U.S.
LAPD Launches Inquiry After Job Ad Appears on Breitbart
Published
3 years agoon

- Twitter users called out the Los Angeles Police Department after the editor of The Daily Beast noted that it had displayed a job recruitment ad on Breitbart.
- The LAPD said that it was opening an inquiry into the matter, as Breitbart does not align with its core values.
- Officials added that the LAPD did not choose to run an ad on Breitbart specifically, but instead runs ads via Google.
- The department has suspended its Google Ad placements while they review the situation.
LAPD Ad Appears on Breitbart
The Los Angeles Department is suspending advertising via Google after opening an inquiry into how a recruitment ad ended up on Breitbart.
On Friday, The Daily Beast’s Editor in Cheif Noah Shachtman posted a screenshot of an LAPD ad that read, “Choose your future, LAPD is hiring,” which appeared on Breitbart’s site.
Uhhhh why is the LAPD running recruitment ads on Breitbart?! pic.twitter.com/9gr1hnmy4o
— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) September 28, 2019
His tweet prompted many others to question why the LAPD was advertising on the site. Breitbart, a far-right website founded by ex-Trump strategist Steve Bannon, has run into advertising controversies in the past. When Bannon was tapped to work in the White House in 2016, many accused the site of promoting hate speech, along with publishing racist and sexist content. Brands like Kellogg’s and Allstate then pulled advertisements from the site.
In 2017, more companies followed. According to a Washington Post report, the site lost 90% of its advertisers between the months of March and May. By August, almost 2,600 advertisers left the site.
LAPD Responds
The LAPD issued a statement saying it was looking into the matter. While it did not name Breitbart explicitly, the department did share the thread they wrote in a direct response to Schachtman’s tweet. The LAPD said the website “creates a negative juxtaposition to our core values.”
We take matters like this very seriously, and have begun an initial inquiry into the matter and to determine its validity, as well as what future steps can and will be taken to avoid this situation occurring in the future.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) September 28, 2019
On Saturday, Police Cheif Michel Moore said the department did not purchase the ad space directly. He said officials were investigating the potential of it being a “spoof/other effort to discredit LAPD.”
No. LAPD did NOT purchase or otherwise acquire ad space on that website.
— Chief Michel Moore (@LAPDChiefMoore) September 28, 2019
Senior leadership at LA City Personnel Department also relayed they did not authorize or pay for this ad either.
Both Depts s investigating whether spoof/other effort to discredit LAPD https://t.co/FJfMyx19DT
Breitbart spokeswoman Elizabeth Moore gave a statement to The Los Angeles Times claiming that it is “one of the most pro-police, pro-law-enforcement news organizations in America.”
“We have been cited by the New York Times Magazine as having one of the most diverse news rooms in the nation, with a history of promoting women and minorities into leadership positions,” she added. “We also know we have strong readership among the rank-and-file in the LAPD.”
Results of Google Advertisements
A spokesman for the Los Angeles City Personnel Department, Bruce Whidden, also spoke to the Times about how the ads may have wound up at Breitbart. He said that the LAPD purchases ads via Google, but is now reexamining their filters. Many companies who use platforms like Google to run ads do not know where their ads end up.
“We have suspended all Google ad placements while we review and make sure that they are going to the places we want them to go to,” Whidden told the Times. “We had no intention of having an ad placed on that site.”
As for why Google put an LAPD ad on Breitbart, assistant professor of computer science at Virginia Tech, Bert Huang told the New York Times it could have been more or less of an algorithmic fluke.
“It might just be that Breitbart had some keywords on their home page that matched what the LAPD has requested their ad to appear in,” Huang explained. “In that scenario, through no direct intent from the L.A.P.D., it could have been inevitably matched.”
Google spokesperson Alex Krasov also spoke to The New York Times, adding that advertisers to have some ability to control where their content ends up. She said that advertisers can “exclude specific websites or entire topics from their campaigns.”
“Google has policies for where ads in the network can appear and it gives advertisers additional controls over where their ads show,” Krasov added.
Still, some criticized Google for allowing ads of any kind to appear on Breitbart. Sleeping Giants, an online activism platform that has been incredibly vocal about its fight against Breitbart, questioned Google in several tweets.
“When will @GoogleAds finally enforce their Terms of Service on Breitbart’s inflammatory content?” Sleeping Giants asked.
As expected, @LAPDHQ, like most advertisers, had no idea they were showing up on Breitbart.
— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) September 29, 2019
This is what happens when @GoogleAds refuses to enforce their Terms of Service on sites while remaining purposely opaque about where advertisers will end up. https://t.co/MTP7bSIHrz
When will @GoogleAds finally enforce their Terms of Service on Breitbart’s inflammatory content?
— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) September 30, 2019
It’s incredible that, after nearly 3 years of alerting advertisers that end up on this site that this is still happening.
It’s advertising malpractice. They should be sued over this https://t.co/WkfL0XmGUE
See what others are saying: (Los Angeles Times) (New York Times) (Fox 11 Los Angeles)
U.S.
AMC Will Set Movie Ticket Prices Based on Seat Locations
Published
1 day agoon
February 7, 2023By
Star Pralle
The decision has faced backlash, but AMC executives claim it will ensure that “guests have more control over their experience.”
Sightline by AMC
AMC, the largest movie theater chain in the U.S., is changing its price metric by charging more at admission for preferred seats and offering value seats at a lower cost.
The new pricing experiment is called Sightline by AMC, and it offers three different tiers. Value Sightline includes the seats right next to the screen, while Preferred Sightline includes seats that are centered and in the middle of the theater. The average seats, or Standard Sightline, will remain at the normal price of admission.
“While every seat at AMC delivers an amazing moviegoing experience, we know there are some moviegoers who prioritize their specific seat and others who prioritize value moviegoing,” AMC’s executive vice president and CMO Eliot Hamlisch said to Variety. “Sightline at AMC accommodates both sentiments to help ensure that our guests have more control over their experience, so that every trip to an AMC is a great one.”
However, Sightline will not apply to AMC’s Discount Tuesday deal — every ticket will still be offered at $5 regardless of seat location. Sightline will also only apply to evening shows after 4:00 p.m.
The Reception
The movie theater giant has faced backlash for this new price structure, including from people in the entertainment industry.
“This is absurdly stupid & only creates unnecessary classism,” actor and director Seth Green wrote on Twitter. “AMCTheatres clearly focused on squeezing new profits anywhere possible. Trying to get people back into theaters? Don’t penalize folks with less to spend.”
This is absurdly stupid & only creates unnecessary classism. @AMCTheatres clearly focused on squeezing new profits anywhere possible. Trying to get people back into theaters? Don’t penalize folks with less to spend. https://t.co/LTpm2ormn0
— Seth Green (@SethGreen) February 7, 2023
Actor Elijah Wood also condemned the change for disproportionately impacting lower-income families.
“The movie theater is and always has been a sacred democratic space for all and this new initiative by AMCTheatres would essentially penalize people for lower income and reward for higher income,” Wood wrote.
The movie theater is and always has been a sacred democratic space for all and this new initiative by @AMCTheatres would essentially penalize people for lower income and reward for higher income.
— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) February 6, 2023
This is not the first time AMC has experimented with its pricing. During the opening weekend of “The Batman” last year, AMC announced it would be charging $1 to $2 more for it compared to other movies playing at the same time. Back in 2019, the chain tested a different pricing initiative, charging more for movies “of the highest appeal” and making less in-demand movies cheaper.
See what others are saying: (Variety) (Complex) (NowThis)
U.S.
Neo-Nazi Leader Charged in Plot to “Destroy Baltimore” By Attacking Substations — a Growing Trend
Published
1 day agoon
February 7, 2023By
Lili Stenn
Experts say that far-right extremist attacks on energy infrastructure have grown significantly in the last few years.
Conspiracy to Attack Maryland Energy Systems
A neo-Nazi leader who was recently released from prison and a woman he met while incarcerated were arrested on Monday for plotting to “completely destroy” the power grid in Baltimore, Maryland.
Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the FBI field office in Baltimore said in a press conference that the two had “conspired to inflict maximum harm on the power grid,” by targeting five electrical substations that serve 1.2 million people in central Maryland.
He noted that the pair ”were not just talking, but taking steps to fulfill their threats and further their extremist goals.”
Their plot, however, was foiled by law enforcement before they could put it into action, in large part because both extensively detailed their plans to an FBI informant on encrypted messaging apps.
Sobocinski described their extremist views as “racially or ethnically motivated.”
The neo-Nazi leader is the founder of a small but dangerous group called the Atomwaffen Division, which uses civil disorder and violence because they believe it will help spark a race war in the U.S. — a white supremacist theory known as “accelerationism.”
Authorities say that he previously plotted with his roommates — also members of the group — to attack energy facilities in Florida. Before he could, he was arrested and put in federal prison for possessing bomb-making materials.
During that time, he began to communicate with the woman, who was serving time in a separate facility in Maryland after being charged with robbing multiple convenience stores with a machete.
Authorities point to several pieces of evidence that indicate she too had been radicalized, including a statement she wrote that prosecutors say resembles a manifesto, in which she references Hitler, the Unabomber, and a far-right Norwegian terrorist and stated: “I would sacrifice **everything** for my people.”
The woman’s mother also told The Washington Post that she had become involved with neo-Nazi beliefs in prison, which she has been in and out of since 2006.
A Growing Trend
Federal law enforcement officials have said there is “no indication” the planned attack in Baltimore was connected to other attacks. The plot, however, comes on the heels of similar events.
In early December, there were a series of attacks on substations in North Carolina that were very reminiscent of what the pair in Maryland were plotting. In fact, prosecutors even said the neo-Nazi leader sent the FBI informant a video about that attack.
While authorities have provided little information on a suspect or motive in North Carolina, it has been reported that they have zeroed in on two possibilities that both center around far-right extremism.
Around the same time in December, there were also a series of attacks on the grid in the Pacific Northwest.
Researchers and homeland security officials have said that far-right extremists have been increasingly targeting energy infrastructure while operating under the neo-Nazi theory of accelerationism.
According to a study by the program on extremism at George Washington University released in September, white supremacist attempts to target energy systems “dramatically increased in frequency” from 2016 to 2022.
“Since 2019, white supremacist attacks plots against critical infrastructure systems have distinctly increased,” the study found.
Brian Harrell, a former Homeland Security official who oversaw infrastructure protection at the department, told The Post that he saw a noticeable surge in violent extremists talking about carrying out these attacks online.
“When digging into the ‘dark web,’ social media portals and chat rooms, we quickly see that targeting and destroying energy infrastructure is a tactic many extremist groups fantasize about,” he said.
Editor’s Note: At Rogue Rocket, we make it a point to not include the names and pictures of mass murders, suspected mass murderers, or those accused of committing violent crimes who may have been seeking attention or infamy. Therefore, we will not be linking to other sources, as they may contain these details.
U.S.
College Board Changes AP African American Studies After Backlash From DeSantis Amid Education Culture War
Published
1 week agoon
February 1, 2023By
Lili Stenn
As requested by DeSantis, the College Board removed lessons on contemporary topics including Black Lives Matter, queer studies, and reparations.
College Board Rolls Out Curriculum
The College Board, which oversees Advanced Placement high school courses, announced an official curriculum framework for its new, landmark Advanced Placement African American studies on Wednesday.
The announcement, made on the first day of Black History Month, has faced scrutiny for seeming to scale back a number of relevant subjects that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other state education officials had criticized.
In January, DeSantis said that the new course would be banned in Florida unless changes were made, arguing that a draft version of the course was “woke.”
Education officials claimed that the class, which had been in the making for nearly a decade, violated a recent state law dubbed the Stop WOKE Act. The legislation regulates public school instruction on race by banning critical race theory and any education that describes some groups as oppressed and others as privileged based on race or sex.
Democrats denounced DeSantis’ action as a political stunt and urged the College Board to maintain its principles.
According to reports, many historical topics like slavery largely remain intact from the previous draft. However, important contemporary issues like Black Lives Matter, affirmative action, queer studies, reparations, and intersectionality — all of which Florida leaders objected to — were removed from curriculum requirements and are no longer part of the AP exam.
Instead, those areas of study have been downgraded to be part of a list of options students can pursue for a mandatory research project. The College Board also added a new research project idea to that list that will certainly please the right: “Black conservatism.”
It has additionally been reported that the organization pulled names of multiple Black authors the state education officials had flagged as problematic, including many famous and pioneering Black scholars who wrote about critical race theory, the queer experience, and Black feminism.
The College Board defended itself against criticism in a press release announcing the changes, claiming that the process of developing the framework “has operated independently from political pressure.”
DeSantis’ Ongoing Culture War
DeSantis’ attempts to influence the national curriculum of an AP course are just his latest in a much broader effort to control what is and is not taught in public schools.
Just one day before the College Board announced the revised course, the governor outlined what The New York Times described as “his most aggressive swing yet at the education establishment.”
Specifically, he proposed a massive overhaul to higher education in the state that would defund and eliminate diversity and equity programs, mandate courses on Western civilization, and reduce tenure protections that are essential to ensure professors have freedom of expression.
Furthermore, the effects of another law DeSantis signed last year are now just beginning to materialize. The policy, which went into effect this July, requires every school book to be age-appropriate, “free of pornography,” and “suited to student needs.”
To follow those guidelines, school books have to be approved by a certified media specialist who has undergone specific training.
Notably, the law also states that teachers can be charged with third-degree felonies if they “knowingly or unknowingly” give students access to a book that the specialists say is harmful — meaning that they could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Last month, the state education department clarified that the rule does not just apply to school libraries, but also to any books a teacher keeps in their classroom too.
Multiple outlets reported this week that records they obtained show at least two school districts have now directed teachers to either remove their books or hide them until review to avoid the possibility of going to jail.
See what others are saying: (The New York Times) (The Washington Post) (The Associated Press)

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Joe Rogan Faces Backlash For Promoting Antisemitic Stereotypes

AMC Will Set Movie Ticket Prices Based on Seat Locations

Neo-Nazi Leader Charged in Plot to “Destroy Baltimore” By Attacking Substations — a Growing Trend

“Seinfeld” AI Parody Suspended From Twitch After AI Wrote Transphobic Jokes

YouTuber Accused of Murder After Using Livestream as Alibi

Grammy Awards Face Backlash For Snubbing Beyoncé of Top Prize

Republican Congressman Proposes Bill to Ban Anyone Under 16 From Social Media

College Board Changes AP African American Studies After Backlash From DeSantis Amid Education Culture War

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Highlights and Key Takeaways from the State of the Union

Joe Rogan Faces Backlash For Promoting Antisemitic Stereotypes

AMC Will Set Movie Ticket Prices Based on Seat Locations

Neo-Nazi Leader Charged in Plot to “Destroy Baltimore” By Attacking Substations — a Growing Trend

“Seinfeld” AI Parody Suspended From Twitch After AI Wrote Transphobic Jokes

YouTuber Accused of Murder After Using Livestream as Alibi

Grammy Awards Face Backlash For Snubbing Beyoncé of Top Prize

Republican Congressman Proposes Bill to Ban Anyone Under 16 From Social Media

College Board Changes AP African American Studies After Backlash From DeSantis Amid Education Culture War

Andrew Tate to Remain in Romanian Detention After Losing Appeal

QTCinderalla Vows to Sue Deepfake Website: “Constant Objectification” is “Exhausting”

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“She Is Evil!” What Addison Rae Religious Backlash Reveals, Joe Rogan, Jake Paul, Teacher Shortage

Alex Jones Was Just Exposed BY HIS OWN LAWYERS! lol WOW! Beyonce Backlash, GenZ Debt, & Today’s News

These Ninja Scamming Accusations Expose A Growing Problem & How Spiders Are Causing Massive Fires

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