Month: June 2020

Medium, a platform that allows independent writers to publish articles and start blogs, banned conservative writer Ashley Goldenberg for publishing a list of businesses that have gone woke, supporting Black Lives Matter and the violent riots that have laid waste to multiple American cities over the past two weeks.

Goldenberg, previously known by her online pseudonym “Communism Kills,” has previously worked for various conservative institutions, including the Media Research Center and Capital Research Center.

Dozens of major American companies, including top Silicon Valley tech giants, have put out statements defending Black Lives Matter and the George Floyd protests over the past two weeks. The vast majority have failed to issue any statement condemning the widespread looting and violence.

In an email to Goldenberg, Medium accused her of violating the site’s rules against “hate speech, disinformation, and targeted harassment.”

Following Medium’s decision to censor Goldenberg, a number of other sites including free-speech social network Gab republished the list. The list can also be found below:

Companies defending the rioters:
23andme: https://archive.is/Mjbwk
72andSunny: https://archive.is/B1x7Y
AbbVie: https://archive.is/Q2Vqj
Abbey Road Studios: https://archive.is/AJlrg
The Academy (the Oscars): https://archive.is/cNRYf
Activision Blizzard: https://archive.is/qfRJ1
Adidas: https://archive.is/ezQ22
Airbnb: https://archive.is/GmMjl
Alaska Airlines: https://archive.is/wnICf
Amazon: https://archive.is/lBR4u
AMD: https://archive.is/i3krt
American Airlines: https://archive.is/XBwhw
American Express: https://archive.is/kzWXa
American Apparel: https://archive.is/ETfYw
Apple Music: https://archive.is/cj97E
Ancestry: https://archive.is/5Q9JW
Armani: https://archive.is/hX6Yw
Astro Gaming: https://archive.is/9aWhf
AT&T: https://archive.is/OzC04
Atlantic Records: https://archive.is/65QQq
AWS: https://archive.is/NXNAG
AXE: https://archive.is/Xpxhw
Barclays Bank: https://archive.is/9EAl4
Barnes & Noble: https://archive.is/PCPKn
Bandcamp: https://archive.is/5QQBT
Bank of America: https://archive.is/FH1O0
Bayer: https://archive.is/iT3EG
Bergdorf Goodman: https://archive.is/nQiPA
Bethesda: https://archive.is/2xeNE
Ben & Jerry’s: https://archive.is/BqHRv
Billboard: https://archive.is/Ruuv8
BMW: https://archive.is/lRN51
BP: https://archive.is/0qSwy
http://Booking.com: https://archive.is/CZAs7
Boost Mobile: https://archive.is/pLnAf
Bratz: https://archive.is/vOA1d
Burger King: https://archive.is/U9VzB
Bungie: https://archive.is/81KHV
Burberry: https://archive.is/ha0jP
Burt’s Bees: https://archive.is/4NbLi
Cadillac: https://archive.is/bS60C
Call of Duty: https://archive.is/DEJA6
Capcom: https://archive.is/S1BgN
Capitol Records: https://archive.is/jeUpY
Canada Goose: https://archive.is/y2nLo
Cartoon Network: https://archive.is/CxAd7
http://Chess.com: https://archive.is/nmguY
Chick-fil-A: https://archive.is/yiviH
Chipotle: https://archive.is/Rk9zI
Chips Ahoy: https://archive.is/wOrC7
Cisco: https://archive.is/fNvdP
Citigroup: https://archive.is/36fkF
Coca Cola: https://archive.is/bzTHi
Colourpop Cosmetics: https://archive.is/AapIR
Conde Nast: https://archive.is/ChMdI
Converse: https://archive.is//sKjmg
CORSAIR: https://archive.is/5S5DY
Creative Commons: https://archive.is/kPdCO
Criterion Collection: https://archive.is/JZ2Sd
Crunchyroll: https://archive.is/q7Ucj
CW: https://archive.is/JumZU
CVS: https://archive.is/DbBSV
DHL Express: https://archive.is/r4Pmp
Dell: https://archive.is/IeI9j
Degree: https://archive.is/SItaW
Devolver Digital: https://archive.is/xcaEH
DIRECTV: https://archive.is/hhBG4
Discord: https://archive.is/hGtDw
Disney: https://archive.is/wldfM
Dollar Shave Club: https://archive.is/0r84H
Doritos: https://archive.is/nLHv0
DoorDash: https://archive.is/vhTW2

“Medium’s decision to take down my post — and my account — is obviously a politically-motivated one,” said Goldenberg in a comment to Breitbart News.

“I wrote about large, powerful companies that support the Black Lives Matter movement to demonstrate that America is not the white supremacist country that the protesters are claiming it is. That’s not hate speech, disinformation, or harassment.”

The Medium.com homepage, today. 

“Meanwhile, on the same day Medium took down my account, the headline ‘CEOs Need to Treat Racism Like the Pandemic it is: How to reimagine companies in the era of Black Lives Matter‘ was featured on my [Medium] homepage,” continued Goldenberg.

“That doesn’t seem coincidental.”

Breitbart News has reached out to Medium for comment.

Are you an insider at LinkedIn, Google, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, or any other tech company who wants to confidentially reveal wrongdoing or political bias at your company? Reach out to Allum Bokhari at his secure email address allumbokhari@protonmail.com. 

Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News.

According to a recent report, Twitter is developing a new system for requesting verification on the platform. The company has been inconsistent with both its policies to gain the “blue check” of verification as well as its policies to remove verification. In one instance this year, Twitter verified a fake candidate, providing the hoax account with a level of respectability.

A recent report from TechCrunch states that social media site Twitter is developing a new in-app system for requesting verification on the platform. This feature was discovered by reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong and has since been confirmed by Twitter. Wong’s research shows a “Request Verification” option in the redesigned Twitter account settings screen.

Wong has previously reverse engineered other apps such as Facebook and discovered a number of unannounced features which has garnered her a reputation for being reliable in relation to upcoming app features.

In 2017, Twitter stopped the process of allowing users to request verification after accusations of politicizing the process. Twitter stated at the time that: “Verification was meant to authenticate identity & voice but it is interpreted as an endorsement or an indicator of importance. We recognize that we have created this confusion and need to resolve it. We have paused all general verifications while we work and will report back soon.”

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey commented on the decision at the time stating that the system was “broken” and needed to be “reconsidered:”

Since then, Twitter has begun verifying a number of accounts, but users have been unable to directly apply for verification. Breitbart News reported in February of this year that Twitter recently verified an account supposedly belonging to a Republican from Rhode Island named “Andrew Walz” who called himself a “proven business leader” and a “passionate advocate for students.” Walz was allegedly running for Congress, with a tagline reading “Let’s make change in Washington together.” The account was verified earlier this month as part of Twitter’s efforts to verify the authenticity of many Senate, House and gubernatorial candidates running for office.

The biggest issue with verifying Walz’s account is that he does not exist. The account is run by a 17-year-old high school student from upstate New York who said he created the account as he was “bored” over the holidays and wanted to test Twitter’s election integrity efforts. CNN notes that the fact that a teenager was able to fool Twitter’s verification process so easily raises questions about the firm’s preparedness for handling the 2020 elections on its platform.

A Twitter spokesperson recently told a publication “Our worst-case scenario is that we verify someone who isn’t actually the candidate.” Twitter was criticized last year for saying that it would not verify candidates unless they won their primaries, but in December Twitter changed its policy to say that it would verify primary candidates to help improve information for voters on the platform.

Many have still accused Twitter’s verification system of being broken and biased, in March Breitbart News reported that Florida Republican candidate Anna Paulina Luna had not been verified. Breitbart News wrote:

But even as it verifies fake candidates, Twitter is struggling to keep its promise to proactively verify real ones. An investigation by The Hill has found that nearly 90 primary candidates have yet to be verified on Twitter.

One Republican congressional candidate, U.S. Air Force veteran Anna Paulina Luna, has still not been verified despite multiple requests sent to Twitter. The platform says it will verify any candidate that is listed on Ballotpedia, but it has not held up its end of the bargain in Luna’s case.

“I am now less than 6 months from my primary and after inquiry with both Ballotpedia and Twitter, they will still not verify my account,” Luna told Breitbart News.

“I am the ONLY candidate in my primary of 6 other people who has not been verified. I also have the largest media presence as well as following. Upon contacting Twitter and Ballotpedia they both blamed the other and told me it was ‘in the process.’”

“After time passed I inquired again and they did not respond. I have been approached by voters in my district asking the very same question. I would be happy to forward emails to show correspondence.”

Read more at Breitbart News here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan or contact via secure email at the address lucasnolan@protonmail.com

The GOP remains on the hunt for a new city to host August’s Republican National Convention, and Jacksonville, Florida, and Savannah, Georgia, appear to be under serious consideration.

Several cities — including Orlando, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Nashville — have reportedly been under consideration to host the major GOP event, but speculation is mounting around Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry (R) has indicated that city officials have been in talks with the RNC, and while there is no official word yet, local outlet First Coast News reports that “the city’s largest and most prestigious downtown hotels are booked solid the week of Aug 25-28 — the same week as the GOP’s presidential nominating event.”

“We welcome the opportunity to host the @GOPconvention in Jacksonville. A $100 million local impact event would be important for our city as an event/convention destination,” Curry said following news of party officials looking for a new city to host the major event.

“The City is ready for world class events &ready show the world we are open for business,” he added:

“I know it’s going to be a heavy lift,” Curry said last week. “There’s no definite answer as to whether it’s coming here or not. But I think that if we land it, people are going to appreciate the jobs and we will do it responsibly.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has also made a big pitch for the convention to come to the Sunshine State, telling Fox & Friends last week that “we want to get to yes on it” coming to Florida, although he has not publicly vouched for a specific city.

The New York Times’ Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman also reported that Florida remains the party’s “top choice” for hosting the event and said, while emphasis has been placed on Orlando, “Jacksonville is currently a likelier location, according to a senior Republican official”:

Officials are also considering Savannah, Georgia. Gov. Brian Kemp (R) toured the city with GOP convention CEO Marcia Lee Kelly on Monday and said that they are “honored to offer a truly unmatched experience to the Republican National Convention.”

However, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson (D) has expressed concerned.

“I am strongly concerned about the impact that a convention of this magnitude would have on the health, safety and welfare of our city, her citizens and our budget,” he said in a statement.

“That being said, I am not privy to, or familiar with, any proposal or plans relating to the 2020 Republican National Convention, but I am open and willing to hear what they have to say,” he said.

He reportedly met with Kemp and RNC officials on Monday as well.

“The mayor gets it,” Kemp said, according to WJCL. “All money is green… They all gotta eat, they all gotta stay somewhere. That’s part of it and that’s what we want here in the state of Georgia. We can handle that.”

President Trump this month announced that organizers would look elsewhere after North Carolina officials failed to guarantee that the convention could proceed as planned in Charlotte due to coronavirus-related concerns:

Toward the end of the longest economic expansion in the history of the United States, workers were finally starting to gain enough of a foothold to see real benefits from economic growth. Unemployment was at a record low, long-stagnant wages were moving up while inflation was low, consumer confidence was sky-high, and more workers felt confident enough about the economy to quit their jobs in pursuit of better work.

The coronavirus pandemic, social distancing, and government-ordered shutdowns brought an end to all of that. The economy entered a recession in March, the National Bureau of Economic Research said Monday. The labor market underwent an unprecedented shock, something akin to a heart attack, suddenly shedding millions of jobs.

Data released by the Department of Labor on Tuesday in its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, provide a kind of cardiogram to the sudden collapse in the functioning of the labor market. Nearly all of the economy went into cardiac arrest, with the notable exceptions of the federal government and the financial sector.

In April of 2019, six million workers were hired into new jobs in a single month, including 5.6 million private-sector jobs. Both were record-highs in data stretching back to the turn of the century. There were 7.2 million job openings and the economy added an additional 263,000 jobs in the month.

The Labor Department counted just 5.8 million Americans as unemployed, producing an unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, the lowest rate since 1969. Weekly jobless claims averaged 215,500, the lowest since 1969. The private-sector quits rates, the percentage of workers voluntarily leaving their job, was at the highest rate since 2005, indicating more workers were moving into better jobs.

In March of this year, the hires figure dropped to 5.1 million, just 4.8 million in the private sector. But at that point many businesses were still operating, at least during the early part of the month, and sales had not yet plummeted. By April, private-sector hires fell to just 3.3 million, the lowest level recorded in a data set going back to December 2000. Even at the depths of the Great Recession, hires never sunk that low.

Openings fell to six million in March and then near five million in April. Nonfarm payrolls dropped 700,000 in March and plunged 20.5 million in April. Jobless claims jumped to an average of 2.7 million a week in March and then to five million in April. The worst came in the final week of March and first week in April, when more than six million Americans per week applied for unemployment benefits. Nearly 11.5 million Americans were laid off in March and another 7.5 in April. By April, more than 23 million Americans counted as unemployed, producing an unemployment rate of 14.7 percent. The quits rate fell to the lowest level since 2011.

Layoffs devastated employment in hotels, restaurants, and bars. In March, 4.2 million workers in the category of “leisure and accommodation” lost their jobs, 30.4 percent of the sector’s workforce. In April, an additional 1.5 million lost their jobs, or 19.8 percent of the remaining workforce. Prior to the shutdown, layoffs in the sector typically ran between 200,000 and 250,000 per month.

Entertainment and recreation were similarly smashed. In March, the sector laid off 545,000 workers, or 22.3 percent of its workforce, up from just 77,000 in February. In April, another 259,000 were laid off, 23 percent of the remaining workforce. The workforce percentages can rise even as the number of layoffs shrink because the base shrinks with each successive month of employment contraction.

The catch-all category of “other services”—which includes dry-cleaners, barbers, nail salon workers, groundskeepers, and countless other services that do not get counted elsewhere—saw 884,000 layoffs in March, a 15 percent layoff rate. April saw this come in at 822,000, a 17.7 percent rate.

The real estate and building sectors also suffered deep cuts. Unlike hospitality and leisure—where the deepest job cuts came in March—April was the cruelest month. Six hundred and eighteen thousand construction workers were laid off in March, 7.9 percent of the construction workforce, followed by 689,000 in April, 10.4 percent of the workforce. Real estate laid off 151,000, or 6.4 percent, in March and 200,000, 9.4 percent, in April.layoffs

Retail shops laid off 1.2 million workers in March, 7.8 percent of workers, and 888,000 in April, another 6.6 percent. Normally, this would run between 200,000 and 225,000 per month.

Education and health care saw big layoffs. Layoffs in education services were 272,000 in March and 246,000 in April, 7.2 and 7.4 percent. Back in February, there had been just 30,000 layoffs. Healthcare layoffs rose from 136,000 in February, a pretty typical month, to over one million in March and 790,000 in April.

The “mining and logging” sector, which includes oil and natural gas drilling, laid off 4.5 percent of its workers in March and another 9.3 percent in April.

Manufacturing layoffs hit 4.9 percent in March and 5.1 percent in April, showing more stability than many other sectors of the economy.

The two least impacted sectors were finance and the federal government. The financial sector laid off 1.2 percent of its workers in March and 0.9 percent in April, about twice the rate of normal layoffs. The federal government laid off 0.6 percent and 0.5 percent, about the normal level in any given month.

But the economy is a dynamic process. Looking at only layoffs and jobless claims can paint an exaggerated picture of the impact of the shutdown. Some workers found jobs in March and April, even in hard hit sectors. The food and accommodations sector hired 845,000 in March and April. Over a million workers were hired in health care. Mining and manufacturing each hired around 600,000 workers each.

Last week, the Labor Department said that the economy added over two million jobs in May and the unemployment rate declined, upending expectations for additional job losses and a further rise in employment. But it will take another month before the May JOLTs report shows us how these jobs rippled though the various sectors of the U.S. economy—which sectors continued to bleed jobs and which added.

The United States Senate released a report on Tuesday that revealed that the government failed to properly oversee Chinese-owned telecommunication companies over the past two decades.

According to a report by Reuters, a United States Senate report that was published on Tuesday revealed that the government has failed to properly monitor China’s telecommunication companies for more than two decades.

Several Chinese telecommunication companies with extensive ties to the Chinese government have established business relationships with American companies such as AT&T, Verizon, and Centurylink. Some analysts believe that these relationships pose a threat to data privacy in the United States.

In a statement, Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) argued that federal agencies have failed to protect the integrity of the United States’ telecommunication networks.

This bipartisan report demonstrates that federal agencies have done little to protect the integrity of U.S. telecommunications networks and counter national security threats from China The Chinese Communist Party uses its state-owned enterprises to further its cyber and economic espionage efforts against the United States, and they’ve been exploiting our telecommunications networks for nearly two decades while the federal government historically put in little effort to stop it.

Portman went on to praise a recent Executive Order by President Trump that will expand review procedures on foreign telecommunication companies.

In recent months, and in response to this investigation, the federal government has begun to do more, including an important Executive Order by the President to ensure foreign-owned carriers are properly monitored and reviewed.  I am encouraged by these efforts, and I look forward to working with Senator Carper on legislation to ensure federal agencies have the oversight and enforcement tools necessary to protect our telecommunications networks going forward.

Breitbart News reported last week that Senator Tom Cotton believes that China is trying to drive a “high-tech wedge” between the United Kingdom and the United States with Huawei, a tech conglomerate that is effectively owned by the Chinese government.

“It is my hope that the special relationship remains strong although I fear China is attempting to drive a hi-tech wedge between us, using Huawei,” Cotton said during a hearing.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.