President Joe Biden prompted a string of mocking replies when he engaged in a discussion about mental health and emotional well-being with the &#8220;Sesame Street&#8221; muppet character Elmo.
Elmo started the exchange by &#8220;checking in&#8221; on X, asking how everyone was doing — and then followed up with a promise to do so again in the future: &#8220;Wow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Wow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you.❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmotionalWellBeing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EmotionalWellBeing</a> <a href="https://t.co/jhn2LNKfHf">pic.twitter.com/jhn2LNKfHf</a>
&mdash; Elmo (@elmo) <a href="https://twitter.com/elmo/status/1752378693446508842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden responded, littering his reply with &#8220;Sesame Street&#8221; references and reminding his followers to check in with their friends as well.
&#8220;I know how hard it is some days to sweep the clouds away and get to sunnier days,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Our friend Elmo is right: We have to be there for each other, offer our help to a neighbor in need, and above all else, ask for help when we need it. Even though it&#8217;s hard, you&#8217;re never alone.&#8221;
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I know how hard it is some days to sweep the clouds away and get to sunnier days.
Our friend Elmo is right: We have to be there for each other, offer our help to a neighbor in need, and above all else, ask for help when we need it.
Even though it&#39;s hard, you&#39;re never alone. <a href="https://t.co/ffMJekbowo">https://t.co/ffMJekbowo</a>
&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1752518567239536821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Several responded to the post by pointing out the fact that three American service members had just died in an attack perpetrated by Iranian proxies — and that in that context, Biden&#8217;s post had missed the mark.
&#8220;Biden still hasn’t punished Iran for killing three American soldiers. Instead he’s tweeting about Elmo,&#8221; one said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Biden still hasn’t punished Iran for killing three American soldiers
Instead he’s tweeting about Elmo <a href="https://t.co/mqWgqUKmrB">https://t.co/mqWgqUKmrB</a>
&mdash; John Hasson (@SonofHas) <a href="https://twitter.com/SonofHas/status/1752524941671502265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Bro we lost three service members in a terrorist attack and the president is tweeting about sesame street,&#8221; another replied.
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Bro we lost three service members in a terrorist attack and the president is tweeting about sesame street <a href="https://t.co/01DSWOxEXn">https://t.co/01DSWOxEXn</a>
&mdash; Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) <a href="https://twitter.com/ComfortablySmug/status/1752532386804289606?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Country wrapped in another foreign broader conflict with Iran, who backed proxies murdering US troops. Current President — &#8216;What the puppet said,'&#8221; Stephen Miller said.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Country wrapped in another foreign broader conflict with Iran, who backed proxies murdering US troops. 
Current President &#8211; &quot;What the puppet said.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ETLhnBvm9A">https://t.co/ETLhnBvm9A</a>
&mdash; Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1752521996166975731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;This is worse than anything Donald Trump ever tweeted,&#8221; Miller added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is worse than anything Donald Trump ever tweeted. <a href="https://t.co/ETLhnBvm9A">https://t.co/ETLhnBvm9A</a>
&mdash; Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/1752521381839827409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Not a parody account. Really,&#8221; Joe Concha observed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Not a parody account. Really. <a href="https://t.co/z49NimN4PI">https://t.co/z49NimN4PI</a>
&mdash; Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeConchaTV/status/1752653568320868654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I feel so much better now,&#8221; added The Daily Wire host Andrew Klavan.
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I feel so much better now. <a href="https://t.co/BkdkQExMuP">https://t.co/BkdkQExMuP</a>
&mdash; Andrew Klavan (@andrewklavan) <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewklavan/status/1752638839003242563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

President Biden Departs White House For Florida

Biden Mocked For Bizarre Exchange About Mental Health … With Elmo

Joe Biden

Mental Health

Sesame Street

Television

“Star Trek” actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">LeVar Burton</a> was shocked to discover that one of his ancestors was a white <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/confederacy">Confederate</a> soldier.
The 66-year-old TV star was told the surprising fact about his lineage during an episode of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pbs">PBS</a> series “Finding Your Roots.” The former &#8220;Reading Rainbow&#8221; star told show host Henry Louis Gates Jr. that he didn’t know much about his family tree as he was estranged from his father, Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, since he was 11. Burton also mentioned that his mother, Erma Gene Christian, wasn’t forthcoming about the family’s background, <a href="https://people.com/finding-your-roots-recap-levar-burton-journey-made-him-feel-closer-to-father-he-hadnt-seen-8430586">according</a> to People.
“You grow up with just blanks, right? No information, no clue and no real way to overcome that blind spot,&#8221; Burton said of his family history, per the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-01-17/levar-burton-descendant-confederate-soldier-white-america-finding-your-roots">Los Angeles Times</a>. &#8220;This information is stuff that we need in order to feel whole.&#8221;
Gates told Burton that the team used a combination of a genealogist and DNA experts to come up with their findings about the actor’s past.
The “Star Trek: The Next Generation” alum had no idea one of his ancestors was a white man. Gates <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/levar-burton-discovers-hes-descended-024715272.html">told</a> Burton that his great-grandmother on his mother&#8217;s side, Mary Sills, was not related to the man she listed as her father on a Social Security application in 1940.
Her biological father was, in fact, a man named James Henry Dixon, a white farmer who was married with several children. &#8220;So Granny was half-white,&#8221; Burton said in surprise, per <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/tv/levar-burton-white-confederate-ancestor-finding-your-roots-rcna133422">Today</a>.
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What’s more, Dixon, who was living in North Carolina, joined the Confederate Army after he turned 17, serving in the junior reserves.
“Are you kidding me? Oh my God, oh my God. I did not see this coming,” Burton said upon hearing the news. While Gates said it was likely that Sills never went into battle, the fact remained that he was aligned with the pro-slavery side of the Civil War. He later had a child with a woman born into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/slavery">slavery</a>.
“I often wonder about white men of the period and how they justify to themselves their relations with black women, especially those in an unbalanced power dynamic. There has to be a powerful disconnect created emotionally and mentally,” Burton replied.
&#8220;The two major commercial DNA tests almost never have tested an African American who was 100% sub-Saharan African,&#8221; Gates told Burton. &#8220;We all have white ancestors.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s some conflict roiling inside of me right now,&#8221; Burton continued, per Today. &#8220;But oddly enough, I feel a pathway opening up. &#8230;Knowing what I know about the history of this nation, I&#8217;ve wanted, especially in this current time frame, I believe that as Americans we need to have this conversation about who we are and how we got here.&#8221;

LeVar Burton

LeVar Burton Reacts To Discovery That His Ancestor Was A Confederate Soldier

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If you want these happy little trees, you’ll need a lot of green. Beloved TV artist Bob Ross’s first-ever on-air <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arts">painting</a> is up for sale and costs almost $10 million.
The late host of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pbs">PBS</a>’s “The Joy of Painting” became massively popular for his friendly, calm demeanor and his insistence that anyone can become an artist. Now Modern Artifact Gallery in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minneapolis">Minneapolis</a> is selling “A Walk in the Woods,” the first of over 400 paintings Ross made on the show. Ross painted it for the premiere episode which aired on January 11, 1983.
“It is season one, episode one of what you would call the rookie card for Bob Ross,” gallery owner Ryan Nelson said of the work, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/21/bob-ross-first-tv-painting-sale-a-walk-in-the-woods">The Guardian</a>. Nelson added that he doesn’t expect the work to sell quickly because of the cost. 
“What this piece represents is the people’s artist,” the gallery owner continued. “This isn’t an institution that’s telling you that Bob Ross is great. It’s not some high-brow gallery telling you that Bob Ross is great. This is the masses, the population in the world that are saying that Bob Ross is great.”
“A Walk in the Woods” was originally sold for an undisclosed amount to a volunteer to raise funds for the local PBS station. The painting was displayed in her home for almost four decades before she contacted Nelson about purchasing it. He bought it last year, then gave it the “not for sale” price of $9.89 million, the outlet noted. 
“Ryan would prefer to take [the painting] out, tour it around to museums and things like that so people can enjoy it and appreciate it,” Nelson’s publicist said. “He will take offers but he’s not in a hurry to sell it.”
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Ross, who died in 1995, had a passion for removing pretentious attitudes from the art world. As he said in the first episode, “We have avoided painting for so long because I think all of our lives we’ve been told that you have to go to school half your life, maybe even have to be blessed by Michelangelo at birth, to ever be able to paint a picture. And here, we want to show you that that’s not true. That you can paint a picture.”

painter

Bob Ross’s First Ever On-Air Painting On Sale For $9.8M

Bob Ross's First Ever On-Air Painting On Sale For $9.8M

Minneapolis

Federally funded <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pbs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PBS</a> added an “inflammatory rhetoric&#8221; warning to its stream of former President Donald Trump&#8217;s speech in response to his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/from-witch-hunt-to-happy-birthday-trumps-busy-arraignment-day-in-miami" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arraignment on federal charges</a> in Miami on Tuesday. 
PBS repeatedly added “context” banners to the bottom of its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYWb-b9ixAw&amp;t=2192s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stream</a> of Trump&#8217;s speech, including taking aim at his statements about the 2020 presidential election and comments about allegations of corruption against President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. 
“Experts warn that inflammatory rhetoric from elected officials or people in power can prompt individual actors to commit acts of violence,” one warning read. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Just gonna file this one away until 2025… ✂️✂️✂️
“PBS Slaps Banner on Trump Live Event That Proves State Media Cannot Be Trusted” <a href="https://t.co/0YX6HY5gb5">https://t.co/0YX6HY5gb5</a>
&mdash; Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonMillerinDC/status/1668823190343233541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The warning came just after Trump promised to “totally obliterate the deep state” if re-elected president. “They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom,” Trump said as the context warning graphic remained on the screen. “They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you.” 
Another context warning popped up when Trump mentioned the allegation that the Bidens were implicated in a $5 million bribery scheme involving Ukraine. “A House Republicans panel’s investigation into Hunter Biden revealed little new information. A federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and foreign business connections is ongoing,” the label read.
Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said on Monday that a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senator-reveals-fbi-informant-file-references-17-biden-audio-recordings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foreign national claimed to have 17 recordings</a> of conversations with the Bidens related to the alleged bribery scheme. 
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When Trump discussed the Hillary Clinton email scandal, PBS added context that the FBI “found no evidence she intended to break the law” when she used private email servers as secretary of state.
The outlet, which <a href="https://www.pbs.org/foundation/areas-of-focus/sustaining-pbs/#:~:text=Make%20a%20lasting%20impact%20by%20growing%20our%20endowment.&amp;text=Because%20PBS%20is%20commercial%2Dfree,%241.40%20per%20taxpayer%20per%20year." target="_blank" rel="noopener">gets roughly 15%</a> of its revenue from taxpayers, also posted “context” citing federal election officials who said that the 2020 presidential election was “the most secure in American history” after Trump insisted the investigations into him by the Justice Department were another attempt to “rig and steal a presidential election.&#8221;
Other legacy media outlets, including CNN and MSNBC, chose not to broadcast the former president’s speech live. 
MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow <a href="https://twitter.com/alx/status/1668791102176935939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the network would not broadcast Trump&#8217;s address, characterizing it as a fundraiser and “campaign speech,” claiming that “there is a cost to us as a news organization to knowingly broadcast untrue things.” 
CNN’s Jake Tapper said the network wouldn’t broadcast the speech either.
&#8220;We’re not carrying his remarks live because, frankly, he says a lot of things that are not true and sometimes potentially dangerous,&#8221; Tapper <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1668791384764035072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1668791384764035072%7Ctwgr%5E44854b9f4ec48f8c747bbba68b664b5a6e522ef9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.realclearpolitics.com%2Fvideo%2F2023%2F06%2F13%2Fcnns_jake_tapper_were_not_carrying_trumps_remarks_live_because_he_says_a_lot_of_things_that_are_not_true_and_potentially_dangerous.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.

Former President Trump Speaks At His Bedminster Golf Club After Being Arraigned On Federal Charges

PBS Puts ‘Inflammatory Rhetoric’ Warning Below Stream Of Trump Speech

PBS Puts 'Inflammatory Rhetoric' Warning Below Stream Of Trump Speech

Donald Trump

Media

MSNBC

Politics

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Suspect Arrested, Charge With Manslaughter In Deathly Van Ramming
Authorities have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-identify-suspect-accused-of-mowing-over-18-people-near-border-has-extensive-criminal-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested and charged</a> a man who allegedly rammed his vehicle into a group of Venezuelans outside a migrant center in Texas on Sunday, killing eight people and injuring many others. The suspect is a 34-year-old man with a lengthy criminal history. Here’s Brownsville’s police chief: 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW: Police identify the driver involved in the deadly car crash in Texas as &quot;a Brownsville local with an extensive RAP sheet.&quot;
&quot;He has been formally charged with eight counts of manslaughter, 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/uheSHR8drT">https://t.co/uheSHR8drT</a> <a href="https://t.co/b8EVUfNgsK">pic.twitter.com/b8EVUfNgsK</a>
&mdash; ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1655601069898989573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Illegal Alien Arrested In Suspected Serial Killer Case
The man <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alleged-serial-killer-caught-in-california-is-illegal-alien-who-came-into-u-s-under-obama-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in California late last week — who allegedly carried out a string of murders near the U.C. Davis campus — has been identified as a 21-year-old 3rd-year student. 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer request against a 21-year-old third-year student at UC Davis who illegally came into the U.S. in April 2009 from El Salvador. 
The report identified the suspect as “an alleged serial killer.” The suspect is accused of stabbing two people to death and attempting to kill another. The three stabbings, all separate incidents, happened between April 27 and May 1. The suspect was arrested by the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office and is now in the Yolo County jail. 
Biden Cracks Down On Dishwashers
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-energy-department-starts-crackdown-on-dishwashers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> new efficiency regulations for dishwashers, beverage vending machines, and electric motors on Friday, the latest of several actions from the Biden administration to decrease power usage in an effort to “combat climate change.” 
Under the new rules, new dishwashers made in or imported into the U.S. beginning in 2027 would have to consume 27% less power and use 34% less water, while more compact models would need to implement a 22% power reduction and an 11% water use reduction. Energy Department officials estimate that consumers would have to spend $15 more for a new dishwasher but would witness three times as much in energy savings over the appliance&#8217;s lifetime.
Biden Cracks Down On Airline Fees 
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/airlines-may-soon-be-on-the-hook-for-delayed-and-canceled-flights-transportation-dept-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Monday that the agency introduced rules requiring airlines to reimburse customers who incur expenses due to certain delayed and canceled flights, a move which comes as the industry faces elevated demand and a constrained labor force. The proposed rules, which would apply when an airline delays a flight for more than three hours or cancels a flight for a “controllable” reason, would mandate that the companies offer compensation for stranded passengers, as well as a meal or meal voucher, overnight accommodations, and ground transportation between the airport and hotel.
One Step Closer To California Reparations
Black California residents could receive up to $1.2 million in reparations under a new proposal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-reparations-task-force-approves-plan-giving-up-to-1-2-million-to-each-black-resident" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> by the state&#8217;s reparations task force on Saturday. 
The draft includes calculated dollar figures based on categories ranging from mass incarceration, housing discrimination, and other alleged injustices. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 2.5 million Californians could be eligible to receive reparations based on certain requirements. Task force members are scheduled to release the report by July 1. If lawmakers approve the plan, the state will create a new agency to oversee the program, determine eligibility, and distribute funds.
Oklahoma Gov. Defunds PBS
Oklahoma GOP Governor Kevin Stitt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-bans-trans-procedures-on-kids-becoming-16th-state-to-enact-such-protections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he is pulling the plug on the state’s sole PBS television station, OETA-TV, due to controversial content featured on the children’s programming. 
“OETA, to us, is an outdated system,&#8221; Stitt said. “You know, the big, big question is why are we spending taxpayer dollars to prop up or compete with the private sector and run television stations &#8230; and then when you go through all of the programming that’s happening and the indoctrination and over-sexualization of our children, it’s just really problematic, and it doesn’t line up with Oklahoma values.”
Stitt’s office pointed to a segment of “Let’s Learn,” which featured a drag queen known as Lil Miss Hot Mess reading a purported children’s book called “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish.” Unless the state legislature overrides his veto, the network will cease operations this year. 
Trump Civil Case Comes To A Close
E Jean Carroll’s lawsuit accusing former President Trump of battery and defamation entered its final phase on Monday with closing arguments. Carroll is accusing Trump of raping her in a department store dressing room decades ago. A lawyer representing Carroll delivered a 75-minute closing argument in which she said, “No one is above the law, not even a former president.” Lawyers representing Trump said the accusations are “improbable.”
 The jury is expected to begin deliberations Tuesday.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Monday stock photo

Monday Afternoon Update: Illegal Alien Arrested In Suspected Serial Killer Case, Biden Cracks Down On Dishwashers,  Oklahoma Gov. Defunds PBS

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-bans-trans-procedures-on-kids-becoming-16th-state-to-enact-such-protections">Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt</a> said he is pulling the plug on the state’s sole PBS television station because of “indoctrination and over-sexualization” of children through content that promotes drag queens and the LGBTQ agenda.
In an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/oklahoma-governor-stitt-defends-decision-axe-pbs-funding-over-really-problematic-lgbtq-content" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclusive interview with Fox News Digital</a>, the Republican leader said taxpayers should not have to fund OETA-TV, given its far-Left bias. He recently moved to block funding for the station through 2026. Unless the state legislature overrides his veto, the network will cease operations this year.
“OETA, to us, is an outdated system,” Stitt said. “You know, the big, big question is why are we spending taxpayer dollars to prop up or compete with the private sector and run television stations?”
“And then when you go through all of the programming that&#8217;s happening and the indoctrination and over-sexualization of our children, it&#8217;s just really problematic, and it doesn&#8217;t line up with Oklahoma values,” he added.
Stitt’s office pointed to a segment of “Let&#8217;s Learn,” which featured a drag queen known as Lil Miss Hot Mess reading a purported children&#8217;s book called “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish.”
Another show aired by the station, “Clifford The Big Red Dog,” features lesbian parents, a show called “Work It Out Wombat” features a gay character, and “Odd Squad” depicted a same-sex wedding. Stitt also noted OETA recently aired a segment on its “Newshour” program that voiced support for chemical treatments including puberty blockers for children who identify as transgender.
OETA’s “Pride Month” programming included a special about a town in which Christians “step into the spotlight to dismantle stereotypes” about drag queens.
Democrats in the red state, including State Rep. Monroe Nichols, accused Stitt of mounting an attack on “public education and underrepresented Oklahoma communities.” OETA board member Ken Busby told <a href="https://ktul.com/news/local/gov-stitt-axes-pbs-funding-over-shows-with-lgbt-content">KTUL</a> taxpayers must support arts and culture.
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But Stitt told Fox News Digital the station has strayed from its educational mission and that if its programming was worthwhile, the private sector would make it available.
“When you think about educating kids, let&#8217;s teach them to read and their numbers and counting and letters and those kind of things,” he said. “I mean, some of the programming that we&#8217;re seeing… it just doesn&#8217;t need to be on public television.”
Stitt recently signed into law a ban on all chemical and surgical transgender procedures on children, joining 15 states which have enacted similar laws.

Screen Shot 2022-05-26 at 10.57.25 AM

Oklahoma Gov Pulls Plug On State’s PBS Station Over Drag Queens, ‘Indoctrination’

Oklahoma Gov Pulls Plug On State's PBS Station Over Drag Queens, 'Indoctrination'

LGBTQ

Transgender

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pbs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Public Broadcasting Service</a> became the second news organization to quit Twitter this week after National Public Radio quit using the platform after Twitter CEO Elon Musk had the organization listed as “US state-affiliated media” and later as &#8220;Government-funded Media&#8221; — a designation later applied to PBS.
“PBS stopped tweeting from our account when we learned of the change and we have no plans to resume at this time,” PBS spokesman Jason Phelps <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-12/pbs-joins-npr-in-quitting-twitter-over-state-backed-designation?leadSource=uverify%20wall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Bloomberg News. “We are continuing to monitor the ever-changing situation closely.”
Musk shared the company’s policy on labeling state-affiliated media when the decision was made to initially slap NPR with the label.
“State-affiliated media is defined as outlets where the state exercises control over editorial content through financial resources, direct or indirect political pressures, and/or control over production and distribution,” the Twitter policy says.
An NPR spokesperson lashed out over the designation in announcing that the company would no longer use the platform.
“NPR’s organizational accounts will no longer be active on Twitter because the platform is taking actions that undermine our credibility by falsely implying that we are not editorially independent,” the statement said. “We are not putting our journalism on platforms that have demonstrated an interest in undermining our credibility and the public’s understanding of our editorial independence.”
&#8220;We are turning away from Twitter but not from our audiences and communities,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;There are plenty of ways to stay connected and keep up with NPR&#8217;s news, music, and cultural content.&#8221;
NPR infamously refused to cover the Hunter Biden laptop scandal in the weeks before the 2020 presidential election.
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“We don’t want to waste our time on stories that are not really stories, and we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions,” NPR Managing Editor Terence Samuels said at the time in explaining why the publication would not cover the story.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Why haven&#39;t you seen any stories from NPR about the NY Post&#39;s Hunter Biden story? Read more in this week&#39;s newsletter➡️ <a href="https://t.co/CJesPgmGvo">https://t.co/CJesPgmGvo</a> <a href="https://t.co/jAi7PnpbZf">pic.twitter.com/jAi7PnpbZf</a>
&mdash; NPR Public Editor (@NPRpubliceditor) <a href="https://twitter.com/NPRpubliceditor/status/1319281101223940096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 22, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

In this photo illustration the Public Broadcasting Service (

PBS Joins NPR In Backing Away From Twitter

Elon Musk

Twitter

Radical black activist Angela Davis was visibly shocked when she learned that she was a descendant of the pilgrims on the Mayflower.
The self-avowed Marxist feminist and former black power activist in the 1970s appeared as a guest on the PBS series &#8220;<a href="https://www.pbs.org/video/and-still-i-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finding Your Roots</a>&#8221; Tuesday. During her interview, host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. revealed that she is a descendant of one of the original passengers on the Mayflower, William Brewster.
Gates shared a clip of the segment on Twitter. &#8220;Any idea what you&#8217;re looking at?&#8221; he asks. &#8220;That is a list of the passengers on the Mayflower.”
Davis is in complete astonishment. &#8220;No, I can&#8217;t believe this,&#8221; she says, laughing and throwing her hands up. &#8220;No, my ancestors did not come here on the Mayflower,&#8221; she laughs again.
&#8220;Your ancestors came here on the Mayflower,&#8221; Gates repeats. &#8220;You are descended from one of the 101 people who sailed on the Mayflower.&#8221;
&#8220;No. No, no, no, no,&#8221; she responds, still laughing in disbelief. Finally, she collects herself. &#8220;Oof. That&#8217;s a little bit too much to deal with right now,&#8221; she says.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“Do you know what you’re looking at? That is a list of the passengers on the Mayflower.” 
Our researchers discovered <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AngelaDavis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AngelaDavis</a>’s ancestors traveled to the US on the Mayflower and here is her reaction. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FindingYourRoots?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FindingYourRoots</a> <a href="https://t.co/G2HhA9BSrT">pic.twitter.com/G2HhA9BSrT</a>
&mdash; Henry Louis Gates Jr (@HenryLouisGates) <a href="https://twitter.com/HenryLouisGates/status/1628210213236142080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
According to the episode, Davis&#8217;s father, Frank Davis, was legally the son of Mollie Spencer and Edward Davis. But Edward Davis was not his biological father; Spencer and Davis separated before he was born. Instead, Frank Davis was the son of Mollie Spencer and another white man named Murphy Jones. Experts were able to map Davis&#8217;s family line through Jones all the way back to William Brewster, an original signer of the Mayflower Compact and a leader of the Plymouth Colony.
Also in the episode, Davis&#8217;s maternal grandfather was a white Alabama lawyer and state legislator named John Austin Darden. Through Darden, she is the descendant of a man named Stephen Darden, a drummer born in Virginia who served in the Revolutionary War. Darden then moved to Georgia, where he owned a farm and at least 6 slaves.
“I always imagined my ancestors as the people who were enslaved,” Davis said. &#8220;My mind and my heart are swirling with all of these contradictory emotions.&#8221;
Davis has been a radical race activist for more than the last half-century. She began her instruction in Marxism from the time she began studying at Brandeis University. She became a student of the radical left-wing philosopher Herbert Marcuse, and also studied the work of the Marxist Jean-Paul Sartre. A member of both the Communist Party USA and the Black Panther Party, she spoke in Communist Cuba, the Soviet Union, and East Germany. She has also had a long career in academia, beginning as a professor at UCLA in 1969 and has taught at San Francisco State, UC Santa Cruz, Rutgers University, and Syracuse University. She also ran for Vice President as a member of the Communist Party in 1980 and 1984.
Davis, 79, has continued her career promoting radical politics. In 2011, she spoke at Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in Philadelphia. She was an honorary co-chair of the first Women&#8217;s March in 2017. She has called for the abolition of prisons, and in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-radical-professor-calls-abolition-police-jeffrey-cawood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2017</a> op-ed, she called for the abolition of the police &#8220;in the age of Trump.&#8221; She is also a family friend of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-was-raised-in-the-orbit-of-the-black-panthers-as-his-mom-was-best-friends-with-radical-communists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jussie Smollett</a>. Her works on race and gender have also been featured in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/princeton-now-offers-a-class-about-black-lives-matter-that-includes-readings-from-an-avowed-marxist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">college courses</a>, and lately, in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/revised-version-of-ap-african-american-studies-course-tones-down-wokeness-desantis-admin-reviewing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AP African-American Studies</a> class that was banned by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this year.

Ibram X. Kendi

‘No, No, No, No’: Radical Black Activist Angela Davis Learns She Is Descended From A Mayflower Passenger

'No, No, No, No': Radical Black Activist Angela Davis Learns She Is Descended From A Mayflower Passenger

Activists

American History

Angela Davis

General

Race

PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor claimed on Monday that poor polling numbers — namely polls saying that nearly three-fourths of Americans believe the country is &#8220;on the wrong track&#8221; — were clear indicators that the American people were afraid former President Donald Trump would return to the White House.
Alcindor joined an MSNBC panel to discuss the recent NBC News poll — which had 74% of respondents saying they believed the country was headed &#8220;in the wrong direction&#8221; and just 21% saying that things were going well.
WATCH:
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NBC&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/Yamiche?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Yamiche</a> Alcindor on 74 percent of Americans saying the U.S. is on the wrong track: &quot;They’re very worried about former President Trump coming back into power, or former President Trump or another Republican stealing the election in 2022 or 2024.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3DmsujpgDw">pic.twitter.com/3DmsujpgDw</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1561727534395432961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Host Jose Diaz Balart asked Alcindor why she believed that the American people were so unhappy — noting that the poll also indicated over half of American voters believed the country&#8217;s best days were in the past — while only around one-third believed the best days were still ahead.
&#8220;What you see, really, is — on the Democratic side — people that are very very worried about the direction of this country,&#8221; she began. &#8220;They&#8217;re very worried especially about former President Trump possibly coming back into power, or former President Trump or another Republican stealing the election in 2022 or 2024 because we&#8217;ve seen so many election deniers be elected.&#8221;
She went on to add that Democrats were also concerned about abortion rights, particularly since the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women&#8217;s Health Organization resulted in the overturning of landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade.
Republicans, she claimed, had completely bought into Trump&#8217;s claims that the election had been stolen and were more afraid of how many people believed the election was actually free and fair.
Only then did Alcindor turn to the struggling economy and the number of everyday Americans who were unable to keep up with record-high inflation and elevated gas prices, blaming Republicans for pushing the idea that the nation&#8217;s economic woes were far from over.
&#8220;You have a lot of Republicans running around the state who — around the country also — who are really saying this is gonna be an economic situation that we&#8217;re not gonna recover from and that President Biden is leading the country off of a cliff here,&#8221; she said.
She concluded by saying that people were also anxious because the pandemic wasn&#8217;t really over.
&#8220;LOL what?&#8221; replied the @JudiciaryGOP.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Lol what?! <a href="https://t.co/2xyoTBPxvd">https://t.co/2xyoTBPxvd</a>
&mdash; House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JudiciaryGOP/status/1561810976206454786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Meet the Press – Season 71

Spin City: PBS Reporter Claims 74% Say U.S. Is ‘On The Wrong Track’ Because They Fear Trump’s Return

PBS Reporter Yamiche Alcindor Claims 74% Say US Is 'On The Wrong Track' Because They Fear Trump's Return

Chuck Todd

Polls

Dr. Anthony Fauci conceded this week that the U.S. &#8220;pandemic phase&#8221; was over with regard to COVID-19 — but that apparently is not enough to convince the president&#8217;s Chief Medical Advisor that it&#8217;s safe enough to attend the upcoming White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner.
Fauci joined host Judy Woodruff on &#8220;PBS Newshour,&#8221; and told her that the United States was finally out of the <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/economist-politicians-panicking-they-will-suddenly-lack-a-podium-from-which-to-grandstand-if-covid-becomes-endemic/">COVID-19</a> &#8220;pandemic phase.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JUST IN: Dr. Anthony Fauci tells our <a href="https://twitter.com/JudyWoodruff?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JudyWoodruff</a> the U.S. is &quot;out of the pandemic phase.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/x2wbLMyl6O">https://t.co/x2wbLMyl6O</a> <a href="https://t.co/xA71jE4Fuv">pic.twitter.com/xA71jE4Fuv</a>
&mdash; PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewsHour/status/1519079553527861248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Here we are, the end of April, the Spring of 2022. How close are we to the end of this pandemic?&#8221; Woodruff asked.
&#8220;Well, that’s an unanswerable question for the following reason, and I don’t want to be evasive about it, but let me tell you why I’m giving you that answer,&#8221; Fauci began. &#8220;We are certainly right now in this country out of the pandemic phase, namely we don’t have 900,000 new infections a day and tens and tens and tens of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths. We are at a low level right now.&#8221;
&#8220;So, if you’re saying if we are out of the pandemic phase in this country? We are. What we hope to do, I don’t believe I’ve spoken about this widely, we’re not going to eradicate this virus,&#8221; Fauci continued, saying that keeping the level low might require <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/spectacular-and-deadly-failure-msnbc-host-blames-biden-for-low-covid-booster-rates/">additional vaccine boosters</a> over time.
&#8220;That might be every year, it might be longer in order to keep the level low. But right now we are not in the pandemic phase in this country,&#8221; he concluded.
Despite that assessment, however, <a href="https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/messages/16510303831227820c4875e4e/raw?utm_term=16510303831227820c4875e4e&amp;utm_source=cnn_Reliable+Sources+-+April+26%2C+2022&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;bt_ee=8qqKKvrHJ68vjOm8u8QM7gdIR1dQdFJx81VwJuq%2B4IZDpskI6P1lU93P3S0CdV52&amp;bt_ts=1651030383125">CNN reported</a> that Fauci has backed out of plans to attend the upcoming White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner — which he was scheduled to attend as a guest of ABC News.
&#8220;He recently decided to abandon those plans and inform ABC that he would no longer attend because of an individual assessment of his own personal risk,&#8221; CNN&#8217;s Brian Stelter and Oliver Darcy reported.

Top Health Officials Testify Before Senate Hearing

Fauci Says U.S. ‘Pandemic Phase’ Is Over — But It’s Still Too Risky For Him to Attend White House Correspondents Dinner

Anthony Fauci

COVID

Pandemic

White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Microsoft founder Bill Gates was grilled during an interview with PBS News on Tuesday about his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Host Judy Woodruff pressed Gates on the numerous meetings he had with Epstein after Epstein had already been pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
Gates said that he regretted the dinners he had with Epstein, suggesting that he had met with Epstein on multiple occasions.
Epstein said he had contacts with people who would give to global health projects.
&#8220;It was reported that you continued to meet with him over several years, and that — in other words, a number of meetings,&#8221; Woodruff said. &#8220;What did you do when you found out about his background?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, I have said I regretted having those dinners. And there&#8217;s nothing, absolutely nothing new on that,&#8221; Gates responded.
&#8220;Is there a lesson for you, for anyone else looking at this?&#8221; Woodruff asked.
&#8220;Well, he&#8217;s dead,&#8221; Gates responded. &#8220;So, in general, you always have to be careful. And the — I&#8217;m very proud of what we have done in philanthropy, be very proud of the work of the foundation. That&#8217;s what I get up every day and focus on.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
PBS asking Bill Gates about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein: “Is there a lesson for you, for anyone else looking at this?”
Bill Gates: “Well, he’s dead, so, uhhh, you know, in general you always have to be careful&#8230;”
Very normal &amp; cool answer!<a href="https://t.co/mL4hqKnos6">pic.twitter.com/mL4hqKnos6</a>
&mdash; Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1440503539554418697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>JUDY WOODRUFF, PBS NEWSHOUR: I also want to ask you about something else in the public arena. It was reported at that time that you had a number of meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, who, when you met him 10 years ago, he was convicted of soliciting prostitution from minors. What did you know about him when you were meeting with him, as you have said yourself, in the hopes of raising money?
BILL GATES: You know, I had dinners with him. I regret doing that. He had relationships with people he said would give to global health, which is an interest I have. Not nearly enough philanthropy goes in that direction. Those meetings were a mistake. They didn&#8217;t result in what he purported. And I cut them off. That goes back a long time ago now. There&#8217;s — so there&#8217;s nothing new on that.
WOODRUFF: It was reported that you continued to meet with him over several years, and that — in other words, a number of meetings. What did you do when you found out about his background?
GATES: Well, I have said I regretted having those dinners. And there&#8217;s nothing, absolutely nothing new on that.
WOODRUFF: Is there a lesson for you, for anyone else looking at this?
GATES: Well, he&#8217;s dead. So, in general, you always have to be careful. And the — I&#8217;m very proud of what we have done in philanthropy, be very proud of the work of the foundation. That&#8217;s what I get up every day and focus on.
WOODRUFF: And so for people watching who wonder about the future of the Gates Foundation, what&#8217;s your message?
GATES: Well, I&#8217;m extremely lucky that, with the help of Melinda and the incredible generosity of Warren Buffett, we&#8217;re able to take these important causes and bring innovation to bear. We were funding mRNA vaccines when it was still viewed as something that would never work. And now that&#8217;s turned into a source of some of the very best vaccines. We have great hopes to use that technology for an HIV vaccine. Our work has reduced childhood death rates quite dramatically over the last 20 years. So, this is my second career. We have hired great people. We have made some progress. The visibility of the inequity here isn&#8217;t as high as it should be. And maybe one small benefit of the pandemic is, people will realize how weak these health systems are and how diseases like malaria and polio are still out there, and incredible tragedies. So, I&#8217;m very lucky to be involved in this work. It&#8217;s gone way better than I expected. This will be the focus for the rest of my life.</blockquote>

FRANCE-HEALTH-FUNDING

Gates On What He Learned Over Past Ties To Jeffrey Epstein: ‘Well, He’s Dead,’ ‘Have To Be Careful’

Bill Gates

Jeffrey Epstein

Long before the pandemic, the local news business had been in a tailspin. Newspapers across the country lost classified advertising revenue thanks to internet sites like Craigslist. Terrestrial radio stations lost their audience to iTunes — and then Spotify. Most commercial radio stations don&#8217;t offer news anymore. Most Americans under 35 think of newspapers and radio news as odd products their parents consume, like Spam and Velveeta.
As a college kid in Viroqua, Wisconsin, I covered local news in the summers for our local radio station and called in freelance articles on the city council or school board decisions to the LaCrosse Tribune. The matters discussed were probably uninteresting to most. I learned what a &#8220;property easement&#8221; was, and reported on the debate over how to dispose of old railroad ties. I didn&#8217;t find it scintillating.
The nagging question for journalism: Can you get anyone to read or click on decisions this &#8220;small&#8221;? In late 2018, 71% of Americans told the Pew Research Center they thought their local news media was doing well financially, even though only 14% said they had paid for local news in the past year.
Liberal journalists look at this problem with the usual liberal eyes. &#8220;The market has failed,&#8221; they proclaim, and the obvious answer is government intervention. In the 1960s, this logic of a lack of community service in broadcasting led to the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, and the creation of the PBS and NPR networks.
You can see exactly what liberals like about their &#8220;correction&#8221; to the &#8220;market failure.&#8221; What we have now is an extremely well-funded network of liberal propaganda. So it&#8217;s appropriate to be concerned when they&#8217;re now pouncing on the idea of massive government subsidies for local news.
CNN&#8217;s Brian Stelter is an unsurprising champion of local news as &#8220;civic infrastructure&#8221; that should get billions in the &#8220;infrastructure&#8221; bill. &#8220;With Democrats controlling the levers of power in Congress, these ideas will at least get a hearing,&#8221; he writes. &#8220;Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said earlier this spring that local news, &#8216;frayed beyond belief,&#8217; should be treated as &#8216;critical infrastructure&#8217; that &#8216;needs to be preserved.'&#8221;
As for critics? Stelter writes: &#8220;Billions in funding for local news?! I can hear the bad-faith mockery on Fox News at the same time I type these words.&#8221; Stelter is so unsubtle that every conservative critique of the liberal media is a &#8220;bad-faith mockery.&#8221;
One problem, say the liberals, is &#8220;less local news meant more polarization&#8221; in communities. But anyone can see that hot issues like transgender &#8220;girls&#8221; in school sports or teaching &#8220;critical race theory&#8221; are inherently polarizing on a local level, and, in each case, the Left sees only one &#8220;civic&#8221; opinion worth hearing. The other should be discouraged if not crushed.
Does anyone think Stelter&#8217;s CNN demonstrates a concern about &#8220;polarization&#8221; in its national product? Does it offer conservatives a &#8220;good-faith&#8221; platform for discussion?
It should seem obvious in looking at NPR and PBS today, including their local news, that their solution to &#8220;polarization&#8221; is to provide the liberal opinion almost exclusively and leave the &#8220;polarizing&#8221; conservative or Republican counterpoint in the trash.
They then call this &#8220;civic infrastructure.&#8221; This somehow empowers &#8220;democracy,&#8221; leaving half of the argument out or fiercely challenging it as anti-democracy. Liberals don&#8217;t believe it&#8217;s unfair that conservatives subsidize news organizations that don&#8217;t let them speak and disparage them as vicious racists and worse.
Republicans never have any success in reducing funding for NPR or PBS. If they let the liberals start funding these local news properties, the same inevitable government-subsidized propaganda will result.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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GRAHAM: The Media Proclaim Themselves ‘Infrastructure’

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