A made-in-America smartphone fails to deliver



They say you can’t build a smartphone in the United States.

They say an American smartphone would be insanely expensive.

They say there isn’t enough manufacturing talent to build a smartphone in America.

Sadly, they may be right.

Smartphones are a fantastic invention but a nightmare for privacy and security. They almost all come from China. They run proprietary and extremely locked-down software. They are nigh-impossible to service, even for even technically minded users. Even simple things we used to take for granted, like replacing our batteries, are frowned upon.

For years, the liberty-minded in the tech scene have dreamed of a smartphone made in the United States. A smartphone that lets you replace your battery. Ideally, it would run open-source software without being controlled by the tech giants.

Here it is, the Purism Liberty Phone — an All-American (nearly) variant of its Librem 5 phone. The Liberty Phone is everything you may have always thought you wanted in a phone. As the company proudly states, “All the electronics of the Liberty Phone is made in our USA facility, and the entire phone is assembled in the USA.”

Which is what makes this review so difficult. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a phone, but sadly it falls short – and at $1,999.00, double the price of the Librem 5.

Purism Liberty tech specs

  • CPU: NXP® i.MX 8M Quad core Cortex A53, 64bit ARM @max 1.5GHz (auxiliary Cortex M4)
  • GPU: Vivante GC7000Lite
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Storage: 128 GB eMMC internal storage, supports expansion up to 2 TB via microSD
  • Screen: 5.7″ IPS TFT 720×1440
  • WLAN: SparkLAN WNFB-266AXI(BT): 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz/5GHz
  • Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.3
  • GPS: TESEO LIV3 multiconstellation GNSS receiver
  • b Wolfson Media WM8962
  • 3.5mm jack: Yes (stereo out and mono microphone in)
  • Battery: 4,500mAh, user-replaceable
  • USB: USB C: USB 3.0 data, PowerDelivery (Dual-Role Port), video out (DisplayPort)
  • Cameras: 13 MP rear sensor, 8 MP front sensor

What’s good about the Purism Liberty

I feel legitimately awful about what I will say about this phone, so let me start by saying what’s great about it.

For one, it has a headphone jack, a rare quality in smartphones these days. You can replace the battery rather easily by popping off the back cover. Underneath the cover, you’ll be pleased to see standard Phillips-head screws, as opposed to the hodgepodge of tamper-resistant screws and glue you see in most modern smartphones.

The Liberty has a unique privacy feature: along the left are three small kill switches for cellular, wi-fi, and the camera and microphone. However, their placement is a bit too prominent, and they’re easy to engage accidentally.

And did I mention that this phone was produced in America, with a minimal number of overseas parts? That in itself is an impressive feat.

Purism Liberty build quality

Now, let’s get to the rest. Pulling the Liberty Phone from the box was a shock. First of all, this is the thickest smartphone I’ve ever held. And the back of the phone is plastic — rather cheap-feeling plastic at that. In many ways, handling this phone is a trip back to 2010.

Another flashback to 2010 is a total lack of fingerprint or facial recognition. Your only option for unlocking the phone is to manually enter a passcode.

Looking at the back of the phone, there is only one camera sensor, and a small one at that. Whether you take photos with the 13 MP rear sensor or the 8 MP front sensor, images will be grainy, banded, and washed out. I haven’t seen photo quality this poor since the days of the Motorola RAZR.

The large camera sensors of the Solana Saga (left) vs. the Purism Liberty (right).

The screen is a plus … if you’ve missed seeing pixels. To be fair, you can just barely make them out.

Purism Liberty software

I’d love to show you some screenshots of the Liberty’s software, but I can’t. See, if the Purism Liberty ran a variant of Google’s Android mobile OS, I could press a combination of buttons to take a screenshot. However, the Liberty does not run Android but rather Purism’s own flavor of Linux, which apparently doesn’t have a screenshot shortcut.

I asked Purism how to take a screenshot. They suggested I search for “screenshot” in the PureOS Store. I did. Nothing appeared. Someone on the forum suggested installing the “librem5-goodies” package. I searched for it but didn’t find it. Oh well. Onward.

Since the Purism Liberty doesn’t run Android, don’t expect your usual set of apps like Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, and X. However, this … may not be such a bad thing. Instead, the PureOS Store offers a set of apps that will feel familiar to many desktop Linux users, like the email app Geary and the music player Lollypop (which is quite good on the desktop). For most of the rest of the apps I mentioned, the Firefox web browser is baked in.

Even if you can get on board with having a non-standard set of phone apps, you’re going to have to adapt to an operating system that hasn’t quite adapted to the phone.

Take sharing, for instance. On Android and iOS, pretty much every app has an icon you can tap to share a link or image with another person or app. PureOS does not have this. Just figuring out how to access the photos I had taken took some work. Settings > Sharing offers options to enable file sharing over the ancient WebDAV protocol, but I could never figure out how to access the phone from another computer. There is also a media sharing option that isn’t explained.

Even if I couldn’t take a screenshot, I at least wanted to figure out how to send one of the photos I had taken on the device to something else. I tried setting up my Fastmail email account with Geary, the built-in email client. Unfortunately, that only led to errors, even after triple-checking the settings and password. I tried connecting the Liberty phone directly to a MacBook Pro, but it didn’t appear as a storage device that I could extract files from.

I was about to attempt another method when the battery spontaneously died. There just comes a certain point where the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.

I’ve been using Linux on and off since 1996 — starting with Slackware — and I simply cannot figure out this phone. It doesn’t help that the Liberty phone is so bloody slow. Loading web pages or browsing the PureOS Store is excruciating. Even on fast wi-fi, it feels like I’m on dial-up or, at best, a negligible cellular connection. And the phone runs uncomfortably hot on top of that.

Unfortunately, even the built-in apps may not work correctly. When I first opened the Maps app, it was pinpointed by location on the western coast of Africa. It eventually tracked me down to the correct country, state, and even county but still presents my location many miles from where it actually is. Likewise, the Weather app thinks I’m 30 miles from where I am. You could not navigate with this thing.

Not recommended at any price

I wanted to like this phone. I wanted to love it. I wanted it to be just good enough that I’d throw my iPhone into the creek and say goodbye to Apple’s tyrannical ways forever. That said, I’m sticking with my iPhone 15 Pro.

I could deal with some non-standard apps, a clunky interface, or some other peccadillos. However, the Liberty Phone doesn’t merely have a few flaws. It’s completely unusable.

It also pains me to say this because I know the team at Purism has performed a Herculean task building this thing. They’ve designed not just a phone but also an entire operating system and supply chain. The fact that they’ve worked so hard to build something utterly unusable is tragic. Commendable perhaps, but tragic.

What we can learn from the Liberty Phone

I want to leave this review on a somewhat positive note. What the Purism team attempted here is simply Herculian, swimming upstream from 40 years of globalist American foreign policy and corporate offshoring. This product is a failure, but it’s not for lack of effort.

The simple truth is that no single company alone — perhaps not even a giant like Apple — can reverse this trend. If we are to rebuild America’s manufacturing base, it’s going to have to be a concerted and government-driven effort.

And it’s something that must be done. Right now, the vast majority of semiconductors come from the little island of Taiwan — 60% of all semiconductors and over 90% of the advanced ones. Those chips power almost every new device you buy, whether it’s a computer, a car, or a toaster oven. Those chips are critical infrastructure.

Unfortunately for the world and the Taiwanese people, that little island is highly desired by China. China is slowly stealing the island. One day, the Chinese will figure out some way to take it.

We must diversify our electronic supply chain. I applaud Purism for its efforts, but the company can’t be expected to do this alone.

Lil Nas X proud of 'J Christ' song despite poor reception and backlash — is happy to 'do gay stuff' with his dad



Musician Lil Nas X described himself as a "very spiritual young man," which helped him deal with backlash from his single "J Christ," which upset Christians through his portrayal of Jesus in the song's music video.

The artist dressed as the Bible's Noah while playing basketball against Satan in the music video, in which he also dressed as Jesus Christ and danced alongside male cheerleaders. The visuals also included celebrity look-alikes of Kanye West, Oprah Winfrey, and President Obama ascending into heaven.

Lil Nas X told Variety that despite the song getting an underwhelming reception, he was "proud" of the song and video.

"Everyone expected me to be upset or something. But I’m a very spiritual person. I’m thankful that I get to even be in the charts and still be in the conversation. And I’m making new music and it’s been so long. So I’m grateful for that."

The singer gave remarks at the premiere of a new HBO documentary about himself, which reportedly featured him praising his family for accepting his homosexuality, which included taking his dad to a gay bar.

"I never would have thought to do gay stuff with my dad, but he insisted. He was like, ‘No, I want to go with you guys!’ So, yeah, that was the best night ever," Lil Nas X said.

As well, Variety reported that the artist's brother, Tramon Hall, is revealed to be a bisexual in the film.

After the release of his latest video, Lil Nas X was criticized by Christians for once again including satanic imagery in his musical performances. A previous video showed the artist falling from heaven, down to hell, to give Satan a lap dance.

Christian rapper Bryson Gray evoked a response from Lil Nas X, as well as rapper Kid Cudi when he released his own song called "Gay Demon," targeted at rappers who promote anti-Christian themes.

"I made one snippet about wanting god to give me hope a few days ago and already like 5 christian rappers have conceptualized, wrote, recorded, and shot music videos," Lil Nas X wrote on X.

Bryson Gray has successfully gotten under Lil Nas X\u2019s skin
— (@)

"If he was serious, he would apologize for the things he's done in the past like everybody else," Gray told Fox News. "You apologize for that. You acknowledge that. And him, he’s done all this damage to children in the public sphere. So come out and say ‘I apologize,'" Gray added.

However, Lil Nas X reiterated to Variety that he is a "very spiritual young man."

"I believe that things are going to work out as long as I’m doing my part. I’ve never worked harder on an album or done more in my life internally to get things right. I’m excited for the outcome," he added.

In response to Lil Nas X saying he is spiritual, Gray told Blaze News, "I do believe he's spiritual, but that spirit is a gay demon."

Christian rapper responds to LIL NAS X \ud83d\ude2e
— (@)

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Democrats use streaming services more than Republicans, with only one platform used more by GOP

Democrats use streaming services more than Republicans, with only one platform used more by GOP



Democrats use streaming services more than Republicans do, with the liberal party members out-watching their conservative counterparts on almost every major streaming platform.

Of the top eight streaming platforms in the United States, more Democrats had subscriptions on seven of them in 2023. The difference in viewership is not staggering, but on each of those seven platforms at least 5% more Democrats are members than Republicans are.

The largest gaps are on Netflix, where 68% of Democrats watch as opposed to 58% of Republicans, as well as Hulu, which has a 44% DNC watch rate compared to 33% GOP. The biggest difference came on HBO's MAX service, which saw 33% Democrat usage and 20% Republican usage.

The national consumer study by MRI-Simmons, analyzed by Variety, did show that one streaming platform is more preferred by conservatives. Paramount Plus saw 24% usage by Republicans in 2023, while 22% of Democrats subscribed.

While the survey did not attribute reasons for why a given streaming service was preferable, Paramount's streaming service holds the rights to beloved show "Yellowstone."

The drama series reportedly has high viewership in cities such as Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Fort Myers, Florida, according to Time, which also noted the show's significant crossover with the outlet Country Living.

The show's co-creator, Taylor Sheridan, recently appeared on "The Joe Rogan Experience" and explained his view on political division in the country.

"It's fascinating the language is being reinvented before our eyes there's all these new words that are just meant to keep one person from disagreeing with another person's position," Sheridan explained. The filmmaker then cited a passage he had read about why liberals and conservative opinions have drifted further apart as opposed to aligning on issues.

"The liberal point of view was that crime and all these social ills ... it was a, so it's a social construct, and that if you could find a way to level the playing field for everybody that crime would be eliminated all these issues would go away," Sheridan began. "The flip side of that is the conservative view, which is there's evil in the world [and] there's good in the world. We're going to try and manage the evil as best we can and create an opportunity for people to succeed or they can f**k up and best of luck," he continued.

"One side seems naive, one side seems extremely harsh, but those are the beliefs and that side can never compromise with this side and vice versa because you're abandoning your own ideology."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Fox Corporation warns Media Matters against sharing leaked Tucker Carlson footage



A cease-and-desist-letter dispatched on behalf of Fox Corporation pressed Media Matters to stop sharing leaked footage of Tucker Carlson.

"We write on behalf of FOX Corporation to clarify any misunderstandings Media Matters may have had regarding previously unaired footage that Media Matters has published in a series of articles headlined 'FOXLEAKS.' That unaired footage is FOX’s confidential intellectual property; FOX did not consent to its distribution or publication; and FOX does not consent to its further distribution or publication," the letter declared.

"This proprietary material was given to you without FOX’s authorization. FOX demands that Media Matters cease and desist from distribution, publication, and misuse of Fox’s misappropriated proprietary footage, which you are now on notice was unlawfully obtained. We reserve all rights and remedies," the message concluded.

\u201cFox has sent a letter to @mmfa asking the organization to stop publishing behind-the-scenes videos of Tucker Carlson\u201d
— Max Tani (@Max Tani) 1683296346

Media Matters, a leftist organization, has been releasing leaked video footage of Carlson.

Media Matters president and CEO Angelo Carusone issued a statement in response to the letter.

"Reporting on newsworthy leaked material is a cornerstone of journalism. For Fox to argue otherwise is absurd and further dispels any pretense that they're a news operation. Perhaps if I tell them that the footage came from a combination of Wikileaks and Hunter Biden's laptop, it will alleviate their concerns," Carusone said.

Fox News Media announced on April 24 that Carlson's program would not be returning to the air, and that April 21 had been the final episode. The news irked many viewers, and the channel's ratings have suffered without Carlson helming the 8 p.m. slot during the last two weeks. Carlson had apparently expected to return to the air because he said, "We'll be back on Monday," when closing out that April 21 episode.

Carlson posted a video on Twitter last week that has amassed nearly 24 million views so far.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Bill Gates says Russian invasion of Ukraine will be 'good for the long run' because it will force countries to transition to green energy, praises ESG investments



Software developer Bill Gates declared that the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be "good for the long run" because it will force European nations to embrace renewable green energy.

Gates appeared on CNBC's talk show "The Exchange" this week, where he pushed green energy alternatives over fossil fuels and touted efforts to promote the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiative.

"The 'E' part — lot of controversy, but there is a way to measure it, and it should be one of the factors people look at when they invest in companies," Gates said of the environmental aspect of ESG.

Gates commended BlackRock CEO Larry Fink as a "great example of private-sector leadership" in regard to climate change policy.

“Anyone who says that climate shouldn’t be a factor in how you evaluate the future of a company – that’s not capitalism," Gates claimed. "Because companies that have emissions, they are going to be subject to border adjustment tariffs or taxes. If you’re dealing with severe weather events, that’s got to be factored in."

Gates argued, "Climate does affect the economy, which does affect investments."

BlackRock is an investor in Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which aims to invest in green solutions that usher in a zero-carbon world. Earlier this year, the tech billionaire told Forbes that his Breakthrough Energy organization is "only focused on investments that will have a substantial effect on climate change."

Gates conceded that society can't stop using fossil fuels cold turkey because it's "how people get to work today" and " how people avoid freezing to death in the winter."

However, Gates said the transition to green energy still must happen. He said the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a "setback" in the transition to green energy as European countries attempt to replace sanctioned fossil fuels from Russia.

"You know, it's a setback, you know, we need to find non-Russian hydrocarbon sources to substitute for those. So there's coal plants running and variety of things because you know, keeping people warm, keeping those economy's in decent shape is a priority," the Microsoft co-founder said on Tuesday.

"Now, on the other hand, it's good for the long run because people won't want to be dependent on Russian natural gas," Gates told CNBC’s Diana Olick. "So they'll move to these new approaches more rapidly."

The "new approaches" are likely green energy alternatives that the Breakthrough Energy organization plans to invest in.

Gates – who has a net worth of $101 billion – said efforts to combat climate change need to expand to things like green steel, green cement, and green hydrogen.

During the Breakthrough Energy Summit in Seattle this week, Gates said, "The ultimate measure of success is global greenhouse gas emissions: We need to go from 51 billion tons a year to zero in the next three decades."

\u201cBreakthrough Energy founder Bill Gates says Europe's self-imposed energy crisis is "a good thing for the long run" because "they'll move to these new approaches more rapidly" \u2013 like the untested energy sources into which he's invested his fortune.\u201d
— Max Blumenthal (@Max Blumenthal) 1666245068

Democrat claims election-denying is 'hallmark' of fascism. But his election-denying past quickly tells on him.



Rep. Jaime Raskin (D-Md.) praised President Joe Biden on Sunday for attacking Trump supporters because they exhibit the "hallmarks" of being members of a fascist party.

But it turns out Raskin has seemingly committed the same sin he alleged is critical to fascism.

What did Raskin say?

Speaking on CBS News' "Face The Nation," Raskin suggested the Republican Party, especially the faction that supports Donald Trump, has evolved into a "fascist political party."

"Two of the hallmarks of a fascist political party are: One, they don't accept the results of elections that don't go their way; and, two, they embrace political violence," Raskin said.

"I think that's why President Biden was right to sound the alarm this week about these continuing attacks on our constitutional order from the outside by Donald Trump and his movement," he added.

Raskin wants Gingrich, Ginni Thomas and Pence to testify to Jan. 6 committee www.youtube.com

Raskin was responding to Trump's controversial demand that the 2020 presidential election be held again "immediately" or that he be declared the "rightful winner" of the election.

The demand came after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Joe Rogan the FBI warned the social media giant about Russian "misinformation" just before the Hunter Biden laptop story broke in October 2020. Social media companies quickly suppressed or outright censored that story, which has since been vindicated as neither misinformation nor false.

But what did Raskin say in the past?

The charges of fascism are self-incriminating, because Raskin has openly questioned the outcome of presidential elections in the past.

For example, Raskin has described George W. Bush as a "court-appointed president" who was not rightfully elected.

"The court has been thwarting formation of the popular will, the most spectacular example being Bush v. Gore, where the majority by a 5-4 vote enjoined the counting of more than 100,000 ballots in Florida and essentially gave America its first court-appointed president," Raskin said on April 21, 2003.

\u201cIncredible work by the RNC to find a 2003 (!) clip of Jamie Raskin saying that the 2000 presidential election was stolen.\u201d
— max (@max) 1662384189

Meanwhile, Raskin was one of several House Democratic lawmakers who objected to the certification of Trump's Electoral College victory in January 2017. Their effort ultimately failed because not one Democratic senator supported them.

Democrats, in fact, have a long history of questioning the legitimacy of elections they lose.

Over the weekend, the Republican National Committee published a long video showing numerous Democrats questioning the outcome of the 2000 presidential election, the 2004 presidential election, the 2016 presidential election, and the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election.

12 Minutes of Democrats Denying Election Results www.youtube.com

'I just heard screams': Mass shooting in Philadelphia leaves 3 dead and 11 wounded; fast-acting cop engages shooter to prevent more deaths



There was a mass shooting in Philadelphia on Saturday night that left three people dead and 11 wounded. More people could have been shot if not for a fast-acting cop that engaged one of the multiple shooters.

Huge crowds gathered at Philly's popular South Street area filled with restaurants, bars, and shops. However, the party-like atmosphere instantly turned into chaos as gunshots rang out in the entertainment area shortly before midnight.

"There were hundreds of individuals just enjoying South Street, as they do every single weekend, when the shooting broke out," Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace told reporters.

Surveillance camera video shows the moment that gunfire erupts and causes the crowd to run for their lives.

\u201cSurveillance video from a local business shows pandemonium after shots ring out near South & 3rd streets in Philadelphia last night just before midnight.\u201d
— Marcus Espinoza (@Marcus Espinoza) 1654432725

WTXF-TV reporter Marcus Espinoza shared a screenshot of surveillance footage that reportedly shows a possible gunfight between two shooters.

\u201cIn this screenshot from another angle of the surveillance footage Fox 29 obtained, you can see where the red circle is someone returning fire after shots initially fired into the crowd from opposite direction. At least two shots returned.\u201d
— Marcus Espinoza (@Marcus Espinoza) 1654436561

"I want to emphasize that South Street is manned by numerous police officers," Pace added. "This is standard deployment for Friday and Saturday night - weekends - and especially during the summer months."

According to Pace, one of those police officers was "within 10 to 15 yards of the shooter" and witnessed the gunman shoot into the crowd. The cop fired at the shooter three times, which caused the gunman to drop their firearm and flee the crime scene.

\u201c#BreakingNews UPDATE from @NBCPhiladelphia on #Philly Shooting on South Street @PhillyPolice say officers on patrol saw several \u201cactive shooters\u201d firing into crowd, 14 people were shot, 3 of them are dead\u2026No word on motive\u2026 An officer fired at one of shooters - take a listen:\u201d
— Rosemary Connors (@Rosemary Connors) 1654414112

Law enforcement officials say that there were "several active shooters."

A 22-year-old man, 34-year-old man, and 26-year-old woman were shot multiple times and died at the hospital, according to WPVI-TV.

Jefferson Hospital's trauma center reportedly became so overwhelmed with gunshot victims that it had to turn away people.

\u201cSOUTH STREET MASS SHOOTING\n- 3 people are dead, 2 men and a woman\n- At least 11 more were shot\n- 7 victims were taken to Jefferson Hospital \n- Police shot at one of the gunmen, that person ran away. It\u2019s unknown if they were shot \n@6abc\u201d
— Beccah Hendrickson (@Beccah Hendrickson) 1654428142

Witness Joe Smith told the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Once it started I didn’t think it was going to stop. There was guttural screaming. I just heard screams."

Witness Eric Walsh said, "It was chaos. People were coming off the street with blood splatters on white sneakers and skinned knees and skinned elbows. We literally just were balling up napkins and wetting them and handing them to people."

Police recovered two guns at the crime scene – one of which had an extended magazine.

Around 11 p.m., there was a shooting a few blocks away – where police found 13 bullet casings, according to WCAU. Police are attempting to determine if the two shootings are connected.

There were no arrests by Sunday morning, and police are still searching for the gunmen.

As of Saturday, there were 211 homicides in Philadelphia this year, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. The number of homicides is down 6% percent from last year, which was the deadliest in the history of the city.

\u201cSaturday night in Philadelphia. A mass shooting on 4th & South Street with reports of nearly a dozen people shot. I\u2019m on scene where police have cordoned off the popular weekend strip, a trail of what appears to be blood snaking along the sidewalk in front of a Rita\u2019s Water Ice.\u201d
— Max M. Marin (@Max M. Marin) 1654406843

Ted Cruz GRILLS Ketanji Brown Jackson on CRT. Twitter reacts: 'That's racist'



During Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) grilled Jackson about her views on critical race theory.

Jackson first denied ever having studied critical race theory and claimed it “doesn’t come up in the work that I do as a judge.”

"I've never studied critical race theory, and I've never used it. It doesn't come up in the work that I do as a judge," Jackson stated.

"With respect, I find that a curious statement," Cruz responded. He then read a quote from her saying that critical race theory is, in fact, part of her work as judge during a speech at the University of Chicago in 2015.

"[S]entencing is just plain interesting ... because it melds together myriad types of of law — criminal law ... constitutional law, [and] critical race theory ..." read Jackson's quote, according to Cruz.

"You described, in a speech to a law school, what you were doing as critical race theory," Cruz said. "So, I guess I would ask, what did you mean by that?"

Jackson said she was not talking about "sentencing" in her quote, but "sentencing policy," and repeated that "none of that relates to what I do as a judge."


.@tedcruz grills Judge Jackson on her stance on critical race theory.pic.twitter.com/RxXV22Zr4p
— MRCTV (@MRCTV) 1647975614


Cruz then moved on to discussing Ibram X. Kendi’s children’s book, “Antiracist Baby.” Jackson is on the Board of Trustees at Georgetown Day School — a private school in Washington, D.C. — that Cruz claims assigns Kendi's book to students as young as four years old.

Not \u201cin the library.\u201d ASSIGNED to kids aged 4-7.https://twitter.com/forbes/status/1506347875428614145\u00a0\u2026
— Ted Cruz (@Ted Cruz) 1647976978

Pointing out that in “Antiracist Baby” Kendi says children should confess when being racist, Cruz asked Jackson, “Do you agree with this book that’s being taught with kids that babies are racist?"

After a long pause, Jackson answered, “I do not believe that any child should be made to feel as though they are racist, or as though they are not valued, or that they are less than, that they are victims, that they are oppressors. I don’t believe in any of that.”

Quite a few folks on Twitter took exception to Cruz's line of questioning:

The libs: You can't talk about critical race theory outside of a legal context.\n\nCruz: OK, I'll ask a Supreme Court nominee about critical race theory.\n\nThe libs: No, that's racist.\n\nShould Cruz ask her about her high school yearbook?https://twitter.com/JordanUhl/status/1506344710176219151\u00a0\u2026
— Max (@Max) 1647979902


Right? How dare he ask her about an actual legal theory. And clearly, Republicans only ask black people about CRT. Not like it was at the center of the VA governor's race between two white dudes.https://twitter.com/JRubinBlogger/status/1506357317671043081\u00a0\u2026
— Bonchie (@Bonchie) 1647979610

Others took issue with Jackson's answers:

Ketanji Brown Jackson told @tedcruz she has "never studied critical race theory," but she has cited the founder of critical race theory, Derrick Bell, and endorsed its core concepts, including white privilege and intersectionality, in her speeches.\n\nShe is lying.pic.twitter.com/GPcrDdJlCQ
— Christopher F. Rufo \u2694\ufe0f (@Christopher F. Rufo \u2694\ufe0f) 1647979246

Russian journalist interrupts live broadcast with brave anti-war protest: 'They can't lock us all away'



Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova bravely protested the Ukraine war on Monday during a live broadcast on Russian media.

What happened?

During a live broadcast on Channel One, Russia's most popular TV network, Ovsyannikova disrupted the broadcast by walking onto the set and holding a sign to protest the war in Ukraine. Ovsyannikova is reportedly an editor at the network.

The woman chanted, "Stop the war, no to war." Her sign said in English, "NO WAR" and "Russians against war." In Russian, the sign said, "Stop the war! Don’t believe propaganda! They are lying to you!"

Producers quickly cut away from the live shot, and the anchor whom Ovsyannikova disrupted raised her voice in an attempt to drown out Ovsyannikova's protests.

A woman burst onto Russia\u2019s main live evening newscast today with a sign that says:\n\n\u201cStop the war\nDon\u2019t believe propaganda\nThey\u2019re lying to you\u201d\n\nAnd chanting: \u201cStop the war! No to war!\u201dpic.twitter.com/pKVKZFVEM3
— max seddon (@max seddon) 1647284352

Before her protest, Ovsyannikova recorded a video explaining her motive for speaking out against Putin and his war and said she is "ashamed" of helping spread Kremlin propaganda as a journalist.

"What is happening in Ukraine is a crime. And Russia is the aggressor here. And responsibility for this aggression rests on the conscience of a single man: Vladimir Putin," Ovsyannikova said, according to a translation of the video.

She continued:

My father is Ukrainian. My mother is Russian. And they’ve never been enemies. And this necklace I’m wearing is a symbol of that fact that Russia must immediately end this fratricidal war. And our fraternal peoples will still be able to make peace.

Unfortunately, I’ve spent many of the last few years working for Channel One, doing Kremlin propaganda, and I’m deeply ashamed of this. Ashamed that I allowed lies to come from the TV screen. Ashamed that I allowed the zombification of Russian people. We were silent in 2014 when all this had just started.

We didn’t protest when the Kremlin poisoned [Russian opposition leader Alexi] Navalny. We just silently watched this anti-human regime at work. And now the whole world has turned its back on us. And the next 10 generations won’t wash away the stain of this fratricidal war. We Russians are thinking and intelligent people.

It’s in our power alone to stop all this madness. Go protest. Don’t be afraid of anything. They can’t lock us all away.
Marina Ovsyannikova, the woman who ran onto a live state TV news broadcast, even recorded a message beforehand. In it, she says her father is Ukrainian. She calls for anti-war protests, says she\u2019s ashamed about working for Kremlin propaganda, and she denounces the war absolutely.pic.twitter.com/nOpUY9bH74
— Kevin Rothrock (@Kevin Rothrock) 1647286106

What is happening now?

Lawyers initially said they could not locate Ovsyannikova after she was detained. However, the BBC reported that Ovsyannikova appeared in court Tuesday.

She has reportedly been charged with "organizing an unauthorized public event."

Still, Ovsyannikova and other Russian journalists who protest the war could be hit with severe prison sentences after Russian lawmakers passed a law earlier this month criminalizing "fake" news, which is defined as essentially anything that contradicts the Kremlin's narrative. Journalists can be imprisoned for 15 years under the law.

In case of nuclear attack, government advises face masks and social distancing in shelters



In the case of nuclear war, the federal government wants Americans to know they should social distance and wear face masks when sheltering from nuclear fallout.

Wait, what?

The Ready Campaign, a government program meant to prepare Americans for emergencies, advises Americans to maintain six feet of social distancing and to wear face masks when sheltering indoors to avoid nuclear fallout.

Nuclear fallout is the dangerous aftermath of a nuclear explosion, when the highly toxic radioactive particles expelled into the atmosphere fall back to earth.

According to the Ready Campaign, you should find shelter in the nearest brick or concrete shelter following a nuclear explosion. After removing contaminated clothing and washing areas of unprotected skin, you should protect yourselves from COVID-19.

"Go to the basement or middle of the building. Stay away from the outer walls and roof. Try to maintain a distance of at least six feet between yourself and people who are not part of your household. If possible, wear a mask if you’re sheltering with people who are not a part of your household. Children under two years old, people who have trouble breathing, and those who are unable to remove masks on their own should not wear them," the recommendations say.

"Stay inside for 24 hours unless local authorities provide other instructions. Continue to practice social distancing by wearing a mask and by keeping a distance of at least six feet between yourself and people who not part of your household," they continue.

And in the case that authorities mandate evacuation to an emergency shelter, the government wants you to bring resources to stop the spread of COVID-19.

"If you are told by authorities to evacuate to a public shelter, try to bring items that can help protect yourself and your family from COVID-19, such as hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol, cleaning materials, and two masks per person," the government says.

The website indicates that it was last updated on Feb. 25, but was updated in November 2020 to include information related to COVID-19.

What is the background?

The threat of nuclear war has reached its highest point in decades over the weekend after Russian President Vladimir Putin put Russian nuclear forces on high alert.

Russian media outlets, which are propaganda machines for the Kremlin, are also stoking nuclear tensions. One state media anchor even floated nuclear war by wondering why "we need the world if Russia won’t be in it?"

Russian state TV: \u201cOur submarines alone can launch more than 500 nuclear warheads, which guarantees the destruction of the US and NATO for good measure. The principle is: why do we need the world if Russia won\u2019t be in it?\u201dhttps://twitter.com/ilya_shepelin/status/1498022807627829250\u00a0\u2026
— max seddon (@max seddon) 1645991622