Weld County… Wyoming?
Weld county residents, led by Cristopher “Todd” Richards, are attempting to “move a county to a different state.” They are looking to join Wyoming, leaving Colorado over the concerns that lawmakers are not paying attention to the needs of rural communities over the major cities. There is a committee called “Weld County Wyoming.” During a meeting for “Weld County Wyoming” a local pastor, Geoffrey Broughton, said Weld County was a better fit for Wyoming because Colorado was “at war with three major economic drivers for Weld County: small businesses, agriculture, and oil and gas.” The committee’s goal is to add a measure to the November 2021 ballot that would encourage county commissioners to “engage and explore the annexation of Weld County.” They have gathered the support of some of the local government; Weld County Commissioner and Colorado State Senator, Vicki Marble, publicly entertained a motion to secede in 2019. Wyoming’s Senator Mark Gordon has expressed his liking of the idea saying he would love for it to happen. A petition to move the county currently has 9,700 signatures. Advocates say Weld county identifies with the political views of Wyoming more so than Colorado. There are other members of the Colorado Government who don’t like the idea.
Local Government Pushback
There has been pushback from some members of the local government. The mayor of Erie, Jennifer Carroll, said in a statement to Fox31 there are a lot of considerations Weld County voters must take into account. “Income tax, personal property tax, corporate state income tax, retirement income tax, gas tax, severance taxes on oil and gas, and water rights to name a few.” Greeley City Council Member, Tommy Butler, told KDVR-TV “I absolutely love living in Colorado. For those that don’t love living here, there are certainly less ridiculous ways of moving to Wyoming.” Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado, also took to Facebook saying “Hands off Weld County, Governor Mark Gordon. Weld County is a thriving part of Colorado and Weld County residents are proud to be part of our great state. I do hear from so many Cheyenne residents, on the other hand, that they are culturally, economically and socially more connected to Colorado than Wyoming….” Will the voters be the deciding factor?
Do Voters Want Weld County, Wyoming?
“As the Mayor of Erie, I respect the process and the cornerstone of voting,” said Jennifer Carroll. “Ultimately, the people will choose the outcome. In my role, I can help residents discover the risks and benefits of such a measure. This measure will undoubtedly require a great deal of pre-education for voters.” She is correct. Weld County voters will be the ones to determine the outcome, however, are they the only ones who make these choices? To put it simply, no. This would have to be approved through the legislature of both Colorado and Wyoming. The issue would then have to go to congress. The citizens of Colorado would also have to have a vote. Colorado doesn’t seem to have any plans to back moving the state line. What will moving the county, and by default the state line, do for Colorado and Wyoming?
“We’re moving a line” – Weld County Wyoming
Moving the line would have an impact on many things such as taxes, social programs, and population of both states. The population of Wyoming would increase by close to fifty percent. This would make Vermont the least populated state. Wyoming, with about 579,000 residents, has long celebrated its standing as the country’s least populated state since the 1990 U.S. Census. Colorado has a population of around 5.7 million. If Weld County joined Wyoming Colorado’s population would drop to around 5.4 million. Local residents of Weld County told Colorado Home Weekly things like “I feel like Erie is very much Colorado and not Wyoming” and the Colorado Government doesn’t seem keen on letting Weld County go. Do you think Weld County should join Wyoming and stay part of Colorado?
Written by: Erinn Malloy
The Fair Repair Act (LB67) was first introduced in 2014 to combat software rights that restricted the ability for individuals to repair equipment that runs off computer software. This has always been a right for people, although the ability to do it was virtually impossible and many would need vast knowledge on computer technology to “Hack” systems in order to conduct maintenance on equipment. Many of these systems have copy rights that restrict users from obtaining software codes making it impossible to legally conduct routine repairs.
Biting The Hand That Feeds You, Literally
John Deere is one of the largest providers of agricultural farm equipment, yet after spending fortunes on equipment owners must return to manufactures for maintenance in order to keep their equipment running. Repairs and transportation of dead-lined equipment cost farmers thousands of dollars a year and consume hours of potential workdays. Manufacture warranty policies restrict consumers from performing repairs without certified maintenance licensing, although owners do reserve the right to conduct these processes, obtaining supporting software is impossible. The Fair Repair Act seeks to regulate the restriction on availability to tools need to conduct routine maintenance. Companies that sell these technology-based goods will be required by law to provide access to essential tools and software that is needed, for a minimum of 10 years.
Twenty states have already pushed for Maintenance laws that aid owners in repairable maintenance. This movement has gained the attention of big corporations that operate on software, Apple and Microsoft have been opposed to these laws as it will allow owners to conduct processes through third party IT companies, which will cause manufacturers to lose profit. Europe based countries have already passed similar laws and many Information Technology operations have allowed users to make simple repairs such as part replacements and software refurbishing legally. The current situation has made many arguments that this law will hamper cyber security allowing offensive technology intel to leak from independent user equipment. LB67 does not allow for users to illegally alter information provided from original manufactures, it solely allows the ability to conduct repairs.
Defense Savings
U.S. military leaders are also taking a stand against warranty restrictions. Officers of the United States Marine Corps have made statements forwarding the dire need for availability to repair equipment. Maintenance Logistics Officers have complaints about the long turnaround time it takes for manufactures to repair equipment as it obstructs Performance of Marine Corps Units both deployed and stateside. Officers are thoroughly trained on the equipment they receive, and many can personally repair the items themselves, yet many cannot conduct repairs as it voids the warranty and service contracts between the U.S. government and equipment manufacturers. Passing this bill will save taxpayers millions on defense spending and aid military forces in mission success. Items such as generators, computer based heavy equipment and other assets the military utilizes will be able to have trained specialists operate on this software without the need of direct manufacturer maintenance.
Right to Repair Act: Legislation
States such as Nebraska have seen legislation excuse the need for this bill and says that manufacturers need to reserve the right to their software as it is not needed for repair, yet anyone who owns an iPhone can tell you different. Other states have also seen adverse opinions from their government officials as major software companies have shown discomfort in the bill, implying that they will simply no longer offer the sale of their goods in the states the bill is passed. The use of these rights pursuing non-approved manufacturing operations will make warranties and guarantees nulled void. Manufacturers will also restrict the use of their equipment in other states under the Fair Repair Act, rendering owners helpless when maintenance is needed.
Current States Pursuing Similar Bills
CA, NA, OR, WA, MT, ND, SD, MN, MO, IL, IN, GA, VA, WV, NY, VT, NH, MA, NJ, HI
By: Charlie Alvitre
Three recently passed agriculture bills have angered Farmers and sparked six months of protest in India. The bills were proposed as giving farmers more freedom to control their own trade and expand their own markets but according to farmers they have major issues. Protests stayed peaceful until recently when they turned violent. This violence has prompted internet shutdowns in 14 of the 22 districts in Haryana state near New Delhi.
The Bills That Caused Protests
Farmers and agricultural workers, who make up nearly 60 percent of India’s population, are outraged over three pieces of agricultural legislation passed in September by India’s parliament with support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The three bills decrease trade regulations on goods, allow for trading online and interstate, enable farmers and buyers to enact exclusive contracts, and limit the government’s ability to regulate essential commodities. The farmers believe the deregulation will increase competition giving corporate buyers all the power. Giving buyers access to more suppliers gives them the ability to drive prices down. This is further enforced by the bill removing minimum prices for items. Farmers say this practice was barely helping them to squeak by already.
Outrage Sparks Protests
The protest began in August ahead of the three bills passing. According to the NY times many of the protesting farmers are members of the Sikh religious minority and come from the states of Punjab and Haryana. Protests began as peaceful. Thousands of farmers camped outside of New Delhi in tent cities demanding the three Bills be repealed. Al Jazeera reported there were deaths reported from mostly natural causes. The cold, heart attacks, and motor vehicle accidents on the way to protests claimed the lives of dozens of peaceful protesters. This changed on India’s 72nd Republic Day.
Farmers Protesting In India Turn Violent
Tuesday January 26, 2021 a demonstration that was supposed to be peaceful ended with protesters forcing their way through police barricades. The tractor parade turned violent as protestors fought with police and ran a rebellious flag up the ramparts of the Red Fort. Videos show protestors using tractors to break through barricades. One protestor was reported to have died when their tractor flipped over. Why did violence erupt? Has the government attempted to listen to demands of protesters?
What Has The Indian Government Done?
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked for peace and to respect peaceful protests. The government has cut internet access to many protest sites in retaliation to violence. The Supreme Court has issued an injunction temporarily pausing the implementation of the laws but farmers still demand the Bills be repealed completely. With farmers protesting in India daily, we currently don’t have an end in sight.
Written by: Erinn Malloy
On January 28, 2021 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave a weekly briefing at the white house where she called some members of the House of Representatives “ the enemy within.” This is coming after a month of “memorable Wednesdays,” as Pelosi called them, referring to the riot on Capitol Hill, the second attempt to impeach Donald Trump, and the inauguration of the Biden administration. A reporter asked about a letter that was sent to her and the Majority leader asking for funds for more security at the Capitol and in the Representatives home districts. Pelosi responded by touching on the states using MRA funds for security then went on to call some members “the enemy within”.
Who is the Enemy Within?
Pelosi started out by explaining the Representatives should be using their MRA funds for extra security. Then she said “we want to have a scientific approach to how we protect members. I do believe, and I have said this all along, we will probably need a supplemental for more security for members when the enemy is within the House of Representatives. A threat that members are concerned about in addition to what is outside.” When pressed by a reporter on exactly what she meant she went on to say “we have members of congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members of congress.” While Pelosi did not directly name any members directly this comes days after metal detectors were installed in the capitol. This has sparked anger in many Republican lawmakers. A regulation from 1967 allows firearms to be carried by members of congress on Capitol grounds but not on the floor. Democrats are pushing this week to ban lawmakers from carrying firearms anywhere at the Capitol.
Are they really the Enemy?
Republican lawmakers have expressed their concern for the added security. House Administration Ranking Member Rodney Davis was quoted by Fox News saying the security measures were “taking resources completely away from where it needs to be,” and that Democrats “did it without any consultation with the minority.” Barring lawmakers from bringing firearms to the capitol is something newly elected Republican Congress member Lauren Boebert has made it clear she will not stand for. “I will carry my firearm in D.C. and in congress.” she says in a campaign ad she posted to twitter. She goes on to say it’s lawmakers jobs to protect second amendment rights and that’s what she is in D.C. to do. Are Republican lawmakers “the enemy within” for wanting to defend themselves? Taking away the right to carry at the Capitol for lawmakers takes away their right to defend themselves in a city where violent crime averages more than twice the average rate. After the incident on January 6 it is understandable as to why lawmakers would want to go as far as to bring their firearms safely into the chamber. Republican lawmakers will continue to push for the right to bear arms at the Capitol in order to protect our second amendment rights as citizens.
Written by: Erinn Malloy
The United Nations Secretary-General called January 28 for global rules to regulate social media companies like Twitter and Facebook. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he believes it should not be a company that has the power to decide whether then-president Donald Trump’s Twitter account should be closed. Guterres stated, “I do not think that we can live in a world where too much power is given to a reduced number of companies.” He also said that he was “particularly worried” about the power of social media companies. Instead, he believes that a “mechanism” should be created “in which there is a regulatory framework with rules that allow [closures] to be done in line with law.”
Impact of Regulated Social Media
Earlier in January, Twitter ended Trump’s nearly twelve-year run and shuttered his account, severing an instant line of communication to his 89 million followers. His Twitter account was regarded by some as the hallmark of his presidency. Facebook and Instagram also suspended Trump. Twitter cited the January 6 insurrection of the US Capitol by his supporters to claim that his tweets could incite violence. People accused the companies of censorship and violating the First Amendment right to free speech. Numerous other people have been censored and removed from such platforms.
Guterres says, “Digital technology is shaping history, but there is also this sense that it is running away with us. Where will it take us? Will our dignity and rights be enhanced or diminished?… We have a collective responsibility to give direction to these technologies so that we maximize benefits and curtail unintended consequences or misuse.”
More people than ever before are on social media and get their information from online sources. False data and selective censorship present a very real threat to society and democracy as a whole. COVID-19 has also presented a unique circumstance. Many people are working from home or using technology to keep in touch as they socially distance. This puts Internet rights at an all time high as far as importance.
Data Security and Political Control
Guterres pointed to “the volume of information being gathered about every one of us, the lack of control we have about… the data related to ourselves, the fact that data can be used not only for commercial purposes to sell to advertising companies… but also to change our behavior, and the risks of that to be used also from a political point of view for the control of citizens in countries.” Guterres said this “requires a serious discussion” and that is one of the objectives of his “Roadmap for Digital Cooperation” launched last June.
Roadmap for Digital Cooperation
The Roadmap’s aim is to promote a “safer, more equitable digital world.” It calls for action in eight areas including achieving universal connectivity by 2030; ensuring digital connection for all, including the most vulnerable; ensuring the protection of human rights on the internet; promoting trust and security in the digital environment; and building a more effective architecture for digital cooperation. The UN claims that “digital technology issues are often low on political agendas. Among the Roadmap’s provisions is a call for strengthening the Internet Governance Forum, which brings people from various groups in the public and private sectors together to discuss public policy issues related to the Internet, “in order to make it more responsive and relevant to current digital issues.”
The key parts of concern on media censorship are digital rights. Digital technologies provide new ways to exercise rights such as the freedom of speech, but rights are often violated online. The UN website states that “Data protection, digital ID, the use of surveillance technologies, online harassment and content governance are of particular concern.” The UN advocates for regulatory frameworks and legislation on the development and use of digital technologies. These regulatory frameworks and legislation should have human rights at their center.
One of these rights is of course the freedom of speech. The UN is against repression and censorship. Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to… impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
There is also the concept of digital inclusion. The UN is working to lower the access gap to digital technology, so that people of all ages, political affiliations, and nationalities may use technology.
Overall, the UN aims to protect Internet rights and establish a legal framework so that tech companies, governments, and individuals cannot deny the rights of others.
Written by: Miranda Smith
As this past election season heated up the cold winter days, former President Donald Trump has parted ways with some of his impeachment lawyers. According to house democrats, the reason for impeachment is due to the events that took place at the US Capitol building on January 6th. All but five Senate Republicans are in favor of dismissing the trial before it starts. Trump has had a very hard time finding attorneys who are willing to defend him after he became the only US president to be impeached twice. A lot of the attorneys who previously defended him declined to take on the current case. Former President Trump’s strongest argument will be that the trial is unconstitutional because he is no longer in office. House Democrats are accusing Trump of provoking the riots that took place at the US Capitol building on January 6th. Trump has since announced that he has hired a new legal team, it will be led by David Schoen who is a criminal defense attorney who works both in Alabama and New York, and Bruce Castor Jr. who is a former district attorney in Pennsylvania. Since President Joe Biden has taken office many of the same House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump now agree that it is unconstitutional to even have a trial. Many people have also attempted to forget about Trump’s conduct saying that it was just his way of dealing with frustration over the handling of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. According to U.S. Senator Rand Paul the vote for a trial is already dead on arrival. The trial is scheduled to start on February 8th.
What are your predications? Make sure to comment below!
Written by: Gary Taylor
A recent spike in GameStop shares has made headlines soar. Investors from all over found their wealth in short stock purchases from trending phone applications such as Robinhood, Acorn, and even Cashapp. These are investment platforms that allow average everyday people to become Wall Street scale investors. Small time investors have found a light from above on a website known as Reddit where people discuss topics in forums that range from life hacks to “Do It Yourself” projects. One forum in particularly came from an unknown user with the screen name Wallstreetbets. This anonymous user was able to orchestrate a group of over 171,000 people to all buy stock shares at the same time, shooting the value of shares at a height of almost $500 per share, with an original price of around $125 per share.
Many of shareholders and investors will utilize a strategy know as Hedge Fund buying. This is a risky method that relies on borrowed money and investing in high-risk shares. Groups of investors will collaborate in order to take out loans and apply them into a Bull Market orientated method and hope to reap multimillion dollar profits. Anyone with a basic understanding in Economics can see where this can lead to problems and be a burden on taxpayers as the need for bailout is unavoidable. Reddit users decided to utilize WallStreet’s own tactics against them, banning together rocketing prices of shares and then selling out for personal gains.
This has developed into a frenzy of panic selling and investing applications completely shutting off availability to certain company shares, which is considered “Market Manipulation”. Consecutive companies such as AMC Entertainment which had an original share price of $3 last week rose too just under $25 per share. This helped AMC as they were experiencing devastating blows due to the COVID restrictions. AMC Entertainment was able to recover some of their losses due to the closing of every theater in the nation, but stockholders were not to please by this event.
The stock market is continuing to see collaborated share spikes by users across the world and many are wondering the extent this trend will take. These operations create an incredible number of gains and then completely bottom out. Wall Street asset managers are seeing the worst of business operations since the last stock market crash. Bailouts of companies may be seen in our near future, but how far should we go to help these companies who wanted to utilize these funds for personal gains. Future issues have yet to be resolved as many other corporations are soaring from this trend, the stock market has shifted in cost as well as Fortune 500 rankings. This may be the beginning of yet another regulated business process in the making.
Written by: Charlie Alvitre
Through this pandemic we’ve witness all sorts of setbacks, from finances to government failures, now our educators are proving the same. Chicago teachers’ unions are refusing to return to the classroom as they believe their health is at risk. Students of all ages have suffered from this pandemic and many have not seen the end of the problem. Students are removed from classrooms at the rate of two weeks every time they encounter a COVID positive patient, many students experienced this policy multiple times out of the year. At an alarming rate, children are being held back due to the lack of knowledge in the respective course material. So, the question at hand is, do we continue to punish the children?
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) took a vote and with an unanimous decision decided that remote learning was in their best interest. This would of course not be in the children’s best interest as it removes one on one learning with individual students and neglects the children that require extra assistance in education. With a union population of over 30,000 teachers, most decided that they would prefer to stay behind a camera for their safety. Educators in Chicago have even taken it as far as illegally protesting in order to refrain from being in contact with children.
On Tuesday January 26th educators held a meeting with the board (which they weren’t too afraid of safety to attend personally) and did not to come to an agreement. Many classes such as P.E., preforming arts, music, and other courses require in-person attendance for children to succeed in what they desire to do in school. Many teachers believe that they are in it to keep themselves safe but at what costs should one take before they hinder success of our future generation.
Public schools house many children that are underprivileged and strive through education in order to have a productive future. Refusal of education is not what this country was built on, the progress of our nation has had many bumps in the road from segregation to poverty plagued cities that did not have local schools. These situations were tackled by motivated educators who fought for a greater community and the greater good of our children. Now the ones standing in the way are teachers themselves. CTU members need to put students first and have their best interest at hand, because that is what our nations instructors are taught to do.
Written by: Charlie Alvitre
Music has a way of bringing people together; but in this time of imposed social distancing, what are we to do? Also, it is good to know that even though our physical presence at live performances has been taken off the table as a show of support, we are far from helpless to the hazards that the virus and subsequently imposed restrictions have brought to society as a whole. From signed artists to your local music scene, there’s been a large impact made. There has been a hindrance in the sense of the musicianship and the music community as a whole; spanning beyond the behind the scenes music makers, this has had an effect on everyone from executives to audience members, and everyone in between. The pandemic has had an ever-outreaching effect on musicians and fans alike. Having concerts in venues being suspended while the concern over the pandemic has heightened, everyone from the performers to the audience has been affected. So how else has this era had an effect?
“I used to go to at least two concerts a month before Covid… I still have 6 tickets from the past year that I never had the chance to use.“
-Alex Weaver: Live Music Enthusiast, Detroit, Michigan
The Financial Impact
The music industry is worth about $50 billion annually. Now if we break down how the music industry achieves such astronomical revenues, there are basically two main sources from which we prosper: Live Music (Ticket Sales) & Digital Sales (buying the newest releases of your favorite artists). Imagine that you’re a business owner—though many of you may not need to imagine—and one half of your revenue sources have been swiftly swept out from beneath your feet! What are you to do? What would you expect would happen? As you could ascertain, physical sales (which account for 25% of the industry’s revenue) have in fact dropped by one-third.
The Struggling Artist
There are many different ways the artists and industry have seen a result: the camaraderie between bands on the road, the absence of ticket-sale revenue, etc. The nostalgia of the live venue concerts is something that plagues both audiences and performers alike. The fans have suffered from the circumstances as well, but as a devout fan to your favorite band or your local music scene, you may have wondered what way you can show support for the musicians.
What Are We To Do
A lot of the community of any artist’s fan base has transferred into an online forum, remember to follow and interact with your favorite social media page. They always share updates on their progress, new music coming out, their individual or group philanthropic efforts. Even watching or listening to the new content does help the artist achieve popularity online. Also, many people only buy band merchandise when they see it at a show, but remember to find their own availability on the band’s website; this includes the new masks some artists have employed as a merchandising opportunity. There’s also been an implementation of virtual concerts many artists have offered either for a price, or for what I like to think of as “emotional relief” of some sort, a morale boost for their fans. I do understand, however, that this is not a reasonable replacement, at least in the grand scheme of things. We must remember these compromises and alternate tactics are not based in permanence. Bringing the performance to the audience, as opposed to the audience coming to the performance is a temporary accommodation. Although, you must admit, coming from a “top-down” mindset, it’s as rewarding as it is challenging to make such concessions. There’s something to this era that has been forcing the hand of creativity in a positive direction. Coming up with new, fresh ways to simulate that esoteric sensation of being in a crowd of fanatical fellowship, cheering on your favorite musicians seems to be the contemporary frontier.
So Where Does This Leave Us?
In a time of social distancing, we don’t need to remain distant in our community, our passions, our creative influences or our emotional outlets. There may be more idealized simulation methods lying just beyond the horizon. As we patiently wait for these advancements to expand our physical realm in order to shrink the virtual realm; just remember, even though we’ve separated ourselves from one another, does not mean that we’re “separate”. Never forget, even when you’re feeling helpless in the midst of the pandemic, your favorite artists are still there cherishing the support you do provide, and that you are completely free to utilize all these outlets as much as possible for your beloved musicians out there. I’m comfortable in speaking for the entirety of the music industry in saying that they do indeed appreciate your support.
Parler has been in the news and on headlines recently with its current suspension from the Apple Store and Amazon Web Services. Tech giants have censored the app due to users’ involvement in the capital protests, though protestors used multiple social media platforms to plan the storming of the US capital. With the ever-increasing surveillance and censorship of tech giants, more and more people are either turning off social media or looking for new ways to express themselves.
What is Parler?
Parler is a relatively new social media platform, which markets itself as being pro-free speech and an alternative to more mainstream social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Parler has generally lower restrictions on users’ content than other social media platforms, which other social media platforms will oftentimes ban people for posting what they consider conservative or far-right views. People may post with a wider range of viewpoints. In this sense, Parler is less biased than its counterparts.
History and Media Censorship
Parler was founded in August 2018 by John Matze Jr. and Jared Thompson in Henderson, Nevada. The site gets its name from the French word “parler” meaning “to speak”. By May 2019, Parler grew to around 100,000 users, around 40,000 of which were brought by Candace Owens, a conservative activist. The site attracted Republican personalities and those who had been banned from other social media platforms. Matze focused his marketing efforts on conservatives, due to the high percentage joining the service. This labeled the app conservative, though it was originally intended to be and still can be bipartisan.
Supporters of the Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman went by the thousands to Parler, after being banned from Twitter. Twitter labeled supporters of the Saudi government “inauthentic” and an “electronic army” pushing the Saudi Arabian government’s agenda. Twitter also flagged posts by Trump about mail-in ballots as “potentially misleading” and posts about the George Floyd protests as “glorifying violence”. English media personality Katie Hopkins was permanently suspended from Twitter after violating their policies on “hateful conduct”, and she later joined Parler. In response, thirteen members of Parliament joined, and some British conservative activists endorsed the site over Twitter. Because Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter, Parler became the top downloaded app on the Apple store on January 8.
A number of major political figures have joined Parler, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R), Ohio Representative Jim Jordan (R), New York Representative Elise Stefanik (R), and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. Jair Bolsonaro, the President of Brazil, joined Parler, and a number of people from Brazil joined Parler.
Parler had become somewhat of a safe haven for people of right and far right views to express themselves. That is, before it was taken down.
Potential Resurrection
Though the app has been taken down on the Google Play Store and the Apple Store, there is still hope for an online presence. After Amazon suspended Parler from its Web Services, Parler looked for a new service provider. Parler was denied by both major and minor cloud service providers. Parler registered its domain with Epik, which is known for allowing services to far-right web pages. The site was hosted by the Russian cloud services company DDos-Guard. So far, there is only a static page that says that it will come back, reaffirms its message, and has a link to a Fox interview with John Matze. Matze claims that their “return is inevitable due to hard work and persistence against all odds.” He also claims that “not one Parler employee has quit”. Matze also promised to have Parler back online by the end of the month.
Matze saw the website registration with Epik as a key signifier that Parler’s return is realistic. The website now also hits a working server, and a single piece of information is returned. Matze also saw it as a “big milestone” to be able to post updates on Parler and that he would “try to get an update out every day” so “people can stay up to date with the site”.With the site being mired in controversy, a person cannot google “Parler” and find the site. Instead, parler.com must be directly typed into the search bar at the top of the browsing window.
Parler Social Media App Potential
With the ever-increasing censorship on social media and fact-checking, Parler has the potential to become a major app. Its popularity on the Apple store after Trump’s Twitter ban and its listing as a top free app on Google Play prove this. Though many users are conservative, Parler is willing to host people of any view on its website- including conspiracy theorists and supporters of foreign governments. The key element is simply getting the website back online.
Written by: Miranda Smith
January 6, 2021 was a dark day that will go down history books. A day that began as peaceful for many people who attended President Trump’s “Save America” ended when a group of people breached the capitol building during the final Electoral count. One person was killed by Capitol police, Ashley Babbit, she was a Veteran. Three others passed away during the event due to “medical emergencies.” The last time a large-scale breach occurred was in 1814 when British burned the capitol building. How did a day that started off with “a feeling camaraderie” according to an eye witness turn so tragic?
Capital Breached Timeline
Both sides of the media have erupted with information about when things happened. President Trump began speaking around noon and spoke for over an hour. There has been media reporting as early as 1:15 PM EST that a group began to fight with security. This seems a little off because the walk from where Trump spoke to the capitol is around 30-45 minutes on a good day according to Google maps and an eyewitness account. Did these people not finish listening to Trump speak or does the media have the timeline wrong? Associated Press says the breach occurred at 2:30 EST. This seems like a more realistic timeline given that our witness said as late as 2 PM things seemed very calm with “a family-like” atmosphere around the capitol.
Shortly after 2 PM EST the protestors made their way into the various chambers of the capitol building. Right before 3 PM EST Michael Waltz told Fox News the house floor had been evacuated due to “protesters penetrating the capitol and tear gas had been deployed” shortly after, a curfew was announced for 6 PM to 6 AM EST.
Many members of congress were evacuated. During Stinchfield on Newsmax, Texas Republican Pat Fallon said he and a few other members stayed back and used hand sanitizer dispensers as clubs attempting to help security and hold back the people who were breaking windows. Why did Capitol police seem to just let people in, in videos that have surfaced on Newsmax during an interview with the Founder of “Baby Lives Matter,” Taylor Hansen?
This would not be the first instance of lax security in the Capitol. In 1954 a group of four Puerto Rican Nationalists were able to bring their handguns past security in the visitors’ gallery. They wounded five congress members. Those people were angry the U.S. had control of Puerto Rico. Who were the people that stormed the Capitol on January 6? What were they angry about?
Capital Breached Theories
The results of the election have caused widespread anger amongst Trump supporters. Were these Trump supporters lashing out in anger; Disgruntled voters who felt the election and the process that makes us America was cheated and stolen from Trump? The president and his daughter took to twitter pleading for peace. The president’s tweets and a video Twitter later took down. The president has been currently locked out of his accounts by Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Trump stands for law and order so it seems a little odd that his followers, even disgruntled, would do something that even conservative outlets are calling “an act of terrorism.”
This brings us to our second theory, Antifa. Republican Mo Brooks of Alabama, in an interview for Newsmax said that intelligence had come in before these events that Antifa was going to dress as Trump supporters and come to the rally to cause trouble. Could this have been one last attempt to portray Trump and his followers as evil?
Urging Peace
As the story progresses different theories of who or why will come to light as investigations continue. The only thing we can know for sure right now is the President and the Republican urges PEACE. Washington wants a peaceful transfer of power. The actions of that small group of people does not reflect what Trump or any of the Republican party stands for in any way, shape, or form. We value the constitution, law and order, and getting things done in congress in an honest and fair way.
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The Taheebo Tea Club is a labor of love, life, and health! Our pure pau d’arco taheebo bark to make taheebo tea is available in our “On-Line Store” which is located near the upper left side of this web page. If you’re not certain whether your online order was successful, just call (818) 610-8088.
The Taheebo Tea Club is a labor of love, life, and health! Our pure pau d’arco taheebo bark to make taheebo tea is available in our “On-Line Store” which is located near the upper left side of this web page. If you’re not certain whether your online order was successful, just call (818) 610-8088
In this age of rapidly accelerating technology the threat to our liberties is a very real and present danger. Alex Jones is a unique voice that sifts through the information and exposes the underlying intentions.
In this age of rapidly accelerating technology the threat to our liberties is a very real and present danger. Alex Jones is a unique voice that sifts through the information and exposes the underlying intentions.
