Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Biden Administration Declares War on Plastic Silverware as Green Obsession Goes Too Far

 

 

 

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https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/08/biden-administration-declares-war-plastic-silverware-green-obsession/

 

 

Biden Administration Declares War on Plastic Silverware as Green Obsession Goes Too Far

 

Harley-Davidson faces 'woke' accusations from Sturgis bikers: 'Breaks my heart'

 

 

 

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 https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/harley-davidson-woke-accusations-sturgis-bikers-breaks-heart

 

 

 

 

Harley-Davidson faces 'woke' accusations from Sturgis bikers: 'Breaks my heart'

Iconic American motorcycle's muscular image and value of its bikes face headwinds

 

 

 

 FOX Business' Charlie Gasparino discusses the impact of wokeness on business on 'Your World.'

Harley-Davidson is facing biker backlash over fears that the American motorcycle manufacturer born with the renegade image is now identifying as woke. 

"@harleydavidson has been one of the most beloved brands in America but recently on CEO Jochen Zeitz’s watch, they’ve gone totally woke," filmmaker Robby Starbuck shared with his more than 528,000 followers on X in late July. 

The bike brand's apparent decision to volunteer for the culture wars in America has been a high-octane topic at the 84th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota this week, according to both attendees and numerous social media postings.

"It’s branding suicide," Vinny Terranova, the owner of Pappy’s Vintage Cycles in Sturgis, South Dakota, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

"A lot of bikers are switching over to Indian," he said. "They killed Harley. It breaks my heart."

Sturgis with American flags

People walk along Main Street lined with American flags on Aug. 6, 2020, a day before the start of that year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

The situation has drawn comparisons to the Bud Light "unforced error" of 2023 in the wake of the beer brand's decision to partner with Dylan Mulvaney, a social media influencer and trans activist. 

Joe Six Packs launched an organic nationwide boycott against America's then most-popular beer brand in response. Bud Light has not recovered. 

‘Not a good look’

Harley riders have been concerned about the direction of the company since the German-born Zeitz took over as CEO at the height of the COVID pandemic in May 2020, say motorcycle enthusiasts.

"A vintage Harley valued at $30,000 just a few years ago is now getting only $4,000."

Harley-Davidson motorcycles have faced a sharp decline in perceived value among bikers since his arrival, said Terranova, who ran a Harley-Davidson dealership in Colorado for over 40 years. 

"A vintage Harley valued at $30,000 just a few years ago is now getting only $4,000," said Terranova. 

"People don’t even want to be associated with Harley anymore," he added, expressing his opinion.

Mount Rushmore visitors on motorcycles

Bikers stop to take in Mt. Rushmore on the way to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. The rally annually attracts more than 500,000 people during its 10-day run. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to Harley-Davidson for comment but did not receive a reply by publication time. 

When filmmaker Starbuck shared on social media what he claims are Harley-Davidson's woke wishlist of internal policies, discontent turned to outrage for many. 

Among the wishlist items as noted by Starbuck: sending White men to White male-only diversity training; supporting legislation that "would allow men into girls' bathrooms, sports and locker rooms"; and "an all-ages pride event that featured a ‘rage room’ next to ‘draq queen story time.'"


"Most people feel like they're having sexually explicit topics forced upon them at the workplace which, 10 years ago, anybody would have seen as sexual harassment," Starbuck, director of the film "The War on Children," told Fox News Digital by phone.

The company's alleged DEI focus today contrasts sharply with the loud, muscular, freedom-loving image that has appealed to core customers for decades. 

Harley-Davidson tank American flag

A red, white and blue Harley-Davidson motorcycle gas tank is seen in Chicago, Illinois.  (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Harley riders responded with full-throttle upset on social media and, it appears, at Sturgis.

"@Harleydavidson has turned to sh*te ... Buy something else," was among the comments posted on social media.

"I heard [Harley-Davidson] Sturgis HQ is gonna be like Bud Light tent was last year," a biker posted on X last week, before the start of the 2024 rally on August 2. 

One video posted on social media on Monday showed only green grass and a few stragglers mingling outside a Harley-Davidson tent in Sturgis.

"Not a good look!" wrote Starbuck on his X account. 

Harley-Davidson Robby Starbuck

Filmmaker Robby Starbuck is shown in Nashville, Tennessee in 2021.  (Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

"I guess some bikers just don’t want to be associated with them after finding out that Harley went woke."


Some long-time Harley riders are saying on social media that they're ditching their bikes for new brands with their next purchase; others are removing the Harley-Davidson name from their motorcycles. 

Attendance declined dramatically last week at the annual Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival in Milwaukee, where the motorcycle maker was founded in 1903.

Attendance declined dramatically last week at the annual Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the motorcycle maker was founded in 1903.

About 60,000 people attended the event, according to the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal — that's a 25% drop from the 80,000 who took in the festival last year. 

"We changed our plans for the H-D homecoming after hearing how @harleydavidson supports pedophiles and grooms children," wrote one Harley rider, @LittleLuLu13131.

 

Harley-Davidson Museum

General views of the Harley-Davidson Museum on Aug. 29, 2021, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.   (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

The outcry over Harley's apparent woke turn comes on the heels of noticeable changes in the public face of the brand. 

Harley last year ditched its globally iconic logo of orange and white lettering on a black shield. Its new logo is an empty metallic shell – the same shape, but different colors and no words.

"The old logo undeniably conveyed a sense of heritage, a connection to the brand's storied past," British graphic design firm LMRT reported in its online analysis. 

"Yet, the new logo seems to symbolize a departure from convention, a leap toward modernity, and an invitation to re-imagine the essence of Harley-Davidson."

Harley-Davidson thumb split

The Harley-Davidson Museum, shown at left, opened in Milwaukee in 2008. At right, a scene from the celebrated 1969 movie, "Easy Rider," which helped cement Harley-Davidson's iconic affiliation with the American open road.  (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images; Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

Harley-Davidson was founded in Milwaukee in 1903 by William Harley and partners and brothers Arthur, Walter and William Davidson. Harley and the Davidson boys grew up as neighbors and friends. Harley and Arthur Davidson were both bicycle enthusiasts and mechanics, as Fox News Digital previously reported. 

They began tinkering with small internal combustion engines. They put motors on bicycles - their first Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Harley-Davidson, its own museum notes, sold just three motorcycles in 1905.


In 2023, it produced 163,000 bikes — making it one of the world's largest motorcycle companies.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Its vision, according to the company, is "building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul."

Harley-Davidson also has a controlling interest in LiveWire Group, Inc., the first publicly traded all-electric motorcycle company in the United States, the company notes.

CEO Zeitz at Harley signed the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge, as a number of outlets have also noted. Among other initiatives, the pledge is to "cultivate environments that support open dialogue on complex — and often difficult — conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion" and "engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating diversity, equity and inclusion strategies."

 

Tuesday, August 6, 2024

Harris leaning into 'pro-Hamas,' 'progressive' wings of Democrat Party with Walz VP pick: GOP strategist

 

 

 

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 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/harris-leaning-pro-hamas-progressive-wings-democrat-party-walz-vp-pick-gop-strategist

 

Harris leaning into 'pro-Hamas,' 'progressive' wings of Democrat Party with Walz VP pick: GOP strategist

Pennsylvania strategist says Tim Walz was chosen for 'energizing the progressive base'

'Special Report' anchor Bret Baier joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss his take on Kamala Harris reportedly tapping Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate and how her selection could impact the state of the race. 

Vice President Kamala Harris' selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate two weeks out from the Democratic National Convention comes as a bit of a "shock," and GOP strategists suggest it could hurt her in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, where Gov. Josh Shapiro was purported to have been the favored choice. 

"Kamala Harris did not pick Josh Shapiro because antisemitic progressives did not like that he is Jewish," Mike Berg, spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee told Fox News Digital in a statement. "It was Harris' first major decision as the nominee, and she caved to the pro-Hamas contingency within the Democratic Party."

Berg continued that Walz "reinforces" Harris' "biggest weaknesses: crime and immigration."


Tim Walz seen in profile closeup shot

Vice President Kamala Harris' selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate two weeks out from the Democratic National Convention comes as a bit of a "shock." (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

"Kamala Harris helped bankroll the 2020 riots in Minnesota when she promoted the Minnesota Freedom Fund. Walz let Minnesota burn. Kamala Harris supported decriminalizing illegal immigration and abolishing ICE — Walz supported making Minnesota a sanctuary state," he said.

Earlier this week, a decades-old article resurfaced in which Shapiro wrote of being an Israeli army volunteer and disparaged the Palestinian people. The Philadelphia Inquirer uncovered the essay that he wrote for the Campus Times, the student newspaper of the University of Rochester, from which Shapiro graduated in 1995. In the article, Shapiro stressed his view that "Palestinians will not peacefully coexist," because "they do not have the capabilities to establish their own homelands and make it successful even with the aid of Israel and the United States."


Minnesota Governor Tim Walz closeup shot

Walz will now join Harris on a multi-state campaign tour in key battleground states over the next few days. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

Strategists are speculating that Harris may have been primed to pick Shapiro up until the resurfaced op-ed, which could have distanced some of the party's more progressive base who believe an Israeli ceasefire will put an end to Palestinian casualties. 

"That's 100% of the reason she was willing to sacrifice essentially locking up Pennsylvania for her campaign, dramatically helping them hold the Senate seat in Pennsylvania, and there are three congressional swing seats in Pennsylvania that Shapiro all won overwhelmingly in 2022," a House Republican strategist told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

"All of that would have been taken off the map for Republicans. But because he was pro-Israel, it was effectively disqualifying for her, and she caved to the far left, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party," the strategist said. 

Walz will now join Harris on a multi-state campaign tour in key battleground states over the next few days, as Harris attempts to rebrand herself as a moderate candidate and distance herself from her past progressive positions.


left-right split of Gov. Walz and VP Harris

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is believed to be a top candidate to be VP for Kamala Harris.

Nate Benefield, senior vice president at the Commonwealth Foundation, told Fox News Digital, "This move really seems like it was more focused on solidifying the progressive base of the Democratic Party."

"I don't know that the VP choice really makes a dramatic difference nationwide, but, a couple of points in Pennsylvania, may be the margin," Benefield said. "I think this does indicate that their decision was less about the swing states but energizing the progressive base."

Meanwhile, when it comes to Harris attempting to appear more moderate with the launch of Republicans for Harris this week, Benefield said, "There's a long track record there of these progressive ideas that really don't appeal to voters in in Pennsylvania and Michigan, Wisconsin and other swing states."

Walz, 60, is a former U.S. Army National Guard member and a former teacher who has raised his profile in recent weeks as an effective advocate for Harris. He grew up in a small town in Nebraska, and was also a football coach and union member at a high school in Minnesota before getting into politics. Recently, he attacked former President Trump and his running mate JD Vance as "weird," a viral insult the Harris campaign has embraced.

A former member of Congress from a Republican-leaning district, Walz has proven appeal with rural, white voters, though he has also championed progressive policies as governor, such as free school meals and expanded paid worker leave. While Minnesota is a solidly Democratic state, it is close to Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial battlegrounds. 

Fox News Digital's Peter Aitken, Andrew Mark Miller and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

 

BREAKING: Pakistani National with Iranian Ties Charged with Murder-for-Hire in Foiled Assassination Plot Against President Trump

 

 

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https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/08/breaking-pakistani-national-iranian-ties-charged-murder-hire/

 

 

BREAKING: Pakistani National with Iranian Ties Charged with Murder-for-Hire in Foiled Assassination Plot Against President Trump

 

BREAKING: Pakistani National with Iranian Ties Charged with Murder-for-Hire in Foiled Assassination Plot Against President Trump

 

 

 

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 https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/08/breaking-pakistani-national-iranian-ties-charged-murder-hire/

 

 

BREAKING: Pakistani National with Iranian Ties Charged with Murder-for-Hire in Foiled Assassination Plot Against President Trump

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Five controversies surrounding vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, from DUI to COVID fraud

 

 

 

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 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/five-controversies-surrounding-vice-presidential-nominee-tim-walz-from-dui-covid-fraud

 

 

 

 

Five controversies surrounding vice presidential nominee Tim Walz, from DUI to COVID fraud

Republicans will place these Tim Walz controversies under the microscope as the 2024 campaign heats up

‘Outnumbered’ co-host Kayleigh McEnany reacts to Kamala Harris reportedly picking the Minnesota governor as her running mate and how this can be considered a win for Republicans.

Vice President Kamala Harris has selected Midwestern governor, Army veteran and former football coach and teacher Tim Walz to be her 2024 running mate after a hurried, intense two-week vetting process. 

Walz, 60, is a veteran politician who served in the U.S. Congress from 2007 until 2019, when he was elected governor of Minnesota, defeating Republican Jeff Johnson. He was re-elected to a second term in 2022 after fending off a challenge from Republican Scott Jensen. 

Progressives have praised Walz's strong support for unions and record of accomplishments as governor, which include codifying abortion rights into the state constitution, enacting universal free school breakfasts and lunches for students, regardless of income, and making Minnesota a refuge for children seeking transgender medical procedures. 

This strong progressive record and Walz's plainspoken demeanor reportedly thrilled the Harris campaign, which sought a partner who could reinforce the Democratic ticket's strength in Midwestern battleground states. But there are several controversies tied to Walz's tenure as governor that Republicans have already begun to use in their attacks on his record.


Split image of Tim Walz and Kamala Harris

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Vice President Kamala Harris (Getty Images)

Here are a few: 

1995 DUI Arrest 

Walz in past campaigns has sought to downplay his arrest for drunken driving in the mid-90's, but questions about his run-in with law enforcement continue to dog him. A 2022 report by Alpha News unearthed court records that cast doubt on the version of the story Walz has told on the campaign trail.

On Sept. 23, 1995, when Walz was working as a teacher in his home state of Nebraska, he was pulled over for going 96 mph in a 55-mph zone. 

In comments to reporters, Walz's 2006 campaign for Congress in Minnesota's 1st District insisted he was "not drunk" and blamed a "misunderstanding" with police on "Walz's deafness," which the governor's then-campaign manager said had since been "surgically corrected." 

But a state trooper's report obtained by Alpha News contradicts those claims. 

"A strong odor of alcoholic beverage was detected emitting from Mr. Walz[‘s] breath and person," the report said. The trooper indicated that Walz submitted to and failed both a field sobriety test and a preliminary breath test. He was eventually taken to Chadron Hospital for a blood test before being booked in the Dawes County Jail.

Walz was initially charged with driving under the influence and speeding, but he pled guilty to a single count of reckless driving, according to Aplha News. 

MOST AMERICANS HAVE NEVER HEARD OF TIM WALZ, HARRIS' VP PICK

2020 riot

A protester stands next to a burning car while holding a sign in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on May 28, 2020, during the third day of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Anadolu Agency/Getty Contributor)

Black Lives Matter Riots

Walz's critics say his handling of the Minneapolis riots after the 2020 killing of George Floyd was a failure and low point of his first term as governor.

"[H]e's been a disaster for Minnesota and is by far the most partisan governor that I can remember having," Minnesota GOP Chairman David Hann told Fox News Digital. "Going back to 2020, certainly – he did nothing to try to stop the riots going on in Minneapolis. I think he was fearful of alienating his ‘progressive’ base, who were supporting the riots. Kamala Harris was raising money for the rioters."

Walz deployed the National Guard to stop the violence, which included the torching of a police station. But GOP lawmakers have said both the governor and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey were too slow to act. 

Republican state Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka accused Walz of a slow response to the riots, which left businesses in downtown Minneapolis in ruins.

"I called the White House after [four] days of unbridled rioting with the Governor frozen on what to do," Gazelka wrote on X on July 28. "I know that Gov[.] Walz and Pres[ident] Trump talked. I know Walz finally brought the Guard out in full for the next night. But Walz was [three] days too late. Pressure may have made him move."

Hann similarly said Walz "waited for three days before he could bring himself to ask for the National Guard to be deployed." He also pointed to the "defund" police movement's roots in Minnesota following Floyd's murder and subsequent rioting in the Twin Cities.

As a result of the delayed action, hundreds of businesses across Minneapolis and St. Paul were devastated by the destruction and had to ask their local government for help recovering – on top of what they lost during pandemic-related closures.

WALZ'S HANDLING OF BLM RIOTS, STRICT COVID RULES UNDER MICROSCOPE AFTER HARRIS VP PICK

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks about funding for the I-535 Blatnik Bridge at Earth Rider Brewery on Jan. 25, 2024, in Superior, Wisconsin. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

COVID-19 Lockdowns

In his first term as governor, Walz oversaw Minnesota's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like other Democratic leaders, he favored heavy-handed pandemic restrictions, including lockdowns and mask mandates. 

The Upper Midwest Law Center unsuccessfully challenged Walz's 2020 indoor mask mandate on constitutional grounds, but an appellate court sided with Walz.

Walz also set up a hotline to report residents who violated COVID-19 mandates, as FOX 9 Minneapolis reported at the time.

Gazelka asked Walz to "please take [the] Hotline down" in a post after it was established, calling the move "unnecessary."

"We can all show a bit of kindness to our neighbors as we manage our times and needs differently in the stay at home efforts," the state senator said at the time.

BAG OF CASH DOESN'T STOP JURORS FROM CONVICTING 5 DEFENDANTS IN $40 MILLION FOOD FRAUD SCHEME

Food-Fraud-Minnesota

Federal prosecutors charged 70 people with defrauding federal food programs that funded meals for kids during the pandemic out of $250 million on Walz’s watch. (U.S. Attorney's Office for Minnesota via AP)

Pandemic Relief Fraud Investigation

In addition to complaints over Walz's pandemic-era restrictions, Republicans have blamed the governor for lax oversight of pandemic programs that cost millions of taxpayer dollars.

Federal prosecutors charged 70 people with defrauding federal food programs that funded meals for kids during the pandemic out of $250 million on Walz’s watch. Known as the Feeding Our Future scandal, it’s one of the country’s largest pandemic aid fraud cases. The Office of the Legislative Auditor, a nonpartisan watchdog, delivered a scathing report in June that said Walz’s Department of Education "failed to act on warning signs," did not effectively exercise its authority and was ill-prepared to respond.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks before President Joe Biden

Gov. Tim Walz speaks before President Biden at Dutch Creek Farms, Nov. 1, 2023, in Northfield, Minnesota. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Interference in Police Shooting Case

Walz came under fire from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty earlier this year for his comments on a police shooting case handled by her office.

Moriarty in June dropped the case against Minnesota State Trooper Ryan Londregan, who was accused in the fatal shooting of Black motorist Ricky Cobb II. In a press conference announcing her decision, she made remarks against Walz, saying he had been "very active in inserting himself into this case" and was conflicted since he controls the Minnesota State Patrol, FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul reported. 

"Have you ever seen this governor intervene in any case involving a defendant in his entire tenure?" Moriarty said on June 3. "Why is it appropriate for a governor, who has never picked up the phone to call me, who is not a lawyer, who does not understand the nuances of this case, to talk about it publicly? To center Mr. Londregan as being the victim in this case. Why has that been appropriate? Why hasn’t that been called out?"

Walz later told reporters that had Moriarty not dropped the charges against Londregan, he would have used his executive authority to remove her from the case.

"It was my hope that the county attorney would get to this position… At some point, if this decision had not been made, yes we would have done that," Walz said. 

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office denied that rumors of Walz's intention to remove the case affected Moriarty's decision. 

Fox News Digital's Audrey Conklin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

pass this around) Minnesota National Guard Leaders Expose Tim Walz for Stolen Valor: Lied About Rank, and Quit Upon Learning of Iraq Deployment

 

 

 

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 https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/08/minnesota-national-guard-leaders-expose-tim-walz-stolen/

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Minnesota National Guard Leaders Expose Tim Walz for Stolen Valor: Lied About Rank, and Quit Upon Learning of Iraq Deployment