If you've been following us for a while, you won't be surprised by yesterday's news about Harvey Weinstein. | |
The New York Court of Appeals overturned the Hollywood producer's conviction for rape and sexual assault. But they only confirmed what we thought when we covered the Harvey Weinstein trial in 2020. | |
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This was mob justice, this was politicized justice, this was the New York district attorney putting politics before the law. Sound familiar? We told you then that though you may not like Harvey Weinstein, they'll use the same tactics to go after you and the ones you love. The same New York Court that prosecuted Weinstein without evidence is now doing the same thing to Donald Trump. That's why we had to call out this miscarriage of justice when we saw it. |
On this bonus episode of The Harvey Weinstein Trial: Unfiltered you'll hear in more detail why we were right all along. |
We followed every minute of the 2020 trial in New York, and we know that Weinstein is not guilty of rape. We have been saying this ever since we listened to every piece of evidence and found it lacking. |
We chronicled all of this in the podcast. It's relevant again, and if you're surprised at all by the New York appeals court's decision, you need to listen to this series. |
Injustice to anyone, even someone as creepy and piggish as Harvey Weinstein, cannot stand. If it can happen to Hollywood elites, it can happen to anyone. These are the same people who tried to destroy Brett Kavanaugh and who are currently prosecuting and persecuting Donald Trump. They only want to believe all women when those women attack conservatives, but they demand evidence from Israeli women claiming assault on October 7. |
The decision of the appeals court is a good day for justice in America. |
Please listen. |
It is not so much that our elite universities have allowed a spirit of vile Jew hatred to take root on their campuses. Instead, they have cultivated that very spirit, fueling its fires and fine-tuning its ideologies.
The universities are complicit. They helped create this monster, and now it is out of control!
Nothing less than a comprehensive, top to bottom and bottom to top ideological overhaul will do... |
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Join us for our 3rd Education Summit on May 18 from 9am-4pm at Maggiano's Restaurant in Short Pump, Va! We will hear from "Education Entrepreneurs" who will showcase their innovative solutions to the challenges we face in educating the next generation of children in Virginia. Some of our featured speakers include: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Don and Ashley Soifer CEO and Chief Innovation Officer National Microschooling Center |
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Michael King Director of Community Alliances Massachusetts Family Institute |
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Sam Rogers Co-Founder, Treign Up Academy, An Acton Primus |
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Mercedes Grant Founder, Path of Life Learning |
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Danette Buckley Founder, Dream Tech Academy |
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Nasiyah Isra-Ul Executive Director, Canary Academy Online ......and more! Register today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/third-annual-virginia-education-summit-tickets-880907667547 Space is limited so don't delay! |
Unfortunately, the radical left isn't the only problem we're facing. Significant elements of the Republican establishment do not want Donald Trump to be president again. They believe that if he is defeated, it's not only the end of him, but also the end of populist conservatism.
This is not a new rift in the party. As I have outlined before, the establishment bitterly fought Ronald Reagan, too, and it has crushed other populist movements in the party.
Populist conservatism fights for the working class. It puts Main Street ahead of Wall Street. It is strong on national defense but puts America's interests first.
It believes in free markets, but not at the expense of American workers. Instead of just paying lip service to the culture war, it is serious about winning it.
In contrast, the GOP establishment wants to go back to being the party of Big Business, Gerald Ford, and the Bush dynasty, where we keep surrendering more and more ground to the socialists and Marxists.
According to several news reports, the White House is contemplating granting an amnesty to an estimated 1.1 million individuals already living in the United States through "parole in place." Reports suggest that this amnesty would be focused on illegal alien spouses of U.S. citizens who currently aren't eligible to get a green card.
The amnesty would be another unlawful expansion of parole authority and would come with a path to a green card and, eventually, citizenship.
It's been more than six months since October 7. The whole world was shaken as a flood, as they actually called it, an Al-Aqsa Flood, of Hamas terrorists came through the wall separating Gaza and Israel in multiple places. Over the next several hours they murdered 1,200 Israelis. They took 253 hostages, including Americans. One hundred thirty-three are still hostages today.
Over Easter, I spent a few days in Israel. I met with multiple Israeli senior leaders, and talked to people in different parts of Israel to see the effects of this war. I made it clear when I was in Israel: the people of the United States see the people of Israel.
I traveled to the southern tip of Israel, along the border with Egypt, to discuss the relationship between Israel and Egypt. I spent a few hours at the Nova Festival site where hundreds of young Israelis were murdered at an outdoor concert. I traveled to the Kibbutz on the border with Gaza that is now vacant, empty, and devastated, where hundreds of people lived just a few months ago and now every building has bullet holes or has been burned and destroyed. When they were attacked, it was 6:30 in the morning on a Jewish holiday and on the Sabbath. Many of the residents were still asleep when a group of Hamas terrorists came into their homes and murdered many in that village and took many hostages.
We traveled to northern Israel, to visit with some of the mayors right along the border with Syria and Lebanon. Towns are evacuated there because people can't survive the onslaught of artillery fire from Lebanon.
The world watched when 330 drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles were fired at Israel from Iran. However, that attack was only a small part of the 12,000 rockets and missiles that have been fired at Israel since October 7. Of those, multiple have been fired from Yemen, 9,100 were fired at civilians in Israel from Gaza, 3,100 of them have been launched by Hezbollah terrorists from Lebanon, and 35 of them were fired from Syria.
Iran and its terrorist regime have funded or supported all of the missile attacks on Israel and US forces in the region in the past six months. The Iranian regime is the biggest problem in the region because they pull the strings on all of the violent terrorist organizations in the Middle East, and they also hate America. We do not have an issue with the Iranian people; we have an issue with Iran's aggressive, terrorist regime.
On Tuesday, the Senate finally passed significant new sanctions on the Iranian regime as a part of the aid package for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. We should use any leverage we have to isolate the Iranian economy to put pressure on their regime. Leader Schumer wants a change of leadership in Israel while they're in the middle of a war, I want a change in leadership in Iran.
We also cannot allow the Iranian regime to spew their hatred on US soil. Last week, the Iranian foreign minister flew to the US to speak to a group of people at the UN, and the Biden Administration gave him a visa. I called on Secretary Blinken to block the visa of someone who was a leading voice for the October 7 attack, and a member of the IRGC terror organization in Iran. Why would we give someone a platform to attack America and our ally Israel while he stands on American soil?
We should be clear on who we support—those bringing peace or those bringing violence and hatred.
Let's pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but let's also stand by her.
CLICK HERE to read more about my letter to Secretary Blinken about calling out the Iranian foreign minister for his anti-Israel behavior.
CLICK HERE to watch my speech on the Senate floor about the ways I believe the US should continue to stand by our friend and ally, Israel.
CLICK HERE to read my opinion piece in the Tulsa World about the ways I believe the US should stand with Israel.
CLICK HERE to read my statement on aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan.
Two Major Votes in the Past Two Weeks
In the past few days, the Senate has addressed multiple issues that need some facts to go with all the fiction online.
I supported the bill to provide assistance to our allies and to stand against international terrorism. During Passover week, activists screamed hatred at Jewish students at multiple elite American universities. Their antisemitic protests caused several schools to cancel classes for the rest of the semester. While the protests raged, the Senate held a vote on American support for Israel to determine if our nation stood with the protestors or with Israel. I chose to stand with Israel. The aid bill increased sanctions on the Iranian regime, provided military support to Israel and humanitarian assistance to the civilians in Gaza.
The bill also provided military assistance to Ukraine and Taiwan, who are both facing threats from communist or socialist dictatorships. Ronald Reagan spent his presidency working to break up the Soviet Union and to isolate communism and socialism. Now, the leadership of Russia is working to reconstitute the old Soviet empire while the leadership of China continues to expand its dictatorial control over its neighbors. America cannot be engaged in every conflict worldwide, but when our friends are fighting for their freedom or their very existence, the United States should not just turn its back on them as they are murdered on their own streets.
The aid bill also forces the sale of TikTok to break the Chinese control of one of the largest media companies in America. The communist party has used TikTok to push its propaganda to our nation. The bill does not ban TikTok. It simply moves the control of content out of China to any American company.
I did have one very significant frustration with the aid bill. It included only a fraction of the serious border enforcement measures I worked on for months. The bill contained a new sanction authority on foreign entities and people who deal in fentanyl, which will slow the flow of that terrible chemical into our nation. However, all of the increased standards for asylum, the tough new border enforcement, and ending the frequent and illegal use of parole into our great nation were not included in the final bill text coming from the House. The Senate was unwilling to pass any bipartisan border enforcement measures a month ago, and the House was unable to pass any border enforcement legislation a week ago.
This is one of the great challenges of our current political climate. Some people would rather have nothing if they don't get everything they want on an issue. I am a proud conservative, but I also see the national security risk of doing nothing day after day. I worked for months to make some progress closing our wide open borders, rather than just complain about the problem and hope it magically gets better on its own after a press conference. We still have work to do, which is why I was back at it again this week to make progress on closing our open border.
The other big vote was on foreign intelligence gathering and how to protect the privacy of Americans while at the same time discovering and stopping foreign terror threats before they happen. You may have heard the term FISA, which stands for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but you may not know that the final passage of FISA included 50 new limits on the authority, protections for Americans, and consequences on anyone who abuses the law. There were significant new civil liberty protections in the final version, which I supported.
FISA only applies to foreign intelligence. It is illegal to use that authority to spy on Americans, and the new version of the bill includes fines and jail time for any abuse. There was some debate about a new warrant requirement to even look at the database if there was any information about an American citizen included in the database. I voted against that amendment because it also included new protections for every person who is currently illegally present in the United States. I was not willing to tie the hands of law enforcement when they discovered a link between a foreign terror organization and an illegal alien currently residing in our country.
I understand that some people did not want FISA renewed, but as a member of the Intelligence Committee, I am very aware of the importance of learning about terror plots before they happen. We should not ignore the very real threats coming at our nation from foreign terror organizations, even in the past few weeks. We can protect American lives, while also protecting our civil liberties.
CLICK HERE to read my statement on the foreign aid supplemental bill.
CLICK HERE to read my statement on FISA reauthorization.
Impeachment Trial of Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas
Last week, the House of Representatives brought their Articles of Impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate. Because the House impeached Secretary Mayorkas, the Senate had a constitutional duty to hold a trial. However, for the first time in American history, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer raised a point of order that the Articles of Impeachment for Secretary Mayorkas were unconstitutional, and with a partisan majority vote they refused to even hold a trial. So the impeachment trial was over before it ever started.
There have been 22 impeachments in the history of our nation, and this is the first to ever have been rejected by the Senate as being unconstitutional. Senator Schumer and Democrats want to ignore the House and the actions they have taken because they refuse to acknowledge the chaos at our southern border.
CLICK HERE to read my full statement on the impeachment trial of DHS Secretary Mayorkas.
Hearing from Postmaster General DeJoy
Last week, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing with United States Postal Service Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. I used the opportunity to address several questions about the proposed changes by the Postal Service for mail in Oklahoma. Oklahomans have expressed concerns about delays in mail impacting seniors and Veterans who rely on receiving benefits and medication through the mail. We also discussed concerns raised by Tulsans about the future of the Tulsa facility and their great workforce.
Following a public meeting held by USPS at Tulsa's Hardesty Library to receive community input, I was joined by Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin and Oklahoma Representatives Frank Lucas, Tom Cole, and Stephanie Bice to send a letter to DeJoy to share our concerns on the Oklahoma changes in the Delivering for America Ten-Year Plan.
I will continue to put Oklahomans' postal needs first and ensure any proposed changes from Washington, DC, are monitored closely and receive feedback from me, my staff, and Oklahomans who would be affected.
CLICK HERE to watch my Q&A with Postmaster DeJoy.
CLICK HERE to read my letter to Postmaster DeJoy on postal issues in our state.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) introduced legislation to bolster America's nuclear energy workforce through an initiative that enhances the dissemination of nuclear energy-related information at American schools in an attempt to alter the stigma associated with nuclear power. The recently introduced initiative also strategically increases awareness about employment information and experiential learning opportunities within the nuclear energy industry and associated nuclear supply chain at American secondary schools, trade schools, community colleges, and institutions of higher education.
"The American Nuclear Workforce Act" is the 77th piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Donalds in the 118th Congress and is the 23rd proposal of the Congressman's "2023-24 Nuclear Energy Legislative Package." The bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Brandon Williams (R-NY), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), and Troy Nehls (R-TX). American Conservation Coalition Action, America First Policy Institute, American Nuclear Society, Consumer Energy Alliance, Mothers for Nuclear, Nuclear Alternative Project, Uranium Producers of America, and U.S. Nuclear Industry Council have also endorsed this piece of legislation.
"A robust nuclear energy workforce is critical to our nation's energy independence and security," said Rep. Donalds. "As America plans to increase its utilization of nuclear energy in the years to come, a proactive and forward-looking nuclear workforce strategy is much needed. We must collectively work together to change nuclear energy's negative connotation, and increasing awareness about the benefits that nuclear can provide at our nation's educational institutions will help spark a new generation of interest and participation within the industry."
"We best serve the next generation of minds that will propel nuclear energy forward by providing them with robust education and access to information," said Rep. Williams. "I applaud Rep. Donalds for his leadership in this space."
"The American nuclear energy industry will need a strong workforce to meet a growing demand for clean, safe, and reliable nuclear energy," said American Conservation Coalition Action President Chris Barnard. "With more people leaving the industry than entering it, we must reverse this trend. The American Conservation Coalition Action (ACC Action) and our thousands of young conservative leaders across the country applaud this effort to bolster the nuclear energy workforce of the future, which will unleash this clean energy source and increase access to high-paying jobs."
"A skilled, well-trained, and capable workforce is imperative as the advanced nuclear industry begins to commercialize novel, smaller reactor technologies," said U.S. Nuclear Industry Council President & CEO Todd Abrajano. "The U.S. Nuclear Industry Council supports the framework of the American Nuclear Workforce Act and what it does to encourage the growth of the nuclear industry's workforce into the future."
"The Uranium Producers of America applaud the introduction of the American Nuclear Workforce Act, important legislation that will help inspire and train the next generation of leaders in the American nuclear power industry. The American nuclear power industry employs over half a million people, bringing jobs to local communities of all sizes, and contributes $60 billion annually to the U.S. GDP while accounting for 20% of our power generation," said the Uranium Producers of America. "The developments in the nuclear industry expected over the coming years will require a more direct approach to attracting and training the talent needed to keep our reactors functioning and our country's energy secure. This bill is a thoughtful and tailored way to ensure we meet those goals while growing the industry and economy more broadly. The Uranium Producers of America are grateful to Congressman Donalds for his continued leadership in advancing the nuclear energy industry, and we urge Congress to swiftly pass this important bill to better secure the industry for generations to come."
MORE:
Arlington, VA – The GOPAC Election Fund is pleased to congratulate PA State Representative Ryan Mackenzie on his primary victory tonight in PA-07. Chairman David Avella hailed State Representative Mackenzie's triumph, remarking, "Congratulations to Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07) for his hard-earned victory tonight. Ryan has showcased exceptional leadership as a state legislator, epitomizing the values of a principled conservative with a proven record of concrete achievements." Avella proudly affirmed, "That's why GOPAC wholeheartedly endorsed his campaign." ### |
Gatch among GOPAC's 2024 'Class of Emerging Leaders'Post and Courier | Staff ReportApril 23, 2024GOPAC, a Republican state and local political training organization, announced that South Carolina House District 94 Rep. Gil Gatch of Summerville is among the 29 legislators in its 2024 class of Emerging Leaders. Nominated by their stat's legislative leadership, these legislators have demonstrated promise in positively impacting their state and rising within the Republican ranks. |
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MAGA CAUCUS IN VIRGINIA ENDORSES JONATHAN EMORD FOR U.S. SENATE
On April 24, the MAGA Caucus announced Jonathan Emord as its choice for U.S. Senate, pledging to campaign for him in the primaries and in the general election. The caucus members interviewed Senate Candidates and determined that among them Emord was the most qualified to support the MAGA agenda in Congress.
| Washington has forgotten what it means to serve the people who elected them in the first place. Once these career politicians make empty promises and get elected, they instantly forget their purpose: service. I first learned the meaning of service when I was very young, working with my mom at our local family diner. Do I wish I was outside spending time with friends? Of course! But I had to make a sacrifice to help my mom out, and looking back, it helped me become the man I am today. Flash forward: After I graduated from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!), I decided to follow in my grandfather's footsteps and was immediately commissioned into the US Army as an Infantry Officer. I completed Ranger School and was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division as a Platoon Leader, where I was deployed for 15 months in "the Surge" in Iraq. Following this service, I completed the Special Forces Qualifications Course and became an A-Team leader in the Green Berets (Special Forces of the Army) and served 5 deployments to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. |
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| We were thrown into a hornet's nest in the Middle East. There were times it was tough surrounded by America's enemies, but I knew I had a duty of service. America's freedom was on the line. This brings me to my first point. Career politicians in Washington forgot the duty of service to their country. Liberal politicians would rather blindly follow Joe Biden's leadership than do what's right for the American people. I'm ready to change this and shake up Washington. I served our great country once in the Army Special Forces, and I'm ready to do it again in Congress, but I can only do it with your help. The Democrat Establishment is afraid of a political outsider like me with no loyalties to anyone except the American people. |
Proxy season recap — and what's in store for 2024
Calvert continues to leverage our proxy-voting guidelines to advocate for progress on financially material ESG issues. Climate issues continue to be a primary investor concern, and in the most recent proxy season (2022-23) we voted in favor of climate proposals 83% of the time. However, we voted against say-on-climate management proposals more than 60% of the time because a large portion of companies' energy transition plans fail to meet our standards. In these cases, we first reach out to companies to explain our views.
Anti-ESG proponents were more active in filing resolutions during the 2022-2023 proxy season. The vast majority — 95% — of proposals from anti-ESG proponents were filed in the United States. However, these proposals received just 2.4% support, on average. Support levels this low mean the same resolution can't be refiled with the same company again the following year.
In the current 2023-24 proxy season, in addition to other areas of focus, Calvert will pay close attention to companies' energy transition plans, say-on-pay packages and governance around Board and Chair role separation. In evaluating energy transition plans, our focus will shift from target setting to actual progress made in emissions reduction. We will continue to hold directors accountable for poor disclosures, especially from high-emitting companies.
Calvert expects anti-ESG proponents will continue to try to roll back some of the progress made on material ESG issues over the past few years, such as public disclosure of US Equal Employment Opportunity data and climate action. For investors focused on getting companies to better address material ESG issues, we expect climate, lobbying and worker's rights, in addition to health and safety, to remain a priority.
Closing Diversity Gaps in the Corporate Pipeline
Calvert Research and Management recently released the third paper of our gender diversity series. In "Parity Beyond the Boardroom: Closing Diversity Gaps in the Corporate Pipeline," we discuss one of the top remaining global gender issues: the gap in the corporate talent pipeline. This issue contributes to structural disparities in pay and, ultimately, may further advance a wealth gap for underrepresented groups that is hard to close.
Our research shows that female representation at the board and employee levels is much higher than at the executive and senior management levels. Ethnic diversity is greater among lower-level employees than in senior positions at large-cap U.S. companies. Notable differences are observed among resource-based and service-based sectors for both gender diversity and ethnic diversity.
The trickle-down effect from increased gender representation in the boardroom, expected to help resolve the diversity pipeline issue, has not taken place as quickly as anticipated. We think this is largely due to national quotas driving the high percentage of female board directors, particularly in countries or markets that lag their peers.
As diversity gaps at the critical management and senior levels are not closing as quickly as expected, we believe investors and companies need to intensify their efforts to address this situation. We think companies that can close their diversity gaps sooner are more likely to benefit from a boost in their intellectual and human capital.
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