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HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!
NEW YORK, NY - Thanksgiving always falls soon after an election, and in recent years American politics has gained a febrile intensity—making this year's conversation over turkey a potential tinderbox.
It feels like there's no escaping politics in America. And perhaps the path to unity is to have these issues out in the open among family and friends so the country can learn once again to disagree agreeably.
Or is Thanksgiving a time for setting aside our differences, especially on politics? Maybe it's better to use the holiday as a safe space from partisan and ideological divides, one in which we can reconnect through the things that bind us together, not split us apart.
So: Should you talk politics at Thanksgiving? Newsweek put the question to family therapists. Here's what they said.
Michele Weiner-Davis, Director of The Divorce Busting Center
As someone who has worked with couples for over four decades and is in a 50-year bipartisan marriage myself, my answer to the question is simple.
If collaborative, loving conversations about politics have been possible in the past, by all means, share your thoughts and opinions. It will foster connection.
If not, or if you aren't completely certain about positive outcomes, focus instead on the true meaning of Thanksgiving and ask yourself: "What am I grateful for regarding the people in my family? Despite the fact that we may not see eye-to-eye on many things, what do I love about them? What do I need to do or say today in order to show my family members that I prioritize our relationship and long history rather than focus on our differences? How can I use this family gathering as a means to connect (and heal) rather than to deepen the chasm?" Click here to read more.
LOS ANGELES, CALIF - Rumble is suing California for allegedly forcing the social media platform to alter its own speech and censor its users’ speech, according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by The Daily Wire.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division. Rumble is challenging California’s latest laws punishing speakers for certain political commentary, which California Governor Gavin Newsom has framed as measures that will combat the “harmful use of deepfakes in political ads and other content.”
California’s AB 2655, the “Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024,” “deputizes” Rumble to restrict its user’s speech, ADF said in a release, while AB 2839, “Protecting Democracy Against Election Disinformation and Deepfakes,” uses vague standards to punish individuals posting political content about elections.
“California’s war against political speech is censorship, plain and simple,” ADF Senior Counsel Phil Sechler told The Daily Wire. “We can’t trust the government to decide what is true in our online political debates.” Click here to read more.
LANSING, Mich - Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is facing a campaign finance complaint over her alleged misuse of the department’s Facebook page leading up to the 2024 election.
Paul Kardasz, former chief deputy clerk in Maycomb County, filed a formal campaign finance complaint against Benson on Nov. 13, alleging the secretary of state knowingly misused taxpayer-funded resources to promote content linked to her political campaign’s social media.
The Secretary of State’s office acknowledged receipt of the complaint on Monday, but has not indicated how it will proceed. Benson spokeswoman Angela Benander did not respond to The Midwesterner’s questions and request for comment from the Secretary of State.
“The allegations in this complaint are significant. Documented instances show the Secretary of State’s official Facebook page actively sharing, tagging, and mentioning Benson’s campaign page,” Kardasz wrote to The Midwesterner. “These actions unfairly leveraged taxpayer-funded resources to amplify her campaign’s reach, conferring a substantial financial and strategic advantage.
“Such misuse of public platforms is unethical and raises serious questions about violations of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act,” he wrote. Click here to read more
COLUMBUS, OH - COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has signed a controversial "bathroom bill" into law, Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Wednesday via X.
The legislation, which has sparked significant debate, imposes new restrictions on transgender students' access to locker rooms, showers and bathrooms in public K-12 schools and higher education institutions.
The Republican-backed bill mandates that schools designate separate facilities for males and females based on their gender assigned at birth. This requirement applies to school buildings and facilities used for school-sponsored events.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther released a statement opposing the bill, saying it "is not consistent with our values." Click here to read more.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A bill to prohibit “weather modification activities” has been filed in the Florida Senate.
The bill, SB 56, was introduced on Nov. 20 by Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia. A House version of the bill has yet to be filed.
The bill states the “injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of a chemical, a chemical compound, a substance, or an apparatus into the atmosphere within the borders of this state for the express purpose of affecting the temperature, the weather, or the intensity of sunlight is prohibited.”
According to the bill text, any individual or corporation that conducts a weather modification operation in violation of this section will be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor and may face a fine of up to $10,000.
Last May, the Tampa Bay Young Republicans issued a statement urging the Florida Legislature to introduce a bill banning “weather modification projects” in the state. Click here to read more.
