of the Green New Deal and moving away from fossil fuels. “That’s the way to manage your strategic joint reserve. And then you can deploy it the next time that you need it again.” When the Trump administration’s proposed purchase was dropped from the COVID-19 stimulus in 2020, then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reportedly touted eliminating the “$3 billion bailout for Big Oil” from the framework.  Schumer’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on whether Biden’s purchase is also a bailout for Big Oil. ‘NO KINGS ACT’: SCHUMER ADVANCES BIDEN SCOTUS OVERHAUL WITH BILL TO STRIP TRUMP’S IMMUNITY “Let’s be honest, they shouldn’t have been selling off the petroleum reserves anyway,” Ernst told Fox News Digital. “But yeah, it’s pretty bad. So if you’re going to say it under one administration, you need to say it under the other.” According to Sullivan, “the biggest issue” is that “these guys, more than any other administration, have been using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve — which is supposed to be used for emergencies — as a political device, and they should be using a much more important strategic petroleum reserve called Alaska.”  ‘DANGEROUS MESSAGE’: TOP REPUBLICAN RAISES CONCERNS OVER TRADING AMERICANS FOR ‘ACTUAL RUSSIAN CRIMINALS’ Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., told Fox News Digital, “I think both sides are hypocritical.” “We have to have petroleum. We have to have a reserve. We really do. And you can’t rob Peter to pay Paul, as they say,” he explained. “And you’ve got to be very careful how you do this. And if you think you’re going to basically change the market, basically just put more oil on the market or make them think that you’re putting the reserves back when you’re really not, and whatever, it makes no sense at all.” The SPR currently holds 375.1 million barrels, a significant departure from the authorized storage capacity of 727 million barrels. In December 2009, the SPR held a record 726.6 million barrels.  Since taking office, President Biden has sold nearly half of what was in the reserve, marking the lowest the SPR has been filled since the 1980s. 

Which social media platforms have banned Trump and why? An overview

Which social media platforms have banned Trump and why? An overview

Former President Donald Trump has been blocked from five of the top social media platforms over the years, and all except one have returned his accounts as he runs for re-election in 2024.  During his presidency, Trump saw his Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube accounts all suspended in 2021 following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots. “Since President Trump first ran for office, liberals in big tech have allowed terrorists and dictators to spout hate speech on their platforms while banning President Trump in a shameless attempt to help Democrats win elections,” RNC Spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital in a statement. “It won’t work – President Trump’s message is resonating with voters across the country, which is why he had the most successful TikTok launch in history, and he will continue to speak directly to the American people about his agenda to Make America Great Again.” Trump’s Snapchat account was suspended in 2021 after the outlet claimed he was responsible for “multiple policy violations.” It has not been restored since.  GOP SENATOR INVESTIGATES GOOGLE FOR OMITTED FAILED TRUMP ASSASSINATION SEARCH RESULTS: ‘NO LOW THEY WON’T GO’ Asked why the profile could not be restored several years later, a spokesperson for Snapchat told Trump’s team their terms of service prevented them from reinstating his account. Trump War Room, an account working on behalf of the former president’s 2024 re-election campaign, blasted Snapchat in a post on X. “Snapchat REFUSES to reinstate President Trump’s account — but then shamelessly asks the Trump campaign to advertise with Snapchat Big Tech is all in for Kamala!” Trump War Room wrote, alongside a screenshot of their communication with Snapchat. Snapchat’s terms of service reportedly don’t allow for a terminated user to create a new account or be reinstated to their old one.  2024 SHOWDOWN: TRUMP CAMPAIGN REJOICES AFTER HARRIS LEANS IN ON KEY ISSUE HAUNTING HER VICE PRESIDENCY In the same message, the spokesperson for Snapchat encouraged the Trump campaign to buy advertisements on the platform to reach a “key audience that can be persuaded to turn out for Trump.” Meta suspended Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in 2021, but it reinstated them two years later. “Two years ago, we took action in what were extreme and highly unusual circumstances. We indefinitely suspended then-US President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts following his praise for people engaged in violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021,” Meta said in a statement.  “We then referred that decision to the Oversight Board — an expert body established to be an independent check and balance on our decision-making. The Board upheld the decision but criticized the open-ended nature of the suspension and the lack of clear criteria for when and whether suspended accounts will be restored, directing us to review the matter to determine a more proportionate response.”  Trump was also suspended from Twitter in 2021, but was given his account back after Elon Musk bought the company. Youtube said its decision to reinstate Trump to the platform “carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run up to an election.” Musk recently suggested that Google’s autocomplete search feature was omitting results for the assassination attempt against Trump. “Wow, Google has a search ban on President Donald Trump,” Musk wrote. “Election interference?” A Google spokesperson told FOX Business that there was no “manual action taken on these predictions.” After being blocked from several of the top social media companies in the U.S., Trump launched his own platform, Truth Social, which he frequently uses to make public statements regarding his 2024 presidential campaign. Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Paris Olympics: USA’s Finke sets new world record in men’s 1,500m freestyle

Paris Olympics: USA’s Finke sets new world record in men’s 1,500m freestyle

Team USA’s Bobby Finke breaks 12-year-old record to win second straight Olympic gold medal in the men’s 1,500m freestyle. The USA’s Bobby Finke smashed the world record as he defended his Olympic title in the men’s 1,500m freestyle, with Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri taking silver and Daniel Wiffen of Ireland claiming the bronze. Finke, who led from the outset of Sunday’s race, set a new world mark of 14:30.67, breaking the previous best of 14:31.02 set by China’s Sun Yang at the London Olympics 2012. The American, who won gold in both the 1,500m and 800m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, made his intentions clear early in the contest, taking a strong lead in the opening laps. He was out on his own until Paltrinieri, the gold medallist in this event at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016, narrowed the gap around the 850-metre mark. The Italian was also swimming at a world-record tempo, but when it came down to the final four laps, Finke had kept some energy in reserve to ensure he reached the wall 3.88 seconds ahead of Paltrinieri. Wiffen, who had won gold in the 800m freestyle ahead of Finke, had said before the race that it would take a world record time to win it. He was correct, but he was unable to deliver it, finishing 8.96 seconds behind Finke. Bobby Finke of the USA competes in the men’s 1,500m freestyle final on Sunday, August 4 [Quinn Rooney/Getty Images] Sjostrom takes 50m women’s free Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden claimed her second gold medal of the Paris Olympics, furiously dashing from one end of the pool to the other to easily claim the 50m freestyle title on the final night of swimming on Sunday. The 30-year-old Sjostrom, competing in her fifth Summer Games, touched in 23.71 seconds, just shy of the world record of 23.61 she set at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan. In a race that’s usually decided by a hundredths of a second, the Swedish star turned this final into a relative blowout. She was fastest off the block and clearly in control by the midway point of the single lap. Meg Harris of Australia took the silver in 23.97, while the bronze went to China’s Zhang Yufei in 24.20. Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (centre) touches the finish to win gold as she competes against Gretchen Walsh of the USA (left) and Katarzyna Wasick of Poland (right) in the women’s 50m freestyle final [Al Bello/Getty Images] Gold medallist Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden (centre), silver medallist Meg Harris of Australia (right) and bronze medallist Zhang Yufei of China (left) pose following the swimming medal ceremony [Adam Pretty/Getty Images] Adblock test (Why?)

Far-right rioters attack hotels housing asylum seekers in UK

Far-right rioters attack hotels housing asylum seekers in UK

Far-right demonstrators have attacked at least two hotels housing asylum seekers as the United Kingdom grapples with its worst riots in 13 years. On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered near a Holiday Inn Express hotel used to house asylum seekers near the northern town of Rotherham, throwing bricks at police and breaking several hotel windows, then setting bins on fire. Footage from UK broadcaster Sky News showed a line of police officers with shields facing a barrage of missiles, including bits of wood, chairs and fire extinguishers, as they sought to prevent the rioters, many of them masked, from entering the hotel. A police helicopter circled overhead and at least one injured officer in riot gear was carried away as the atmosphere turned increasingly febrile. “The behaviour we witnessed has been nothing short of disgusting. While it was a smaller number of those in attendance who chose to commit violence and destruction, those who simply stood on and watched remain absolutely complicit in this,” said Assistant Chief Constable Lindsey Butterfield. “We have officers working hard, reviewing the considerable online imagery and footage of those involved, and they should expect us to be at their doors very soon.” Late on Sunday, Staffordshire Police said that a hotel near Birmingham, which was known to have sheltered asylum seekers, was also targeted. “A large group of individuals” have been “throwing projectiles, smashing windows, starting fires and targeting police” at the hotel in the town of Tamworth, with one officer injured, the statement said. The unrest is the latest in a wave of rioting in the country since a stabbing rampage at a dance class last week in the northwestern town of Southport left three girls dead and several more injured. According to police, false rumours were spread online that the 17-year-old suspect in the knife attack was a Muslim immigrant. He was named in court last week as British-born Axel Rudakubana after a judge lifted reporting restrictions related to people under the age of 18. People look out from inside a hotel window in Rotherham, UK, August 4, 2024 [Hollie Adams/Reuters] Speaking on Sunday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised a swift response. “I guarantee, you will regret taking part in this disorder. Whether directly or those whipping up this action online and then running away themselves,” Starmer said in a TV address. There was “no justification” for what he called “far-right thuggery”, which has led to attacks on mosques and assaults on Muslims and ethnic minorities, he added. “People in this country have a right to be safe and yet we have seen Muslim communities targeted and attacks on mosques,” Starmer said. “To those who feel targeted because of the colour of your skin or your faith, I know how frightening this must be,” he said. “I want you to know this violent mob does not represent this country and we will bring them to justice.” Starmer had been criticised by some for not being vocal enough in denouncing the explicitly racist and Islamophobic nature of some of the attacks committed by those rioting. Zarah Sultana, a Labour MP who is currently suspended from the party for voting against the government, called on social media for Parliament to be recalled from its summer break. This is the moment rioters set fire to grass in Rotherham with police holding the line across from them. Rioters were also breaking into a Holiday Inn hotel and throwing items towards police. https://t.co/U56wIrPQTO 📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/TgQI0AWSyD — Sky News (@SkyNews) August 4, 2024 Xenophobic rhetoric Elsewhere in the UK, the atmosphere was also tense. In the northeast town of Middlesborough, protesters broke free of a police cordon. As protests began in Bolton, near Manchester, police said that a dispersal notice had been authorised to give officers extra powers to tackle antisocial behaviour. Police officials have said many of the actions are being organised online by shadowy far-right groups, who are mobilising support with phrases like “enough is enough,” “save our kids” and “stop the boats”. They are tapping into a narrative – amplified by right-wing media outlets and commentators – about the scale of immigration in the UK, in particular migrants and refugees arriving in small boats from France across the English Channel. The new disturbances came after police said that more than 150 people had been arrested since Saturday following unrest in Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, Blackpool and Hull, as well as Belfast in Northern Ireland. Critics have repeatedly pointed out that the spread of misinformation and the amplification of xenophobic rhetoric about immigrants and minority communities in the UK has led to the current outbreak of violence. Rosa Freedman, a professor at the University of Reading, told Al Jazeera that the riots were a result of the former Conservative government, which lost power last month, giving legitimacy to a small minority of “racists”. “Instead of hiding their faces, they have now been coming out… we cannot blame a Labour Party that has [only] been in government [for] the past four weeks,” she said. “There is a conversation that needs to be had in the UK and other countries about immigration…. We also need to tackle this from a human rights lens.” Police used dogs to deal with the disturbances in Rotherham [Hollie Adams/Reuters] Police have noted that calls to hold riots have come from a diffuse group of social media accounts, but a key player in amplifying them is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, a longtime far-right agitator who uses the name Tommy Robinson. He led the English Defence League, which the Merseyside Police has linked to the violent protest in Southport on Tuesday, a day after the stabbing attack. Yaxley-Lennon, 41, has been jailed for assault, contempt of court and mortgage fraud and currently faces an arrest warrant after leaving the UK last week before a scheduled hearing in contempt-of-court proceedings against him. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage, who was elected to Parliament in July for the first time as leader of