Due Process: FIRE-backed lawsuit challenging Dept of Education’s unlawful Title IX mandate voluntarily withdrawn

By  February 21, 2018

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2018 — Today, attorneys representing the U.S. Department of Education joined with attorneys for plaintiffs John Doe and Oklahoma Wesleyan University to ask a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the now-withdrawn mandate that colleges and universities use the low “preponderance of the evidence” standard of proof in all sexual misconduct cases. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education sponsored the June 2016 lawsuit as part of its mission to restore due process to our nation’s campuses.

John Doe and Oklahoma Wesleyan charged that the preponderance mandate did not undergo public notice and comment as required by the federal Administrative Procedure Act and was therefore unlawful.

The joint dismissal stipulation states that the Department of Education “will not rely on the withdrawn documents in its enforcement of Title IX.” It also includes the September withdrawal letter from Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Candice Jackson, which explained that the mandate in the 2011 “Dear Colleague” letter from the Department of Education “led to the deprivation of rights for many students — both accused students denied fair process and victims denied an adequate resolution of their complaints.”

Due process is in crisis on our nation’s college campuses, and with unwise and intrusive policies like those in the 2011 ‘Dear Colleague’ letter, the federal government had pushed colleges and universities to make the problem even worse,” said FIRE Executive Director Robert Shibley. “With the preponderance mandate — and now this lawsuit — out of the way, we look forward to working with all parties to ensure that the important fight to combat sexual misconduct on campus is not tainted by due process abuses.”

Justin Dillon and Christopher Muha of KaiserDillon PLLC represented the two plaintiffs: John Doe (a pseudonym), a former student at the University of Virginia School of Law punished under the low preponderance standard, and Oklahoma Wesleyan University, which did not wish to be forced to use the preponderance standard in its own campus proceedings.

“When we filed this case in 2016, we were prepared for a long fight to force the federal government to follow the law,” said Dillon. “I’m very gratified to see that the current administration, after reviewing our lawsuit, decided to do just that and withdraw the previous administration’s unlawful mandate.”

“Fairness and justice with regard to both society and our students have always been foundational principles of Oklahoma Wesleyan University,” said Everett Piper, president of Oklahoma Wesleyan University. “I know that many institutions opposed this unlawful exercise of federal power, but feared risking the ire of a powerful government agency. I am very glad that Oklahoma Wesleyan was able to take a stand on behalf of our fellow institutions of higher education as well as our nation’s students.”

The case is Doe v. Jackson et al. (originally Doe v. Lhamon et al.), 1:16-cv-01158-RC, and was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on June 16, 2016.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to defending liberty, freedom of speech, due process, academic freedom, legal equality, and freedom of conscience on America’s college campuses.

Sagging Bill in South Carolina Wants To Mete Out Fines for Pants 3″ Below Ileum

Image courtesy YouTube.
H 4957
Session 122 (2017-2018)

 

H 4957 General Bill, By Jefferson, Williams, Ott, Anderson, Gilliard, Long, 
Martin, Henderson-Myers, Bales, Bennett and Brown
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION
 16-17-780 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO WEAR PANTS
 SAGGINGNext MORE THAN THREE INCHES BELOW HIS ILEUM, TO PROVIDE FOR PENALTIES FOR
 VIOLATIONS, TO PROVIDE THAT A VIOLATION IS NOT GROUNDS FOR DENYING,
 SUSPENDING, OR REVOKING THE VIOLATOR'S PARTICIPATION IN A STATE COLLEGE OR
 UNIVERSITY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND TO PROVIDE JURISDICTION OF A
 VIOLATION IS VESTED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT OR THE MAGISTRATES
 COURT.

   02/15/18  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 64)
   02/15/18  House  Referred to Committee on Judiciary
                     (House Journal-page 64)


 

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/15/2018


 

H. 4957
A BILL
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 16-17-780 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO WEAR PANTS PreviousSAGGING MORE THAN THREE INCHES BELOW HIS ILEUM, TO PROVIDE FOR PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS, TO PROVIDE THAT A VIOLATION IS NOT GROUNDS FOR DENYING, SUSPENDING, OR REVOKING THE VIOLATOR’S PARTICIPATION IN A STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND TO PROVIDE JURISDICTION OF A VIOLATION IS VESTED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT OR THE MAGISTRATES COURT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Article 7, Chapter 17, Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

“Section 16-17-780.    (A)    It is unlawful for a person to appear in public wearing his pants more than three inches below the crest of his ileum exposing his skin or undergarments.

(B)    A person who violates the provisions of this section commits a noncriminal offense and is subject to a civil fine of up to twenty-five dollars for a first offense, a civil fine of fifty dollars or not more than three hours of community service, or both, for a second offense, and a civil fine of seventy-five dollars or not more than six hours of community service, or both, for a third or subsequent offense. Civil fines imposed pursuant to this section are subject to all applicable court costs, assessments, and surcharges.

(C)    A violation of this section is not a criminal or delinquent offense and no criminal or delinquent record may be maintained.

(D)    A violation of this section is not grounds for denying, suspending, or revoking a person’s participation in a state college or university financial assistance program including, but not limited to, a Life Scholarship, Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, HOPE Scholarship, or a needs-based grant.

(E)    Jurisdiction to hear a violation of this section is vested exclusively in the municipal court or the magistrates court, as appropriate. A hearing pursuant to this section must be placed on the court’s appropriate docket for traffic violations and not on the court’s docket for civil matters.”

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Milo Drops Lawsuit Against Simon & Schuster; Celebrates Independent Publishing

In a Facebook post dated 2.20.18, Milo Yiannopoulos announced he is terminating his lawsuit against Simon & Schuster. He wrote:

“A tough decision, but I think it was the right one. Let me explain my thinking.

After finally being able to personally review the documents that Simon & Schuster disclosed, it was clear to me that they wrongfully terminated my contract in bad faith. Based on the documents, I think they signed my book knowing they’d never publish it and then tried to make me walk away with excessive editing (you’ve all seen the manuscript!) and demands. In the end, they just nuked it and took their chances.

Having earned well over a million dollars from publishing my New York Times best-selling book Dangerous myself, it was always going to be hard to prove damages, as anyone who has ever hired a “damages expert” will know. I don’t want to spend all the money I made from my book, and the next two years of my life, on a lawsuit. I would rather use it to help other authors reach the conservative audience that Simon & Schuster hates so much (but is happy to profit from, naturally).

Milo Teases New Book Exposing Hollywood

Simon & Schuster will tell you they paid nothing in this lawsuit. That’s a lie. Not only did I keep the advance they retroactively claimed I owed back, but they have spent enormous funds on lawyers because they refused to admit they had done wrong. The damage to their reputation among conservatives has been incalculable. Simon & Schuster will be forever remembered as the publisher most implacably hostile to popular conservative authors — even New York Times bestselling ones.

Worse, Simon & Schuster is the publisher who proved we don’t need them. Independently publishing my book was the most profitable thing I’ve ever done — and now I have my own imprint, Dangerous Books, which will publish all my future titles and the titles of many other conservative authors too. Conservative and libertarian authors no longer need a liberal publishing house to succeed. That’s great news for everybody.”

MILO Launches New Daily Subscription Show, THE MILO SHOW

Kratom Salmonella Warning Upgraded to Recall

April 3, 2018

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it has issued a mandatory recall order for all food products containing powdered kratom manufactured, processed, packed, or held by Triangle Pharmanaturals LLC, after several were found to contain salmonella. The agency took this action after the company failed to cooperate with the FDA’s request to conduct a voluntary recall. This is the first time the agency has issued a mandatory recall order to protect Americans from contaminated food products.

The FDA is advising consumers to discard the products that are part of the mandatory recall, which include, but are not limited to: Raw Form Organics Maeng Da Kratom Emerald Green, Raw Form Organics Maeng Da Kratom Ivory White, and Raw Form Organics Maeng Da Kratom Ruby Red. The FDA understands that Triangle Pharmanaturals may manufacture, process, pack and/or hold additional brands of food products containing powdered kratom, including powder and encapsulated powder forms.

“This action is based on the imminent health risk posed by the contamination of this product with salmonella, and the refusal of this company to voluntarily act to protect its customers and issue a recall, despite our repeated requests and actions,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “We continue to have serious concerns about the safety of any kratom-containing product and we are pursuing these concerns separately. But the action today is based on the risks posed by the contamination of this particular product with a potentially dangerous pathogen. Our first approach is to encourage voluntary compliance, but when we have a company like this one, which refuses to cooperate, is violating the law and is endangering consumers, we will pursue all avenues of enforcement under our authority.”

Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, is a plant that grows naturally in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Importantly, the FDA advises consumers to avoid kratom or its psychoactive compounds, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, in any form and from any manufacturer. The agency also has received concerning reports about the safety of kratom, including deaths associated with its use. There is strong evidence that kratom affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine and appears to have properties that expose people who consume kratom to the risks of addiction, abuse and dependence. The agency also remains concerned about the use of kratom as an alternative to FDA-approved pain medications or to treat opioid withdrawal symptoms, as neither kratom nor its compounds have been proven safe and effective for any use and should not be used to treat any medical conditions.

In this instance, two samples of kratom products manufactured by Triangle Pharmanaturals of Las Vegas, Nevada, sold through the retail location Torched Illusions in Tigard, Oregon and collected by the Oregon Public Health Division, tested positive for salmonella, as did four additional samples of various types of kratom product associated with the firm collected by the FDA. Adding to the concerns, in the course of investigating a multi-state outbreak of salmonellainfections linked to kratom products in conjunction with local officials, FDA investigators were denied access to the company’s records relating to potentially affected products and Triangle employees refused attempts to discuss the agency’s findings.

Under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, the FDA has the authority to order the recall of certain food products when the FDA determines that there is a reasonable probability that the article of food is adulterated or in violation of certain allergen labeling requirements and that the use of or exposure to such article will cause serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.

On March 30, the FDA issued Triangle Pharmanaturals a Notification of Opportunity to Initiate a Voluntary Recall, a formal request that advised the company that the agency could order the firm to cease distribution and notify applicable parties within 24 hours if the company did not conduct a voluntary recall. However, Triangle Pharmanaturals did not comply with the request. On March 31, the FDA then ordered the company to cease distribution of the products and the company was provided with an opportunity to request an informal hearing. The company did not respond within the timeframe specified, therefore waiving its opportunity for an informal hearing, and the agency ultimately issued the mandatory recall order in the interest of public safety. This is the third time the FDA has started the process of using its mandatory recall authority, but the first time the agency has gotten to the step of ordering a mandatory recall because a company has opted not to voluntarily recall after the FDA’s notification of an opportunity to initiate a voluntary recall.

Numerous brands of kratom-containing products have been linked to a multi-state outbreak of salmonellosis from multiple strains of salmonella. The FDA continues to advise consumers to avoid kratom and kratom-containing products and discard any in their possession. All salmonella bacteria can cause the foodborne illness salmonellosis, although the strains found in Triangle Pharmanaturals’ products are not currently linked to the outbreak. The FDA is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue to investigate the ongoing outbreak. Most people infected with salmonella develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment. However, in the current salmonellosis outbreak associated with kratom products, unusually high rates of individuals have been hospitalized for their illness.

If consumers have one or more of these products in their homes, they should discard them immediately. As a precaution, kratom no longer stored in its original packaging should be discarded and the containers used to store it should be thoroughly washed and sanitized. In order to prevent cross-contamination, consumers should wash their hands, work surfaces and utensils thoroughly after contact with these products, and not prepare any food in the area at the same time.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

FDA Investigates Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Infections Linked to Products Reported to Contain Kratom

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to products reportedly containing kratom.

Fast Facts

  • The FDA is advising consumers to avoid kratom and kratom-containing products. These products have been linked to a multistate outbreak of salmonellosis from a rare strain of Salmonella. Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, is a plant that grows naturally in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea.
  • The CDC reports that 28 people in 20 states are infected with Salmonella I 4,[5],12:b:-. Eleven people have been hospitalized.
  • During interviews conducted by health officials, ill people were asked about the foods they ate and other exposures before they became ill. Eight (73%) of 11 people interviewed reported consuming kratom in pills, capsules, powder, or tea.
  • Kratom is marketed in many forms, including as leaves, pills, capsules, powder, and tea. No common brands or suppliers of products reportedly containing kratom associated with this outbreak have been identified at this time. The FDA is working with state and local health officials and CDC to identify specific brand names or suppliers of products to learn more about the possible source and route of Salmonella contamination and will share more information as it becomes available.

What is the Problem and What is being Done About It?

The FDA, CDC, and state and local officials are investigating a multistate outbreak of salmonellosis from a rare strain of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:b:-. CDC reports that epidemiologic evidence collected to date indicates that products reported to be kratom or contain kratom are a likely source of this outbreak. These products are marketed in many forms, including as leaves, pills, capsules, powder, and tea, and may not mention kratom on the labeling. Other names for kratom that have been identified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are: Mitragyna speciosa, mitragynine extract, biak-biak, cratom, gratom, ithang, kakuam, katawn, kedemba, ketum, krathom, krton, mambog, madat, Maeng da leaf, nauclea, Nauclea speciosa, or thang.

During interviews conducted by health officials, ill people were asked about the foods they ate and other exposures before they became ill.  Eight (73%) of 11 people interviewed reported consuming kratom in pills, powder, or tea.  No common brands or suppliers of kratom associated with the outbreak have been identified at this time. The FDA is currently working with state and local health officials to identify specific brand names or suppliers of products reportedly containing kratom used by ill people to learn more about the source and route of Salmonellacontamination.

As of February 16, the outbreak includes 28 people in 20 states [AL(1), AZ (1), CA (3), CO (1), FL (1), KS (1), KY (1), LA (1), MA(1), MI (1), NC (2), ND(1), NY(1), OH (2), OK (2), OR (2), PA (2), SC(1), TN(1), UT (2)]. Eleven of these people have been hospitalized and no deaths have been reported. Ill people range in age from 6 to 67 years.

All of the cases have been confirmed to have a rare strain of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:b:-. Whole genome sequencingperformed to date on isolates from ill people are closely relatedly genetically. This means that people in this outbreak are more likely to share a common source of infection.

Kratom: FDA Releases Latest Science on Adverse Events

Veteran Florida Teacher’s Facebook Post Shared More Than 700,000 Times

Photo courtesy Eustis Middle School, Facebook, dated 2.10.18.
On February 15, 2018, in response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, Kelly Guthrie Raley, a middle school teacher at Eustis Middle School, located in Eustis, Florida, made a post on Facebook which has since gone viral. Raley was recently named Teacher of the Year at her school and the school honored her with a congratulatory post on February 10, 2018, prior to the mass shooting. She has been a teacher for almost 20 years and shares her observations here:

Okay, I’ll be the bad guy and say what no one else is brave enough to say, but wants to say. I’ll take all the criticism and attacks from everyone because you know what? I’m a TEACHER. I live this life daily. And I wouldn’t do anything else! But I also know daily I could end up in an active shooter situation.

Until we, as a country, are willing to get serious and talk about mental health issues, lack of available care for the mental health issues, lack of discipline in the home, horrendous lack of parental support when the schools are trying to control horrible behavior at school (oh no! Not MY KID. What did YOU do to cause my kid to react that way?), lack of moral values, and yes, I’ll say it-violent video games that take away all sensitivity to ANY compassion for others’ lives, as well as reality TV that makes it commonplace for people to constantly scream up in each others’ faces and not value any other person but themselves, we will have a gun problem in school. Our kids don’t understand the permanency of death anymore!!!

I grew up with guns. Everyone knows that. But you know what? My parents NEVER supported any bad behavior from me. I was terrified of doing something bad at school, as I would have not had a life until I corrected the problem and straightened my ass out. My parents invaded my life. They knew where I was ALL the time. They made me have a curfew. They made me wake them up when I got home. They made me respect their rules. They had full control of their house, and at any time could and would go through every inch of my bedroom, backpack, pockets, anything! Parents: it’s time to STEP UP! Be the parent that actually gives a crap! Be the annoying mom that pries and knows what your kid is doing. STOP being their friend. They have enough “friends” at school. Be their parent. Being the “cool mom” means not a damn thing when either your kid is dead or your kid kills other people because they were allowed to have their space and privacy in YOUR HOME. I’ll say it again. My home was filled with guns growing up. For God’s sake, my daddy was an 82nd Airborne Ranger who lost half his face serving our country. But you know what? I never dreamed of shooting anyone with his guns. I never dreamed of taking one! I was taught respect for human life, compassion, rules, common decency, and most of all, I was taught that until I moved out, my life and bedroom wasn’t mine…it was theirs. And they were going to know what was happening because they loved me and wanted the best for me.

There. Say that I’m a horrible person. I didn’t bring up gun control, and I will refuse to debate it with anyone. This post wasn’t about gun control. This was me, loving the crap out of people and wanting the best for them. This was about my school babies and knowing that God created each one for greatness, and just wanting them to reach their futures. It’s about 20 years ago this year I started my teaching career. Violence was not this bad 20 years ago. Lack of compassion wasn’t this bad 20 years ago. And God knows 20 years ago that I wasn’t afraid daily to call a parent because I KNEW that 9 out of 10 would cuss me out, tell me to go to Hell, call the news on me, call the school board on me, or post all over FaceBook about me because I called to let them know what their child chose to do at school…because they are a NORMAL kid!!!!!

Those 17 lives mattered. When are we going to take our own responsibility seriously?

Angela Davis Papers Acquired by Schlesinger Library of the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard

CAMBRIDGE, MA—The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study today announced its acquisition of the papers of prominent political activist and pioneering feminist thinker Angela Y. Davis. The resources of Harvard’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research were crucial to securing this landmark acquisition.

Courtesy Schlesinger Library.

“We are honored that Professor Angela Y. Davis chose the Schlesinger Library to be the permanent repository for a remarkable collection documenting a remarkable life,” said Jane Kamensky, the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Director of the Schlesinger Library. “The Angela Y. Davis Papers capture the many facets of her impact on the history of the United States, and will enable researchers to recover new histories of topics ranging from Black liberation and Black feminism, to Frankfurt school social theory, to the rise and fall of the Communist Party in America, to the growth of mass incarceration and the prison abolition movement.”

Widely regarded as the finest archival collection for research on the history of women in the United States, the Schlesinger Library has received more than 150 cartons of unique and rare material from Davis, including correspondence, photographs, unpublished speeches, teaching materials, organizational records, and audio from the radio show “Angela Speaks.” Davis’s incarceration, trial, and the global “Free Angela” campaign are especially well documented by materials that include personal writings, transcripts, letters received in prison, and banners used in “Free Angela” marches around the world.

“My papers reflect 50 years of involvement in activist and scholarly collaborations seeking to expand the reach of justice in the world,” said Davis. “I am very happy that at the Schlesinger Library they will join those of June Jordan, Patricia Williams, Pat Parker, and so many other women who have been advocates of social transformation.”

Courtesy Angela Davis.

Angela Y. Davis is one of the foremost figures in the struggle for human rights and against racial discrimination in the United States, and a foundational thinker in African American feminism. Her long-standing commitment to prisoners’ rights dates to her involvement in the campaign to free three California inmates known as the Soledad Brothers, who were accused of killing a prison guard during a riot at the Soledad Prison in California’s central valley. Davis, just 26 years old, emerged as a leader of the Soledad Brothers Defense Committee, which galvanized the American left, including such disparate figures as James Baldwin, Jane Fonda, Jessica Mitford, and Jean Genet. Her activism on the Soledad Brothers’ behalf led to her own arrest and imprisonment. In 1970, she was placed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List on false charges, and was the subject of an intense police search that drove her underground and culminated in one of the most famous trials in recent U.S. history. During her 16-month incarceration, a massive international “Free Angela” campaign was organized, leading to her acquittal in 1972.

“Angela Y. Davis has played a major role in American political and philosophical thought for the last half century. I remember being inspired to take a philosophy class at Yale when I learned that her mentor, Herbert Marcuse, had called her his most brilliant student,” said Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and director of Harvard’s Hutchins Center. “Her consistent concern to ameliorate the conditions of the most unfortunate among us has inspired generations of students to commit their lives to service and scholarship. And her early calls for drastic prison reform have proven to be prophetic. Angela Davis’s archive will be studied for generations, and it is altogether fitting that the premier library on the history of women in America should house it.”

Schlesinger archivists have begun processing the collection, to which Davis will continue to add. The Angela Y. Davis Papers will be available for research by 2020.

Qanon Endorses Book “Beyond A Pale Horse”: Book Sells Out on Amazon

When a Qanon follower made a post about the book Beyond A Pale Horse, Q replied, “Big!” Within a day, the book sold “temporarily out of stock” on Amazon.

Background on the Qanon phenomenon:

Qanon: The Storm is Coming, The Great Awakening & Follow the White Rabbit

Behold a Pale Horse Paperback – December 1, 1991

4.4 out of 5 stars    948 customer reviews
#1 Best Sellerin Radical Political Thought
Temporarily out of stock
————

From Amazon:

Bill Cooper, former United States Naval Intelligence Briefing Team member, reveals information that remains hidden from the public eye. This information has been kept in topsecret government files since the 1940s. His audiences hear the truth unfold as he writes about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the war on drugs, the secret government, and UFOs. Bill is a lucid, rational, and powerful speaker whose intent is to inform and to empower his audience. Standing room only is normal. His presentation and information transcend partisan affiliations as he clearly addresses issues in a way that has a striking impact on listeners of all backgrounds and interests. He has spoken to many groups throughout the United States and has appeared regularly on many radio talk shows and on television. In 1988 Bill decided to “talk” due to events then taking place worldwide, events that he had seen plans for back in the early 1970s. Bill correctly predicted the lowering of the Iron Curtain, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the invasion of Panama. All Bill’s predictions were on record well before the events occurred. Bill is not a psychic. His information comes from top secret documents that he read while with the Intelligence Briefing Team and from over seventeen years of research.

From Amazon Author Page:

Milton William “Bill” Cooper (May 6, 1943 – November 6, 2001) was an American conspiracy theorist, radio broadcaster, and author best known for his 1991 book Behold a Pale Horse, in which he warned of multiple global conspiracies, some involving extraterrestrial aliens. Cooper also described HIV/AIDS as a man-made disease used to target blacks, Hispanics, and homosexuals, and that a cure was made before it was implemented. He has been described as a “militia theoretician”.
Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Christopher Hitchens on Free Speech: To whom are you going to award the job of being the censor?

Excerpted from University of Toronto debate “Freedom of Speech includes the Freedom to Hate” held November 2006.

“To whom do you award the right to decide which speech is harmful or who is the harmful speaker? Or determine in advance what are the harmful consequences going to be, that we know enough about in advance to prevent? To whom would you give this job? To whom are you going to award the job of being the censor?”

Mueller Time/Team Mueller: Twitter Funnies