(Natural News)—It’s been a year since Big Tech mogul and former X CEO Elon Musk released the controversial “Twitter Files,” which proved that President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) and White House colluded with previous Twitter management to implement big-brother censorship and high-profile content moderation on mostly conservatives because of their political views. Then, the Facebook Files emerged, leading Meta to change internal policies due to pressure from the Biden administration.
Now, internal documents from Google, which owns YouTube, have been unearthed. These show that Biden pressured the company to censor Americans from spreading alleged “misinformation” related to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and vaccinations. This was disclosed by House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), who held a live hearing on social media censorship on Thursday.
On a long thread on X, where he first presented other tech giants’ collusion with big government, Jordan further said: “Here’s the first edition of the YouTube Files. We knew the Biden White House was pushing Facebook and Twitter to censor more. Now we know the White House was repeatedly pressuring Google to censor content on YouTube.”
THE YOUTUBE FILES PART 1. BIDEN WHITE HOUSE PRESSURED YOUTUBE TO CENSOR AMERICANS.
Internal docs from Google (YouTube’s parent company) obtained by @JudiciaryGOP and @Weaponization show that the Biden White House wanted Americans censored.
? Thread:https://t.co/tM1IdEIJCG
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) November 30, 2023
The documents, acquired through a source close to the committee, reveal that the White House sought to quash vaccine skeptics. The lawmaker further disclosed that on April 12, 2021, Rob Flaherty, Biden’s director of Digital Strategy, emailed Google wanting to know how the company could better crack down on vaccine “misinformation” and to discuss ways the White House can partner in its product work. Flaherty already left the administration to be deputy campaign manager for Biden’s re-election bid in the 2024 polls.
After a week, an internal email from Google noted that Flaherty “particularly dug in on our decision-making for borderline content,” referring to content that doesn’t violate their Community Guidelines, but instead brushes up against it. Another week passed, the search engine company acknowledged that they sent the White House a list of videos removed for COVID-19 vaccine “misinformation.” “Really [Flaherty’s] interested in what we’re seeing that is not coming down,” reads an email from YouTube. “…there is a very high degree of interest now coming from the White House regarding vaccine misinfo/vaccine hesitancy and our work around borderline content.” It continued, saying that unfortunately, the role of tech in addressing vaccine hesitancy is about to come under a massive spotlight particularly as the supply of the vaccine is soon to outpace demand.
“Over the last several weeks, the Google & YT GAAP team have had conversations with the White House staff on YouTube’s policies and all the great work that is being done to raise authoritative information and fight harmful misinformation related to COVID-19 misinformation,” the communication further read.
The next day, YouTube’s Government Affairs team sent an internal email to the product team to flag the interactions with the White House. “We were hoping to get something on the books in the next two weeks or so to prevent anything from potentially spiraling out of control,” read the email. The team then asked if the product team would meet directly with White House staff to show how much censorship they’ve conducted on their behalf, because “[White House] staff continued to have questions on the raise/reduce efforts” to reduce ‘misinformation’.
Within the same thread, Jordan vowed that his committee will continue the critical investigative work to further inform legislative solutions to the vast government censorship enterprise. He also said that Sen, Rand Paul and the House Republicans introduced legislation that would provide victims of censorship with the ability to sue the government bureaucrats, who are responsible for causing their constitutionally protected speech to be removed. (Related: Rep. Jim Jordan destroys Democrat claim that government never told Twitter to censor.)
Jordan issues subpoena to Flaherty to testify
Jordan immediately subpoenaed Flaherty to testify about his actions to pressure digital platforms to censor content on the same day of the committee hearing. The latter must sit for committee questions on Jan. 11, the Ohio solon wrote in the legally binding demand for testimony.
“The committee was able to obtain documents that demonstrate the central role you played in communicating the Biden White House’s censorship efforts to social media companies, including the White House’s demands to censor true information, memes, satire and other constitutionally protected forms of expression,” Jordan said in the letter to Flaherty. “Your testimony will inform the committee’s legislative reforms aimed at preventing the Executive Branch from wielding its immense power to pressure social media platforms to censor disfavored viewpoints.”
According to the New York Post, the pending Supreme Court case, for which oral arguments have not yet been scheduled, followed a lower court ruling restricting the government’s ability to pressure companies to squelch disfavored speech. The said ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought by the Republican state attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, who argued that the Biden administration was violating Americans’ First Amendment free speech rights.
The lawsuit turned up a large number of documents showing that Flaherty and his team contacted Facebook and Twitter to limit the spread of alleged “misinformation” about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 shots. But he repeatedly declined to appear to testify in the case. The same goes with former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who proclaimed in July 2021 that Biden aides were “flagging” content for removal, but were unsuccessful.
Below is the video of the House Judiciary subcommittee meeting to examine claims that the federal government censors speech on social media.
Censorship.news has more stories related to this.
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
