Advertisers are fleeing Twitter in droves now that Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has taken over control.

Ever since officially closing the $44 billion deal, Musk has been busy gutting the company's executive suite and dissolving its board. Senior executives, as well as Twitter's advertising chief Sarah Personette, have departed as well.

After all, Musk has been very clear about his disdain for advertising for years now.

The resulting uncertainty has advertisers spooked — major advertising holding company IPG has already advised clients to pull out temporarily — and the billionaire CEO is in serious damage mode.

Now, Reuters reports, Musk is spending most of this week meeting with advertisers in New York, trying to reassure them that Twitter won't turn into a "free-for-all hellscape."

According to one of Reuters' sources, the meetings have been "very productive" — but plenty of other marketers are far from satisfied.

Advertisers are reportedly grilling Musk over his plans to address the rampant misinformation being spread on the platform, a trend that Musk himself has been actively contributing to since the acquisition.

And if he's succeeding in ameliorating advertisers in private, he's antagonizing them publicly. On Wednesday, Musk posted a poll asking users whether advertisers should support either "freedom of speech," or "political 'correctness'" — a type of false dichotomy that echoes the rhetoric of far-right conspiracy theorists and conservative pundits.

"Those type of provocations are not helping to calm the waters," an unnamed media buyer told Reuters.

Some are going public with the same sentiment.

"Unless Elon hires new leaders committed to keeping this 'free' platform safe from hate speech, it's not a platform brands can/should advertise on," Allie Wassum, global media director for the Nike-owned shoe brand Jordan, wrote in a LinkedIn post.

So far, Musk's plans for the social media platform remain strikingly muddy. In addition to the behind-the-scenes advertising plays, he's also announced that users will have to pay to retain their verification badge, though he's engaged in a comically public negotiation as to what the cost might be.

He's also hinted that previously banned users — former US president Donald Trump chief among them — might eventually get a chance to return, but only once "we have a clear process for doing so, which will take at least a few more weeks."

The move was seen by many as a way to wait out the impending midterm elections. After all, Twitter has played a huge role in disseminating misinformation and swaying elections in the past.

While advertisers are running for the hills, to Musk advertising is clearly only a small part of the picture — even though historically, social giants like Twitter have struggled to diversify their revenue sources much beyond display ads.

Musk nodded to that reality in a vague open letter posted last week.

"Low relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content!" he wrote in the note, addressed to "Twitter advertisers."

Big picture, Twitter's operations are in free fall right now and Musk has yet to provide advertisers with a cohesive plan to pick up the pieces.

While he's hinted at the creation of a new content moderation council made up of both "people from all viewpoints" and "wildly divergent views," advertisers are clearly going to be thinking twice about continuing their business with Twitter.

With or without advertising, Twitter's finances are reportedly in a very deep hole. The billions of dollars Musk had to borrow to finance his mega acquisition will cost Twitter around $1 billion a year in interest alone.

The company also wasn't anywhere near profitable before Musk took over, losing hundreds of millions of dollars in a single quarter.

Whether that picture will change any time soon is as unclear as ever, especially in the face of a wintry economy.

But, of course, Musk has proved his critics wrong before. So anything's possible.

READ MORE: Advertisers begin to grill Elon Musk over Twitter 'free-for-all' [Reuters]

More on the saga: Elon Musk Pulling Engineers From Tesla Autopilot to Work on Twitter

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Elon Musk Meeting With Advertisers, Begging Them Not to Leave Twitter

Droning On

Someone thinks it's a great idea to fly 500 drones over New York City to create a huge ad in the sky on Thursday evening. Because New Yorkers certainly don't have any historical reason to mistrust unknown aircraft over their skyline, right?

As Gothamist reports, the drone swarm is part of a "surreal takeover of New York City’s skyline" on behalf of — we shit you not — the mobile game Candy Crush.

Fernanda Romano, Candy Crush's chief marketing officer, told Gothamist that the stunt will "turn the sky into the largest screen on the planet" using the small, light-up drones.

Though this is not the first time the Manhattan skyline has been used as ad space — that distinction goes to the National Basketball Association and State Farm, which did a similar stunt this summer during the NBA draft — local lawmakers are ticked off about it nonetheless.

"I think it’s outrageous to be spoiling our city’s skyline for private profit," Brad Hoylman, a state senator that represents Manhattan's West Side in the NY Legislature, told the local news site. "It’s offensive to New Yorkers, to our local laws, to public safety, and to wildlife."

Freak Out

Indeed, as the NYC Audubon Society noted in a tweet, the Candy Crush crapshoot "could disrupt the flight patterns of thousands of birds flying through NYC, leading to collisions with buildings" as they migrate.

Beyond the harm this will do to birds and the annoyance it will undoubtedly cause the famously-grumpy people of New York, this stunt is also going down with very little warning, considering that Gothamist is one of the only news outlets even reporting on it ahead of time.

While most viewers will hopefully be able to figure out what's going on pretty quickly, the concept of seeing unknown aircraft above the skyline is a little too reminiscent of 9/11 for comfort — and if Candy Crush took that into consideration, they haven't let on.

So here's hoping this event shocks and awes Thursday night city-goers in a good way, and not in the way that makes them panic.

More drone warfare: Russia Accused of Pelting Ukraine Capital With "Kamikaze" Drones

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Huge Drone Swarm to Form Giant Advertisement Over NYC Skyline

Cat Burglar

Cats are known for not really minding their own business, getting their furry paws on just about anything they can.

And it turns out, this makes them effective vectors for DNA evidence, according to a study published last month in the journal Forensic Science International: Genetic Supplement Series.

Researchers collaborating with the Victoria Police Forensic Services Department in Australia found detectable human DNA in 80 percent of the samples collected from 20 pet cats, with 70 percent of the samples strong enough that they could be linked to a person of interest in a crime scene investigation.

"Collection of human DNA needs to become very important in crime scene investigations, but there is a lack of data on companion animals such as cats and dogs in their relationship to human DNA transfer," said study lead author Heidi Monkman, a forensic scientist at Flinders University, in a statement.

"These companion animals can be highly relevant in assessing the presence and activities of the inhabitants of the household, or any recent visitors to the scene."

Here Kitty

One possible takeaway is that cats — and other companion pets like dogs — could be harboring DNA that could help solve a case.

The bigger issue, though, is that pets could introduce foreign DNA that muddles a crime scene, possibly leading to an innocent person being implicated. A pet could be carrying the DNA of a complete stranger, or it might bring the DNA of its owner into a crime scene that they had nothing to do with.

Monkman's colleague and co-author of the paper, Maria Goray, is an experienced crime scene investigator and an expert in DNA transfer. She believes their findings could help clear up how pets might tamper a crime scene by carrying outside DNA.

"Are these DNA findings a result of a criminal activity or could they have been transferred and deposited at the scene via a pet?" Goray asked.

It's a question worth asking — especially because innocent people have been jailed off botched DNA science far too often.

More on DNA evidence: Cops Upload Image of Suspect Generated From DNA, Then Delete After Mass Criticism

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Cats May Be Tampering With Crime Scenes, Scientists Say

Chinese scientists are reportedly planning to send monkeys to its new Tiangong space station for experiments that will involve the animals mating and potentially reproducing, the South China Morning Post reports.

It's a fascinating and potentially controversial experiment that could have major implications for our efforts to colonize space: can mammals, let alone humans, successfully reproduce beyond the Earth?

According to the report, the experiment would take place in the station's largest capsule, called Wentian, inside two biological test cabinets that can be expanded.

After examining the behavior of smaller creatures, "some studies involving mice and macaques will be carried out to see how they grow or even reproduce in space," Zhang Lu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, said during a speech posted to social media earlier this week, as quoted by the SCMP.

"These experiments will help improve our understanding of an organism’s adaptation to microgravity and other space environments," he added.

Some simpler organisms, including nematodes and Japanese rice fish, have been observed reproducing in space.

But more complex life forms have struggled. In 2014, a Russian experiment to see whether geckos could produce offspring in space failed when all the critters died.

And the failure rate for mammals, so far, has been total. Soviet Union scientists got mice to mate during a space flight in 1979, but none of them gave birth after being returned to Earth.

In other words, getting monkeys to reproduce on board a space station will be anything but easy. For one, just dealing with living creatures in space can pose immense challenges. The astronauts will "need to feed them and deal with the waste," Kehkooi Kee, a professor with the school of medicine at Tsinghua University, told the SCMP.

Then there's the fact that astronauts will have to keep the macaques happy and comfortable, something that experts say will be challenging since long term confinement in the spartan environments of space habitats could cause immense stress for the simians.

And even if astronauts successfully set the mood for the monkeys, the physics of sex in space are predicted to be challenging.

"Firstly, just staying in close contact with each other under zero gravity is hard," Adam Watkins, an associate professor of reproductive physiology at University of Nottingham, wrote in a 2020 open letter highlighted by the SCMP. "Secondly, as astronauts experience lower blood pressure while in space, maintaining erections and arousal are more problematic than here on Earth."

With its new space station in nearly full operation, China isn't shying away from asking some big questions — but whether these experiments will play out as expected is anything but certain.

READ MORE: Chinese scientists plan monkey reproduction experiment in space station [South China Morning Post]

More on sex in space: Scientists Say We Really Have to Talk About Boning in Space

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China Plans to Send Monkeys to Space Station to Have Sex With Each Other

Observatory Offline

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) Observatory in Chile has been hit with a cyberattack that has taken its website offline and forced it to suspend all observations, authorities there said.

Even email services were limited in the aftermath, illustrating the broad impact of the hack.

Nested high up on a plateau in the Chilean Andes at over 16,000 feet above sea level, ALMA is one of the most powerful and advanced radio telescopes in the world. Notably, ALMA helped take the first image of a black hole in 2019, in a collaborative effort that linked radio observatories worldwide into forming the Event Horizon Telescope.

Thankfully, ALMA's impressive arsenal of 66 high-precision antennas, each nearly 40 feet in diameter, was not compromised, the observatory said, nor was any of the scientific data those instruments collected.

In High Places

What makes ALMA so invaluable is its specialty in observing the light of the cooler substances of the cosmos, namely gas and dust. That makes ALMA a prime candidate for documenting the fascinating formations of planets and stars when they first emerge amidst clouds of gas.

Since going fully operational in 2013, it's become the largest ground-based astronomical project in the world, according to the European Southern Observatory, ALMA's primary operators.

So ALMA going offline is a distressing development, especially to the thousands of astronomers worldwide that rely on its observations and the some 300 experts working onsite. Getting it up and running is obviously a top priority, but the observatory said in a followup tweet that "it is not yet possible to estimate a date for a return to regular activities."

As of now, there's no information available on who the hackers were, or exactly how they conducted the attack. Their motivations, too, remain a mystery.

More on ALMA: Astronomers Think They Found the Youngest Planet in the Galaxy

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Hackers Just Took Down One of the World's Most Advanced Telescopes

Spaceplane Buddy

After launching into orbit roughly three months ago, China's top-secret spaceplane has released a mysterious object, which is now circling the Earth behind it, SpaceNews reports.

There's very little we know about China's "reusable experimental spacecraft," except that it launched atop a Long March 2F rocket back in August. We don't know its purpose, what it looks like, or what cargo it was carrying during launch — but it's an intriguing development, nonetheless, for China's reusable launch platform.

Mysterious Object

The object was released between October 24 and October 31, according to tracking data being analyzed by the US Space Force's 18th pace Defense Squadron.

We can only hazard a guess as to what the mysterious object's purpose is. According to Harvard astronomer and space tracker Jonathan McDowell, it "may be a service module, possibly indicating an upcoming deorbit burn."

Based on the size and weight of payloads Long March rockets usually carry, China's mysterious spaceplane is likely similar to the Air Force's X-37B spaceplane, which is similarly shrouded in mystery and currently on its sixth mission.

We also don't know when the Chinese model will make its return back to Earth, but given recent activity at the Lop Nur base in Xinjiang suggests, it may land there in the near future, according to the report.

It's a puzzling new development for China's secretive spacecraft — but it does raise the possibility of a renewed interest in spaceplanes, a potentially affordable and reusable way to launch payloads into orbit.

More on the spaceplane: China Launches Mysterious "Reusable Test" Spacecraft

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Chinese Spaceplane Releases Mystery Object Into Orbit

You know that "research" going around saying humans are going to evolve to have hunchbacks and claws because of the way we use our smartphones? Though our posture could certainly use some work, you'll be glad to know that it's just lazy spam intended to juice search engine results.

Let's back up. Today the Daily Mail published a viral story about "how humans may look in the year 3000." Among its predictions: hunched backs, clawed hands, a second eyelid, a thicker skull and a smaller brain.

Sure, that's fascinating! The only problem? The Mail's only source is a post published a year ago by the renowned scientists at... uh... TollFreeForwarding.com, a site that sells, as its name suggests, virtual phone numbers.

If the idea that phone salespeople are purporting to be making predictions about human evolution didn't tip you off, this "research" doesn't seem very scientific at all. Instead, it more closely resembles what it actually is — a blog post written by some poor grunt, intended to get backlinks from sites like the Mail that'll juice TollFreeForwarding's position in search engine results.

To get those delicious backlinks, the top minds at TollFreeForwarding leveraged renders of a "future human" by a 3D model artist. The result of these efforts is "Mindy," a creepy-looking hunchback in black skinny jeans (which is how you can tell she's from a different era).

Grotesque model reveals what humans could look like in the year 3000 due to our reliance on technology

Full story: https://t.co/vQzyMZPNBv pic.twitter.com/vqBuYOBrcg

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) November 3, 2022

"To fully realize the impact everyday tech has on us, we sourced scientific research and expert opinion on the subject," the TollFreeForwarding post reads, "before working with a 3D designer to create a future human whose body has physically changed due to consistent use of smartphones, laptops, and other tech."

Its sources, though, are dubious. Its authority on spinal development, for instance, is a "health and wellness expert" at a site that sells massage lotion. His highest academic achievement? A business degree.

We could go on and on about TollFreeForwarding's dismal sourcing — some of which looks suspiciously like even more SEO spam for entirely different clients — but you get the idea.

It's probably not surprising that the this gambit for clicks took off among dingbats on Twitter. What is somewhat disappointing is that it ended up on StudyFinds, a generally reliable blog about academic research. This time, though, for inscrutable reasons it treated this egregious SEO spam as a legitimate scientific study.

The site's readers, though, were quick to call it out, leading to a comically enormous editor's note appended to the story.

"Our content is intended to stir debate and conversation, and we always encourage our readers to discuss why or why not they agree with the findings," it reads in part. "If you heavily disagree with a report — please debunk to your delight in the comments below."

You heard them! Get debunking, people.

More conspiracy theories: If You Think Joe Rogan Is Credible, This Bizarre Clip of Him Yelling at a Scientist Will Probably Change Your Mind

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That "Research" About How Smartphones Are Causing Deformed Human Bodies Is SEO Spam, You Idiots

Jeff Bezos' former housekeeper is suing the Amazon founder for workplace discrimination that she says forced her to literally climb out out the window of his house to use the bathroom.

In the suit, filed this week in a Washington state court, the former housekeeper claimed that she and Bezos' other household staff were not provided with legally-mandated eating or restroom breaks, and that because there was no "readily accessible bathroom" for them to use, they had to clamber out a laundry room window to get to one.

In the complaint, lawyers for the ex-housekeeper, who is described as having worked for wealthy families for nearly 20 years, wrote that household staff were initially allowed to use a small bathroom in the security room of Bezos' main house, but "this soon stopped... because it was decided that housekeepers using the bathroom was a breach of security protocol."

The suit also alleges that housekeepers in the billionaire's employ "frequently developed Urinary Tract Infections" that they believed was related to not being able to use the bathroom when they needed to at work.

"There was no breakroom for the housekeepers," the complaint adds. "Even though Plaintiff worked 10, 12, and sometimes 14 hours a day, there was no designated area for her to sit down and rest."

The housekeeper — who, like almost all of her coworkers, is Latino — was allegedly not aware that she was entitled to breaks for lunch or rest, and was only able to have a lunch break when Bezos or his family were not on the premises, the lawsuit alleges.

The Washington Post owner has denied his former housekeeper's claims of discrimination through an attorney.

"We have investigated the claims, and they lack merit," Harry Korrell, a Bezos attorney, told Insider of the suit. "[The former employee] made over six figures annually and was the lead housekeeper."

He added that the former housekeeper "was responsible for her own break and meal times, and there were several bathrooms and breakrooms available to her and other staff."

"The evidence will show that [the former housekeeper] was terminated for performance reasons," he continued. "She initially demanded over $9M, and when the company refused, she decided to file this suit."

As the suit was just filed and may well end in a settlement, it'll likely be a long time, if ever, before we find out what really happened at Bezos' house — but if we do, it'll be a fascinating peek behind the curtain at the home life of one of the world's most powerful and wealthy men.

More on billionaires: Tesla Morale Low As Workers Still Don't Have Desks, Face Increased Attendance Surveillance

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Jeff Bezos' Housekeeper Says She Had to Climb Out the Window to Use the Bathroom

Race, ethnicity, and culture all contribute to the dreams we have and how we interpret those dreams. Research published in Pastoral Psychology found that people who reported having dreams related to public protests on racial injustice were more likely to be Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement supporters, regardless of ethnicity.

Prompted by protests in the United States and other countries around the world in response to the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, this study has the goal of contributing to knowledge about dreams in relation to contemporary dynamics of race and ethnicity, wrote study authors Kelly Bulkeley and Michael Schredl.

Dreaming and race has been researched from historical, cultural, and psychological perspectives and has focused on the complex influence of race, ethnicity, and culture on what people dream and how they make sense of their dreams. For example, dream analyses done in the 1990s found that Black people were deeply engaged with transpersonal aspects of dreaming (visitations, prophecies, revelations), aspects that mainstream, mostly White American psychologists tend to ignore or dismiss. Other research has found that Black people tend to place higher value on dreams and what they mean compared to White people.

The study authors were interested in exploring the relationship between race, ethnicity, and dreaming about protests in todays political context. Specifically, they were interested in how support for the BLM movement related to protest related dream behaviors.

Researchers used data from an online survey of 4,947 American adults administered by YouGov, a public opinion research company. Respondents reported how often they remember their dreams (dream recall frequency) and how often they share their dreams with others (dream sharing). Respondents also reported whether they had recently had a dream related to the public protests concerning racial injustice. If they had, respondents were told to give a description of the dream. Respondents also gave measures of their political orientation and their level of support for the BLM movement.

About two thirds of respondents (64%) supported the BLM movement, which was also more frequent in liberal respondents. Black and Hispanic respondents were more likely to support BLM than White respondents. White and Black respondents had similar levels of dream recall, with Hispanic respondents having higher levels than both White and Black respondents. Hispanic respondents reported more dream sharing than White and Black respondents, but Black respondents reported more dream sharing than White respondents.

A portion of the sample (204 respondents, 4%) reported having dreams related to the racial injustice protests. Support for BLM was relevant. Those with higher levels of support for BLM were more likely to report a protest related dream. Higher education was also associated with reporting a protest related dream as was overall dream recall.

Overall, the findings indicate that the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and the events that followed did affect dreaming among Americans, mostly in a negative way, concluded the study authors.

The authors cite some limitations of this research. They acknowledge that they are both White, male academics and that their perspectives are inherently influenced by these characteristics. Another limitation is that perhaps the environment of the online survey was not conducive to a comfortable environment for dream sharing.

The racial and ethnic differences on [dream sharing] do not lend themselves to an easy explanation, but the differences should not overshadow the significant similarities: Remembering dreams and talking about them with other people is a common phenomenon among members of all racial and ethnic groups.

The authors conclude with implications for how these findings are relevant to caregiving. These findings encourage more attention by both religious and secular caregivers to the cultural dream traditions that actively shape and influence peoples dreaming experiences in response to contemporary challenges.

The study, Dreams, Race, and the Black Lives Matter Movement Results of a Survey of American Adults, was published January 11, 2022.

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Supporters of Black Lives Matters are more likely to have protest-related dreams, study finds - PsyPost

The shocking murder of unarmed African-American man George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May 2020 sparked global anti-racism protests and led to a groundswell of support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The fallout exposed the extent of racist discrimination, not only in the US but across the world, and in every industry including fashion.

A period of long-overdue introspection ensued, during which the leaders of many fashion retailers and brands around the world vowed to address racism and promote greater diversity and inclusion within their businesses, and contribute to meaningful change across the industry as a whole.

Two years on, we speak to a mix of professionals including black owners of fashion brands, CEOs and diversity leads at large high street retailers, and, for an overview, the CEO of the British Fashion Council to find out what has changed, and what still needs to be done.

Leona Smith Diversity and inclusion lead, John Lewis Partnership

The tragic death of George Floyd led to an abrupt awakening a new state of awareness of what it means to be black. As a black woman, I felt that change personally. There is a new sense of freedom to speak candidly and unapologeticallyabout the black experience.

Within the John Lewis Partnership we have taken time to look at ourselves, and have difficult conversations about what we need to do to reach our ambition to become the UKs most inclusive business my role and team was created in May 2021 as part of this.

We have looked at every avenue to see where should improve. We started with creating more ways for black partners to share their experiences. Then, with some other partners, I made a film called Its Not OK, which highlights some of the micro-aggressions faced by our black and ethnic minority partners. The film was shown internally and on social media channels.

We ensure our Black Partner Advisory Group, set up in 2020, is involved in the creation of new propositions, policies and processes. Were reviewing our recruitment processes to try to remove bias, and were creating a programme to support ethnic minority partners with their career progression. And were connecting with more black businesses to make our product ranges more inclusive.

We all need to continue having uncomfortable conversations and challenging our biases.

Olivia Overton Womenswear designer, AllSaints

AllSaints has always taken diversity and inclusion seriously, but the Black Lives Matter movement has been a catalyst for us to do even more. One of the changes has been the way we listen to and learn from our employees around the world. In the summer of 2020, I set up a diversity and inclusion working group, and an anti-racism platform for AllSaints colleagues.

We aim to share resources, have open conversations and be educated by each other. Through these channels we have been able to take actions and ensure everyones voice is heard for example, we have monthly staff forums, and employee reference groups, including our anti-racism and LGBTQ+ communities attended by a director to feed back to leadership and a working parents group. Q&A sessions are run by employees to tackle awkward issues such as how do I address a micro-aggression? We provide spaces, support, time and resources, and listen to ensure all employees can contribute to our diversity agenda.

In the wider fashion industry, there is a sense of increasing accountability. A growing number of brands are being pulled up over matters of cultural appropriation and representation. There are some leading black creatives shaping our industry, such as [editor-in-chief of British Vogue] Edward Enninful, [fashion designer] Tolu Coker and [actor/director] Kelechi Okafor.

I hope this continues.

However, there is still much to do to ensure black and minority talent is represented at all levels, rather than only in certain roles. I want more brands to ensure barriers are dismantled, and the industry is made more accessible. Brands should use their platforms to collaborate with black influencers.There is so much talent out there.

Foday Dumbuya Creative director, Labrum

The Black Lives Matter movement was a monumental moment. I was alongside the likes of [actor] John Boyega at the march in London [in 2020], he gave an incredible speech and really spoke of the emotion that is felt by us black people in this country and around the world. He also inspired me to stand up to what I believe to be true, and to fight for freedom.

With Labrum, I had been working on sharing the untold stories of West Africa for some time, and Black Lives Matter suddenly put a lot of eyes on us. People were open to learning about black history in a way that is not typically presented by the media and certainly not taught in schools.

In the aftermath, a lot of big brands jumped on board to support the movement and posted promises to be better. Its interesting to see who has come through on those.

I would like more funding for educational programmes and community development, and support for black-owned businesses. And hire more black people in senior management positions to address the gap with their white counterparts.

Steve Rowe CEO, Marks & Spencer

One of the most immediate responses to the murder of George Floyd was colleagues coming forward many directly to me to share their own personal experiences and determination to drive positive change as a result of this atrocity. Very quickly, I gained a heightened knowledge of the issues facing many of our black colleagues. For me, that was a moment of real reflection as a leader, considering what I had and hadnt done to surface and address these issues over the years.

We took an honest look at our approach to diversity and inclusion, and identified where we could go further, from recruitment and training to our products and the charities we work with. This led us to support the 10,000 Black Interns initiative, which tackles the massive under-representation of black talent in every sector [M&S aims to create 2,000 internships a year to hit the target by 2027].

Being an inclusive business also means looking at what and how we sell to our customers. Our products need to truly reflect the diverse communities we serve and over the last year we have taken steps to address some of the shortfalls in our offer. For example, our lingerie team worked closely with our [internal] culture and heritage network to redefine neutral underwear, introducing a broader range available in five shades. We also expanded our beauty range so that our Autograph foundation now comes in 30 colour options.

We know there is much more to be done. We need to continue to educate ourselves and learn from each other and change starts at the top.We are working towards having 50% women and 15% ethnic minority colleagues in senior management roles, but lack of representation is an issue the entire industry needs to be honest about. We need to work together to attract, support and develop diverse talent to deliver lasting change.

Rene Macdonald founder, Lisou

One of the positives of the pandemic, especially in 2020, was that the world was under lockdown, so it was easier to focus on pressing issues. There was an absence of the usual level of noise, so it was easier to catch peoples attention and let them know the severity of the situation black people find themselves in.

Some retailers have now ringfenced a budget for [brands owned by] black and other ethnic minorities, which although a little late in the day is a welcome change. It has also been encouraging that those within the fashion industry have been made aware of the unjust system black designers find themselves in, especially black female entrepreneurs.

This is not a temporary worthy cause. We should all be entitled to equal opportunity. Doors must be flung open for all of us and the glass ceiling set for black designers must be eradicated. It is essential that we remember the lessons learned from [the death of] George Floyd and how long this journey to equality has been, and it is shameful that [racism] still exists. While Im a realist, I am ever hopeful that this is just the start.

Caroline Rush CEO, British Fashion Council

What the last two years made clear is that there were serious shortcomings and room for improvement in terms of diversity and inclusion within the fashion industry. These were very much brought to the forefront following the death of George Floyd, when outrage brought overwhelming evidence through personal narratives of racism and barriers to entry.

Many brands rightfully prioritised diversity within their campaigns and their external communications, but creating change with representation within head offices takes longer because of employment contracts. The industry realised that it needs to break down entry barriers that were in place for far too long, and that brands must include diversity and inclusion within their wider strategies, businesses and HR practices.

As an organisation that represents the British fashion industry, we had to act. This is why we appointed new directors, including [television presenter] June Sarpong, [brand expert] Scott Morrison and [Roksanda CEO] Jamie Gill; we reviewed all of our programmes, from scholarships, talent support initiatives and fashion weeks to ensure all programmes are fair and equitable for all; and developed initiatives to give all employees the opportunity to be part of the conversation.

In 2020 we set up a Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee made up of industry representatives to address challenges faced by different communities within the fashion industry. The committee works as part of our Institute of Positive Fashion to set the bar for accountability and best practice for all fashion businesses. Its priorities include stamping out racism and addressing the specific challenges each minority community faces within the fashion industry, across four work streams: education; business policy; talent identification and mentoring; and communications.

We are also taking part in the BBCs 50:50 Equality Project [Drapers is also a partner] a voluntary monitoring system that allows us to better understand the make-up of those working at London Fashion Week, both front and backstage. Later this year, we will publish a report on the C-level within the fashion industry led by [executive recruiter] MBS Group, that will kickstart work around benchmarking, and creating a more diverse and inclusive culture. It is critical that we ensure changes in attitudes and priorities continue to be translated into meaningful action. As an industry, its important that we continue to work to build a system we are proud of.

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Is fashion facing up to the diversity challenge? - Drapers

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Jury clears man of pulling a gun when confronted with Black Lives Matter crowd - The Union Leader

This article was originally published here

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2022 May 11. doi: 10.1007/s40615-022-01308-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

There is an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission during mass gatherings and a risk of asymptomatic infection. We aimed to estimate the use of masks during Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and whether these protests increased the risk of COVID-19. Two reviewers screened 496 protest images for mask use, with high inter-rater reliability. Protest intensity, use of tear gas, government control measures, and testing rates were estimated in 12 cities. A correlation analysis was conducted to assess the potential effect of mask use and other measures, adjusting for testing rates, on COVID-19 epidemiology 4 weeks (two incubation periods) post-protests. Mask use ranged from 69 to 96% across protests. There was no increase in the incidence of COVID-19 post-protest in 11 cities. After adjusting for testing rates, only Miami, which involved use of tear gas and had high protest intensity, showed a clear increase in COVID-19 after one incubation period post-protest. No significant correlation was found between incidence and protest factors. Our study showed that protests in most cities studied did not increase COVID-19 incidence in 2020, and a high level of mask use was seen. The absence of an epidemic surge within two incubation periods of a protest is indicative that the protests did not have a major influence on epidemic activity, except in Miami. With the globally circulating highly transmissible Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants, layered interventions such as mandated mask use, physical distancing, testing, and vaccination should be applied for mass gatherings in the future.

PMID:35543865 | DOI:10.1007/s40615-022-01308-4

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Estimated Mask Use and Temporal Relationship to COVID-19 Epidemiology of Black Lives Matter Protests in 12 Cities - DocWire News

This is a rush transcript of "Ingraham Angle" on November 11, 2021. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: And that's why we should all take a moment to always honor the heroism, the commitment that make this country safe and secure. Thank you to all of you who serve.

Let not your heart be troubled. Hey, Laura.

LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: Well said. Sacrifice and selflessness, we need more of that all the way around in the United States.

HANNITY: Amen.

INGRAHAM: And the vets are the perfect example of that. I'll be talking to a Iwo Jima vet, Sean.

HANNITY: Oh, really? I will be watching for sure. By the way, you did a great interview with the family spokesperson last night. I was riveted to it.

INGRAHAM: Oh, now I saw Kyle's mom. I was like almost in tears. It was really moving. But we'll try to pick it up where you left off.

HANNITY: Well, you're a lawyer. You bring a lot to the table on this. I don't see a guilty verdict. I don't think they have made the case.

INGRAHAM: No way. Sean, awesome show. And we will see you tomorrow night.

HANNITY: I'll be watching.

INGRAHAM: All right. I'm Laura Ingraham. This is THE INGRAHAM ANGLE from Washington.

Now, when you look closely at where inflation is hurting Americans most, it might not come as a surprise that Joe Biden is initially brushing it off for a reason. Jim Jordan and J.D. Vance react.

And how the Kyle Rittenhouse trial and the January 6 aftermath outs the Democrats as the new authoritarians. Our own Tucker Carlson is here tonight to explain that.

But first, racial extortionist ride again. That's the focus of tonight's 'Angle'.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The brilliance and the impact of Black Lives Matter. History is going to show -- was an inflection point. Black Lives Matter has been the most significant agent for change within the criminal justice system.

BILL DE BLASIO, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: The hopeful positive message of Black Lives Matter is a positive forward looking message of righting a wrong and creating a true respect for people's value.

BARACK OBAMA, 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: To the young people who led us this summer, telling us we need to be better. You are this country's dreams fulfilled.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Now, at the time the 'Angle' warned that their alliance with the BLM radicals was bound to backfire given the agenda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: It has nothing to do with racial justice. This is about raw power. And politicians in blue states, they've decided that the riots are helping them politically. The unspoken offer that I think Democrats are making the voters this November is the following: Vote Trump out of office, and we'll put an end to this.

But I'm telling you, if you reward this, you're going to get a lot more not a lot less of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Well, of course, the Democrats didn't listen and the rioters, the looters, the criminals, all learned the wrong lesson that Democrats would fold to their demands to avoid more chaos and threats of violence. So, zero consequences for criminality in other words. So that's why it made perfect sense that BLM thugs in New York City have already tried to intimidate and threaten newly-elected mayor Eric Adams.

Now, public safety is one of his top priorities. He wants to reinstate plainclothes police officers to reduce gun violence. That's smart. And it would have the added benefit of saving black and brown lives. That's something you would think BLM cared about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They think that they're going to go back to the old ways of policing, that we are going to take to the streets again. There will be riots, there will be fire, and there will be bloodshed. So there is no way that we are going to let some Gestapo come in here and haunt my people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: But this BLM radical wasn't done with his threats against Adams.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have people in city council who can create problems for him. We have people in the streets who can create problems for this administration by shutting it down. And make no mistake about it, I am not threatening anyone. I am just saying that as a natural response to aggressive oppression, people will react.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Well, the message is clear and the threats are pretty close to attempted extortion, which generally is defined as an attempt through coercion or threats to obtain a benefit or outcome often involving money.

Now, my question is, has a single prominent Democrat come out to denounce these BLM comments? Not that I've seen. Their silence speaks volumes. And now, we see the same threatening demand dynamic is at play in the Kyle Rittenhouse case. The press is really busy stoking racial anger by purposely misrepresenting the facts of the murder trial.

Now, the prosecution's case is collapsing. We all know that. And instead of honestly analyzing the record, the media just blame racism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you want to know why critical race theory exists, then look no further, in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: White privilege on steroids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A biased racist judge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does justice even mean in a system that was established to strip black people of their humanity, and has never really held white people accountable for murdering black people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: These people are incredibly irresponsible and dishonest, effectively excusing any unrest that follows a mistrial or acquittal. That's what they're doing. And what will that mean? That means more pain and suffering for the people of Kenosha. So more problems, not fewer for the minority community there as well.

Now, again, BLM, the journalists who support them, they don't care. They never cared. The Kenosha rioting that Rittenhouse stepped into was largely driven by the media outlets that refused to report the truth about Jacob Blake, the black man shot by the police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Unarmed, a black man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As of the government, what happened to Mr. Blake is not a crime, that someone can be shot in the back seven times in front of their children all unarmed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like unarmed individuals who come in contact with law enforcement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Preserving the anti-police narrative was more important than the truth to politicians and pundits alike, who chimed in to defend Blake. And even after Blake himself admitted to having a knife, the press just quietly corrected the record like the "Washington Post".

Did any of these people apologize to the people of Kenosha, who lost everything in the riots? No. Did any of them apologize to Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson? No.

Remember, they destroyed his life in 2014, even after authorities found insufficient evidence to charge him with murder or manslaughter. That's because they lied about everything from hands up, don't shoot, to whether Michael Brown was the aggressor. So mobs rage, they looted across entire city blocks in Ferguson. Remember, the businesses, they were ruined. Some residents moved out, never returned.

And seven years after all that needless racial unrest, Ferguson has one of the highest crime rights -- rates in America. Who's that helping? According to the crime tracking website NeighborhoodScout, '"One's chances of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 17".

Congratulations, Democrats. Coddling criminals and demonizing Police has predictably made America less safe and thugs more brazen. Now, because liberal politicians didn't suffer politically for backing the destructive BLM movement back in 2020, they may think that they can get away with it again. But that was before voters saw what defunding the police did to crime rates, that was before voters saw how critical race theory infiltrated their kids' classrooms.

Now, look at the vote in Minneapolis, people are just tired of this garbage. They want it to end. There is no negotiating with terrorists. And there's no placating anti-American Marxists who believe that it's better for a city to burn than it -- to continue with traditional policing, or quit a white teenager wrongly accused.

Will Democrats learn these obvious lessons before the midterms? If they had a strong leader, perhaps they could. But they don't, so they won't. And that's the 'Angle'.

All right. Joining me now is Larry Elder, host of 'The Larry Elder Show' and former California gubernatorial candidate. Larry, the left made a deal with the devil last summer. And now, it looks like they're trapped. Your reaction to the 'Angle' tonight.

LARRY ELDER, "THE LARRY ELDER SHOW" HOST: Well, they are trapped. And, Laura, the whole Black Lives Matter movement is based upon a lie and the lie is that the police are engaging in systemic racism. The police are using deadly force against blacks just because they're black. It is not true.

There have been study after study after study showing, if anything, the police are more reluctant, more hesitant to pull the trigger on a black suspect than a white suspect. The police kill more unarmed whites every year than they kill unarmed blacks, except when they kill an unarmed white, nobody cares.

And here's the consequence, the police accused of being systemically racist, pull back. Fewer traffic stops, few arrests, crime goes up. And as you pointed out, a disproportionate number of the victims of the crimes are black and brown people themselves. In New York, the population of black and brown people are roughly half the city. However, 95 percent of the victims and of the perps are black and brown.

So when the police pull back, the very people that Black Lives Matter claims that they care about are hurt the most. There's a black Harvard economist named Roland Fryer, in July of 2016, front page story in 'The New York Times'. He did a study, he just assumed that the police were engaging in deadly force against blacks just because they were black. He said the findings were the most surprising thing of his career.

Again, the police were more hesitant, more reluctant to pull the trigger on a black suspect than a white suspect. He did find, the police were slightly more likely to use nine deadly force. But in my opinion, that's because they didn't want to get to using deadly force. So again, people that are hurt by this lie are the very people that the black and brown -- people who are loving on black and brown, people with the left, claim they care about.

INGRAHAM: Now, New York City mayor-elect Eric Adams, as I mentioned, is not backing down amid all of these threats from the BLM types. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC ADAMS, MAYOR-ELECT NEW YORK CITY: There's very few things that intimidate me. There's very few things that frighten and scare me. New Yorkers are not going to live in fear. And we're not going to be intimidated by anyone. This city is not going to be a city of riots, it's not going to be the city of burning. This is going to be a city where we're going to be safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Larry, is he the right person to step up and take this on?

ELDER: I think so. But, Laura, it sort of doesn't matter. No matter what color you are, if you're black, and you're in a position of responsibility, and you do the right thing, somebody is going to accuse you of being a sellout.

I'm here in Los Angeles, and we elected a black female district attorney. And 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning, a Black Lives Matter activist showed up at her house, because they didn't like some positions she had taken. And now this woman has been replaced by George GascA3n, a George Soros soft on crime DA.

And out here in LA, crime has gone up, up 30 percent year-to-year. The city is 9 percent black, about 30 to 40 percent of the victims of the homicide are black people. Again, the very people that the people like that, who claim that they are backing black people, Black Lives Matter. These are the people that they claim that they care about. Those are the ones who are being disproportionately hurt.

By the way, virtually all of these shootings in depth, mostly all of them, Laura, could have been avoided if (inaudible) had the suspect comply. Comply, you won't die. And nobody wants to say that.

INGRAHAM: I mean, no one talks about the fact that the live from Ferguson, that destroyed Darren Wilson's life. I mean, I think he had to change his name and moves -- I mean, I don't know -- know what happened to him. But I mean, the lies just keep -- and the keep to this day being retold, the 'Hands up, don't shoot'.

All of that. They still have posters at various rallies, they still hold them up. So they are they are clinging to lies about facts, policing, specific events and specific shootings. And they just won't let them go, no matter what. I've never seen anything like this. This is true fanaticism, Larry.

ELDER: Yes. The lie, drive the narrative. They don't really care. Just like Donald Trump did not say, there are good Nazis and bad Nazis. He said. And I'm not talking about the white nationalists and the Neo Nazis, because they should be condemned totally. They don't care. The lie becomes the truth. It's pathetic.

INGRAHAM: Larry, it's great to see you tonight. Thanks so much for joining us.

And speaking of the Rittenhouse trial, things did not go well for the prosecution today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE SCHROEDER, KENOSHA COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE: I'm a little bit challenged when you say -- is there something that I'm saying that drives the face that you're making? Go ahead. Say what you have to say.

THOMAS BINGER, PROSECUTOR IN THE RITTENHOUSE CASE: I have to say, Your Honor, yesterday I was the target of your ire for disregarding your orders.

SCHROEDER: I was talking yesterday about the Constitution of the United States, and how the Supreme Court has interpreted it for 50 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: Joining me now is David Hancock, spokesman for Kyle Rittenhouse. David, now that's kind of a unusual strategy, accusing the judge of being grossly unfair. It looks like that backfired.

DAVID HANCOCK, KYLE RITTENHOUSE SPOKESPERSON: Yes. And that's just what this prosecutor has been doing this entire trial. It's offensive. And truly a total miscarriage of due process for Kyle. It's just terrible.

INGRAHAM: I know you saw the tweet from LeBron James last night. We're going to put it up on the screen. A lot of people have seen this, but I wanted to get your reaction to this. He responded by saying that, Kyle broke down in tears on the witness stand and that was the tweet he's responding to. He said, '"What tears? I didn't see one. Knock it off. That boy ate some lemon heads before walking into court." Had some laughing emojis there.

He's one of the most powerful richest athletes in the world. And he's attacking a teenager.

HANCOCK: Yes. I mean, he's attacking a 18-year-old boy, who was viciously attacked helping his community. I think LeBron James should focus a bit more on the Lakers and a little bit less on trying to get involved in these kinds of situations.

I talked to you about it before. That's just laughable. And I'm not going to be paying any attention to that anymore.

INGRAHAM: Now, Gaige Grosskreutz, who was shot by Rittenhouse after pointing his pistol at Kyle said this on CNN tonight about Kyle's testimony.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GAIGE GROSSKREUTZ, SURVIVED KENOSHA SHOOTING: I can't say that I was one particularly impressed, nor convinced. To me, it seemed like a child being upset because they were caught, not upset because of what they have done wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: David, your response to him?

HANCOCK: I'm impressed that he has the gall to go on a major news network and lie about what he said in court. Everybody saw the video and saw the images. That man pointed a loaded handgun at an 18-year-old kid who was in, quite possibly, the most vulnerable position ever on his butt. Come on. That's just discussing.

INGRAHAM: Now, Kyle's mom appeared with Sean Hannity earlier tonight. She's obviously incredibly emotional. I mean, one would expect nothing less about what's happened to her son. If you can, without violating any confidences, how are they getting through this? How have they gotten through this so far?

HANCOCK: They have a very strong support structure around them. They have the truth, they have the facts, they have the reality of what happened that night. And that's been coming out to America. So that's a pretty strong pillar they can lean on.

INGRAHAM: Would you, after watching what's happened at this trial, and what could happen still, I mean we don't know what ultimately will happen. Would you recommend that people get into these events, rallies, protests, to try to protect, or mix it up, or observe, or take video, given how things are distorted, and how situations can spiral out of control? Given what you've seen, would you recommend anyone you know to do what Kyle did?

HANCOCK: I would recommend from the sense of being an American that believes in the Constitution that anybody can protect their property. And if people want to be good, civic-minded individuals and go out into town and protect property and give first aid to people who might be injured, I would say go for it. Right? Go for it.

But I would also encourage the citizen, like journalists, to keep doing what they're doing. I mean, think about how this case would be if there wasn't hours of video from it.

INGRAHAM: You bet.

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'Ingraham Angle' on Black Lives Matter, inflation - Fox News

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By Mei Perez and Hannah Adams

KENOSHA, WI Then 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, in August of 2020, drove from his home in Antioch, Illinois, to a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he shot and killed two people and wounded another.

This week, now 18 and on trial for murder, he took the stand to give his testimony on the events leading up to the shooting.

Rittenhouse stated that his objectives were to offer medical assistance, provide water for the officers on scene and to protect a used car lot; he mentioned that he brought the AR-15 gun for his protection, and did not plan on using it.

Our job is to protect this business and part of my job is to also help people. If theres somebody hurt, Im running into harms way. Thats why I have my rifle because I can protect myself, obviously, Rittenhouse stated when describing the intentions of himself and other armed individuals at the scene.

Following the shooting, Rittenhouse was charged with five felonies: first-degree intentional homicide in the death of Joseph Rosenbaum, first-degree reckless homicide of Anthony Huber, attempted first-degree intentional homicide of Gaige Grosskreutz, and two counts of recklessly endangering safety, for shots fired at others.

He was also charged with possessing a firearm as a minor and for violating a curfew on the night of the Aug. 25, a misdemeanor and a civil citation, respectfully.

To all of these charges, Rittenhouse pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defense to his possession and use of the firearm.

When describing the altercation between himself and Rosenbaum, the defendant stated that Rosenbaum was the initial aggressor, yelling death threats at Rittenhouse and chasing him into a car lot, where the defendant turned around to face his pursuer.

Rittenhouse stated I pointed my gun at him, and that did not deter him. He could have run away instead of trying to take my gun from me, but he kept chasing me. It didnt stop him. According to the defense, Rosenbaum then lunged for the gun, I remember his hand was on the barrel of my gun, which is when Rittenhouse shot four times, killing Rosenbaum.

Following the altercation with Rosenbaum, the prosecution cited a video of Rittenhouse firing an AR-15 at the second and third people that he shot that night: Anthony Huber, the second homicide victim, and Gaige Grosskreutz, who was paralyzed from the waist down after Rittenhouse fired into a crowd.

Huber was swinging a skateboard at Rittenhouse, and Grosskreutz testified earlier this week that he had aimed a gun at Rittenhouse just before he was shot.

Lead prosecuting attorney, Thomas Binger, repeatedly accused Rittenhouse of using deadly force with the intent to kill during his questioning of the defendant, and charged Rittenhouse has not given his testimony until after ample opportunity to watch videos, read articles, and hear witness testimony regarding the case.

Judge Bruce Schroeder interrupted the examination and asked the jurors to leave the courtroom to admonish Binger for his line of questioning, stating This is a grave Constitutional violation for you to talk about the defendants silence. This is not allowed.

Judge Schroeder had to ask the jurors to leave the courtroom a second time during Bingers questioning to reprimand him once again for inappropriate tactics.

In regards to Bingers rather confrontational examination, Rittenhouses lawyers requested Judge Schroeder declare a mistrial with prejudice, eliminating any possibility of a retrial.

Judge Schroeder stated that he would consider their proposition, but he is not willing to officially rule on the matter just yet. As of currently, the trial is set to reconvene with Binger as the lead prosecutor with Rittenhouse taking the stand once more.

The trial will resume Friday.

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Kyle Rittenhouse Gives Testimony on Deadly Shooting at Black Lives Matter Protest in Wisconsin - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis

AUniversityof SouthernCaliforniaprofessor is defending his refusal to cave to student pressure to remove apro-policeBlue Lives Matter flag from his office.

James Moore, professor of engineering and policy, posted the flag at the start of the fallsemesteroutside of his office on campus. He has since faced repeated calls to remove the flag.

"I wanted to communicate to progressively-oriented students that there's a competing point of view,"Moore told "Fox & Friends" Friday."They live in something of a progressive bubble on a college campus I wanted to communicate to conservative students, of which there are many, that in fact they're entitled to their voice, that the messages they hear are really not representative of society at large."

WASHINGTON SCHOOL BANS PRO-POLICE FLAG, CLAIMS IT'S 'POLITICAL,' BUT PERMITS BLM AND LGBT MESSAGES

Moore says he hung the flag to send a counter-message to the premise that Black lives are at particular risk of police violence.

"I think it's a lie," he said. "Black lives benefit rather strongly, disproportionately from the activities of police Black lives are at greatest risk from reduced police service."

(USC Professor James Moore)

"If all lives matter and Black lives in particular matter, then we need to make sure that they're secure."

The office of the dean of the Viterbi School of Engineering and USC's Office of Equity and Diversity told students there is no policy supporting the removal of the flag, according to the Daily Trojan.

"The university does not have a policy that limits the display of materials in spaces like this, though we are looking at whether it is needed," the university said in a statement to thestudent-rundailynewspaper. "As part of the universitys commitment to academic freedom, a faculty member can express his or her individual beliefs and viewpoints on a wide variety of topics even controversial issues but they do not speak on behalf of a school or the broader university."

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Moore says he feels a responsibility to his students who are receiving "constant messaging" from the university that the world is a progressive place with a progressive point of view.

"They suspect otherwise, and I wanted to alert them to the fact that they're entitled to those suspicions," he said.

Fox News' Emma Colton contributed to this report.

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USC professor speaks out on refusal to remove pro-police flag from office: Campus is a 'progressive bubble' - Fox News

NurPhoto via Getty Images

As the Fourth of July drew to a close, Ziggi Tyler, 23, of Chicago, decided to use his holiday downtime to update his bio on TikToks Creator Marketplace, a new part of the app where influencers like Tyler connect with brands to strike sponsorship deals. Tyler is a Black influencer who uses TikTok and other platforms to post comedy vlogs, and he wanted to highlight his background to marketers who might want to launch racial justice campaigns or ads featuring more diverse talent. But when he went to include words and phrases like Black, Black Lives Matter and Black support, he made an uncomfortable discovery: The app wouldnt allow him to include them, flagging the words as inappropriate content and making it impossible for him to publish the new bio.

Its very odd, its very strangeits very frustrating, says Tyler.

"If we take a step back and consider, it seems a little phony to me," says Ziggi Tyler, mulling over ... [+] TikTok's explanation for why "Black" was banned from bios on its Creator Marketplace.

TikTok doesnt deny that this happened to Tyler. It says the content moderation algorithm within the Creator Marketplace, launched in mid-2020, is a work in progress. The problem stretched into Wednesday afternoonat that time, TikTok placed a block on anyone updating their marketplace bios. The company says it has since corrected the faulty AI, though any changes to the bios still cannot go through.

TikTok says the algorithm flagged the phrases because Tyler had also written the word audience in his bio, and the AI had been taught to flag bios that included the word die, which is contained within the word audience, and words like Black and Black Lives Matter as possible hate speech. The algorithm wouldve drawn attention to any combination of the words die and black. For instance, if the phrase die blackberries had been there, the AI wouldve barred it.

Our TikTok Creator Marketplace protections, which flag phrases typically associated with hate speech, were erroneously set to flag phrases without respect to word order, a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. We recognize and apologize for how frustrating this was to experience, and our team has fixed this significant error. To be clear, Black Lives Matter does not violate our policies and currently has over 27 billion views on our platform."

For his part, Tyler finds TikToks explanation specious. I could write out neo nazi and white supremacyno problem, and thats cool, he says. But I just went in 30 minutes ago and tried to add Black Lives Matter again, and it wasnt allowed. While TikTok had an explanation for why Tyler couldnt fill out his bio with those phrases, the company didnt offer one for something else: Tylers videos for now cant be as easily shared on TikTok as videos from most other influencers. The Stitch and Duet functions, two common features that allow users to republish another persons TikToks, have been disabled on Tylers account, making it harder for his videos to go viral. (TikTok denies turning off these features, saying only a user can do so. Tyler, in turn, says he didnt mute them either.) Nonetheless, his videos talking about his experience over the past few days have gotten nearly 2.5 million views.

Theres been a growing tension between TikTok and the Black community on its app. During last years Black Lives Matter protests, several Black creators alleged that TikTok was suppressing content about the protests and George Floyds murder, something the company has denied doing. TikTok did admit that a technical glitch affected the view counts around hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd, making it seem that they had received zero or very few views when in fact theyd been watched millions of times. Most recently, some Black influencers staged what they called a virtual strike, going silent on the app to protest an unfair bias among advertisers on the app that favors white creators.

Moreover, TikTok has struggled at points to grow from an app featuring dances and stunts into a social network where politics and other weighty issues are discussedeven as its user base has ballooned to more than 700 million users worldwide, complicating that calculus. As recently as late 2019, the companys top executives were actively weighing whether they should find ways to tamp down content about politics, going as far as to consider turning off its key algorithmic feed during elections, including the 2020 presidential contest in America.

Tyler, bearded and habitually clad in a knit cap, joined TikTok back in February 2020 and established a niche for himself with humorous videos, talking about topics like his appearance, sex and white influencers. He has since accumulated 368,000 followers, and in October, he joined TikToks Creator Fund, which pays out to creators who create sufficiently popular videos. Tyler, a recent Southern Illinois University graduate, joined the Creator Marketplace the following January. He hasnt struck any brand deals yetrejecting a few overtures from companies he found less than reputablebut hopes to in the coming months.

Im genuinely just here to make people laugh, feel good about themselves, feel confident, feel sexy, Tyler says. I just want people to love themselves and have a good time. Because theres so much hate in the world.

Read the original:

TikTok Influencer Of Color Faced `Frustrating Obstacle Trying To Add The Word Black To His Creator Marketplace Bio - Forbes

(John Minchillo | AP) Trump supporters participate in a rally in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021.

| July 6, 2021, 6:19 p.m.

| Updated: 10:11 p.m.

Black Lives Matter Utah on the Fourth of July called the American flag a symbol of hate on social media, setting off a robust response.

When we Black Americans see this flag, the post read, we know the person flying it is not safe to be around. When we see this flag we know the person flying it is a racist.

Lex Scott, founder of Black Lives Matter Utah, says she knew the posts would cause a reaction.

The point of the post was to make everyone uncomfortable, Scott said. The American flag is taught to us from birth to represent freedom, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Scott says she was angered by photos of the far-right group Patriot Front marching through Philadelphia on Saturday carrying the American flag. The march was disrupted by counterprotesters, who chased them away.

Patriot Front is a white nationalist hate group that formed in the aftermath of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017.

Theyre flying American flags. The Ku Klux Klan is flying American flags. The Proud Boys are flying American flags. They climbed the Capitol for their failed insurrection and were beating police officers with American flags. I have not heard any outrage from Republicans or the right about the use of the American flag as a hate symbol, Scott said, adding, We are seeing that symbol used in every racist hate groups messaging across this nation. The problem that I have is no one is addressing the people who are using it for hate. I am telling you when I see an American flag, I begin to feel fear for the simple fact that every time I am faced with hatred, it is at the hands of someone carrying an American flag.

The Utah groups posts were widely circulated on social media over the holiday weekend.

Utah Republican Chairman Carson Jorgensen says hes no Pollyanna when it comes to American history, which he acknowledges is less than perfect. But he does not see the flag as a symbol of hate.

The American flag is a symbol of freedom and opportunity to the world, Jorgensen wrote in an email. We are the shining city on the hill. We are not perfect, but we will never cease to improve.

He says support for the flag is not a partisan issue, as both Republicans and Democrats are supportive. He also says Scotts broad-brush condemnation of the flag because fringe groups are using it is unfair.

This banner has been flown for the liberation of millions and millions who have given their lives in honor of what the flag represents, Jorgensen added. We are stalwart in our support and love for the American flag and all of the good that it stands for.

Sen. Todd Weiler says he disagrees with Scotts message, but its her right as an American to say it.

The vast majority of Utahns, regardless of their race or politics, continue to look to the U.S. flag as a symbol of unity and perseverance for our nations past and hope for our nations future, Weiler said. There have always been those who try to divide us. I am grateful to live in a county that allows dissenting voices to be expressed.

Scott says those who accuse her of being anti-American miss her point.

People are going to say that Black Lives Matter hates America. We dont hate America. We hate the system of white supremacy. Our ancestors built this country. We have every right to criticize, Scott said. Its not hatred to call out hatred.

Scott says its not all venom on the page and that theyve received dozens of messages of support, too.

More:

'Person flying it is a racist,' Utah Black Lives Matter says of those who fly American flag - Salt Lake Tribune

I Cant Breathe (In Honor of Black Lives) unapologetically occupies most of one wall at the Colfax Cultural Center. George Floyd is murdered in one corner of the painting. Masked protesters march in the other. The broken and jagged word Justice drips blood over the whole piece.

I try to pay attention and make people realize how much injustice is in this world, artist Teresa Greve Wolf says aboutthe piece.

The Expressionist-style painting is part of the 32nd annual "Art and Social Justice Exhibition," which opened last Friday at the Colfax Gallery inSouth Bend. The exhibit features artwork depicting issues of social justice and continues through Aug.13.

The exhibit features work by local artists and highlights social justice concerns, such as racial inequality, poverty, gendered issues and environmental problems.

For example, one mixed-media piece by Melinda Sofia Bandera,"In memoriam of the trans women who have passed," features an ofrenda with paper flowers in front of a transgender flag. A sculptureby Marsha Heck titled "Wealth v. Poverty from the Cultural Chess Series," made with found objects, depicts an unfair chess game with the pieces made out of random objects.

Artwork centered around the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement are especially prominent and poignant in this years exhibition, which features more than50 pieces from 30 local and regional artists.

The annual event began in 1989 as an exhibition by local artists Jake Webster and Douglas Kinsey and focused on social justice issues of the time. The show then evolved to display the work of many artists and a spectrum of injustices in the United States and world.

Of the dozens of pieces on display this year, five were chosen by Mark Rospenda, curator of collections and exhibitions at the South Bend Museum of Art, as jurors picks.

Rospenda sayshe had to take many pictures of the art and spend extra time to make his final selections.

It was really hard for me to choose just five, he says. I really appreciate all of the artists for all they are doing and making.

One of the jurors pick awards went to Greve Wolf for her work. Created with acrylics, I Cant Breathe (In Honor of Black Lives) utilizes bold colors and stark imagery. Rospenda sayshe was struck by its visual message.

The colors and composition are so strong, he saysand likensits style to Mexican muralism.

Greve Wolf saysshe painted the piece in May 2021, after witnessing the effects of the pandemic and the lasting impact of the murder of Floyd.

I wanted to show how our justice system is broken and maybe create a feeling leading to action in the viewer of my art that will inspire positive change, she saysin an email correspondence.

Originally from Chile, Granger-based Greve Wolf saysshe often focuses on social justice in her artwork. For her, creating such pieces serves as not only a personaloutlet but as a call to action.

This piece is my expression of both desperation and hope, she says.

Anonymity by Shelby Ping seeks to invoke the same sense of urgency, anger and remembrance from its viewers. A winner of one of the jurors picks, Pings work also focuses on police brutality.

Superimposed in grease pencil on newspaper clips, two police officers with their faces hidden by gear, stand over a separate panel in the work. Within the panel, a figure lies prostrate on the ground.

A really big issue with our police force is that these police officers have the privilege of being anonymous, Ping says, referring to both riot gear and anonymity held by officers after incidents of police brutality.

In the smaller panel, Ping says,she made a conscious decision to compose the work in such a way as to invoke a sense that the victim is entrapped and caged in.

I wanted to do work that was different from a square canvas, she says.

Ping saysshe chose newspaper clippings from the summer of 2020 from articles about police brutality and Black Lives Matter protests but also from articles about sports and the stock market.

By putting the images (of police brutality)up front, Im trying to bring these issues back to the forefront, she says.

Pings hope is viewers will be reminded police brutality still occurs even when its not the center of news cycles.

Laurie Rousseau's linoleum relief I Cant Breathe, COVID-19 also won a juror's award.

The relief depictsblood vessels in a set of lungs, made with marbled, red print paper.

I just felt like looking at that piece, I couldnt breathe either, Rospenda saysof the relief.

After the death of George Floyd and the pandemics tolls, I felt compelled to make lungs, Rousseau says.

Rousseau is based out of South Bend and works with a variety of medias including drawing and printmaking. The jurors award piece is coupled by its sibling piece, I Cant Breathe, Black Lives Matter, featuring a marbled set of black and blue lungs vessels.

Another piece in the gallery, Scott Andersons Buffoons and Bigotry at the Border, started as a demo for a class he taught on water colors. After reflecting on the political battleground of the border with Mexico, he painted the border fence on top.

Working then with greased pencil, ink and acrylics, the two-paneled piece was born. In it, three floppy hats, representing Ku Klux Klansmen, with googly eyes, slump near a border fence, an effigy labeled Trump behind them.

Anderson saysthe figures reflect the buffoonery of their own ideology.

My main premise of my artwork is a critique of ideology and dogma, and certainly social justice falls into that category, he says.

The KKK hoods hit you right in the face, Rospenda says. The hoods themselves are goofy and droopy.

The googly eyes and cartoon-like nature of the figures represent the ridiculousness of seeing other people as less than themselves, he explains.

As an artist himself, Rospenda says,art can serve three purposes in relation to social justice.

First, it acts as an outlet for the artists, he says. Second, its a record of the times, something that will outlive the artists themselves.

Finally, the art can be a catalyst for others.

People can see this artwork and talk about what they feel, he says. They are going to stick in people's minds and, hopefully, lead to action.

He sayshe never felt the need to create art about social justice until the events of 2020.

I felt like making artwork about anything else didnt feel important enough, Rospenda says.

I would encourage everyone to see the show, Rospendasays. And bring someone to talk about it.

What:"Art and Social Justice Exhibition"

Where: Colfax Cultural Center, 914 Lincoln Way W., South Bend

When:through Aug.13

Reception: 5 p.m. Friday

Hours:11 a.m. to5 p.m.Mondays throughFridays

For more information: visit sbheritage.org/Colfax-gallery

Link:

Black Lives Matter and pandemic focus of this year's 'Art and Social Justice Exhibition' - South Bend Tribune

It's been just over a year since a group of activists in Greater Sudbury got together to rally for the rights of the BIPOCcommunity and join agrowing national and international movement.

Late last spring, the Black Lives Matter Sudbury chapter first formed. The group has since organized rallies and conferences, conducted educational campaigns, and advocated to the local government.

For presidentRa'anaa Brown, it was in May 2020 when she took part in a rally at the Sudbury courthouse, that she wanted to increase her involvement in local activism.

"I saw a lot of activists I had never seen before in town," she said.

Brown had been doing thesis-based research on Black people on the history of art and activism in the United States.

"I felt like it was so perfectly aligned, and I really wanted to get involved and learn more in the movement. And the rest is history."

Ruva Gwekwereresays she had been involved in activism since she was in high school, but it was whilewatching the Black Lives Matter movement grow during the summer of 2020, that led her to want to make sure that was happening locally.

"As a Black person living in the north I was able to see how these issues at home were really potent," she said.

"If I was going to be an activist I couldn't just engage with issues that were happening internationally, I had to engage with local issues as well."

"That's where Black Lives Matter came in and became a really compelling place where I could do that local activism work," Gwekwerere said.

She says there are several issues that are unique to the north, but there are others that are universal across North America, particularly issues with black communities and policing.

Gwekwerere gives examples of problems like police brutality, racial screening and over-policing in BIPOC communities.

"Those are issues that we really need to solve, even in Sudbury," she said.

"Sometimes as activists we feel like our words kind of fall on deaf ears," Brown said, referring to a September presentation the group made to Sudbury City Council. Issues included defunding the police, opportunities for BIPOC artists, and after-school programs for BIPOC youth.

"It's kind of unfortunate that we haven't been able to see the changes," she said.

However, membership within Black Lives Matter Sudbury, and the overall response from the Sudbury community has been positive.

Brown says when the group was first formed there were many folks who denied racism was a problem in Sudbury.

"With the work that Black Lives Matter has been doing pushing forward in this huge educational movement and making people understand that systemic racism is embedded within the foundations of our society and within our city people are starting to see that this does exist," Brown said.

"The community is showing up for us."

To mark its first anniversary, Black Lives Matter Sudbury is holding a rally at Tom Davies Square, starting at 4 p.m today.

"This is an opportunity for us to reflect on all that Black Lives Matter Sudbury has done in the past year, but also thinking about the changes that still need to come, and reflecting on what is still to come in our city," Brown said.

The group has also partnered with Public Health Sudbury and Districts to hold a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic. It's meant for people who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of colour.

"Statistics have found that Black and Indigenous people of colour have a higher rate of hospitalization and death in Canada," Gwekwerere said. "So we really wanted to make sure that we are addressing those systemic issues."

The vaccine clinic is being held at Tom Davies Square at the same time as the rally. Sixty doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be available.

Morning North10:34Black Lives Matter Sudbury marks its first anniversary

Read the original post:

Black Lives Matter Sudbury reflects on first year of local activism - CBC.ca

Richie Goodwin, the brother of a 26th District Philadelphia police officer, was arrested Wednesday and charged with repeatedly punching a man who showed solidarity with Black Lives Matter supporters near the police station last year.

Goodwin, 45, turned himself in to East Detectives division, where he was charged with assault and recklessly endangering another person.

The night of June 1, 2020, between 4 and 10 p.m., dozens of Fishtown residents called 911 or the 26th District to report they felt unsafe because they saw an agitated group of white men armed with baseball bats, wooden walking clubs, axes, and metal tools threatening, harassing, and, in some cases, assaulting peaceful protesters.

There were some 36 reports of a person with a weapon during that time, yet officers arrested no one on any charge within a half-mile of the district headquarters, according to department records provided by police, an Inquirer investigation found. Instead, Capt. William Fisher and other officers watched.

READ MORE: Why arent you arresting them? Philly officials investigate police after assaults against Fishtown protesters.

Goodwin is charged with assaulting Matt Williams, who was biking home with his girlfriend, Kara Khan, after police teargassed them at a Black Lives Matter protest on I-676. They were near Girard Avenue and Berks Street when someone threw a water bottle at Williams head. Khan got off her bike to walk toward the men, some of whom she could see wielded bats.

She said they accosted her with obscenities and racial slurs.

When she asked the officers who stood near them how they could let this happen, she said one of them told her:

Now you know how we feel.

Then a man, later identified as Goodwin, shoved Williams off his bike to the ground. Goodwin repeatedly punched Williams in the head until his ear and face bled, the District Attorneys Office said. Photos show Williams on his knees, with his hands over his head, in an effort to shield the blows. Blood dripped from his head and ear. At least two bystanders attempted to intervene as Williams was attacked.

Goodwin did not respond to a phone message Wednesday. Last year, he told The Inquirer that Williams started the fight by spitting on him. Williams said he didnt spit at anyone.

What apparently provoked Goodwin was when Williams threw up his fist in solidarity with Black Lives Matter supporters, District Attorney Larry Krasner said.

Just as our city and nation continue to reckon with systemic racism and injustice, the Philadelphia DAs office continues to investigate incidents of property destruction, burglary, harassment, and violence that occurred during the historic uprisings of 2020. We will not tolerate violence in the name of movement protest or in the name of protecting the police, Krasner said.

Goodwin had admitted to a reporter that he also shoved a male protester. I became something that Im not, he said, adding that hes not a racist.

Police are well-familiar with Goodwin. He served prison time for punching a man to death during a 2008 alcohol-fueled brawl. He was on probation when he was arrested in March 2012 for a DUI and a judge sentenced him to a maximum of four years, according to court records.

Goodwin is the second person to be charged in connection with the altercations that erupted in Fishtown on June 1 of last year. Last month, George Graf, 36, was charged with conspiracy, aggravated assault, and related charges for allegedly beating a WHYY producer and his girlfriend.

That night, there were roughly 20 officers on the street just outside the police station on Girard Avenue. Some chatted with the bat-wielding men who said they were there to protect the police and their neighborhood from would-be looters. Earlier, officers even shared pizza and sandwiches with them. As a result, the District Attorneys Office and the Police Departments Internal Affairs Division launched investigations.

READ MORE: Philly police stood by as men with baseball bats protected Fishtown. Some residents were assaulted and threatened.

I think police should do their jobs, which are to apply the law in a way that is evenhanded, Krasner was quoted in The Inquirer investigation. And I find it very problematic when you see law enforcement favoring one group over another and systematically refraining from reining in one group that is committing crimes.

On June 3, 2020, officers went to Goodwins house in Port Richmond. Goodwin had told a reporter he had called a crisis hotline that morning, saying he wanted to kill himself because he was being wrongfully labeled a white supremacist on social media.

Goodwin said his brother, Joseph Jr., an officer since 1996, came to help and drove him to the Philadelphia VA Medical Center. Richie Goodwin served in the Navy from 1995 to 1998 where he said he suffered a brain injury after being attacked in the Persian Gulf.

Theres something wrong with me, he said. I dont want to hurt people.

Read more here:

Philly cops brother charged with assaulting Black Lives Matter protester in Fishtown - The Philadelphia Inquirer