Tag: Bullying

Biden Appeals Judge’s Ban on Government Asking for Social Media Takedowns

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Biden Appeals Judge’s Ban on Government Asking for Social Media Takedowns

State Department officials, according to a Facebook employee speaking with The Washington Post, told the company all future monthly meetings to discuss content takedowns were “canceled pending further guidance.” The reported cancellation means government officials and trust and safety representatives at Facebook will no longer meet to discuss brewing political misinformation or foreign influence operations. It’s unclear whether other agencies have taken similar measures following the ruling or if Google or Twitter have canceled meetings. The State Department, Meta, and Google did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment. Twitter sent us a 💩 . …

Judge compares Biden’s admin’s meeting with tech companies to Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth’

The Justice Department appealed Trump-appointed federal Judge Terry A. Doughty’s preliminary injunction hours after it landed, according to court documents filed Wednesday evening. Doughty’s preliminary injunction bars numerous government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) from contacting or asking social media companies about posts he said are protected by the First Amendment. The ruling does offer some exceptions for government communications with tech firms intended to warn them of national security threats, criminal activity, and voter suppression. Government officials maintain their content recommendations to social networks were merely suggestions, not legal demands. Doughty said numerous uncovered communications show Biden administration officials wielded threats of increased regulations or a stripping of Section 230 immunity protections to get its way.

Related:

State Dept. cancels Facebook meetings after judge’s ‘censorship’ ruling

When tech companies and State Department officials meet, “they talk about foreign influence, they compare notes. It gives them the opportunity to ask questions about foreign influence they are seeing,” this person said. “State will share Russian narratives, things they are seeing in state media in Russia about U.S. topics. They will ask whether Facebook is seeing things from known entities, such as the Chinese Communist Party or the Internet Research Agency,” the Russian entity thought responsible for much of the interference in the 2016 election. …

“The really tough question is when does the government cross the line from responding to speech — which it can and should do — to coercing platforms to censor constitutionally protected speech?” Kosseff said. “The judge here believes that line was crossed, and he certainly cited some persuasive examples,” such as administration officials suggesting antitrust actions against tech firms or changes to their liability protections while criticizing their content moderation efforts.

US Court Victory Against Online Censorship

Elizabeth Gilbert Delayed Her Novel After Protests. Some Worry It Sets a Dangerous Precedent

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

On Monday morning, author Elizabeth Gilbert posted a video to her social media accounts announcing that she was pulling her newest book, The Snow Forest, from the publishing calendar. The historical novel, which centers around a family in the 1930s that finds refuge from the Soviet government in the woods of Siberia, received backlash online from Ukrainian readers who criticized her for publishing a book set in Russia amid the Russian war in Ukraine.

Elizabeth Gilbert Delayed Her Novel After Protests. Some Worry It Sets a Dangerous Precedent

Should’ve just put a trigger warning, on it, for the Snowflakes! 🙄

Illinois Rep Rashid among those threatened by armed American Israeli settlers during pogrom in Turmus Ayya, Palestine

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Illinois Rep Rashid among those threatened by armed American Israeli settlers during pogrom in Turmosaya, Palestine

The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee has called for an official investigation into American Israelis who hold dual citizenship and who are involved in a growing wave of anti-Palestinian pogroms and violence. State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid sends letter to his legislative colleagues to detail his predicament in the threatening environment but to no response. Gov. J.B. Pritzker remains silent

Illinois Rep Rashid among those threatened by armed American Israeli settlers during pogrom in Turmosaya, Palestine

Related:

American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Urges Criminal Investigation into US Citizens Involved in Attacks on Palestinian Civilians in West Bank

Where is the political courage of yesteryear?

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Are We Back to Nuclear Brinkmanship for Good?

In his speech last week, Sullivan said the world was at an “inflection point” that demanded “new strategies for achieving the same goal we’ve held since the Cold War: Reduce the risk of nuclear conflict.” Instead, we seem to be inching inexorably back toward a time when, as Kennedy commented 60 years ago, any “two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, [can] decide to bring an end to civilization.”

*Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Ms. Cat’s Chronicles.

Invisible Ukrainians: A conversation with a professor from the Donbas

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

From the time that Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Western media coverage of the war has been dominated by the perspectives of Ukrainians who support Zelensky’s government and who oppose Russia. While it is vitally important that we be informed of their perspective, we cannot truly understand the Ukraine war without hearing from Ukrainians who reject Zelensky’s rule. In the Western mainstream discourse, those Ukrainians are virtually invisible.

Invisible Ukrainians: A conversation with a professor from the Donbas

Navy probe prompted by suicides condemns conditions at shipyard: ‘We let our people down’ + The Brandon Act

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)

Navy probe prompted by suicides condemns conditions at shipyard: ‘We let our people down’

EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Service members and veterans can call 988 and then press “1”. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

Related:

Their Son Died of Suicide in the Navy. They’re Honoring His Final Wish by Saving Lives

If you or someone you know in the military needs help, contact the Veterans Crisis Hotline at 800-273-8255, on veteranscrisisline.net, or by texting 838255. Civilians can text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

Papua New Guinea Students Protest US Military Pact

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)1 Comment

STUDENTS of Mt Hagen Technical College (HATECO) in Western Highlands Province staged a protest march to stop the signing of Defence Cooperation Agreement between PNG and the United States.

Giving the same reasons, the University of Papua New Guinea, the University of Technology and the University of Goroka have all conducted protest marches demanding the Prime Minister James Marape not to sign the deal until and unless the citizens are fully aware of what is entailed in the document.

Papua New Guinea Students Protest US Military Pact

Previously:

US-China rivalry: American troops to access Papua New Guinea ports, airports in new security pact

Israel lobby smeared Palestinian American professor, then got him fired

Tina Marie (Ms. Cat)2 Comments

Cabrini University discriminated against a Palestinian American professor and violated his First Amendment rights, a lawyer says. (Cabrini Univesity)

Israel lobby smeared Palestinian American professor, then got him fired

Related:

Cabrini University: Professor Fired after Anti-Israel Tweets

On March 19, 2023, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Cabrini University fired Professor Kareem Tannous in August 2022 after pressure from outside organizations to censure and punish the professor for allegedly anti-Semitic tweets. FIRE wrote the university on April 14, 2023, explaining it cannot fire Tannous for protected extramural speech and that the university should make clear it upholds the academic freedom standards it maintains in its faculty handbook.