<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/national-park-service"><span style="font-weight: 400;">National Park Service</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> announced that it is reversing course on removing a </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/statues"><span style="font-weight: 400;">statue</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pennsylvania</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> founder William Penn from a </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/history"><span style="font-weight: 400;">historical</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> park due to massive backlash against the decision. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The organization announced on Friday that it would remove both the statue and a replica of Penn&#8217;s home from Welcome Park, a recreation area within Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Per the original </span><a href="https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/news/park-seeks-input-on-the-rehabilitation-of-welcome-park.htm"><span style="font-weight: 400;">announcement</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the NPS was seeking “to rehabilitate Welcome Park to provide a more welcoming, accurate, and inclusive experience for visitors.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The stated replacement for Penn’s statue and home included an homage to American Indians.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The proposed rehabilitation of Welcome Park includes expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia and was developed in consultation with representatives of the indigenous nations of the Haudenosaunee, the Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Shawnee Tribe, and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma,” the update said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The NPS invited public comment on the change, which led them to scrap the plans altogether following public outrage.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">&#8220;The preliminary draft proposal, which was released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review, is being retracted. No changes to the William Penn statue are planned,&#8221; an updated NPS statement <a href="https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/news/park-withdraws-review-of-welcome-park-rehabilitation-proposal.htm?fbclid=IwAR3lDfWxt1cL8janQW5Koe_dPuRoPB-EzlAS5uekAF5nUOeoDP5428Z6Cac">said</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Critics of the plan, including politicians, expressed their opinions online. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">State Representative Martina White (R-PA) </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/repmartinawhite/posts/pfbid02ttMHiahZLeQoV65fBozbc7CkcTpzestfjrpwXDs6Hy4yjT4F2J4c7WQ28q6gGJc3l?amp%3B__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R"><span style="font-weight: 400;">wrote</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on Facebook, “I hope they will find a way to incorporate the statue into the renovations,” while inviting constituents to share their opinions with the NPS on the proposed changes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A lot of the backlash came via X.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It started with Confederate statues. Now they&#8217;ve arrived at William Penn,” entrepreneur Michael Seifert <a href="https://twitter.com/realmichaelseif/status/1744410326353821871">wrote</a> in one popular post. “It doesn&#8217;t matter that he supported religious freedom, opposed slavery, and treated Native Americans with respect. It was always about replacing the history of the United States.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pennsylvania Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro seemed to agree with the NPS’s course reversal, <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorShapiro/status/1744502454048178194">writing</a> in an X post, “My team has been in contact with the Biden Administration throughout the day to correct this decision. I’m pleased Welcome Park will remain the rightful home of this William Penn statue — right here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Penn founded.”</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Yay!” X owner Elon Musk commented, while another commenter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/RecoverRepub/status/1744508800973828547"><span style="font-weight: 400;">thought</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> “the only reason why this decision was stopped is because the public got wind of it and became rightfully outraged.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Make no mistake: the Biden Administration tried to tear down a statue of William Penn as part of its toxic obsession with &#8216;equity.&#8217;  They only stopped because they got caught,” Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) </span><a href="https://twitter.com/TomCottonAR/status/1744738325645447195"><span style="font-weight: 400;">wrote</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of the controversy.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">William Penn was an influential Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonial era. The deeply religious Englishman was an advocate of democracy and religious freedom and was well-known for making fair and lasting treaties with native tribes as he helped establish the commonwealth. </span></p>


William Penn statue

Statue Of PA Founder William Penn Won’t Be Removed From Public Park Following Backlash

Statue Of PA Founder William Penn Won't Be Removed From Public Park Following Backlash

History

National Park Service

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

Social Issues

Statues

U.S.

<p>The National <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christmas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christmas</a> Tree in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/washington-d-c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington, D.C.</a>, toppled over on Tuesday, prompting a blizzard of jokes and memes on social media at President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a>&#8216;s expense.</p>
<p>A powerful gust of wind knocked down the tree placed in the Ellipse near the White House in the early afternoon, according to the <a href="https://wtop.com/dc/2023/11/gusty-winds-topple-national-christmas-tree-near-the-white-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Park Service,</a> but crews managed to pick it back up with a crane within a couple hours.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The National Christmas Tree Has Fallen <a href="https://t.co/1SjgoPBtkn">pic.twitter.com/1SjgoPBtkn</a></p>
<p>&mdash; philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/1729620814729793697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;The National Park Service is currently evaluating the National Christmas Tree, which fell over on Nov. 28 during a strong wind gust this afternoon,&#8221; the agency <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/wind-topples-national-christmas-tree/3481258/#:~:text=The%20lighting%20ceremony%20is%20scheduled,%2C%22%20an%20NPS%20statement%20said." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a statement</a>. &#8220;As the saying goes, &#8216;the show must go on,&#8217; and the NPS and our event partners are looking at all possibilities to ensure a successful event this year.&#8221; NPS later said workers had replaced a <a href="https://twitter.com/MissBeaE/status/1729641286209056974" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;snapped&#8221;</a> cable and declared the tree was standing upright as of 6 p.m. local time.</p>
<p>Though the lighting ceremony is still expected to take place with Biden on Thursday, and other National Christmas Trees have <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/28/national-christmas-tree-falls-over/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fallen</a> in the past, X users made the most of the temporary spectacle — with many decking the halls with Biden zingers.</p>
<p>&#8220;<span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-b88u0q">National</span> <span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-b88u0q">Christmas tree</span><span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3"> falls DOWN. Perfectly summing up Joe Biden&#8217;s presidency,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1729619200115655009" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the House Judiciary GOP. In another post, the account shared a GIF of Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-falls-while-walking-up-steps-to-get-on-air-force-one" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tripping while walking up</a> the stairs to board Air Force One.</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/pldxKr8GRC">pic.twitter.com/pldxKr8GRC</a> <a href="https://t.co/mz0Leg26dn">https://t.co/mz0Leg26dn</a></p>
<p>&mdash; House Judiciary GOP 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1729619927559016690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;Guess it will have to use the short stairs up Air Force One,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/JennPellegrino/status/1729634715919847564" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quipped</a> Newsmax host Jenn Pellegrino.</p>
<p><span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3">&#8220;The wind just knocked over the <span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-b88u0q">National</span> <span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-b88u0q">Christmas tree</span>. Crazy stuff but it’s nice to see something falling at the White House besides Biden,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/jimmyfailla/status/1729623970100486241" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joked</a> comedian and radio host Jimmy Failla.</span></p>
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<p><span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3">&#8220;</span>If the administration was depicted by a Christmas Tree…. This pretty much sums up the entire Biden Presidency,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/EricTrump/status/1729639220786987426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> Eric Trump, one of former President Donald Trump&#8217;s sons. <span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3">Others <a href="https://twitter.com/exjon/status/1729631168084021248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remarked</a>, &#8220;Biden&#8217;s America,&#8221; opined that the imagery was <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1729626900681629989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;fitting&#8221;</a> for his administration, or made references to the <a href="https://twitter.com/EsotericCD/status/1729623054114857000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;war on Christmas.&#8221;</a></span></p>
<p>NPS spokeswoman Chelsea Sullivan <a href="https://wtop.com/dc/2023/11/gusty-winds-topple-national-christmas-tree-near-the-white-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told local news outlet WTOP</a> that the tree, which is a <a href="https://mountainmessenger.com/monongahela-national-forest-makes-history-providing-two-christmas-trees-to-the-nation/#:~:text=A%2040%2Dfoot%20Norway%20spruce,Tree%20at%20the%20White%20House." target="_blank" rel="noopener">40-foot Norway spruce</a> from Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, is the first &#8220;cut tree&#8221; used as the National Christmas Tree in 50 years after one planted in 2021 got removed due to a fungal infection.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony <a href="https://twitter.com/GettyImagesNews/status/1729652567116751206" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took place on Capitol Hill</a> on Tuesday evening with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). Winds did not knock down that tree, but some pro-Palestinian demonstrators <a href="https://twitter.com/kellyfphares/status/1729638480634949783" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tried to disrupt</a> the event.</p>


President Joe Biden

‘Biden’s America’: Social Media Lights Up When National Christmas Tree Falls

'Biden's America': Social Media Lights Up When National Christmas Tree Falls

Christmas

Executive

Joe Biden

Social Media

Washington D.C.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Actor Julian Sands, 65, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/british-actor-still-missing-after-more-than-a-week-on-snow-covered-mountain-his-family-speaks-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disappeared in January</a> after traveling to California’s Mt. Baldy. While the search continues for Sands, many others have disappeared into the wilderness without a trace. Here’s a list of some of the most famous disappearances of all time.</span></p>
<h2><b>Bessie and Glen Hyde</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bessie, 18, and Glen Hyde, 27, were on their honeymoon at the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grand Canyon</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the fall of 1928 when they disappeared. They had been boating down the Colorado River with plans to travel through the Grand Canyon. Glen was an experienced boater, while Bessie had no experience. If they made the trip successfully, Bessie would have been the first woman to travel the Colorado river, and if the pair accomplished the tall task, they could receive money and be invited on a lecture tour.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After several months of travel, the couple’s boat was found full of supplies and unharmed, but with no sign of the Hydes. The couple has never been found.</span></p>
<h2><b>Dennis Martin</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dennis Martin, 6, was camping with his brother, father, and grandfather on Father’s Day weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1969. On June 14, he and his brother, along with children from a separate family camping with them, hid behind some bushes to scare the adults. But after the other children returned to the campsite without Dennis, his father became concerned and started looking for him, to no avail.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">National Park Service rangers were called in to assist in the search, and eventually, the National Guard and even the Green Berets joined in the search for the missing child, but he was never found. The only traces ever found were a shoe and a sock believed to belong to Dennis, and matching tracks leading to a stream.</span></p>
<h2><b>Douglas Legg</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Douglas Legg, 8, was about to go on a hike with his family in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">the Adirondack Forest Preserve’s Santanoni Preserve</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on July 10, 1971. His uncle, however, noticed some poison ivy and told the young boy to wear long pants, so Legg ran the short distance back to the family’s cabin to change clothes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Legg knew the area, since the family owned the cabin, and was referred to as a “mini-woodsman,” so it was unlikely he simply became lost. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">But after one of the Adirondacks’ largest search and rescue operations, which included more than 600 people looking for the young boy, no trace was ever found.</span></p>
<h2><b>Paul Braxton Fugate</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paul Fugate’s disappearance is especially strange because he was a </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Park Ranger at Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. He disappeared in 1980 at the age of 41 after his shift ended and he went for a hike.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fugate was the only permanent staff member at the park, so it is doubtful he would have left the seasonal employees to close the park. To make matters worse, Fugate was the person that would have organized the search and rescue, but without him, the local sheriff’s department and National Park Service (NPS) had to step in.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NPS claimed Fugate must have walked off his job, so it denied his wife the pension benefits she should have received. Five years later, those benefits were reinstated after a review of the case.</span></p>
<h2><b>Stacy Arras</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stacy Arras, 14, along with her father and a group of others were on a week-long trip through </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yosemite National Park. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">They were riding mules and had reached their last camp on the High Sierra Loop Trail at Tuolumne Meadows on July 17, 1981. Arras left her cabin with her camera to photograph the landscape but never returned.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gerald Stuart, 77, was also on the tour and had walked with Arras for nearly half an hour before returning to camp to rest. Others saw the two together and witnessed Stacy continue on after Gerald sat down on a boulder. An extensive search of the area turned up nothing. No one even found any cigarettes either, even though Stacy was a smoker.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What makes Stacy’s case even more mysterious is the National Park Service’s refusal to turn over documents relating to her case.</span></p>
<h2><b>Polly Melton</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thelma Pauline “Polly” Melton, was 58-years-old, out of shape, a heavy smoker, and taking medication for high blood pressure and nausea. Still, she loved to hike, and took to a simple trail in the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Great Smoky Mountains National Park</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on September 25, 1981. She went with two women, but apparently walked ahead of them and went over a knoll and was never seen again.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Melton carried nothing with her, not even her purse, because it was supposed to be a short, easy hike. No one heard from her, but a year later, a check was cashed in her name. Police never said whether it was her signature on the check.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some speculated that Melton simply ran off, leaving her ill husband to start a new life with a new lover, but with no trace of her, no one can be sure.</span></p>
<h2><b>John Devine</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">John Devine, 73, was visiting </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Olympic National Park</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in northern Washington State in 1997 when he disappeared. Despite his age, Devine was an experienced long-distance hiker who was camping with his friend, Greg Balzer. The two split up on September 7, 1997, so that Devine could hike and Balzer could hunt.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Devine didn’t return, a search was called, but the search was called off when weather conditions deteriorated. Devine was never found.</span></p>
<h2><b>Ruthanne Ruppert</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ruthanne Ruppert, 49, was vacationing in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yosemite National Park</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in August 2000 when she woke up with an eye infection. She received treatment, but missed a change to backpack with a group crossing the park. Needing to find a new way to spend her vacation, Ruppert rented a tent cabin and went shopping to stock up on supplies.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s unclear exactly when she went missing, but at some point she simply disappeared, leaving her supplies behind. A search and rescue crew found no trace of her.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eight years later, Ruppert’s backpack was found in a drainage area nearly eight miles away from where she rented the tent cabin. No one knows how it ended up there or what happened to Ruppert.</span></p>
<h2><b>Michael Ficery</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michael Ficery, 51, went for a hike at </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yosemite National Park on June 15, 2005</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, at one of the park’s less popular trails. When he didn’t return home after his hiking permit expired, his family called in a search, which became so massive even the U.S. Marine Corps helped.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Searchers found Ficery’s bag, which still contained his map, camera, and some water. His family insisted he would never leave his bag while hiking, and feared the worst. In the nearly two decades since Ficery disappeared, no other trace of him has been found.</span></p>
<h2><b>Barbara Bolick</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Barbara Bolick, 55, was hiking with a family friend, Jim Ramaker, in the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bitterroot Mountains in Montana on July 18, 2007</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, when the pair stopped to take a break at a viewpoint at the end of a 2.7-mile-long trail. The pair spoke with some other hikers at the viewpoint before admiring the view of the mountains.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bolick began walking back down the trail while Ramaker took one last look at the scenery. When he started down the path less than a minute later, he couldn’t find Bolick, and she didn’t answer when he called her name. He even blew a whistle trying to get her attention, but had no luck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ramaker, believing Bolick couldn’t get lost on a trail she knew well, returned to their vehicle, thinking she simply walked on without him. But Bolick was never seen again.</span></p>
<h2><b>Morgan Heimer</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morgan Heimer, 22, worked for a rafting company known as Tour West, which operated along </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">the Colorado River</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. On June 2, 2015, Heimer was helping rafters return from a swim when he apparently went to take a break. The lead tour guide would later say he was walking away from a cliff, and when he returned to look for Heimer, he was nowhere to be found. At first, no one was worried, since Heimer was experienced and knew the area. He was also wearing a life jacket, but when he didn’t return that evening for dinner, a search was called, but no trace of him was ever found.</span></p>
<h2><b>Tom Messick</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tom Messick, 82, was hunting with a group on </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lily Pond in New York</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on November 15, 2015, when he vanished. Messick, who had served in the 82</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">nd</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Airborne Division as a paratrooper, was half deaf and missing an eye due to an explosion he suffered in his early 20s, but he was an avid and experienced hunter. Because of his disabilities, he was told to stay still while others in his group drove game toward him and several other elderly men. Somehow, Messick disappeared, and a search found neither him nor any of the belongings he had with him that day.</span></p>
<h2><b>Floyd Roberts</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Floyd Roberts, 52, regularly visited the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grand Canyon</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> with his friend, Ned Bryant. In 2016, the duo once again went to the canyon, along with Bryant’s daughter. The three were hiking on a trail that split, with Bryant and his daughter taking one path with plans to meet up with Roberts at the other end.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But when the Bryants arrived at the other side, Roberts wasn’t there. They couldn’t find him when they hiked the path he had taken, and couldn’t find him back at their camp. They hiked until they could find cell service and reported their friend missing, but a search team found nothing.</span></p>
<h2><b>Cian McLaughlin</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cian McLaughlin, 27, was an Ireland native visiting </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in June 2021. He was reportedly heading toward Taggart Lake before he disappeared, and was only reported missing when he didn’t show up for work when he was supposed to return.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His car was found in the area he was last seen, and a search was called, but 45 helicopter searches and others found no trace of the man.</span></p>


Autumn in Yosemite National Park, California

14 Of The Most Mysterious Wilderness Disappearances Of All Time

Missing Person

Readers Pass

<p>Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys announced it would close beginning Monday in response to a flood of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/migrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">migrants</a> arriving on its shores.</p>
<p>The park, located on the Western extreme of the Florida Keys, announced the closure on Monday. The National Park Service said in a statement that it was closed in order to respond to nearly 300 migrants who arrived on the island in recent days. The migrants mostly arrived from the communist island nation of Cuba by boat.</p>
<p>&#8220;On January 2 at 8 am, Dry Tortugas National Park will temporarily close to public access while law enforcement and medical personnel evaluate, provide care for and coordinate transport to Key West for approximately 300 migrants who arrived in the park over the past couple of days,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/drto/learn/news/drto-closure-jan-2-2023.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Park Service</a> said in its statement.</p>
<p>&#8220;The closure, which is expected to last several days, is necessary for the safety of visitors and staff because of the resources and space needed to attend to the migrants. Concession-operated ferry and sea plane services are temporarily suspended.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Like elsewhere in the Florida Keys, the park has recently seen an increase in people arriving by boat from Cuba and landing on the islands of Dry Tortugas National Park,&#8221; the NPS added. &#8220;Park first responders provide food, water and basic medical attention until the Department of Homeland Security arrives and takes the lead. While the park is closed, vessels may seek safe harbor in the designated areas within the one nautical mile anchoring zone around Garden Key, including Bird Key Harbor. There will be no visitor services available while the closure is in effect and emergency services will be extremely limited. All closures will remain in place until further notice.&#8221;</p>
<p>Walter N. Slosar, the Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Miami Sector, tweeted that Border Patrol agents had encountered at least 200 migrants on New Year&#8217;s Eve and New Year&#8217;s Day alone, in more than a dozen encounters.</p>
<p>&#8220;During the past 24 hours, U.S. Border Patrol agents &amp; LE partners responded to 5 migrant landings throughout the Florida Keys and encountered 88 Cuban migrants,&#8221; Slosar <a href="https://twitter.com/USBPChiefMIP/status/1609257012226818048?s=20&amp;t=UCfSvEbVcOZl17OjHuyOdw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted Saturday</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;New Year&#8217;s Day in Florida: Over 160 migrants have been encountered today in the #Florida Keys,&#8221; he added <a href="https://twitter.com/USBPChiefMIP/status/1609602482602389504?s=20&amp;t=7zHT-T0rEiMAhLVZM4Naqw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday</a>. &#8220;Border Patrol agents with support from federal, state, and local LE partners responded to 10 migrant landings since midnight.&#8221;</p>
<p>Rear Admiral <a href="https://twitter.com/HSTF_Southeast/status/1609657848400592903?s=20&amp;t=sCww1T_9WMuoXpHaud6o3Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brendan C. McPherson</a>, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District &amp; director of Homeland Security Task Force &#8211; Southeast, added in a separate statement on Twitter that the migrants would be removed and provided with food and water and basic first aid, before being transferred to the custody of Border Patrol for processing. “Irregular, illegal maritime migration is always dangerous and very often deadly. #DontTakeToTheSeas,” he said.</p>
<p>The park, about 100 acres in area, is a small archipelago about 70 miles from Key West. It is made up of the seven Dry Tortuga islands, and the incomplete naval fort and former prison, Fort Jefferson. Most of the park is water, and it is home to some of the best-preserved coral reefs in the Florida Keys. The Park is renowned for its abundant tropical marine life and birds.</p>


Dry Tortugas National Park

National Park In Florida Keys Closes Indefinitely After 300 Migrants Land On Shores

Dry Tortugas National Park Closes Indefinitely After 300 Migrants Land On Shores

Border Patrol

Florida

Immigration

Migrants

<p style="font-weight: 400;">Some people eager for a real taste of the American West have taken their predilections so far they are willing to lick toads to get high.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">On Halloween, in what was definitely more a warning about a trick rather than a treat, the National Park Service (NPS) put out a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=503416565159338&amp;set=a.227456602755337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warning</a> for visitors not to lick Colorado river toads.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“These toads have prominent parotoid glands that secrete a potent toxin,” NPS warned. “It can make you sick if you handle the frog or get the poison in your mouth. As we say with most things you come across in a national park, whether it be a banana slug, unfamiliar mushroom, or a large toad with glowing eyes in the dead of night, please refrain from licking.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The Colorado river toad measures seven inches long; it emits a “weak, low-pitched toot, lasting less than a second.” It can live for 20 years while hibernating underground for most of each year, only to appear after heavy summer rains.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The “toads are found in southern parts of Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Texas as well as in Florida and Hawaii,” the National Capital Poison Center <a href="https://www.poison.org/articles/poisoning-from-amphibians-204" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explains</a>. “These toads have poison glands on their backs and behind their eyes that produce a toxic fluid with several kinds of chemical compounds.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">NCPC adds that the toads secrete cardioactive steroids that can “cause serious, life-threatening toxicity.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Yet “toad medicine circles” have proliferated. “People pay anywhere from $250 for a ceremony in the East Texas woods to $8,500 for a more gilded beachfront setting in Tulum, Mexico, to consume the toxin,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/20/us/toad-venom-psychedelic.html#:~:text=Toxin%20Is%20Booming.-,Some%20Warn%20That's%20Bad%20for%20the%20Toad.,at%20risk%20of%20population%20collapse." target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> noted.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“In recent years, psychedelic enthusiasts have been rounding up Sonoran Desert toads in order to obtain their secretions, which contain a powerful hallucinogenic substance called 5-MeO-DMT,” <a href="https://www.hcn.org/issues/53.7/south-wildlife-a-hallucinogenic-toad-in-peril" target="_blank" rel="noopener">High Country News</a> reported in June 2021. 5-MeO-DMT can be dried into crystals and then placed in a pipe to be smoked.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">The toads have remained abundant in Arizona. Thomas R. Jones, Amphibians and Reptiles Program manager with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, admitted, “We think poaching takes place. And there have been some anecdotal reports of it (happening). But even our law enforcement guys don’t have a good feel for toad poaching. &#8230; that could be because it’s not on their radar.”</p>


Colorado river toad (Incilius alvarius).

Don’t Lick The Toads To Get High, National Park Service Warns

Don't Lick The Toads, National Park Service Warns

Arizona

Health

Science

Toads

Toxin

<p class="p1">The world’s tallest tree is no longer open to visitors, and those who try to visit it anyway could be fined $5,000 and have to serve up to six months behind bars.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">The tree is called “Hyperion,” a <span class="s1">379.1-foot tall</span> coast redwood estimated to be anywhere from 600 to 800 years old. It’s located in a secluded area of California&#8217;s Redwood National Park with no defined trail leading to the tree. The park’s manager for natural resources, Leonel Arguello, said people have still made their way to it, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/02/california-redwood-hyperion-worlds-tallest-tree"><span class="s1">The Guardian</span></a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">Arguello reportedly said Hyperion was “discovered” by two novice naturalists in 2006, and visitors started hiking to view the tree by 2010 after its precise location was shared online. Guinness World Records established the tree as the tallest in the world in 2019. Its remote location lacks cell service, which presents challenges if someone is injured en route to Hyperion.</p>
<p class="p1">“If someone were to get hurt down there, it’d be a while before we could get to them and extract them,” Arguello <span class="s1">said, reported <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/You-are-no-longer-allowed-to-visit-the-world-s-17340455.php">SFGATE</a></span>. “These are all reasons why we’re playing it safe and protecting our resources.”</p>
<p class="p1">“I hope people understand that we’re doing this because our eye is focused on protection of resources and safety of the visitors,” Arguello said, per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/us/hyperion-tree-redwood-california.html">The New York Times</a>. He noted that the National Park Service decided to impose the rule, which went into effect in March after people created their own trails and climbed Hyperion.</p>
<p class="p1">People have visited the tree by hiking through the forest and bushwhacking into overgrown areas, creating their trails. The National Park Service’s <a href="https://www.nps.gov/redw/planyourvisit/hyperion.htm"><span class="s1">website</span></a> explains that the area surrounding Hyperion doesn’t have ferns anymore because people have walked through the site. People have also damaged the tree by walking on its base. According to SFGATE, Arguello also reportedly said it&#8217;s likely the tree won&#8217;t be the tallest in the world for much longer, which is a reason the park hasn&#8217;t created a trail leading to it.</p>
<p class="p1">“The social trails have grown in number, the amount of garbage has increased, there’s human waste that has been seen, and as more people go up to this tree, they create more social trails and all of that is having damage impacts to the vegetation, to the soils and, and all of the garbage just sits out there,” Arguello said.</p>
<p class="p1">“It&#8217;s the most unimpressive tree you’ll ever see,” he <span class="s1">said, reported The New York Times</span>. “I’ve worked at this park for 33 years now, I’ve seen most of the old growth in this park, and this particular tree is not that impressive at the base. It’s just really tall.”</p>
<p class="p1">“When you can’t see the top 150 feet of tree, it doesn’t really matter how tall it is,” Arguello added.</p>
<p class="p1">Authorities are pressing visitors to visit instead Tall Trees Grove, which has many trails and redwoods.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>
<p class="p1">“You can walk the grove and then go picnic by the creek and splash and swim in the water. You don’t have to scramble and bushwhack up to this tall, skinny tree that isn’t that impressive,” Arguello noted.</p>


C6468D07-D089-4603-8774-DB720FFC3D5F_1_201_a

Visitors To World’s Tallest Tree Could Now Face Six Months In Jail And $5,000 Fine

National Park Service Closes World's Tallest Tree To Visitors, Imposing Possible $5,000 Fine And Six Months Of Jail Time

California

Nature

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/world-war-ii">World War II</a>-era boat has surfaced in the receding <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lake-mead">Lake Mead</a> months after several bodies were found as water levels plummeted due to an ongoing drought.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The Higgins landing craft that has long been 185 feet (56 meters) below the surface is now nearly halfway out of the water at Lake Mead,” the Associated Press <a href="https://kmph.com/news/local/world-war-ii-era-boat-emerges-from-lake-mead-las-vegas-shrinking-water-level-environment-marina-hemingway-harbor">reported</a>. “It was used to survey the Colorado River decades ago, sold to the marina and then sunk, according to dive tours company Las Vegas Scuba.”</span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">World War II-era boat emerges from shrinking Lake Mead <a href="https://t.co/jU0itxF8cY">https://t.co/jU0itxF8cY</a></p>
<p>&mdash; FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) <a href="https://twitter.com/fox5dc/status/1543312323070287879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similar boats were used by American forces during the invasion of Normandy during World War II, and Higgins, a New Orleans based company, manufactured the crafts from about 1942-1945.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The boat surfaced near Hemingway Harbor and the Lake Mead Marina, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/national-park-service">National Park Service</a> (NPS) hopes that its emergence will have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/american-history">educational</a> purposes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There are relatively few working or museum examples of the LCVP Higgins craft like the one currently emerging from Lake Mead,” NPS </span><a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/shrinking-lake-mead-reveals-world-war-ii-era-boat-2601189/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As water levels continue to fluctuate and decline, we know that this boat may come to the attention of park visitors both new and returning. Lake Mead hopes everyone has the opportunity to learn more about its history and ask that as visitors enjoy the site, they leave it as they found it to avoid damaging the boat,” it continued.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The park service also explained more about the history of craft, and its connection to the World War II era, explaining that a thin half inch armor still protected the boat.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The surplus nature of the craft highlights an earlier era of the Lake when Las Vegas and Lake Mead were much more remote and removed from much of the United States, where relatively inexpensive WWII surplus could be pressed into duty for new peaceful purposes in the park,” it explained.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Last month, skeletal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/probably-more-bodies-skeleton-washes-up-in-barrel-on-nevada-lake-shore">remains</a> washed up at the lake, leaving questions about the circumstances and who dumped the bodies in the lake.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One body, found in a barrel that had washed up onto the muddy shore of Lake Mead, was found by a group of boaters Sunday afternoon around Hemenway Harbor. According to authorities, it is believed that the body dates back to the 1980s, but it has not yet been disclosed how the body ended up in the barrel or in the lake.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s going to be a very difficult case,” Las Vegas Metro police homicide Lt. Ray Spencer </span><a href="https://www.8newsnow.com/i-team/i-team-body-found-in-barrel-in-lake-mead-may-date-back-to-1980s-more-likely-to-appear-as-water-recedes-las-vegas-police-say/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">told</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the 8 News Now investigation team. “I would say there is a very good chance as the water level drops that we are going to find additional human remains.”</span></p>


Lake Mead at exceptionally low levels following the four year long drought, with the obvious level that the lake used to be at, Nevada, USA.

World War II-Era Boat Surfaces In Lake Mead As Water Levels Continue To Sink

American History

Lake Mead

Nevada

World War II

<p>Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s &#8220;workaround&#8221; for the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling last week that states can restrict abortions is to terminate pregnancies on federal land &#8212; which presumably could mean abortion clinics in national parks.</p>
<p>The New York Democrat raised the bizarre prospect while <a href="https://grabien.com/story.php?id=384005?utm_source=cliplist&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=cliplist20220701&amp;utm_content=story384005">railing against the Hyde Amendment</a>, which bans the use of federal funds to pay for abortion, except to save the life of the woman, or if the pregnancy arises from incest or rape.</p>
<p>“I will say, on a policy response, we should — we need to be working on repealing the Hyde Amendment in Congress right now,” Ocasio-Cortez pronounced. “I am proud to say that we have successfully started to take the steps to repeal the Hyde Amendment. &#8230; repealing the Hyde Amendment will allow the federal government to invest in access to reproductive care on — in any place that has federal jurisdiction, including places with federal jurisdiction in red states.&#8221;</p>
<p>“I have brought up, for example, the prospects of increasing abortion access on federal lands in red states,” Ocasio-Cortez declared. “There are workarounds around this. We can start exploring this now.”</p>
<p>Ocasio-Cortez had initially called for using public lands for on July 24, <a href="https://twitter.com/ohheyjenna/status/1540509529493872640">ranting at a rally</a> in New York City’s Union Square, “One of the things that we know too, is that there are also things actions at President Biden’s disposal that he can mobilize, aren’t there? I’ll start with the babiest of the babiest of the baby steps: Open abortion clinics on federal lands in red states right now.”</p>
<p>Federal lands include national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, conservation areas, monuments, wildernesses, historic sites, memorials, battlefields, recreation areas, wild and scenic rivers, seashores and lakeshores, and trails, according to the <a href="https://www.doi.gov/blog/americas-public-lands-explained">U.S. Department of the Interior</a> (DOI).</p>
<p>“Our national parks are America’s crown jewels, inspiring awe and wonder. Iconic locations like Yosemite and Yellowstone attract visitors from all over the world, but our public lands are so much more than just the big 61 national parks,” DOI writes. “They’re also scenic rivers, national marine monuments, national battlefields and wildernesses.”</p>
<p>“With more than 400 national parks, 560 national wildlife refuges and nearly 250 million acres of other public lands managed by Interior, there’s at least one public land near you,” DOI adds.</p>
<p>Ocasio-Cortez has referred to national parks as examples of Democratic Socialism; in 2018 she tweeted, “Back home after a lovely few days off enjoying US examples of Democratic Socialism, like: Acadia National Park.”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Back home after a lovely few days off enjoying US examples of Democratic Socialism, like:<br />&#8211; Acadia National Park<br />&#8211; Café Co-ops (Def Top 5 best breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever had 🍳)<br />&#8211; Supporting worker-owned businesses<br />&#8211; Bonus: Spotted a <a href="https://twitter.com/PPact?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PPact</a> helping people, per usual✌🏽💜 <a href="https://t.co/xmiYXutfpS">pic.twitter.com/xmiYXutfpS</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1031202702871683072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2018</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>


House Oversight Cmte Holds Hearing On Recent Mass Shootings In Buffalo And Uvalde

AOC Wants Abortion Clinics On Federal Lands, Which Include National Parks

AOC Wants Abortion Clinics On Federal Lands

Abortion

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

<p>Historic flooding forced Yellowstone National Park to evacuate everyone and close on Monday after the rushing water left main roads damaged or submerged and bridges either impassable or washed out.</p>
<p>According to a <a href="https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/environmental/local/historic-flooding-damages-yellowstone-infrastructure-strands-gateway-community/article_244ada4e-5462-5a03-a9e2-c20b70a5ab2c.html">report</a> from the Jackson Hole News and Guide, storms on Sunday evening brought heavy rains that overwhelmed the rivers and streams that flow through the surrounding area, causing the swollen Yellowstone River to damage roads leading into the park. Carbella Bridge in Red Lodge, Montana, was wiped out — and the river also destroyed a number of buildings in Gardiner, MT, which sits on the northern border of the park.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Current conditions of Yellowstone’s North Entrance Road through the Gardner Canyon between Gardiner, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs.</p>
<p>We will continue to communicate about this hazardous situation as more information is available. More info: <a href="https://t.co/mymnqGvcVB">https://t.co/mymnqGvcVB</a> <a href="https://t.co/S5ysi4wf8a">pic.twitter.com/S5ysi4wf8a</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/YellowstoneNPS/status/1536470361210077184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;Due to record flooding events in the park and more precipitation in the forecast, we have made the decision to close Yellowstone to all inbound visitation,&#8221; park Superintendent Cam Sholly explained in a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/220613.htm">statement</a>. Citing &#8220;multiple road and bridge failures, mudslides, and other issues,&#8221; Sholly announced plans to evacuate amid fears that flooding would also impact roads toward the southern end of the park.</p>
<p>&#8220;We will not know the timing of the park’s reopening until flood waters subside and we’re able to assess the damage throughout the park. It is likely that the northern loop will be closed for a substantial amount of time,&#8221; Sholly said.</p>
<p>Gardiner resident Jim Halfpenny said that the flooding was far more devastating than any he&#8217;d seen in his lifetime — and according to a stream gauge located in Corwin Springs, MT, Halfpenny was right. The gauge was measuring flows of 49,200 cubic feet per second on Monday afternoon, and the previous record for June 13 was set in 1918: 30,000 cubic feet per second.</p>
<p>Jeff Olson, a guide with Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures, called the flooding &#8220;the worst thing that’s happened disaster-wise since the fires of ’88&#8221; — when wildfires burned more than one-third of the park. &#8220;To have all five entrances closed because of one event during the summer season? It’s crazy.&#8221;</p>
<p>Park officials shared an update to the situation on Tuesday evening, tweeting, &#8220;Northern portion of Yellowstone likely to remain closed for substantial length of time due to severely damaged, impacted infrastructure. Visitors traveling to park soon must stay informed about current situation, roads &amp; weather.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">⚠️UPDATE (6/14 @ 6:38pm)⚠️<br />Northern portion of Yellowstone likely to remain closed for substantial length of time due to severely damaged, impacted infrastructure. Visitors traveling to park soon must stay informed about current situation, roads &amp; weather <a href="https://t.co/mymnqGvcVB">https://t.co/mymnqGvcVB</a> <a href="https://t.co/li6Vwy4qLt">pic.twitter.com/li6Vwy4qLt</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) <a href="https://twitter.com/YellowstoneNPS/status/1536876878836932609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The National Park Service posted a <a href="https://www.yellowstonenationalpark.com">more detailed update</a> to the official <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/33-patriotic-sites-to-make-your-kids-fall-in-love-with-america/">Yellowstone National Park</a> website on Tuesday as well: &#8220;The road from Gardiner, MT, to Cooke City, MT., will likely not reopen for the rest of the 2022 season due to the recent road damage. This will adversly effect the Northern Loop rd and surrounding communities at the North and Northeast Entrance including Gardiner, Mammoth and Cooke City. Hard closures will take place at Canyon and at Norris going north for the season. Assesment on when to reopen the Southern Loop rd including Canyon Village is underway based on the current flood damage but should reopen relatively soon. When the South Loop does reopen, it will include the West Entrance, the South Entrance and the East Entrance. Assesement should take approximately a week or less.&#8221;</p>


Yellowstone National Park Flooding Damage

Yellowstone National Park Closes After Historic Flash Floods Take Out Bridges, Roads

Natural Disaster

Weather

Yellowstone

<p>A group of researchers has identified 960 places within 16 of the nation&#8217;s national parks with names they deem as racist, promoting white supremacy, or presenting similar concerns.</p>
<p>The findings were revealed last month in an <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pan3.10302" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> for People and Nature by several researchers including Grace Wu and Kurt Ingeman that included research from among 2,241 names in the United States.</p>
<p>&#8220;Part of decolonizing our professional and recreational practices is to expose settler colonial biases and recognize the histories of colonized lands and the peoples who have stewarded these lands for millennia prior to colonization,&#8221; the article&#8217;s abstract noted.</p>
<p>&#8220;All national parks examined have place names that tacitly endorse racist or, more specifically, anti-Indigenous ideologies, thus perpetuating settler colonialism and white supremacy at the system scale for future generations,&#8221; the authors added.</p>
<p>The study identified 254 names it claims &#8220;memoralizes&#8221; colonialism. One example is Roys Peak in Texas’ Big Bend National Park, claiming the name threatens to &#8220;erase Indigenous knowledge.&#8221;</p>
<p>Another 214 names were included under the category of cultural appropriation.</p>
<p>The list was divided into several categories including derogatory, erasure and dimensions of racism, and colonialism. The categories were used to help provide national parks options to potentially rename places.</p>
<p>Natchee Barnd, an associate professor at Oregon State University, compared the recommended changes to sports teams like the NFL&#8217;s Washington Commanders.</p>
<p>&#8220;We change things all the time. You mentioned sports; we change the names of stadiums every couple of years. People have no problem figuring out the new name of the stadium based off who is paying the rights to have their name attached to it. So we can shift and adjust as we want,&#8221; Barnd <a href="https://www.kezi.com/news/osu-professor-helps-identify-harmful-names-at-national-parks/article_8880f2de-bb8f-11ec-964c-df10fb25ace1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p>
<p>Though seemingly surprising to many Americans, it&#8217;s not the only recent call to rename public lands due to offensive names.</p>
<p>Last month, Scientific American published an <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/offensive-names-should-be-removed-from-public-lands/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opinion piece</a> by Bonnie McGill entitled &#8220;Offensive Names Should Be Removed from Public Lands.&#8221;</p>
<p>McGill&#8217;s publication included clearer examples of recommended changes &#8220;such as Squaw Canyon and Squaw Flat in Canyonlands National Park and Squaw Creek in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.&#8221; She noted the word &#8220;squaw&#8221; has been used as an insult to &#8220;demean Native American women.&#8221;</p>
<p>Other names are more focused on traditional indigenous names that were later replaced by European settlers. Mt. McKinley in Alaska, for example, was named after an American president. In 2015, then-President Barack Obama <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/obama-faces-backlash-over-renaming-of-mount-mckinley/2939405.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renamed</a> Mt. McKinley to Denali, acknowledging the traditional native name.</p>
<p>&#8220;Today we are honored to be able to officially recognize the mountain as Denali,&#8221; Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a statement at the time. &#8220;I’d like to thank the President for working with us to achieve this significant change to show honor, respect, and gratitude to the Athabascan people of Alaska.&#8221;</p>


Glacier National Park

Researchers Identify Nearly 1,000 ‘Racist’ Or ‘Derogatory’ Names in America’s National Parks

Researchers Identify Nearly 1,000 'Racist' Or 'Derogatory' Names in America's National Parks

Systemic Racism

White Supremacy

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Former president Barack Obama is lending his voice to an upcoming nature documentary which focuses on national parks. Fans were surprised to hear the 60-year-old former politician narrating the trailer for “Our Great National Parks,” which is scheduled to debut April 13.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new series was </span><a href="https://about.netflix.com/en/news/higher-ground-productions-announces-new-slate-of-netflix-projects"><span style="font-weight: 400;">announced</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> last February as one of several projects that Barack and Michelle Obama were making for Netflix through their Higher Ground Productions company. At the time, neither Netflix nor the Obamas clarified that Barack would narrate “Our Great National Parks.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“A fish that can walk. Surfing hippos that want to catch the waves. Species found nowhere else on earth,” Obama can be heard saying in the newly released </span><a href="https://deadline.com/2022/03/barack-obama-our-great-national-parks-hosting-docuseries-netflix-higher-ground-1234978675/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">trailer</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “When humanity started to protect these wild places, we did not realize how important they would become: They’re a haven for endangered species, and a hotbed for scientific research.”</span></p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Our Great National Parks | Official Trailer | Netflix" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KcI_xfryMD0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deadline reports that the docuseries will include footage from parks in Monterey Bay, California, Tsavo National Park in Kenya, and Gunung Leuser National Park in the rainforests of Indonesia. “Our Great National Parks” will also have an interactive component, with a nature protection campaign launching from the Wildlife Conservation Society and Count Us that coincides with the April launch of the project. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most recently, Obama made headlines for </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barack-obama-tests-positive-for-covid-19"><span style="font-weight: 400;">testing positive for COVID-19</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> despite being vaccinated and boosted.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I just tested positive for COVID. I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise,” the Hawaii native said in a Facebook post.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative,” Obama added. “It’s a good reminder that, even as cases go down, you should get vaccinated and boosted if you haven’t already to help prevent more serious symptoms and giving COVID to others.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Obama is a vocal supporter of vaccines and following social distancing protocol, which is why critics reacted so strongly when he hosted a huge birthday at his Martha’s Vineyard Estate for himself in August 2021.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Originally, between 400 and 500 people were invited to the celebration, but many people got cut when multiple publications started calling Obama a hypocrite. Photos showed guests including the guest of honor celebrating without their masks on, but those working at the party had to wear them. This was instantly classified as another example of “rules for thee, but not for me.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Obamas aren’t the only celebrities with splashy contracts at Netflix. Former senior royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are also signed to create content with the streaming platform, though fans point out that it’s been years and so far, nothing has been released. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to </span><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/prince-harry-meghan-markle-first-netflix-content-longer-obamas-pearl-heart-invictus-1672992"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Newsweek</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex signed a multi-year mega deal in September 2020 and have two projects in the pipeline: the animated series “Pearl” and a documentary called “Heart of Invictus.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After more than 17 months, there is still no release date for either project.</span></p>
<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Enter for the chance to hang out with Gina Carano at the premiere of her new Daily Wire movie, Terror on the Prairie! Two lucky Daily Wire members will be given the complete red carpet treatment &#8211; free airfare, hotel, premiere car service, and exclusive merch. Daily Wire members can click</span></i><a href="http://www.dailywire.com/redcarpet"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">here</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to enter for a chance to win. If you’re not a Daily Wire member yet, click</span></i><a href="http://dailywire.com/subscribe"> <i><span style="font-weight: 400;">here</span></i></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to join us so you can win this once-in-a-lifetime experience.</span></i></p>


President Obama Departs White House En Route To Florida To Campaign For Hillary Clinton

Barack Obama Narrates New Netflix Nature Documentary About National Parks

Barack Obama

Netflix

<p>The National Park Service (NPS) and U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) commemorated Pride Month on Tuesday by posting photographs on Instagram of rainbows adorning picturesque national park landscapes.</p>
<p>&#8220;The National Park Service preserves a variety of places commemorating America&#8217;s multi-faceted history and is devoted to preserving, protecting, and telling the stories of ALL Americans,&#8221; the NPS wrote along with a picture of a rainbow over Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona and Nevada. &#8220;Discover stories that tell the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community to the nation&#8217;s history in parks across the country.&#8221;</p>
<p>The post then links to the section of the NPS website that commemorates the &#8220;LGBTQ heritage&#8221; of NPS by attempting to link some of the national parks and historical sites to homosexuality or transgender behavior.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/tellingallamericansstories/lgbtqplaces.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Examples</a> include linking the Battle of Vicksburg site in Mississippi to a woman named Jennie Hodges, who pretended to be a male soldier and enlisted in the Union Army. The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/jennie-hodgers-aka-private-albert-cashier.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NPS entry</a> on Hodges uses both feminine and masculine pronouns to describe her. NPS also uses the Battle of Little Big Horn site in Montana to talk about transgender Native Americans, writing, &#8220;This area memorializes the U.S. Army&#8217;s 7th Cavalry and the Sioux and Cheyenne in one of the Indian&#8217;s last armed efforts to preserve their way of life. Here on June 25 and 26 of 1876, 263 soldiers, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer and attached personnel of the U.S. Army, died fighting several thousand Lakota, and Cheyenne warriors. Cheyenne male two spirits (he’emane’o), who dressed in women&#8217;s clothing, had important roles in the community in celebrating battle victories.&#8221;</p>
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<p>The DOI, of which the NPS is a part, also weighed in on Pride Month, posting a photo of a rainbow arching over Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.</p>
<p>&#8220;Happy PRIDE!&#8221; the post read along with a rainbow emoji. &#8220;At Interior, we are devoted to preserving, protecting, and telling the stories of ALL Americans. We acknowledge the continuing efforts of all those who fight for equality, promote tolerance and acceptance, and embrace diversity. Happy LGBTQ+ #PrideMonth!&#8221; the DOI wrote.</p>
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<p>In 2014, the DOI announced a new heritage initiative to commemorate LGBT history. As NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis at the time wrote in part:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>The men and women who serve in the National Park Service joined our organization to be part of something special, and all of us, no matter what our role, help bring America&#8217;s stories to life for our visitors. One of my priorities as we look toward the Service&#8217;s centennial year in 2016 has been to ensure that the stories we tell represent the diversity of the American experience and share stories that are relevant to all Americans.</em></p>
<p><em>[&#8230;]</em></p>
<p><em>The National Park Service has a responsibility to protect, preserve and tell the stories of some of our nation&#8217;s most iconic places, and as part of that responsibility, it is our job to be sure that Americans never forget where we&#8217;ve been, where we are, and what we aspire to be as a nation. I am excited to see how the outcomes of the LGBT Heritage Initiative and theme study will allow us to share a more inclusive version of our uniquely American experience.</em></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Related</strong>: <strong><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sierra-club-apologizes-for-deeply-harmful-racist-stereotypes-of-founder-john-muir" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sierra Club Apologizes For ‘Deeply Harmful Racist Stereotypes’ Of Founder John Muir</a></strong></p>


Majestic mountain waterfall, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

National Park Service Celebrates Pride Month With Rainbows Over Parks, Attempts To Link Battlefield Sites To LGBT History

Department of the Interior

LGBTQ

Pride Month

Transgender

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