ESPN analyst wants to cancel the sports metaphor 'Mount Rushmore': 'Not even the four best presidents'



ESPN analyst Jay Williams wants to retire the sports reference to Mount Rushmore.

Referring to the national monument in South Dakota where the faces of four former U.S. presidents are carved into a mountainside, sports analysts regularly use the phrase to refer to the greatest players of a particular sport.

On Wednesday, ESPN host Stephen A. Smith suggested that NBA superstar Steph Curry might replace LeBron James on the "Mount Rushmore" of professional basketball if the Golden State Warriors win this year's NBA championship. Though Curry is already considered the greatest shooter in NBA history, another championship would make him a five-time champion.

On Thursday, Williams responded to Smith's comments and registered his disdain for the reference.

"Can we first off just stop with the Mount Rushmore talk," Williams said on ESPN. "They're not even the four best presidents this country has ever had. Everyone in this room was not even able to vote. I just want to say that off the top. That’s our metric for success? That’s our king?"

Smith responded that the reference "is just used as a metaphor."

\u201cJay Williams encourages everyone to stop the Mount Rushmore talk\u201d
— Awful Announcing (@Awful Announcing) 1683216023

While it's debatable who the four best presidents are — though many would include the George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt on their list of best presidents — it's true that black Americans did not have full voting privileges when Mount Rushmore was constructed or under any of those four presidents.

The 15th Amendment gave black men the right to vote, but because of Jim Crow laws and poll taxes, many weren't able to exercise their full rights for another century. The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, constitutionally outlawed poll taxes.

Anything else?

Williams isn't the first sports analyst to blast the "Mount Rushmore" metaphor.

Last year, ESPN analyst Jalen Rose said using the metaphor is "offensive," especially to Native Americans. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) blasted "woke leftists" in response.

"The four men on Mount Rushmore were amazing, flawed American leaders who helped make America what it is today — the greatest country the world has ever known," she responded. "To the woke leftists obsessed with attacking these leaders, I’ve got news for you: not on my watch."

\u201cThe four men on Mount Rushmore were amazing, flawed American leaders who helped make America what it is today \u2014 the greatest country the world has ever known.\n\nTo the woke leftists obsessed with attacking these leaders, I\u2019ve got news for you: not on my watch.\u201d
— Kristi Noem (@Kristi Noem) 1659801645

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Social Security numbers of nearly 2,000 Trump White House visitors — including governors and former cabinet members — leaked by January 6 committee: Report



The House committee entitled the "Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol," now likely defunct, may have recently released the Social Security numbers of nearly 2,000 Americans, many of whom are allies of former President Donald Trump.

According to the Washington Post, hundreds of documents had been released in the committee's final report, including a spreadsheet containing the identities of thousands of people who, based on visitor logs, had visited the White House in December 2020. Though the personal identification information of most of the visitors listed on the logs had been redacted in the spreadsheet, about 1,900 of the visitors had their information — including their Social Security number — publicized.

Those reportedly affected include South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and her family, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R). Two members of Trump's cabinet were also reportedly affected: former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. Two unnamed federal judges, an attorney for a Jan. 6 witness, and at least six people who testified before the committee also reportedly had their information compromised.

According to the Post, none of the individuals whose information had allegedly been exposed had been notified.

On Friday, Noem posted to Twitter a letter, written by her attorney, excoriating the data release and demanding to know "how the breach of privacy occurred, who was responsible, what steps [have been] taken to remedy the breach, and what specific measures and remedies will be taken to protect Governor Noem and her family in light of the public dissemination of their private information and the heightened risk for identity theft and and other future privacy violations."

\u201cMy lawyers have asked the @WhiteHouse, the @USNatArchives, and @BennieGThompson which of them is responsible for leaking the Social Security Numbers of me, my husband, my 3 kids, and my son-in-law.\n\nWhat specific measures and remedies will be taken to protect our identities?\u201d
— Kristi Noem (@Kristi Noem) 1673046548

Carson likewise expressed his outrage: "Whether it was a careless and sloppy handling of records or a deliberate disregard of decorum, either scenario is a perfunctory and callous display of government and a frightening reminder of the current state in Washington."

An aide associated with the committee who spoke with the Post on condition of anonymity claimed that any data breach would have been "inadvertent." Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the former chairman of the committee, did not comment on the Post's report.

Adam Kinzinger, a former representative from Illinois and one of just two Republicans on the committee, said that the breach was "unfortunate" and "something we’ll have to look into."

Though the data and the documents in the committee's report had been gathered mainly by committee members and their staff, the Government Publishing Office ultimately released the report itself. However, the GPO has since denied culpability for any breach. The GPO "does not edit or alter materials provided by Congress for publication," a spokesperson stated. On Wednesday, the GPO temporarily removed the files to scan for any other traces of sensitive identification information.

Now that Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has been elected speaker of the House and the new representatives sworn into office, the January 6 committee is likely officially closed. It issued its final report on December 22. Though it had initially subpoenaed Trump and recommended that he be charged criminally for the events of January 6, 2021, that subpoena was ultimately withdrawn.

Biden admin ties funds for school lunches to compliance with transgender mandates



President Joe Biden's administration has moved forward with a new interpretation of Title IX anti-discrimination laws that could potentially strip federal funding for school lunches from schools that do not let transgender students use their preferred bathrooms or play on preferred sports teams.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last month it will interpret federal anti-discrimination law "to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity." Its decision is based on an executive order Biden signed after assuming office in January 2021, as well as the Supreme Court's decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that Title VII protections against sex discrimination extend to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“As a result, state and local agencies, program operators and sponsors that receive funds from FNS must investigate allegations of discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation,” the USDA said in a May 5 statement, first reported by the Center Square. “Those organizations must also update their non-discrimination policies and signage to include prohibitions against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.”

What this means is that any recipients of the USDA's Food and Nutrition Services child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program, could lose federal funding if they do not comply with Biden's new interpretation of Title IX.

If, for instance, a school does not permit a boy who identifies as a girl to use the girls' restrooms or locker rooms, the school may lose access to the lunch program as a consequence. The same goes for school sports teams. This would be in line with the stated intention of the White House.

"Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports," the president's Jan. 20, 2021executive order reads.

The federal government is already receiving pushback from Republican governors. In a statement on Thursday, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem accused Biden of holding school lunch money "hostage" and vowed to take legal action.

“President Biden is holding lunch money for poor Americans hostage in pursuit of his radical agenda. He is insisting that we allow biological males to compete in girls’ sports or else lose funding for SNAP and school lunch programs,” Noem said. “South Dakota will continue to defend basic fairness so that our girls can compete and achieve. I would remind President Biden that we have defeated him in litigation before and are ready to do so again. Mr. President, we’ll see you in court.”

\u201cJoe Biden has threatened to take away children\u2019s school lunch money to pursue his radical agenda.\n\nHe\u2019s targeting states like ours that make it clear biological men do NOT belong in girls\u2019 bathrooms and sports.\n\nIf you act on this, Joe, we\u2019ll see you in court and we will win.\u201d
— Kristi Noem (@Kristi Noem) 1654126557

Noem and other conservative governors have championed so-called Fairness in Womens Sports legislation, which prohibits gender-dysphoric males from competing in women's sports leagues.

The Biden administration maintains that LGBT people need protections from discrimination to ensure that all Americans have an equal and equitable access to government assistance.

“USDA is committed to administering all its programs with equity and fairness, and serving those in need with the highest dignity. A key step in advancing these principles is rooting out discrimination in any form – including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said in a May 5 statement. “At the same time, we must recognize the vulnerability of the LGBTQI+ communities and provide them with an avenue to grieve any discrimination they face. We hope that by standing firm against these inequities we will help bring about much-needed change.”

The Department of Education is expected to release its own regulatory proposal on Title IX sometime in June. Politico reported that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will unveil new discrimination protections for transgender students as well as new rules for how schools must respond to sexual misconduct complaints. The Biden administration is also expected to reverse due process protections for those accused of sexual harassment enacted by the Trump administration.

Demise of CNN+ lampooned by former CNN employee, Kristi Noem, Meghan McCain, and Joe Rogan: 'Do you want to watch 'The Mandalorian' or extra Brian Stelter?'



Warner Bros. Discovery shuttered CNN+ last week – only three weeks after the failed streaming service launched. There were reports that CNN+ was only attracting 10,000 daily viewers despite the network having spent an estimated $300 million to launch the service and another $100 to $200 million to promote the doomed venture. Many reactions to the demise of CNN+ lampooned the network's disastrous streaming service.

Former CNN producer and network insider doubted the success of CNN+

A former CNN employee tore into the management of the ill-fated streaming service.

"I defy you to find any reasonable person who ever believed that viewers would pay extra money for the dregs of CNN when it was competing for their wallets with Netflix and Disney Plus," a former CNN producer told Fox News. "Do you want to watch ‘The Mandalorian’ or extra Brian Stelter?"

A CNN insider informed the outlet, "I didn't get this whole thing from day one. I'm not commenting on the content here. I mean – the basic product itself. I didn't get why the massive money was spent after a merger had been announced. It was like, 'Wheee! AT&T gave us the money, let's burn it!' I don't understand it."

Another CNN insider told the New York Post that the "big people will likely be saved," but the producers and showrunners face six months in severance or nothing at all.

"Everyone is aghast and furious," the insider told the Post.

Meghan McCain and Joe Rogan dance on the grave of CNN+

Meghan McCain wrote in the Daily Mail, "Keep in mind, these are also the same people who told coal miners who lost their jobs to go back to college and 'learn to code.'"

McCain pointed out that CNN's cable TV network lost 70% of its total audience between February 2021 and February 2022.

She asked, "Why would anyone at CNN believe that the American public would pay extra for content from a brand that is already struggling to bring in audiences?"

"If someone pitched this idea to me, I would have said that they had been spending too much time in the Hamptons with Chris Cuomo and not enough time in the real world where Tik Tok stars, Joe Rogan, and Fox News primetime are the dominating media forces," McCain added,

Speaking of Joe Rogan, the premiere podcast host also mocked the failed streaming service during a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience."

"They spent $300 million. They got 10,000 subscribers," Rogan gleefully razzed CNN+. "Imagine the hubris of thinking that something that people don't want for free? That you're going to charge money for it."

Rogan parodied a possible CNN+ executive meeting about programming, "'We're gonna have a Jake Tapper book club.'"

Rogan added, "Jake Tapper seems like a great guy. But I mean, I feel like I don't have to pay for his book club. I feel like you should put that on Twitter."

During the podcast, British author and political commentator Douglas Murray jokingly disparaged the streaming service as "CNN Minus" instead of "CNN Plus."

Kristi Noem takes a shot at President Joe Biden

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem utilized the abrupt demise of CNN+ to bash President Joe Biden's decision to shut down the Keystone XL Pipeline.

CNN producer Ellie Smith urged people not to revel in the death of CNN+ because it left hundreds of people without jobs.

“PSA if you’re going to tweet something snarky about CNN+, hundreds of journalists and technicians who did nothing but work their tails off just had the rug pulled out from under them. So be kind," Smith wrote on Twitter.

The Republican governor of South Dakota shot back, "Now you know how the Keystone XL Pipeline workers feel."

Noem was referencing President Biden canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline – which cost at least 11,000 direct jobs.

Now you know how the Keystone XL Pipeline workers feel.https://twitter.com/elliekaysmith_/status/1517187599030538240\u00a0\u2026
— Kristi Noem (@Kristi Noem) 1650572917


Beto O'Rourke roasted for wearing 'Don't mess with trans kids' shirt: 'Adult men fangirling over trans kids is extremely creepy'



Democratic Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke was skewered online for proudly wearing a "Don't mess with trans kids" shirt.

On Thursday, O'Rourke posted a photo on social media of himself wearing the controversial T-shirt promoting transgender children that has the colors of the Texas state flag on it.

The slogan refers to the successful "Don't mess with Texas" campaign initiated by the Texas Department of Transportation to convince Texans not to litter by featuring ads with celebrities such as blues musician Stevie Ray Vaughan, country singer-songwriter Willie Nelson, and actor Matthew McConaughey.

pic.twitter.com/IUaazsT6eQ
— Beto O'Rourke (@Beto O'Rourke) 1648738905

O'Rourke was quickly lampooned on social media for advocating for children to change their gender. Numerous Twitter reactions advised O'Rourke to "not mess with any kids."

BlazeTV personality and "Louder with Crowder" host Steven Crowder: "How about YOU don’t mess with ANY kids. Period."

Lawyer and podcaster David Freiheit: "Beto O’Rourke doesn’t appreciate that he just made a compelling argument against hormone therapy for kids."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw: "How about this, progressives: Don’t mess with kids."

Conservative activist Chris Barron: "Hi Beto, how about just don't mess with kids. Like don't encourage them to engage in genital mutilation or in unnecessary hormone therapy."

Political writer Ian Haworth: "'Don't mess with trans kids, so let them mutilate themselves' is one hell of a hill to die on."

Conservative commentator John Cardillo: "Yeah, this will really resonate with Texans."

Conservative digital creator Benny Johnson: "This should do wonders for your poll numbers."

Senior policy analyst at Independent Women's Forum Inez Stepman: "Adult men fangirling over 'trans kids' is extremely creepy."

Conservative activist Kambree Nelson: "Interesting, not Hispanic but Irish Robert Francis, the only ones who want to mess with Trans kids are liberals. I wonder why? I can't figure out the obsession of children with the left, especially Robert Francis concern with another person's childs sexual orientation... kids should be left alone."

Republican communicator Matt Whitlock: "Hopefully someone in the media will have an opportunity to ask him to expand on what this is in response to, and what his policy prescription is."

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.): "Robert Francis in six months: No one is sexualizing your children."

Second Amendment advocate Dana Loesch: "Are you still going to take all our semi-automatic rifles like you promised?"

Conservative commentator Anna Khait: "Don’t mess with our Constitution."

Fixed it for you. Don\u2019t mess with kids PERIOD.pic.twitter.com/kppwAhBXIa
— Kristi Leigh (@Kristi Leigh) 1648742883

O'Rourke shared the photo on Transgender Day of Visibility — an "awareness day" created in 2010 by trans advocates in an effort to "celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces," according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

The Biden administration celebrated Transgender Day of Visibility by endorsing sex-change surgeries and cross-sex hormone substitutions for minors.

O'Rourke – who had previous failed bids for the Senate and presidency – is running against incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott (R) in the Texas gubernatorial race.

In February, Abbott ordered state agencies to investigate reports of children being administered puberty blockers and hormone therapy, as well as allegations of "sex change" procedures on minors. Certain medical and chemical sex change procedures performed on children are classified as "abuse," according to Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

"Texas law imposes reporting requirements upon all licensed professionals who have direct contact with children who may be subject to such abuse, including doctors, nurses, and teachers, and provides criminal penalties for failure to report such child abuse," Abbott wrote in a letter to the Department of Family and Protective Services.

Last month, O'Rourke diminished Abbott as a "thug" and "oligarch." He also suggested a statewide gun buyback program.

In 2019, then-presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke said he wanted to ban and confiscate "assault weapons" and create a national gun registry.

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Mississippi governor refuses to participate in nationwide lockdown

Tate Reeves, Mississippi's governor, has stated that the state would refuse to participate in any potential national lockdown in the future due to the pandemic.

South Dakota governor BLASTS Obama

Kristi Noem, the governor of the state of South Dakota, had some harsh words for Barack Obama on Thursday on Twitter.

Kristi Noem fires back at former president Obama over his characterization of America in his forthcoming memoir



South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) angrily responded to a passage from Obama's forthcoming Memoir, titled "A Promised Land," on Thursday.

The memoir, to be released November 17, is scheduled to be the first of a two-part series released by Penguin Random House, which paid a $65 million advance to Barack and Michelle Obama for the rights to publish both their memoirs.

In excerpts released to numerous publications, including the Washington Examiner, Obama contended, essentially, that Donald Trump's election to the presidency was caused by an unreasonable reaction to his own presidency. Specifically, he blamed former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin of making racist attitudes toward his presidency mainstream.

"Through Palin, it seemed as if the dark spirits that had long been lurking on the edges of the modern Republican Party — xenophobia, anti intellectualism, paranoid conspiracy theories, an antipathy toward Black and brown folks — were finding their way to center stage," Obama wrote.

Additionally, in a passage that Noem took exception to, Obama implied that the "promise of America" had not yet been fulfilled.

In response, Noem, who is widely expected to be a contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said, "What a ridiculous message. Obama had 8 years, including 2 with full control of Congress. He sent our jobs to China, left our healthcare system in disarray, our foreign policy in shambles & our people divided. Instead of blaming Trump, Obama should consider what led to 2016."

What a ridiculous message. Obama had 8 years, including 2 with full control of Congress. He sent our jobs to China,… https://t.co/xcwrRZelW2
— Kristi Noem (@Kristi Noem)1605210777.0

Noem's national profile rose exponentially this year when she was criticized for refusing to implement many of the lockdown measures that were implemented in other states in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Noem's refusal to implement lockdown mandates was savaged by critics in the media, but it has boosted her popularity tremendously in her home state. In January, before the pandemic began, Noem's in-state approval rate was an anemic 43 percent. However, by July, polls showed her enjoying a 62 percent approval rating in South Dakota. In April, residents of South Dakota even gave Noem a (socially distanced) impromptu parade that prompted a visibly touched reaction from the governor.