A Denver Post columnist says he was fired after disputing the idea that there are more than two sexes.
Jon Caldara, president of the libertarian Independence Institute, announced that he has been fired from the Post, chalking it up to "a difference in style" that his editors found "too insensitive."
"My column is not a soft voiced, sticky sweet NPR-styled piece which employs the language now mandated by the victim-centric, identity politics driven media," he said in a Facebook post. "What seemed to be the last straw for my column was my insistence that there are only two sexes and my frustration that to be inclusive of the transgendered (even that word isn’t allowed) we must lose our right to free speech."
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Harris Announces $500,000 Grant for Protection of the Chesapeake Bay
WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) announced the award of a $500,000 federal grant to improve the protection of coastal communities and ecosystems associated with bays and estuaries, including the Chesapeake Bay. The funds were awarded by the National Science Foundation to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences in Cambridge, Dorchester County.
According to the National Science Foundation, “the goal is to translate research results into specific recommendations for developing coastal resiliency solutions and seek stakeholders’ feedback to orient academic research towards addressing pressing concerns faced by urban and rural communities living around the Nation’s estuaries and bays.” Specifically, use of the funding will include study of the impact of storms and sea level rise, and the effectiveness of marshes, oyster reefs, and sand dunes.
Rep. Andy Harris made the following statement:
“I applaud the investment of these federal funds to improve the protection of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and our rural communities on the Eastern Shore. This grant will help translate research into practical applications that benefit our rural communities. As a member of the Committee on Appropriations, I will continue to help protect the Bay and our rural way of life on the Eastern Shore.”
Harris Statement on New “Waters of the U.S.” Rule
WASHINGTON, DC: Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) announced his support of the new “Waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule released today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Under President Obama, the EPA had sought to change regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act to expand federal jurisdiction from navigable waters to include wetlands, farm watering ponds, and roadside and farm ditches that contain water only in response to rainfall.
President Trump repealed the Obama-era WOTUS rule, and today announced further changes to federal regulations. The new rule will establish that federal regulation does supersede state regulation of navigable waters, tributaries to those waters, certain lakes, and wetlands adjacent to navigable waters. However, the rule will establish that federal regulation does not supersede state regulation over areas that only contain water in direct response to rainfall, roadside and farm ditches, farm and stock watering ponds, and converted cropland.
Rep. Andy Harris made the following statement:
“I support President Trump’s efforts to balance protection of the environment with protection of our farms and rural economy. Under the new rule, rather than expanding the role of the federal government, states will retain regulatory authority over non-navigable waterways and ditches that fill only during rainfall. This common-sense approach will help protect our farms from regulations dictated by distant bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. The new rule will allow farmers and others to focus on providing the food and other products that our country needs, instead of facing the costs and uncertainty caused by EPA lawyers.”
Spy Court Admits FISA Warrants Against Carter Page Were ‘Not Valid’
Authority granted to the federal government to secretly wiretap and spy on former Trump affiliate Carter Page was “not valid,” the nation’s top spy court noted in a secret ruling penned earlier this month. The order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), which was created and authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), was initially signed and issued on January 7, 2020, but was not declassified and released until Thursday afternoon.
Judge James Boasberg, the current federal judge presiding over the FISA court, wrote in his order that at least two of the four FISA applications against Carter Page were unlawfully authorized. Additionally, according his order, the Department of Justice similarly concluded following the release of a sprawling investigate report on the matter by the agency’s inspector general that the government did not have probable cause that Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power. The FISA law states that American citizens cannot be secretly spied on by the U.S. government absent probable cause, based on valid evidence, that an American is unlawfully acting as a foreign agent.
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Judge James Boasberg, the current federal judge presiding over the FISA court, wrote in his order that at least two of the four FISA applications against Carter Page were unlawfully authorized. Additionally, according his order, the Department of Justice similarly concluded following the release of a sprawling investigate report on the matter by the agency’s inspector general that the government did not have probable cause that Page was acting as an agent of a foreign power. The FISA law states that American citizens cannot be secretly spied on by the U.S. government absent probable cause, based on valid evidence, that an American is unlawfully acting as a foreign agent.
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Trump: Virginia Is ‘In Play’ During Next Election Over Gun Control Measures
President Donald Trump suggested Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, is going to suffer backlash at the polls in 2020 after the Democratic-controlled legislature proposed a series of sweeping gun control measures that prompted thousands of people to turn out and demonstrate at the state Capitol earlier this week.
“I think Virginia is crazy where they want to take away guns,” Trump told Fox News on Wednesday. He added: “Virginia is very much in play. I think we are going to win [the] state of Virginia. They want to take everyone’s gun away in Virginia. You can’t do it. You can’t do it. People need that for safety. They need it for hunting and … but many people need it for safety, they need it for safety.”
Trump added that should Democrats win more elections: “They’re saying it quietly, but if they win these elections, they’re going to try to get rid of the Second Amendment. It will never happen as long as I’m here.”
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“I think Virginia is crazy where they want to take away guns,” Trump told Fox News on Wednesday. He added: “Virginia is very much in play. I think we are going to win [the] state of Virginia. They want to take everyone’s gun away in Virginia. You can’t do it. You can’t do it. People need that for safety. They need it for hunting and … but many people need it for safety, they need it for safety.”
Trump added that should Democrats win more elections: “They’re saying it quietly, but if they win these elections, they’re going to try to get rid of the Second Amendment. It will never happen as long as I’m here.”
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2020’s Most & Least Educated States in America
For a growing number of Americans, a good education is the ticket to a better future. College opens doors to more career opportunities, higher earnings and new social connections, among other benefits. But how much schooling one receives also matters to some extent. Generally, the higher the level of education one completes, the higher their income potential and the lower their chances of unemployment become.
In this study, WalletHub examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between genders and races. We compared all 50 states across 18 total metrics grouped into two categories. The data set ranges from share of adults aged 25 years and older with at least a high school diploma to average university quality to gender gap in educational attainment.
Read on for our findings, commentary from a panel of experts and a full description of our methodology. A separate WalletHub analysis identifies the Most & Least Educated Cities.
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In this study, WalletHub examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality and achievement gaps between genders and races. We compared all 50 states across 18 total metrics grouped into two categories. The data set ranges from share of adults aged 25 years and older with at least a high school diploma to average university quality to gender gap in educational attainment.
Read on for our findings, commentary from a panel of experts and a full description of our methodology. A separate WalletHub analysis identifies the Most & Least Educated Cities.
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Former Md. Del. Cheryl Glenn pleads guilty to federal wire services, bribery charges
BALTIMORE —Former Maryland Del. Cheryl Glenn pleaded guilty Wednesday to wire fraud and bribery charges.
Prosecutors said she accepted thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for voting on certain bills.
While Glenn said nothing as she was led out of the courthouse; inside, she admitted to the judge that she did commit wire fraud and bribery.
The former delegate remained tight lipped as she left the U.S. district courthouse downtown.
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Prosecutors said she accepted thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for voting on certain bills.
While Glenn said nothing as she was led out of the courthouse; inside, she admitted to the judge that she did commit wire fraud and bribery.
The former delegate remained tight lipped as she left the U.S. district courthouse downtown.
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DOT Issues Proposal Defining Dogs as Service Animals on Aircraft
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is seeking public comment on a proposal issued Wednesday defining what can and cannot be labeled a service animal on an aircraft.
The DOT explicitly defined a service animal as as “a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.”
Because of this definition, airlines have greater choice in whether to allow a dog to stay in the cabin with its owner. The DOT said the definition was restricted to dogs because other animals, such as miniature horses, “are not flexible” on an aircraft.
The agency also put additional limits on 'emotional support' animals, saying that while these animals can be recognized as service animals, “airlines do not have to recognize them.”
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The DOT explicitly defined a service animal as as “a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.”
Because of this definition, airlines have greater choice in whether to allow a dog to stay in the cabin with its owner. The DOT said the definition was restricted to dogs because other animals, such as miniature horses, “are not flexible” on an aircraft.
The agency also put additional limits on 'emotional support' animals, saying that while these animals can be recognized as service animals, “airlines do not have to recognize them.”
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Crazed protester shouts 'Schumer is the devil' from Senate during impeachment trial - as senators are given cards telling them to tell demonstrators: 'Don't touch me.'
President Trump's Senate impeachment trial got another jolt of energy Wednesday evening when a protester was ejected after yelling out in the chamber – then ranted about Sen. Charles Schumer and the devil in a Senate corridor.
The man was booted from the chamber at about 6:20 evening, shortly before senators were going to take a dinner break while hearing the case for impeachment by House managers.
After yelling what one source heard to be about Jesus Christ, the man was quickly removed by U.S. Capitol Police, who have been out in force for impeachment.
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The man was booted from the chamber at about 6:20 evening, shortly before senators were going to take a dinner break while hearing the case for impeachment by House managers.
After yelling what one source heard to be about Jesus Christ, the man was quickly removed by U.S. Capitol Police, who have been out in force for impeachment.
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Illinois officials say more than 500 noncitizens registered to vote and 19 voted in 2018
Election board officials in Illinois said that more than 500 noncitizens were able to register to vote, and at least 19 of them did so in the 2018 election.
“The State Board of Elections says out of the 547 non-citizens, 19 of them voted in 2018. Working now to confirm their exact location. Macon County Sheriff's race was decided by just one vote in 2018. 7 of the 547 non-citizens were registered in Macon County,” Mark Maxwell, a reporter for WCIA, tweeted Tuesday.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s office admitted fault for the incident but referred to it as “isolated” and insisted that the “error” had been fixed, according to WCIA.
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“The State Board of Elections says out of the 547 non-citizens, 19 of them voted in 2018. Working now to confirm their exact location. Macon County Sheriff's race was decided by just one vote in 2018. 7 of the 547 non-citizens were registered in Macon County,” Mark Maxwell, a reporter for WCIA, tweeted Tuesday.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s office admitted fault for the incident but referred to it as “isolated” and insisted that the “error” had been fixed, according to WCIA.
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MDOT SHA SHIFTS TRAFFIC ON THE US 50 HARRY KELLEY MEMORIAL BRIDGE IN OCEAN CITY
Crews are closing the eastbound lanes around the drawbridge, shifting traffic to the westbound side where one lane will run in each direction through early March. This will provide workers the time and space needed to safely perform electrical, mechanical and steel repairs in the machine room, install new underwater electrical cables and renovate the bridge tender's house.
Drawbridge openings will not be permitted for boaters during this time and occasional channel restrictions will be necessary as well. Official marine restriction information is available in the U.S. Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners at https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lnms/lnm05032020.pdf.
MDOT SHA has been working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and local officials in establishing this mid-winter work schedule to minimize impacts to marine and vehicle traffic and the town of Ocean City. As always, we're asking the public to slow down and stay alert when traveling through the work zone.
To help ensure public safety the eastbound sidewalk also will be closed during this work. Pedestrians and cyclists should use the westbound sidewalk.
MDOT SHA will restore two-lane, two-way traffic on the bridge when this work phase is completed in early March. Bridge repairs will continue into 2021 with minimal public impacts during the peak tourist season. Crews have been performing concrete spall repairs underneath the bridge and steel "retrofits" in the drawbridge machine rooms for the past two years. These repairs are designed to extend the expected service life of the bridge by 30 years.
Judge: Hunter Biden Must Appear in Court After Violating Order to Turn Over Financial Docs
Hunter Biden, the youngest son of former Vice President and 2020 Democrat Joe Biden, must appear in court after violating court orders to turn over financial documents as part of a paternity case, an Arkansas judge said.
On Monday, Independence County Circuit Judge Holly Meyer approved an “Order to Appear and Show Cause,” which was filed into the court record on Tuesday due to the state’s courts being closed on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “The one-sentence order was prepared by Clinton and Jennifer Lancaster, attorneys for Lunden Alexis Roberts, the mother of Biden’s 16-month-old child,” notes the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
In May, Roberts, a 28-year-old stripper, filed a lawsuit against Biden, alleging that he is the father of her 16-month-old baby — a fact since confirmed by DNA testing and affirmed by the judge in the case — and requested that he pay child support. Further, Roberts has asked him to cover her lawyer fees.
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On Monday, Independence County Circuit Judge Holly Meyer approved an “Order to Appear and Show Cause,” which was filed into the court record on Tuesday due to the state’s courts being closed on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “The one-sentence order was prepared by Clinton and Jennifer Lancaster, attorneys for Lunden Alexis Roberts, the mother of Biden’s 16-month-old child,” notes the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
In May, Roberts, a 28-year-old stripper, filed a lawsuit against Biden, alleging that he is the father of her 16-month-old baby — a fact since confirmed by DNA testing and affirmed by the judge in the case — and requested that he pay child support. Further, Roberts has asked him to cover her lawyer fees.
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The Progressive Left Is Anti-Woman
Progressives claim to work for the advancement of women, yet any objective observation shows their efforts have little to do with advancing women and everything to do with increasing the power of political leftists.
Several recent stories bear this out.
On Sunday, The New York Times made its 2020 presidential endorsement. Well, two, actually: Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Justifying the dual endorsement, the Times wrote, “The events of the past few years have shaken the confidence of even the most committed institutionalists. We are not veering away from the values we espouse, but we are rattled by the weakness of the institutions that we trusted to under-gird those values.”
One wonders whether the NYT editors were looking in a mirror when they wrote that line.
The Times called Warren, the radical, a “gifted storyteller,” which is a hilariously diplomatic way of saying she is a pathological liar.
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Several recent stories bear this out.
On Sunday, The New York Times made its 2020 presidential endorsement. Well, two, actually: Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Justifying the dual endorsement, the Times wrote, “The events of the past few years have shaken the confidence of even the most committed institutionalists. We are not veering away from the values we espouse, but we are rattled by the weakness of the institutions that we trusted to under-gird those values.”
One wonders whether the NYT editors were looking in a mirror when they wrote that line.
The Times called Warren, the radical, a “gifted storyteller,” which is a hilariously diplomatic way of saying she is a pathological liar.
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RACCOON TESTS POSITIVE FOR RABIES IN WICOMICO COUNTY
(January 23, 2020, Salisbury, MD) On January 23, 2020, a raccoon tested positive for rabies in the area of Catchpenny Road, south of Nanticoke in Quantico, Maryland. The Wicomico County Health Department is advising all residents to be aware of their surroundings and avoid contact with all wild or stray animals.
Rabies is a preventable viral disease that exists in the saliva of mammals and is transmitted from animal to animal or from animal to human by biting and/or scratching. The virus can also be spread by licking, when infected saliva makes contact with open cuts or wounds, and with the mouth, eyes, and nose. If left untreated in humans and animals, rabies is fatal.
· Please keep the following tips in mind to protect your family and your pets:
· Keep pets confined
· Avoid all contact with wild or stray animals
· Teach children to leave unfamiliar animals alone
· Vaccinate pets - Maryland law requires that all dogs, cats, and ferrets, 4 months of age and older have a current rabies vaccination.
· Avoid feeding or watering pets outside
· Secure outside garbage lids
To report human or animal contact, such as bites or scratches, call the Wicomico County Health Department at (410) 546-4446. For more information on rabies or rabies vaccination clinics, visit our website at www.wicomicohealth.org, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram (WicomicoHealth), or Twitter (@WicomicoHealth).
Possible Case of Chinese Coronavirus Reaches Mexican Border City
Mexico’s president said Wednesday that public health officials near the Texas border are closely monitoring a possible case of Coronavirus in Tamaulipas.
During his daily press conference, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador revealed that health officials looked at two cases but already ruled one out.
According to a statement from the Tamaulipas Health Secretariat, a level three health protocol was triggered after a college professor was identified as a possible carrier of Coronavirus. The individual is described as a 57-year-old Asian residing in Reynosa who traveled to China between December 25 and January 10. The professor’s itinerary included stops in Tijuana and Beijing before arriving in Wuhan, according to authorities.
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During his daily press conference, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador revealed that health officials looked at two cases but already ruled one out.
According to a statement from the Tamaulipas Health Secretariat, a level three health protocol was triggered after a college professor was identified as a possible carrier of Coronavirus. The individual is described as a 57-year-old Asian residing in Reynosa who traveled to China between December 25 and January 10. The professor’s itinerary included stops in Tijuana and Beijing before arriving in Wuhan, according to authorities.
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Chick-fil-A airport ban cost San Antonio more than $300,000
The San Antonio City Council's decision to ban Chick-fil-A from its airport has cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.
KENS5 reported that the city has so far been forced to pay at least $315,000 in legal fees. The city has been under federal investigation, and two lawsuits have been filed against it since banning Chick-fil-A back in March.
The ban came a day after a report showed Chick-fil-A had donated almost $2 million to organizations with traditional views on marriage and sexuality. Since the ban, the company announced it would be discontinuing donations to groups that oppose gay and transgender rights.
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KENS5 reported that the city has so far been forced to pay at least $315,000 in legal fees. The city has been under federal investigation, and two lawsuits have been filed against it since banning Chick-fil-A back in March.
The ban came a day after a report showed Chick-fil-A had donated almost $2 million to organizations with traditional views on marriage and sexuality. Since the ban, the company announced it would be discontinuing donations to groups that oppose gay and transgender rights.
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AOC-linked group demands Hillary Clinton back Sanders if he is nominated
The liberal political action committee that backed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Congress called on Hillary Clinton to back the eventual 2020 Democratic Party nominee after the former secretary of state refused to say if she would support Bernie Sanders.
Clinton, 72, would not commit on Tuesday to backing Sanders, her rival for the 2016 nomination, in a general election should he become the 2020 nominee.
In a statement, Justice Democrats Executive Director Alexandra Rojas, 24, said Clinton's remarks were "unacceptable, out-of-touch, and dangerous," calling on her to "immediately say that she'll do everything she can" to support the eventual nominee. "We must keep our eye on the prize."
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Clinton, 72, would not commit on Tuesday to backing Sanders, her rival for the 2016 nomination, in a general election should he become the 2020 nominee.
In a statement, Justice Democrats Executive Director Alexandra Rojas, 24, said Clinton's remarks were "unacceptable, out-of-touch, and dangerous," calling on her to "immediately say that she'll do everything she can" to support the eventual nominee. "We must keep our eye on the prize."
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Schiff Admits In Senate Trial That Impeachment About Stopping Trump Re-Election
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA), who is serving as a Democrat impeachment manager during President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, admitted on Wednesday that Democrats’ partisan impeachment was about stopping the president from being re-elected.
“The House did not take this extraordinary step lightly,” Schiff began. “As we will discuss, impeachment exists for cases in which the conduct of the president rises beyond mere policies, disputes to be decided otherwise, and without urgency at the ballot box.”
“Instead, we are here today to consider a much more grave matter and that is an attempt to use the powers of the presidency to cheat in an election,” Schiff continued. “For precisely this reason, the president’s misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box, for we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won.”
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“The House did not take this extraordinary step lightly,” Schiff began. “As we will discuss, impeachment exists for cases in which the conduct of the president rises beyond mere policies, disputes to be decided otherwise, and without urgency at the ballot box.”
“Instead, we are here today to consider a much more grave matter and that is an attempt to use the powers of the presidency to cheat in an election,” Schiff continued. “For precisely this reason, the president’s misconduct cannot be decided at the ballot box, for we cannot be assured that the vote will be fairly won.”
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Netflix Misses U.S. Subscriber Target for 3rd Straight Quarter After Mocking Christians, Abortion Activism
Netflix disappointed investors when the streaming entertainment giant reported domestic subscriber growth that missed forecasts for the third straight quarter, signaling continued weakness at home as the company supports leftist politics and faces increasing competition from Disney, Apple, and other studios.
Shares of Netflix fell in after-hours trading Tuesday before recovering the losses. In early Wednesday trading, the stock was down more than 3 percent.
While Netflix blamed the miss on growing competition, it has also been courting controversy in recent months, alienating large numbers of consumers. The company launched a new comedy show in December that portrayed Jesus Christ as a gay man, prompting an international boycott petition that has so far received more than 2 million signatures.
Last year, Netflix threatened to pull production from Georgia following the state’s passage of the so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill on abortion.
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Shares of Netflix fell in after-hours trading Tuesday before recovering the losses. In early Wednesday trading, the stock was down more than 3 percent.
While Netflix blamed the miss on growing competition, it has also been courting controversy in recent months, alienating large numbers of consumers. The company launched a new comedy show in December that portrayed Jesus Christ as a gay man, prompting an international boycott petition that has so far received more than 2 million signatures.
Last year, Netflix threatened to pull production from Georgia following the state’s passage of the so-called “fetal heartbeat” bill on abortion.
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