Target apologizes after employee was allegedly fired for signaling her Christian faith



Target has apologized and reportedly offered to reinstate a North Dakota employee who claims she was fired for writing "trust in Jesus" in marker on her name tag.

Target vows on its corporate site to "make decisions regarding employment opportunities, including hiring, promotion and advancement, without regard" to religious beliefs and states it wants a company "where all feel seen, heard and welcome."

Denise Kendrick of Fargo was seen and then made unwelcome on Nov. 16 by the DEI-captive organization.

Kendrick told KVLY-TV that a manager approached her and informed her that she "can't wear that name tag."

'I've seen people with rainbows on theirs.'

This came as a surprise to Kendrick because she had worn Christian-themed T-shirts for months to work allegedly without incident in the super-majority Christian state.

Kendrick noted in a video on her YouTube channel, "For several months, I had been wearing my red T-shirts that I ordered myself, my Christian red T-shirts, OK. I didn't wear the he/she/they/whatever T-shirts that Target supplied. I wore my own and never had any problem the whole entire time that I worked there."'

Besides an apparent absence of backlash from customers, Kendrick indicated that the "trust in Jesus" note was her equivalent to other employees' name-tag displays of belief and ideological affiliation.

"I replied, 'Well, I've seen people with rainbows on theirs. I’m going to continue to wear this name tag,'" Kendrick told KVLY. "And then they said, 'Well, you can't work here any more.'"

'The darker it gets, the brighter our lights should shine.'

According to Kendrick, when she asked for a written explanation detailing why exactly she was fired, the manager refused and instead provided her with a list of contact information pertaining to the company's dress code policy.

"They gave me this paper with all these phone numbers on it and said, 'If you have any questions about the violation of the dress code, just call one of these numbers,'" Kendrick told KVLY. "And he just kept repeating it, and we just kept going back and forth, and it was going nowhere."

The incident may have been triggered by the intolerance of a customer. Prior to her termination, Kendrick claimed she saw a visible member of the LGBT community, whom she served as cashier earlier in the day, communicating with the "HR lady."

On Tuesday, a spokesman said in a statement obtained by KVLY, "Upon learning of the situation, we conducted a review and determined that the team member should not have been terminated. We apologized to her and offered to reinstate her immediately."

"We are taking the appropriate steps to address the actions taken by the individual leader involved in this situation and are working with the store to ensure our policies are appropriately followed moving forward," added the spokesman.

Kendrick noted in a video on her YouTube channel, "Following Christ, you know, means taking up our cross every day and standing on the truth, guys. Now more than ever, OK, the darker it gets, the brighter our lights should shine."

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Sacramento threatens Target with fine for reporting rampant retail theft to police: Report



The Sacramento City Attorney's Office recently threatened to slap Target with an administrative fine for phoning police about a number of retail theft incidents, according to the Sacramento Bee.

The report stated that a source, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, claimed that the Target, located at 2505 Riverside Blvd in Land Park, was warned by city officials that it could face a public nuisance charge if it continues to report instances of theft. The news outlet noted that a law enforcement spokesperson confirmed the location.

'Victims are being threatened for even reporting crimes.'

The City Attorney's Office and the Sacramento Police Department told the Sacramento Bee that they were unaware of any litigation threats. City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood's office did not grant the Sacramento Bee's request for an interview.

In response to the alleged threats and similar actions across the state, lawmakers added an amendment to a retail theft bill, prohibiting authorities from making such threats.

During an assembly retail theft committee meeting, Alexander Gammelgard, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, stated that he was "surprised that anyone would ever attempt to make a nuisance case out of somebody calling to report a legitimate crime."

"I don't think there is a place for that," he added.

California Assembly GOP Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital, "[Governor Gavin] Newsom keeps insisting that reports of theft are dropping — well, now we know why. Not only are thieves let off without even a slap on the wrist, but now the victims are being threatened for even reporting crimes."

"Everyone can see that Newsom's pro-criminal policies are a failure — no matter how much his allies try to cover it up," Gallagher said.

Criminal defense attorney Nicole Castronovo blamed soft-on-crime policies for the increase in retail thefts in the area.

"Lawmakers have allowed smash and grab robberies to terrorize our cities. As a consequence, retailers are leaving major cities in droves — taking jobs with them," Castronovo told Fox News Digital.

"Now the government seeks to silence those retailers and, in turn, manufacturers lower crime rates," Castronovo continued. "No citizen should ever be penalized for lawfully calling upon its government for protection."

Land Parks neighbors have expressed their frustrations with the area's crime crisis.

Kristina Rogers, president of the Land Park Community Association, told KOVR last year regarding the Target location, "It's really disturbing and disheartening when you are standing there in line paying for things and someone is just walking out the door with a cart full of stuff."

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Target to stop accepting this type of payment next week



Target has announced plans to stop accepting a classic form of payment starting next week.

Target will no longer accept personal checks from customers starting on July 15.

To justify the decision, the massive nationwide retailer cited that shoppers rarely utilized the traditional payment method.

“Due to extremely low volumes, we’ll no longer accept personal checks starting July 15,” a representative for the company wrote in a statement, according to KTLA. “We have taken several measures to notify guests in advance to aid an easy and efficient checkout experience.”

The Target spokesperson attempted to calm the fears of check users by pointing out all of the forms of payment that the Minnesota-based retail behemoth does accept.

“Target is committed to creating an easy and convenient checkout experience, and that includes providing our guests with numerous ways to pay, including our new Target Circle Cards (formerly known as Target RedCard); cash; digital wallets; SNAP/EBT; buy now, pay later services; and credit and debit cards,” the spokesperson said.

Target's website notes that its stores do not accept the following payment options:

  • Foreign checks and currency: Target doesn’t accept currency or coins from foreign countries. However, depending on where the Target store is located, stores may be able to accept Canadian dollars or Mexican pesos. Target stores update exchange rates weekly.
  • Mall Certificates and Chamber Bucks: Exception - select stores accept payments using mall certificates or chamber bucks. Call your local store to find out if they are accepted.
  • Money orders and cashier's checks: Only accepted as payment on credit accounts
  • Business checks are not accepted.
  • Merchant gift cards (e.g., Disney), except Starbucks gift cards (which can be used at the in-store Starbucks registers)

The Federal Reserve has noticed that the use of personal checks has declined significantly in recent years. The Federal Reserve Payments Study – which collected data for the 2021 calendar year – discovered that checks used for payments declined at a rate of 7.2% per year since 2018, dropping to 11.2 billion in sales.

Despite the drop in the number of checks used, the value of checks increased from $1,908 in 2018 to $2,430 in 2021. The increase stems from fewer checks being written, but they were still used for higher-priced transactions such as rent and automobile purchases.

Accelerating the decline of personal checks was the COVID-19 pandemic, as more customers and businesses adopted contactless and digital payment methods.

Experts believe the use of personal checks will only continue to decline as more people utilize typical digital payments and up-and-coming cryptocurrencies.

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Companies are pulling back on ‘Pride’ — is it an election-time conspiracy?



As Pride Month nears its end, Allie Beth Stuckey has made an interesting observation.

“None of the businesses I frequent have Pride stuff out this year. Most of them did last year. One in particular had a whole rainbow apparel display — this year, nothing. Anyone else see the same thing?” Stuckey wrote in a post on X.

Even Target has stopped selling Pride apparel in many of its stores. Stuckey received a photo from one of her followers of patriotic red, white, and, blue merchandise for sale at the retail giant instead of the rainbow-slogan-adorned T-shirts and children's clothes they were pushing last year.

“It actually had a sign instead that was a patriotic, red, white, and blue sign that said, you know, ‘Thank you for your service.’ It was a message to veterans, which I think is incredible,” Stuckey explains.

“I think that is really interesting,” she adds, noting that it could be a sign of something bigger and better.

“Some people are saying, well, it’s an election year, and so they’re trying to not scare people away because it is just so in your face to the point where even centrists are like, ‘Ok, can we not, does everything have to be gay in June, can’t something just, like, be neutral?’” Stuckey says.

"And so some people are saying, ‘Oh, you know it’s a conspiracy or it’s an organized effort to try to tone it down this year so people don’t freak out before the election,’” she adds.

However, she doesn’t buy it.

“That may be true, but I doubt that all of these local businesses and some of the businesses that I’ve been in, that they’re all part of some grand organized effort to tone down Pride in an election year,” she says, noting that she has her own theory as to why companies have toned it down.

“I really think it’s because of the push back and the backlash, I really do, and I think that’s a great thing,” she says.


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Google’s Censorship Machine Targets PragerU — Again

Google has admitted its error, but it remains to be seen whether Google will learn its lesson and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Exclusive LEAK from inside Target HQ. Here’s how employees reacted to last year’s boycott



2023 saw several boycotts, but Bud Light and Target were by far the pack leaders when it came to the companies that made the horrible financial decision to go woke.

For those who need a refresher, last year, Target included tuck-friendly swimsuits and chest-binding garments (some of them marketed toward children), among other controversial items, in its Pride Month collection. A boycott quickly ensued, resulting in the company losing “$10 billion in market valuation in ten days.”

Now, a year later, Glenn Beck discloses insider information shared by an anonymous Target corporate employee — including leaked internal messages between the members of Target’s “Pride + Business Council.”

“Last year, our team was given exclusive access to internal messages that took place on Target's Slack channel for their ‘Pride + Business Council,”’ he says.

Here are some of the messages exchanged between corporate employees following a town hall meeting framed around reducing some of the company’s more controversial merchandise:

  • “It feels like LT wants to keep support on the downlow. Like, they want to be able to point to it if people…make a fuss but don’t want to advertise it for people who might disagree.”
  • “See? We need to cater to the bigots better to get our sales up.”
  • “That was the most gaslight-y, dystopian thing I’ve witnessed in a while.”
  • “We need to protect ourselves. There are consequences for hateful statements and displays.”
  • “I’m still in shock and disgusted!!!!!!!!!!!!”
  • “I’m sure a lot of people are examining whether they even want to continue being a team member after this.”
  • “Kinda hard to get back to work after that one.”

“While we were saying Target went too far, the employees were upset that they hadn't gone far enough,” Glenn translates, adding “We don't know what they said at the leadership of Target,” but “surely it had to be sexist, racist tirades that started this chaos.”

However, there were also employees on the other side of the spectrum. Here are some of their messages:

  • “I am a Christian, and don’t support violence against guests/TMs. I also don’t hate people who view differently than myself, however, for some to say my Biblical views are disgusting is certainly not inclusive.”
  • “The people in the chat need to take a look at past years pride assortment and compare it to this years assortment. The backlash this year has been specific to gender + children. To imply that leadership is now bowing down to 'bigots' is highly offensive!”
  • “Because not all people agree that giving hormones to kids (which only provides long term health issues) is a good thing. So inclusivity means ignoring the 95% of population to make sure the 5% are able to keep grooming kids?”
  • “Read about some of the stories of young girls who had a mastectomy at 13 & now in their 20’s have horrible health issues from the hormones they have taken. I don’t care what an adult does, but kids should be left alone.”
  • “Our leadership team has difficult decisions to make. They answer to something called 'shareholders.' To accuse them of bowing down 1 month out of 12 is unfair. We are also responsible for thousands of team members jobs. Please don’t attack your leadership or your fellow team members when you don’t know their heart. We are a business and this is capitalism.”

These comments, in addition to others, resulted in Target leadership sending out a company-wide letter condemning the messages and reiterating that the company “does not tolerate discrimination or hate speech of any kind.”

But the Pride + Business Council wasn’t satisfied and sent the leadership team a list of demands, including “acknowledgment of harm, a sincere apology, and a clear statement of unwavering support for the LGBTQ+ community.”

The department’s memo also included the following statement: “We have always regarded Target as an inclusive and progressive company. However, these recent events have called into question the company’s commitment to these values.”

Further, it stated that “the removal of some of the Pride collection was disappointing and distressing, so for the company to atone, they needed Target to acknowledge in writing the harm done to the LGBTQ+ community (explicitly the trans and non-binary members of the community), forge partnerships with prominent LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, immediately reinstate the Pride collection in full ... donate to LGBTQ+ causes, implement sensitivity training for employees, and cease all contributions to politicians and organizations that do not support the LGBTQ+ community,” reads Glenn, adding that “this is so crazy.”

Bottom line: Target, even at the pinnacle of its Pride collection (don’t forget the company also partnered with a trans satanic artist), wasn’t woke enough for many of its employees.

To get the full story, watch the clip below.


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Blaze News original: The fall of 'Pride Month': Comedian Thai Rivera explains why Target and the NFL are slowly walking back their activism



With corporations slowly backing off of their yearly tradition of screaming about gay pride from rooftops in order to hock merchandise, many musicians, comedians, and companies alike are noticing that the threat of being canceled by online mobs is diminishing.

Celebrities like Katt Williams and J.K. Rowling powering through attempted cancellations has shown that a temporary wave of online criticism is a storm that can indeed be weathered. This has inspired other comedians to steady the course when offended parties put them in the crosshairs.

This could not be more true than in the case of stand-up comedian Thai Rivera. A self-professed bridge-burner who has dealt with multiple campaigns against him, Rivera openly stated to Blaze News that being a master of his craft gives him the confidence to speak openly about taboo subjects.

It is with this attitude that Rivera often finds himself at odds with the LGBT activist community, despite its propensity to assume he is aligned with them on every issue.

Case in point: Rivera's recent statements on Target's new decision to remove Pride clothing sales from select outlets. This comes a year after the department store was under fire for their "tuck-friendly" bathing suits aimed at transgender people and other Pride products marketed toward children.

"Whenever it comes to LGBT, what happens is the people that are in charge of the marketing just go too crazy at a point and start trying to do things that nobody, even in the community, is really asking for," Rivera explained.

"When it comes to marketing towards kids, nobody is asking for that. Especially when it comes to Pride itself, that's a big thing right now where they say, 'Pride is great for kids,' and it's like, since when?!"

"We've always had kids at Pride because lesbians make mistakes," Rivera joked. "But it was never a push," he continued. Similarly, Rivera said that when Target starting selling "books for kids on gender ideology" and promoting the "tuck-friendly bathing suits," it went too far.

'That's what it is with these people: You tell the truth, and they get mad at you.'

"The marketing was just off, and it seemed weird that they marketed it for years and [didn't market] it to kids, and then all of sudden they were marketing it to kids, and then we end up where we are now."

Reminding the audience that Target exists to make money, Rivera stated that he doesn't put any faith into a company actually sharing his beliefs and neither should folks who consider themselves LGBT.

"If gays, people of different ethnicities ... if you think any corporation or business actually supports what you are, you're stupid. It really is about making money, and are you marketable and are you profitable."

If the product isn't moving, or, even worse, making people turn around and walk out, "then why would you keep it at the front of the store," Rivera asked.

Target recently shared its plan for Pride Month 2024, which included dialing back how many stores it sells gay-themed products in.

But the company did not back off its ideological support, saying, "At Target, we know our business thrives when we create experiences that foster a sense of belonging. That’s why we support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round."

Target also stated that it would participate in the Minneapolis Pride parade and support organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, which explicitly supports sex-change surgeries for children.

— (@)

'I don't think trans-women athletes belong in women's sports, not only for physical reasons but because ... can't women have anything?'

NFL dissidents

The NFL's support for Pride initiatives was a widely-discussed topic at the beginning of June 2024, with all but nine teams (and counting) making front-facing posts or webpages in support of certain sexualities.

When asked why the NFL is taking so long to recognize that its initiatives aren't popular among fans, especially in comparison to the national anthem protests, Rivera replied, "Because a lot of gay people don't have lives."

"If they think you're not supporting them then they'll just start harassing you," he laughed. "I know how all this works because I've been the subject of LGBT 'cancellation' before."

Rivera described a scenario of a "few gay people that really have no lives" who will create 10 different email accounts per person and send messages to a particular company to create the feeling that there is a strong backlash and outrage.

"Sometimes it's as lazy as a copy and paste," he disclosed.

"I think it happens with sports teams, too. The push is kind of ridiculous though, because there are gays that really like sports. There are trans people that do like sports. But, when it comes down to it, I don't think that we're a market that they should specifically cater to."

"I also don't think that there's a lot of us that are expecting that from them," he added.

Thai Rivera on the Fall of Pride Month www.youtube.com

Trans-canceled

"The first time I got canceled by the trans community I don't remember what I said. I'm sure it was something true, though," Rivera said with a smirk. "That's what it is with these people: You tell the truth, and they get mad at you, and they don't realize that I've had life-long trans friends."

With that in mind, Rivera said he will talk to, about, or make jokes at the expense of trans people like any other person and not like "they are made of glass."

The comedian's resolve is firm in that he isn't afraid of causing offense by telling the truth. An example of such was a time Rivera said he was scrolling his social media feed and was intrigued by an article about LGBT Pride.

"I was feeling quite prideful that morning, so I decided to click on the article."

Rivera recalled reading "the whiniest thing" he's ever read about LGBT Pride and shared his thoughts on the article on Facebook. His commentary on the "whiny" articled inevitably ended up offending a few readers. A person dating a transgender individual tried to start an argument with him, Rivera said, but the comedian wasn't impressed by the outrage and reminded the person that their "boyfriend just turned into their girlfriend nine months ago."

After being told several times he was being offensive and not honoring a "trans day of remembrance," Rivera remembered plainly stating the day is "not a thing."

"It's like Kwanzaa, who cares?!"

"I told them," Rivera continued. "You're arguing with a real fag right now, it's not going to be the same situation as when you argue with straight people."

Pro athlete, pro woman

Rivera said he understands why some pro-women's sports groups act like "ambulance chasers," trying to sound the alarm on instances when men impede in women's spaces.

"Unfortunately, I think it is necessary," he admitted.

Rivera revealed that he feels groups like the Independent Council on Women's Sports are fighting a just cause and that women should be able to have their own spaces, which he said definitely includes sports and changing rooms. The comic said he is "100%" on the side of women "putting their foot down and saying 'this is for us.'"

"I don't think trans-women athletes belong in women's sports, not only for physical reasons but because ... can't women have anything? ... I don't know if a lot of people at home have ever seen a trans woman naked, but it is jarring!" he laughed.

In terms of scholarships and athletic records, Rivera said that many women are having opportunities taken from them by trans athletes, therefore he said that groups such as ICONS are definitely necessary, even though he sees ideas like women having their own sports as "common sense."

Rivera referenced other necessary pushback from figures like J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series.

"She's got enough money that she can say f*** it."

Rowling has not backed off from referring to a plethora of transgender women directly as men and quite literally dared Scottish police to arrest her for the violation of hate speech laws.

"I'm currently out of the country, but if what I've written here qualifies as an offence under the terms of the new act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment," Rowling said in March 2024.

Rivera reiterated that a college-age woman should be able to express that she's uncomfortable with a man in her changing room and not be reprimanded for speaking up about it.

He concluded by pointing out the unsettling reality of how much a person's livelihood can determine how vocal he or she is about his or her beliefs.

A lot of people who take issue with men encroaching in women's' territory "have to keep their mouth shut because they don't want to lose their jobs," he stated.

Rivera routinely posts portions of his stand-up comedy on his YouTube channel and is active on his Patreon page.

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Target Will Only Learn Its Lesson On Radical LGBT Activism If We Keep The Boycott Going

Last year’s Target boycott effectively showed the pro-LGBT company that Americans are not messing around. Let’s do it again.

Target STILL selling 'total depravity,' transgender clothing in certain markets



When Target decided to begin selling clothing specifically designed for transgender people — and even children — the backlash was understandably swift.

Now, Target is limiting which stores will sell LGBTQ-themed products following the backlash and will no longer be selling Pride apparel for children.

“If I understand Target correctly,” Steve Deace comments, “the company position is that they will only sell total depravity to the markets that want that content, that want to consume total depravity.”

“They’re just market-force capitalist now,” Todd Erzen adds, though Aaron McIntire disagrees with an interesting prediction of his own.

“Target’s going to backtrack on this,” McIntire says. “It’s a two-for-one backtrack special, okay? But while doing the backtracking, Target is going to become the official department store of UFC, and it’s going to be unpatriotic not to buy your toddler, I don’t know, chest binders.”

“That’s what’s going to happen,” he continues.

“Kid Rock will do some sit-down with Joe Rogan, ‘Cut Target a break,’” Deace adds, joking.


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Target learned a lesson: Pride Month plans already upsetting LGBTQ activists



After facing backlash, Target will limit which stores sell LGBTQ-themed merchandise for Pride Month.

Last year, the retail giant became the target of a boycott for selling "tuck-friendly" bathing suits, LGBTQ onesies for babies, and other pro-trans and pro-LGBT merchandise. Target later removed some of the LGBTQ products — or moved them to less trafficked areas of their stores — after losing billions of dollars in market value.

'Target’s decision is disappointing and alienates LGBTQ+ individuals.'

The backlash resulted in a sizeable drop in revenue for the second quarter of 2023.

Target executives have seemingly learned their lesson.

This year, Target will use its discretion when placing LGBTQ products in its stores, only selling such items "in select stores, based on historical sales performance," the company announced last week.

That's a significant policy change. In previous years, Target offered Pride Month merchandise in all of its retail stores.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Despite the change, Target still wants everyone to know it is an LGBTQ ally.

A company spokesperson said:

Target is committed to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month and year-round. Most importantly, we want to create a welcoming and supportive environment for our LGBTQIA+ team members, which reflects our culture of care for the over 400,000 people who work at Target.

The ferociously pro-LGBTQ Human Rights Campaign, meanwhile, is upset at Target's decision.

"Pride merchandise means something," claimed HRC president Kelley Robinson. "LGBTQ+ people are in every zip code in this country, and we aren’t going anywhere. With LGBTQ+ people making up 30% of Gen Z, companies need to understand that community members and allies want businesses that express full-hearted support for the community. That includes visible displays of allyship. Target’s decision is disappointing and alienates LGBTQ+ individuals and allies at the risk of not only their bottom line but also their values."

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