President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> called for California Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> to resign as multiple devastating fires rip through Los Angeles County causing widespread devastation and at least five deaths. 
The fires, which began on Tuesday, have been spread by powerful Santa Ana winds making it difficult for firefighters to contain the blaze. Over 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate as multiple major fires have broken out in the county <a href="https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including</a> the Palisades Fire (17,234 acres), the Eaton Fire (10,600 acres), the Hurst Fire (855 acres), Sunset Fire (43 acres), and the Lidia Fire (348 acres).  
“One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113796555731896970" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social on Wednesday night. “It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”
Later, Trump again <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113798400418762415" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social early Thursday morning slamming Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass over their “gross incompetence.” 
“Fire is spreading rapidly for 3 days — ZERO CONTAINMENT. Nobody has ever seen such failed numbers before! Gross incompetence by Gavin Newscum and Karen Bass….And Biden’s FEMA has no money — all wasted on the Green New Scam! L.A. is a total wipeout!!!” he posted. 
Bass is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/l-a-fire-chief-warned-democrat-mayor-bass-budget-cuts-severely-limited-fire-response?topStoryPosition=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">facing criticism</a> as she was in Africa when the fires broke out and she recently cut the budget of the fire department. 
According to the latest updates available from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, there is still zero percent containment for the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire, and the Sunset Fire. The Hurst Fire is 10% contained while the Lidia Fire is 40% contained. 
Trump explained on Wednesday why he believed that Newsom was to blame for the disaster. 
“Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” he said.
“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!” Trump added. 
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Newsom communication director Izzy Gardon <a href="https://calmatters.org/environment/wildfires/2025/01/la-fires-donald-trump-fact-check/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> by calling Trump’s accusations “pure fiction.” 
“The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need,” he said
Trump also said that the fires may turn out to be the most expensive in American history. 
“The fires in Los Angeles may go down, in dollar amount, as the worst in the History of our Country,” he posted. “In many circles, they’re doubting whether insurance companies will even have enough money to pay for this catastrophe. Let this serve, and be emblematic, of the gross incompetence and mismanagement of the Biden/Newscum Duo. January 20th cannot come fast enough!”
The National Weather Service <a href="https://x.com/NWSLosAngeles/status/1877146545788731700" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Wednesday that &#8220;critical fire weather&#8221; will continue in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties into Friday, adding that &#8220;gusty winds and very dry conditions will continue to fuel fire starts and existing fires.&#8221;

Powerful Winds Fuel Multiple Fires Across Los Angeles Area

‘Gross Incompetence’: Trump Calls For Newsom To Resign Over Deadly L.A. Fires

California

Donald Trump

Gavin Newsom

Karen Bass

Los Angeles County

Severe Weather

Wildfires

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chip-roy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chip Roy</a> (R-TX) demanded answers from the University of Texas on Wednesday over a $50,000 grant it provided to Planned Parenthood to research a sex education program, a letter first shared with The Daily Wire shows. 
Roy’s <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/1.8.25-Rep-Roy-Letter-UT-Dean-Dr.-Allan-Cole-3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> was related to a <a href="https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_TP2AH000095_7521/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sub-award</a> of $49,458 given to Planned Parenthood of Illinois by the University of Texas Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work. The university provided the grant out of a $2 million award from the Department of Health and Human Services it was granted for the purpose of evaluating THRIVE, a sexual education and health organization. 
“Planned Parenthood of Illinois is a radical entity and the University of Texas’ association with it violates the conscience of millions of Texans,” Roy wrote to Dean of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, Allan Cole.
The University of Texas has so far received $526,145 of the promised money from the federal government and has partnered with teams in Illinois, Kansas, and Colorado to evaluate THRIVE.
THRIVE <a href="https://tfyhi.socialwork.utexas.edu/thrive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> that it provides “inclusive, trauma-informed sex education to youth” and that its curriculum is “designed to meet the specific needs and concerns of teens and young adults in foster care.”
Roy said that the university’s partnership with Planned Parenthood of Illinois was unacceptable, pointing to the organization&#8217;s <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-illinois/patient-resources/gender-affirming-hormone-therapy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boasts</a> of providing “gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) to transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive folks&#8221; as young as 16 years old. 
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“Considering that the University of Texas is second in the nation in federal research expenditures among public higher education systems, it is essential that we understand why federal grant recipients are entering into partnerships with abortion and so-called &#8216;gender-affirming care&#8217;— providing organizations and under what circumstances,&#8221; Roy wrote. 
Roy asked that Cole provide documentation on the award and the “rationale” for why Planned Parenthood was chosen. He also asked if the University of Texas had entered into any other funding agreements with any abortion providers. 
The Republican lawmaker also asked whether the sub-award was in accordance with Texas law, which stipulates that public money cannot go toward transgender procedures on children.

Members Of The House Freedom Caucus Discuss Appropriations During Capitol Hill Press Conference

EXCLUSIVE: Chip Roy Demands Answers From University Over $50k Award To Planned Parenthood

Abortion

Chip Roy

Planned Parenthood

Texas

Transgender

University of Texas

Two major retailers confirmed this week that they do not sell a popular abortion pill, despite pressure from Democratic officials to do so. 
Both Kroger and Sam’s Club confirmed to The Daily Wire that they do not offer mifepristone for sale after screenshots posted online last month appeared to show the life-ending drug available for purchase. Mifepristone is now used in over half of all abortions and has been used <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-leftist-networks-flood-red-states-with-risky-abortion-pills-with-no-consequences" target="_blank" rel="noopener">across the country to bypass</a> pro-life protections in Republican-led states. 
The controversy emerged last month after pro-life organization Live Action <a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/kroger-sams-club-third-party-vendors-abortion-pill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that both Kroger and Sam’s Club had mifepristone, which is estimated to be used in over half of abortions, advertised on their websites. 
An <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20241213171505/https://www.krogerhealthsavings.com/drug/Mifepristone?q=Mifepristone%20(Mifeprex)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">archived</a> page from December 18 on Kroger’s website shows mifepristone listed for sale. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-855077" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM.png" alt="" width="2575" height="1125" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM.png 2575w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-300x131.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-1024x447.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-768x336.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-1536x671.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/Screen-Shot-2025-01-08-at-10.02.36-AM-2048x895.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2575px) 100vw, 2575px" /></div>
The company later told Live Action and The Washington Stand that the listing was a mistake. The retailer confirmed to The Daily Wire that it had never sold mifepristone, and that it was reviewing the FDA&#8217;s guidelines for the drug.
“Kroger Family of Pharmacies are reviewing the FDA&#8217;s updated Mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy drug safety program,” a company spokesman said. “We will continue to align our dispensing practices with applicable federal and state laws.” 
Another screenshot from Live Action showed that Sam’s Club appeared to also have mifepristone for sale on its website. The company, a division of Walmart, also said the posting was made in error. 
“Regarding reports about details on our website, we use a third-party vendor to aggregate medication pricing, and their tool provided incorrect information,” a company spokesman told The Daily Wire. 
The acknowledgment comes after a group of conservative and Christian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservative-investors-urge-retail-giants-not-to-sell-widely-used-abortion-drug" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shareholders organized</a> by the Alliance Defending Freedom urged Kroger, Walmart, Costco, and other retailers not to sell the life-ending drug. This campaign came after New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said that retailers should make the abortion drug available. 
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Jeremy Tedesco, the senior vice president of corporate engagement for Alliance Defending Freedom, celebrated the news, saying that it was a “great outcome” and that it could be a “really significant” change in how corporations deal with politically-charged issues. 
He told The Daily Wire that abortion activists were “trying to co-opt the companies to advance their abortion agenda, regardless of what the law says. They want these companies to make abortion pills as widely available as possible.”
Tedesco added that until recently ”only the Left shows up for these battles with the corporations” but now conservatives&#8217; push to directly engage with companies was making a difference. 
He said that conservatives should want to neutralize companies on the issue of abortion, and that the companies should just focus on providing quality products. 
“The Left’s primary goal in all of this is to make the political process irrelevant by regulating all through what corporations do and how they behave,” he said. 
Alliance Defending Freedom has yet to receive any response from the companies it wrote to.

A sign for Sam’s Club is seen at the entrance to the members

Major Retailers Confirm They Are Not Selling Abortion Drug Despite Democrat Pressure

Abortion Drug

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Pro-Life Movement

Walmart

Wokeness

Multiple large uncontrolled fires fueled by the high-speed Santa Ana winds raced across Los Angeles County on Wednesday morning, prompting tens of thousands of evacuations as firefighters struggled to battle the blaze. 
Up to 80,000 people throughout the area were <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/wildfires/live-blog/live-updates-pacific-palisades-wildfire-rapidly-grows-california-rcna186685" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told to evacuate</a> as the fires have burned through thousands of acres. Rapid winds spread the Palisades Fire (3,000 acres), Hurst Fire (1,000 acres), and Eaton Fire (500 acres), while smaller fires have also been reported in L.A. County. 
The National Weather Service <a href="https://x.com/NWSSPC/status/1876954961033978142">said</a> that winds in the area have been consistently measured at 50 miles per hour with isolated gusts between 70 to 100 miles per hour. 
“Dangerous fire weather conditions are ongoing in southern California with the most extreme conditions expected this morning,” the organization said. “Winds should gradually weaken somewhat through the day, but critical fire weather conditions are expected to persist into Thursday.”
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said early Wednesday morning that there was 0% containment of the Palisades Fire. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8t4aVbBy_A" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> on any off-duty officer to assist. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
PALISADES FIRE | 2921 acres 0% containment. Extreme fire behavior, short &amp; long-range spotting, continues to challenge firefighting efforts for the Palisades Fire. Winds gusts up to 60 MPH are expected to continue through Thursday. <a href="https://t.co/QHKIh6u6FD">pic.twitter.com/QHKIh6u6FD</a>
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) <a href="https://twitter.com/LACoFDPIO/status/1876888860690428306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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At other locations, videos and photos show a desperate rush to evacuate nursing home residents caught in the path of the Eaton Fire near Pasadena. One video posted to X showed patients being pushed across the street in wheelchairs and beds as workers struggled against the wind to get them out of harm’s way. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Breaking News!! Patients being raced across the roadways extreme fire danger in Pasadena <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/eatonfire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#eatonfire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/breaking?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#breaking</a> <a href="https://t.co/GwPzxl6eXJ">pic.twitter.com/GwPzxl6eXJ</a>
— FirePhotoGirl (@FirePhotoGirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/FirePhotoGirl/status/1876847716212318475?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Some hellish images of residents being evacuated from a senior center.
Pictures by Ethan Swope at AP <a href="https://t.co/3osi2RZoJx">pic.twitter.com/3osi2RZoJx</a>
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByMikeBaker/status/1876898193696231507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A video from a local news outlet showed the patients being loaded into vehicles and moved to a safe location. According to the report, responders used ambulances, SWAT cars, and other vehicles to move the patients. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 NOW: CHAOS in Pasadena as first responders desperately try to evacuate nursing home patients out of the fire’s path
Patients are even bing loaded into SWAT vehicles to expedite their escape
There are clearly not even CLOSE to enough resources on the ground. <a href="https://t.co/92R89SMdjD">pic.twitter.com/92R89SMdjD</a>
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1876863317102170448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Pasadena Fire Department Chief Chad Augustin told Fox News that the situation “looked like an apocalypse.” 
“You couldn’t see – there was spot fires everywhere, there were trees coming down literally as we were driving. And multiple, multiple houses on fire,” he said. “Definitely the worst brush fire and worst incident that Pasadena has seen in its history.”
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The high winds have prevented first responders from fighting the blazes from above, grounding helicopters and other aircraft used to help contain the fires with retardant.
“We could have another 500 firefighters here on this incident and we still wouldn’t be able to stop this fire,” Augustin added. “We really need the winds to die down, we need to get aircraft in the air and be able to start doing water drops and then come behind it with fire crews.” 
Fire Captain Robert Foxworth told NBC on Wednesday morning that people in the path of the fire should leave as soon as possible if they could. 
&#8220;By the time you realize it, you&#8217;re stuck — especially the way this fire is burning, throwing embers out ahead,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It can actually throw spot fires and start fires on the other side of you, and you can be surrounded by fire.&#8221;
&#8220;My suggestion would be, if you&#8217;re still at home, and you have the ability to leave, do so,&#8221; Foxworth added.
No fatalities have yet been reported from the fires.

US-WEATHER-FIRE

Multiple Fires Blaze Throughout L.A. County Prompting Thousands Of Evacuations

Fire

Firefighter

U.S.

A leftist protester was sentenced to five years in prison after he attempted to disrupt a 2023 event featuring Daily Wire host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-michael-knowles-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Knowles</a> at the University of Pittsburgh by setting off multiple homemade smoke bombs and launching a firework explosive into a crowd of police officers, seriously injuring one.  
Brian DiPippa, 37, and his wife Krystal DiPippa, 42, were both <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdpa/pr/pittsburgh-couple-sentenced-obstructing-law-enforcement-during-campus-protest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> over their convictions of obstructing law enforcement <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-protesters-from-michael-knowles-pitt-debate-on-transgenderism-indicted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after they attempted</a> to disrupt a debate on transgenderism that Knowles was having at the University of Pittsburgh in April 2023. Brian was given five years in prison and Krystal was given three years of probation while they were both ordered to pay $1,400 to the university and $47,284 to the injured officer. 
“The DiPippas conspired to injure law enforcement officers and cause chaos at a college campus protest,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Olshan. “They attacked brave men and women who were trying to maintain order and protect the attendees. Today’s sentencings — and particularly the years of incarceration imposed on Brian DiPippa — should serve as a deterrent for anyone who would consider engaging in such outrageous and dangerous conduct in the future.”
One officer was seriously injured during the attack as she deflected the firework as it headed toward her face and fell backward. Her legs were burnt, she needed back surgery for a fusion and a cadaver disc, and she had hearing loss, TRIBLIVE <a href="https://community.triblive.com/news/3705840" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
“Brian DiPippa is a homegrown terrorist who had every intention of hurting someone that day,” she said in court on Monday. “I will never be the same.”
Knowles <a href="https://x.com/michaeljknowles/status/1876666924513525792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to the news by thanking the prosecutors and law enforcement for their work, but criticized U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan for the sentencing. 
“Many thanks to the law enforcement officers and prosecutors who forced these left-wing terrorists to face at least some consequences for their actions,” he said. “The judge was far too lenient, but it’s something.”
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On his Tuesday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1646-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">podcast</a>, Knowles praised the federal officer who “pursued the case” and worked to bring justice over the attack. He added that the judge “basically” let the couple “off the hook.” 
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek said he hoped the sentencing would deter future similar attacks. 
“These sentencings send a clear message that the FBI and our partners will use all available tools to bring to justice those who seek to injure, maim, or attack law enforcement officers,” he said. “The FBI and our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners across the country stand committed to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution.”

Knowles protesters

Protester Who Shot Firework Explosive At Police During Michael Knowles Event Sentenced

Courts

domestic terrorism

Michael Knowles

University of Pittsburgh

Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari confirmed Monday that his office was investigating FEMA over concerns that disaster relief was withheld from Trump supporters, according to a letter shared with The Daily Wire. 
Cuffari confirmed the investigation in a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/2025-01-06-FEMA-TRUMP_Signs_OIG_Response.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-ask-for-probe-into-allegations-fema-skipped-entire-neighborhoods-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> on December 3 a probe into whether FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington’s instructions to “avoid homes advertising Trump” in Lake Placid, Florida, may have been part of a broader agency policy. Washington was fired after The Daily Wire first reported that at least 20 homes were skipped to her directive. 
“I share your sentiments that any disaster funding provided by Congress must be made available to all affected and that it cannot be conditioned or delayed based on political views,” Cuffari wrote on Monday. 
“On December 17, 2024, my office initiated an audit of FEMA’s Assessment of Community Trends,” he added. “The objective is to determine how well FEMA followed its policies and procedures when addressing safety concerns and determining community trends that impact disaster survivor assistance in response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”
Washington claimed that her directive to skip Trump homes was based on FEMA&#8217;s &#8220;community trends&#8221; policies.
In their December 3 letter, Graves and Perry wrote that they were aware of reports out of North Carolina “of FEMA employees skipping any home that displayed a ‘Make America Great Again,’ ‘Drain the Swamp,’ ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ or Trump campaign sign. If the FEMA field team encountered three or more of these signs, the field team could abandon the entire neighborhood without notifying hurricane victims of assistance available to them.”
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Cuffari said that he was thankful for the information provided by the Republican lawmakers and that he would be happy to schedule a briefing with them on the findings. 
“We greatly appreciate the information you provided, as it aided our decision-making process. I will be glad to share the results of this audit, future reports on this topic, or any of our numerous projects, with you if you would like to schedule a briefing with me,” he wrote. 
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said that the incident in Lake Placid was “isolated,” and confirmed last month that there are multiple ongoing federal investigations into potential discrimination by the agency.

Michigan Holds Its Primary Election

DHS Inspector General Confirms FEMA Probe, Says Aid Should Not Be Politically Based

Department of Homeland Security

FEMA

Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Milton

Fast food giant <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mcdonalds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McDonald’s</a> announced Monday that it would step back from several diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in light of a “shifting legal landscape.” 
The move comes after a number of other major corporations like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tractor-supply-reverses-course-backs-out-of-woke-initiatives-following-conservative-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tractor Supply</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/toyota-slams-brakes-on-dei-commitments-after-robby-starbuck-expose-on-lgbtq-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Toyota</a> have scaled back their DEI commitments following public scrutiny. McDonald’s executives said in a <a href="https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/our-stories/article/our-commitment-to-inclusion.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to company employees that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action prompted the changes. 
The changes announced by McDonald’s include no more participation in third-party surveys, eliminating “aspirational representation goals,” and axing its supply chain DEI pledge. 
“Following the Supreme Court ruling in STUDENTS FOR FAIR ADMISSIONS, INC. v. PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE, we also assessed the shifting legal landscape to anticipate how this ruling may impact corporations such as McDonald’s,&#8221; the executives wrote. &#8220;And finally, we benchmarked our approach to other companies who are also re-evaluating their own programs.”
McDonald’s said it would stop “setting aspiration representational goals” and instead work to “embed inclusion practices that grow our business into our everyday process and operations.” 
The fast-food chain added that it would pause participation in “external surveys to focus on the work we are doing internally to grow the business.” Previously, the company had participated in the leftwing Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index Survey, <a href="https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/791476-mcdonalds-receives-100-human-rights-campaigns-2023-2024-corporate-equality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boasting</a> that it had received a 100% score for “advancing LGBTQ+ friendly policies.”
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McDonald’s added that it was ending its supply chain commitment to the DEI pledge “in favor of a more integrated discussion with suppliers about inclusion as it relates to business performance.”
Despite the changes, the company said that it reports demographic information on its board, employees, and suppliers and rebranded its diversity team as the Global Inclusion Team. 
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck <a href="https://x.com/robbystarbuck/status/1876375295218835908" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrated</a> the news, saying he contacted McDonald’s three days before the announcement to ask about its “woke policies.” 
“Companies can see that America wants sanity back. The era of wokeness is dying right in front of our eyes. The landscape of corporate America is quickly shifting to sanity and neutrality. We are the trend, not the anomaly anymore,” he posted on X. “We’re winning and one by one we WILL bring sanity back to corporate America.”

McDonald’s Sign

McDonald’s Backs Away From DEI Programs Amid ‘Shifting Legal Landscape’

Business

Corporations

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

McDonald’s

Social Issues

Meta CEO <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-zuckerberg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Zuckerberg</a> announced Tuesday that his company was implementing major changes to its censorship and fact-checking policies across all platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. 
In a video posted on Facebook, Zuckerberg said that Meta would no longer work with independent fact-checkers, end restrictions on topics like gender and immigration, and scale back filters that censored people for innocuous posts. Zuckerberg said that Meta would focus on ensuring free expression, saying that the recent election seemed like a “cultural tipping point.&#8221; 
&#8220;We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,&#8221; Zuckerberg said. &#8220;We’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with Community Notes similar to X, starting in the U.S.&#8221; 
He added that fact-checkers had become politically biased and untrustworthy. 
“After Trump first got elected in 2016, the legacy media wrote nonstop about how misinformation was a threat to democracy,” he said. “We tried in good faith to address those concerns without becoming the arbiters of truth. But the fact checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they created, especially in the U.S.”
Zuckerberg said restrictions on discussions on topics like immigration and gender were “out of touch with mainstream discourse.”
“What started as a movement to be more inclusive has increasingly been used to shut down opinions and shut out people with different ideas,” he said. 
Zuckerberg said that Meta would dial back its content filters to focus on illegal content and severe violations. He said this was a “trade off” that would lead to objectionable content being caught less often, but fewer people would be censored. 
He said Meta’s Trust and Safe and Content moderation teams would move from California to Texas. 
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Zuckerberg said Meta would allow more political content to be shared and spread across its platforms after implementing policies that filtered political content from social media feeds. He noted that the Biden administration pushed Meta to censor content. 
“By going after us and other American companies, it has emboldened other governments to go even further,” he said. 
Zuckerberg said Meta would work with the incoming Trump administration to repel censorship abroad. 
“We’re going to work with President Trump to push back on governments around the world that are going after American companies and pushing to censor more,” he said. “The U.S. has the strongest constitutional protections for free expression in the world.”
Shortly after the presidential election, Trump met with Zuckerberg at Mar-a-Lago. Stephen Miller, Trump’s incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-zuckerberg-have-dinner-together-at-mar-a-lago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> after the meeting that Zuckerberg “has been very clear about his desire to be a supporter of, and a participant in, this change we’re seeing all around America and the world, with this reform movement that Donald Trump is leading.”
Trump campaign advisor Alex Bruesewitz <a href="https://x.com/alexbruesewitz/status/1876612074379325458" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Tuesday that he met with Joe Kaplan, head of public policy at Meta, on Monday to discuss the changes.
&#8220;We covered these topics as well as the need to reinstate MAGA supporters who were previously wrongly removed from their platforms under questionable circumstances,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I am hopeful that the measures will be implemented to reinstate these accounts.&#8221;

Key Speakers At The Meta Connect Event

Zuckerberg Says Meta ‘Restoring Free Speech,’ Will ‘Get Rid Of Fact-Checkers’

Censorship

Facebook

Free Speech

Instagram

Mark Zuckerberg

Media

Social Media

Social Media Bias

Social Media Censorship

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> announced Monday that he would ban offshore drilling for more than 625 million acres of U.S. waters before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated. 
Biden&#8217;s prohibition through two presidential memoranda on new oil and natural gas leases will cover the entire East Coast and West Coast of the continental U.S., the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and parts of the Alaska coastline. The White House said the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act gave Biden the authority to make such a sweeping ban on energy production.
“In protecting more than 625 million acres of the U.S. ocean from offshore drilling, President Biden has determined that the environmental and economic risks and harms that would result from drilling in these areas outweigh their limited fossil fuel resource potential,” the White House said in a statement. “With these withdrawals, President Biden is protecting coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and local economies – including fishing, recreation, and tourism – from oil spills and other impacts of offshore drilling.”
He previously used the same 1953 law to ban drilling for portions of the North Bering Sea and 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea. 
“The withdrawals have no expiration date, and prohibit all future oil and natural gas leasing in the areas withdrawn,” the White House said. 
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The move from Biden comes just two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Trump has promised to increase American oil production and make it easier for oil and gas companies to drill in U.S. waters.
Trump told Hugh Hewitt on Monday that he would take immediate action to reverse Biden&#8217;s executive actions.
&#8220;I see it just came over that Biden has banned all oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of U.S. coastal territory. It&#8217;s ridiculous. I&#8217;ll unban it immediately,&#8221; he said.
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
PRESIDENT TRUMP: &#8220;I see it just came over that Biden has banned all oil and gas drilling across 625 million acres of U.S. coastal territory. It&#8217;s ridiculous. I&#8217;ll unban it immediately.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/mGijm5N6v7">pic.twitter.com/mGijm5N6v7</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1876272349542252936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/karolineleavitt/status/1876228351028858932" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Monday that the ban was motivated by revenge. 
“This is a disgraceful decision designed to exact political revenge on the American people who gave President Trump a mandate to increase drilling and lower gas prices,” she said. “Rest assured, Joe Biden will fail, and we will drill, baby, drill.”
While campaigning for president, Trump vowed to make the U.S. “energy dominant&#8221; and dramatically increase energy production. 
“We’re going to supply it all over Europe, all over the world,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-vows-to-unleash-u-s-energy-production-we-have-more-liquid-gold-than-saudi-arabia-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We’re going to be double and triple what they’re doing. We’re going to have tremendous energy, and we’re going to lower our prices of energy.”
During his first term in office, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disgraceful-decision-trump-press-secretary-blasts-bidens-move-to-block-more-offshore-drilling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an executive order to rescind former President Barack Obama’s orders to withdraw hundreds of millions of acres of submerged land on the outer continental shelf, leading to a court battle. Obama also pointed to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act for his actions.

US President Joe Biden signs the Social Security Fairness Act

Biden Bans Offshore Drilling For Most Of U.S. Coastline Before Trump Takes Over

Alaska

Atlantic Ocean

Executive

Gulf of Mexico

Joe Biden

Karoline Leavitt

Oil and Gas

Pacific Ocean

Politics

The vast majority of parents oppose schools teaching their children transgender ideology, polling conducted last month by Parents Defending Education shows. 
The <a href="https://defendinged.org/press-releases/parents-defending-education-poll-parents-support-girls-only-spaces-in-schools-oppose-parental-exclusion-policies-and-grading-for-equity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polling</a>, first shared with The Daily Wire, shows that 75% of parents do not support teachers providing instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity to elementary school students. Additionally, a large majority of parents indicated they opposed teachers pushing transgender identity on kids behind their parents&#8217; backs, as has happened across the country. 
“This poll shows overwhelming opposition to school personnel withholding information from parents about their child&#8217;s gender identity at school,” Parents Defending Education Director of Outreach Erika Sanzi told The Daily Wire. “It&#8217;s refreshing to see even more confirmation that people think this ubiquitous trend of facilitating gender transitions behind the backs of parents is complete madness and needs to stop.&#8221;
Covering a wide range of topics from DEI to transgender policies, the polling from Parents Defending Education shows that parents want more oversight of what is happening in their children&#8217;s classrooms. 
The poll surveyed 1,000 parents across the country who have children under the age of 18. The results come as parents have become increasingly vocal about the need for schools to focus on academics and not ideology. A third of those surveyed said they leaned Republican. Thirty-eight percent said they were independent, and 24% said they leaned Democrat. 
The survey found that 80% of parents believed that schools should not “help a child change their gender identity” without parental notification while 19% said they would be fine with teachers changing a student&#8217;s pronouns or providing things like chest binders to girls without parental consent.  
Three-quarters of those surveyed said they supported legislation that would require school officials to inform parents if their child wanted to identify as a different gender at school. Just over 60% of parents said they disagreed with a Wisconsin school district policy that said parents do not have a right to know about their child’s identity.
“This matters because the policies propagated by activist groups, the National School Boards Association, and teachers&#8217; unions all allow for  — and often require — the deliberate deception of parents by school staff if that is what the minor child wants,” Sanzi said of the polling. 
When asked whether they supported teachers instructing elementary school students on topics related to sexual orientation and gender ideology, 74% said they were opposed.
Nearly 80% of parents indicated they did not believe that males who identify as females should be allowed to compete on women’s sports teams. Republican-led states across the country have passed laws in recent years requiring students to participate on the sports team aligning with their biology. 
While 21% of those surveyed said that they would be fine with allowing a male to use female bathrooms and locker rooms, 77% said they would oppose any policy that allowed that. Similarly, the poll found that 72% of parents believed that students should be housed based on biological sex during field trips.
The poll also showed that 72% of parents opposed schools implementing “grading for equity” policies, including things like eliminating the ability for a student to get a zero on an assignment that was not turned in. Over half of the parents (56%) also opposed schools sponsoring race-based clubs. 
&#8220;These results highlight that parents are dissatisfied with a number of elements of the modern American education system &#8211; and that there is broad-based consensus that it&#8217;s time for schools to get back to basics,” Parents Defending Education President Nicole Neily told The Daily Wire. 
Neily added that she was optimistic about the incoming Trump administration, which has suggested it would make major reforms at the Department of Education. 
“For far too long, federal bureaucrats have sacrificed the needs of students and families in order to appease unions&#8217; and activists&#8217; insatiable demands for money and power,” she said. “January 20th can&#8217;t come soon enough.&#8221;

Blackboard with the international flag of peace drawn on.(series)

EXCLUSIVE: Majority Of American Parents Oppose Teaching Kids Transgender Ideology

Department of Education

Education

polling

Transgender Athletes

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> announced Friday that he would block the sale of U.S. Steel to Japanese manufacturing giant Nippon Steel. 
Biden said that he was making the move over concerns about national security and supply chains. Nippon had offered to buy U.S. Steel for $15 billion and said it would invest billions in the U.S. if the sale went through. 
“It is my solemn responsibility as President to ensure that, now and long into the future, America has a strong domestically owned and operated steel industry that can continue to power our national sources of strength at home and abroad; and it is a fulfillment of that responsibility to block foreign ownership of this vital American company,” Biden said in a statement. “U.S. Steel will remain a proud American company – one that’s American-owned, American-operated, by American union steelworkers – the best in the world.”
He said that the decision was made after a committee of national security and trade experts determined that the “acquisition would place one of America’s largest steel producers under foreign control and create risk for our national security and our critical supply chains.”
While the United Steelworkers union opposed the proposed sale, U.S. Steel said last week that it hoped Biden would approve the deal.
&#8220;It is the best way, by far, to ensure that U. S. Steel, including its employees, communities, and customers, will thrive well into the future,&#8221; the company <a href="https://investors.ussteel.com/news-events/news-releases/detail/706/u-s-steel-statement-on-cfius-referring-decision-on" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;It is our hope that President Biden will do the right thing and adhere to the law by approving a transaction that so clearly enhances U.S. national and economic security.&#8221;
Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buyer-beware-trump-promises-to-block-sale-of-u-s-steel-to-japanese-company" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first</a> came out against the proposed sale in March 2024, three months after it was first announced. His opposition also came months after President-elect Donald Trump publicly opposed the deal in January 2024, saying he would block the deal if elected president. 
Trump again reiterated last month that he would not allow Nippon to buy U.S. Steel. 
“I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113586503722263487" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social. “Through a series of Tax Incentives and Tariffs, we will make U.S. Steel Strong and Great Again, and it will happen FAST! As President, I will block this deal from happening. Buyer Beware!!!”
U.S. Steel was once the largest company in the world and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/biden-blocks-japans-nippon-steel-acquiring-us-steel-rcna186073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">employed</a> as many as 340,000 workers, but now ranks as just the 24th largest steel producer globally as of 2023,  <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-trump-us-steel-pittsburgh-nippon-japan-67042a39de838f4cccd45d7a77ec0a40" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the World Steel Association. Nippon was the fourth largest producer as of 2023.

US Steel Assets Face Chopping Block Without Japan Deal

Biden Blocks Sale Of U.S. Steel To Japanese Company

Economy

Japan

Steel workers

A federal appeals court on Thursday struck down the Biden administration-backed “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/net-neutrality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">net neutrality</a>” regulations implemented last year by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals <a href="https://www.opn.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/25a0002p-06.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> 3-0 against the FCC’s recent order that said Broadband Internet Service Providers must follow net neutrality rules because they are a &#8220;telecommunications service.” Net neutrality rules block broadband providers from varying speeds or blocking connections to third-party websites
In a 26-page decision, Judge Richard Griffin wrote that the FCC “lacks the statutory authority to impose its desired net-neutrality policies” because broadband providers offer an “information service” and are not a telecommunications service under federal law. 
Griffin said that because broadband providers are an information service they are not “not subject to common-carrier regulations.”
“For the reasons that follow, we hold that Broadband Internet Service Providers offer an information service and that mobile broadband is a private mobile service,” he wrote. “Therefore, the FCC exceeded its statutory authority by issuing the Safeguarding Order.”
The court&#8217;s decision came after the FCC reinstated “net neutrality” policies in April 2024, which several broadband providers challenged. 
In response, Democratic FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel called for Congress to implement net neutrality regulations. 
“Consumers across the country have told us again and again that they want an internet that is fast, open, and fair,” Rosenworcel said. “With this decision it is clear that Congress now needs to heed their call, take up the charge for net neutrality, and put open internet principles in federal law.”
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, whom President-elect Donald Trump has selected as the next chair of the commission, praised the court&#8217;s decision, calling it a &#8220;win&#8221; for the country. He said the regulations were part of the Biden administration’s work “to expand the government’s control over every feature of the Internet ecosystem.”
“I am pleased that the appellate court invalidated President Biden’s Internet power grab by striking down these unlawful Title II regulations,” he <a href="https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-408580A1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “But the work to unwind the Biden Administration’s regulatory overreach will continue. I welcome the chance to advance a policy agenda that will deliver great results for the American people.”

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Leif Le Mahieu