Free Republic

Most Americans have moved on from the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM)-driven ransacking of some 200 American cities, which resulted in as much as $2 billion in property damage and at least 25 deaths. But that time must be remembered for more than rioting and destruction. The BLM pressure campaigns, harassment, and moral blackmail also amounted to possibly the most lucrative shakedown of corporate America in its history. Today the Claremont Institute's Center for the American Way of Life published the most comprehensive database to date tracking corporate contributions and pledges to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes...

McDonald’s will have to defend itself against a $10 billion lawsuit from media mogul Byron Allen over an allegation that the fast food chain doesn’t advertise with Black-owned media. A federal court ruled last week said that Allen and his company, Allen Media Group, can try to prove in court that McDonald’s violated civil rights laws. Allen said in a press release that only a small portion — about $5 million of McDonald’s $1.6 billion annual advertising budget — goes to Black-owned media and that the company has “refused to advertise” on his networks, which include the Weather Channel and...

Civil rights organizations are calling on advertisers to boycott Twitter in response to Elon Musk's weekend decision to reinstate former President Donald Trump's account on the social media site. Banned from Twitter in 2021 because of concerns he could incite further violence following the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, Trump was reinstated on the platform on Saturday based on the results of a Twitter poll posted by Musk. Now, groups including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Anti-Defamation League say Twitter's billionaire owner is breaking his previous commitment to create a "content moderation...

Samsung and TSMC are facing an investigation by the US International Trade Commission (USITC) over allegations of patent infringement involving chips and mobile devices containing those chips. The USITC said that it will begin an investigation based on a complaint filed by Daedalus Prime LLC of Bronxville, New York, in September. The complaint alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the import into the US of semiconductor devices, and mobile devices containing those chips, which allegedly infringe patents claimed by the company. According to the USITC's notice of investigation [PDF], the patent infringement claims cover...

Nissan announced on Tuesday that the company will sell all operations in Russia to an entity of the nation’s government. As warfare between Ukraine and Russia escalates ahead of the winter months, the Japanese automaker announced that NAMI, a Russian government body dedicated to automotive industry development, is slated to acquire the firm’s business in the nation. Nissan, which will lose ¥100 billion, or $686 million, as the company is sold for €1, has the option to repurchase its operations within the next six years. “On behalf of Nissan, I thank our Russian colleagues for their contribution to the business...

Kanye West is “not alone” in his skepticism at the Black Lives Matter movement, a leading black professor has said. The rapper’s views are reflected by African American communities across the country despite the “harm” his actions may cause, political scientist Tatishe M. Nteta warned. While the 45-year-old singer is not upholding the beliefs traditionally held by black people across the US, there will be people within communities who agree with him, he added. […] Nteta said he is “very skeptical” BLM will ever reach the highs it did in 2020 — but Kanye’s controversial shirt and comments has thrown...

Elon Musk drew wrath this week for a nine-minute, 35-mile flight from San Jose to San Francisco — but it didn’t have to be this way. The trip was tracked and exposed by @ElonJet, a Twitter account run by Jack Sweeney, a 20-year-old IT major at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. “If he let me fly with him on his jet, record it and talk about it — and maybe not even pay me the $50,000 [previously asked for] — I would take it down,” Sweeney said of Musk. “That is still up for discussion.” Sweeney’s high-profile hobby...

US President Joe Biden has departed Bethlehem and is on his way to Ben-Gurion... (President Biden spoke alongside Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem and said: "The Palestinian people are in pain now, we feel the frustration and helplessness in Washington.)

While it’s impossible to know the specific extent of the league’s argument based on an alleged habit of making massages into something other than massages without seeing the full transcript of the hearing, that could be the key to determining whether Judge Robinson would have a way to distinguish Watson’s behavior from Kraft’s and to impose discipline based not on any actual assault but on the alleged practice of trying to make massages into sexual encounters.

Workers allege the action is retaliatory, but the chain says closures are "a regular part of our operations." With thousands of locations nationwide, a single Starbucks closing typically isn't national news. But at a time when the coffee chain is dealing with a major unionization push from employees — and being accused of potentially illegal anti-union behavior in the process — the announcement that Starbucks is shuttering a unionized store in Ithaca, New York, is grabbing a lot of attention. Starbucks Workers United, the national group behind Starbucks employees' unionization efforts, said they would once again be filing an Unfair...

LOS ANGELES (AP) — No, insists Patrisse Cullors, former leader of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation: Despite allegations of financial improprieties, neither she nor anyone else in leadership misused millions of dollars in donations. But in an interview with The Associated Press, Cullors acknowledged that BLM was ill-prepared to handle a tidal wave of contributions in the aftermath of protests over George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020. She said the foundation was slow to build the necessary groundwork. She and others offered insights into the growing pains of an organization that went from...

Michigan police have released footage of a black man being shot in the back of the head by a white cop during a struggle over the officer's Taser following a traffic stop, prompting calls for justice as the family's high-profile attorney claimed 'unnecessary, excessive used of force was used.' Amid public outcry for transparency, police released the footage on Wednesday showing Patrick Lyoya, 26, facedown on the ground as he is fatally shot by the officer in Grand Rapids on April 4. The newly released footage also shows the moments leading up to the shooting, including the traffic stop over...

A former girlfriend of Rep. Matt Gaetz was granted immunity before she testified last week in front of a federal grand jury hearing evidence in the sex-trafficking probe of the right-wing lawmaker, according to a new report. Two sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News that the unidentified ex of Gaetz (R-Fla.) is seen as a potential key witness in the case, with one source alleging that she has information related to both trafficking and obstruction of justice claims against the congressman.

The European Union’s executive Commission is considering whether to include nuclear and natural gas in its “sustainable finance taxonomy”, a rulebook that will restrict which activities can be labelled as climate-friendly investments. “We are going to have most likely a discussion tomorrow in college, which then will lead… to approval next year,” EU environment commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told a news conference on Monday, referring to the Commission’s weekly “college” meeting.

Glasgow (AFP) - The years from 2015 to 2021 are on track to be the seven hottest on record, the World Meteorological Organization said on Sunday, warning that the planet was heading into "uncharted territory". The preliminary WMO state of the climate report, launched as the UN COP26 climate conference opens, said that global warming from greenhouse gas emissions threatens "far-reaching repercussions for current and future generations". “From the ocean depths to mountain tops, from melting glaciers to relentless extreme weather events, ecosystems and communities around the globe are being devastated," said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement...

A new city policy requiring public signs on brick buildings warning they might collapse in an earthquake is part of a long history of white supremacy aimed at forcing black people to move out of neighborhoods, the NAACP of Portland, Oregon, says. The group on Thursday decried the policy affecting some 1,600 unreinforced masonry buildings that are on average 90 years old, many in areas with a predominantly black population, The Oregonian/OregonLive reports. The policy “exacerbates a long history of systemic and structural betrayals of trust and policies of displacement, demolition, and dispossession predicated on classism, racism, and white supremacy,”...

The United States Department of Justice is accelerating its antitrust probe into Apple and there is increased likelihood that Apple will face an antitrust lawsuit, reports The Information. Citing internal sources with knowledge of the investigation, The Information says there has been a "flurry" of activity as the DOJ has continued to question Apple, its customers, and its competitors about Apple's control over the iPhone. The DOJ sent new subpoenas to Apple's business partners over the summer, and has assigned more staff to the probe. Specifics have yet to be nailed down, but The Information's sources believe that the investigation...

“Where should we eat tomorrow?” my wife asked me excitedly as we sat on our deck Friday evening.She had locked down a babysitter for Saturday night, and we were both eager for our first dinner date alone together in months.“Broders’,” I answered without hesitation. Located in southwest Minneapolis, Broders Pasta Bar is a local gem. It has a great outdoor patio and the best Italian cuisine in the Twin Cities. We had not eaten there since the pandemic began.My wife nodded and started to make a reservation on her phone. Then her jaw dropped.“You’re not going to like this,” she...

A group of climate protesters were taken into custody for trespassing outside Sen. Ted Cruz’s​ home in Houston — after they marched 400 miles to get there, refused to leave and “chose to be arrested,” according to law enforcement. ​ The eight who were arrested were part of a larger group of about 70 people protesting about climate change Monday morning. “The large majority of the group are extremely peaceful out there expressing the First Amendment rights​ ​​to protest against climate change,” Assistant Houston Police Chief Ban Tien said in a video​ posted on Facebook​. “Unfortunately, there was a small...

Indonesian rock art is decaying at an alarming rate due to the effects of climate change, researchers said. This includes a picture of a wild pig drawn 45,500 years ago on the island of Sulawesi - said to be the world's oldest animal cave painting. Other cave motifs in the region depicting hunting scenes and supernatural beings have also crumbled faster as temperatures increase. The findings signal that more needs to be done to preserve the priceless art. "[These pieces of art are] disappearing before our eyes," study lead Dr Jillian Huntley, from the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural...