DEI
University System of Georgia to ban DEI, commit to neutrality, teach Constitution
By
“The basis and determining factor” for employment will be “that the individual possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the role, and is believed to have the ability to successfully perform the essential functions, responsibilities, and duties associated with the position for which the individual is being considered.”
The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents has recommended a number of new and revised policies for its institutions, such as a commitment to institutional neutrality, the prohibiting of DEI tactics, and a mandatory education in America’s founding documents.
The University System of Georgia (USG) is made up of Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities as well as Georgia Archives and the Georgia Public Library Service.
“USG institutions shall remain neutral on social and political issues unless such an issue is directly related to the institution’s core mission,” the board’s proposed revisions read.
“Ideological tests, affirmations, and oaths, including diversity statements,” will be banned from admissions processes and decisions, employment processes and decisions, and institution orientation and training for both students and employees.
“No applicant for admission shall be asked to or required to affirmatively ascribe to or opine about political beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles, as a condition for admission,” the new policy states.
Additionally, USG will hire based on a person’s qualifications and ability.
“The basis and determining factor” for employment will be “that the individual possesses the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the role, and is believed to have the ability to successfully perform the essential functions, responsibilities, and duties associated with the position for which the individual is being considered.”
Beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year, the school’s civic instruction will require students to study founding American documents among other things.
USG students will learn from the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights, the Articles of Confederation, the Federalist Papers, the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, as well as the Georgia Constitution and Bill of Rights.
When reached for comment, the Board of Regents told The Center Square that “these proposed updates strengthen USG’s academic communities.”
The recommended policies allow a campus environment “where people have the freedom to share their thoughts and learn from one another through objective scholarship and inquiry,” and “reflect an unyielding obligation to protect freedom, provide quality higher education and promote student success,” the board said.
The board told The Center Square that it proposed strengthening “the requirements for civics instruction” with the inclusion of “foundational primary sources” because of higher education’s duty to students.
Colleges and universities “must prepare [students] to be contributing members of society and to understand the ideals of freedom and democracy that make America so exceptional,” the board said.
As for ditching DEI, the board explained that “equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of USG.”
“The proposed revisions among other things would make clear that student admissions and employee hiring should be based on a person’s qualifications, not his or her beliefs,” the board said.
The Board of Regents also said it wants to “ensure [its] institutions remain neutral on social and political issues while modeling what it looks like to promote viewpoint diversity, create campus cultures where students and faculty engage in civil discourse, and the open exchange of ideas is the norm.”
USG’s Board of Regents recently urged the NCAA to ban transgender-identifying men from participating in women’s sports, in line with the NAIA rules, The Center Square previously reported.
Business
Why Government Can’t Build Broadband or Charging Stations… Or Anything!
From StosselTV
The government promised to expand broadband, build hundreds of thousands of EV chargers, and to bring back semiconductor jobs. They delivered delays, waste, and failure. Why? Because they spend your money, not their own.
After three years and $65 billion spent to expand broadband, not a single person has yet been connected.
Also, two years into Biden’s $7.5 billion EV charging stations initiative, which was supposed to build 500,000 stations, only seven have been built.
The CHIPS Act promised to bring semiconductor jobs back to America. But the money got tied up in DEI quotas, climate pledges, and union mandates.
When bureaucrats spend other people’s money, they have little incentive to spend it carefully. Our new video explains why government should leave building things to the private sector.
After 40+ years of reporting, I now understand the importance of limited government and personal freedom.
——————————————
Libertarian journalist John Stossel created Stossel TV to explain liberty and free markets to young people.
Prior to Stossel TV he hosted a show on Fox Business and co-anchored ABC’s primetime newsmagazine show, 20/20.
Stossel’s economic programs have been adapted into teaching kits by a non-profit organization, “Stossel in the Classroom.” High school teachers in American public schools now use the videos to help educate their students on economics and economic freedom. They are seen by more than 12 million students every year.
Stossel has received 19 Emmy Awards and has been honored five times for excellence in consumer reporting by the National Press Club. Other honors include the George Polk Award for Outstanding Local Reporting and the George Foster Peabody Award.
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To get our new weekly video from Stossel TV, sign up here: https://www.johnstossel.com/#subscribe ————
Censorship Industrial Complex
Biden admin used banks to spy on Americans’ financial data, targeted Trump supporters: House report
From LifeSiteNews
‘The scale of this surveillance is staggering,’ warns a startling new US House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. ‘Without safeguards, this could lead to widespread abuse of power and debanking.’
A startling report from the U.S. House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government reveals how, under the Biden-Harris administration, the FBI and the Treasury Department have manipulated federal laws such as the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) to access Americans’ private financial data – without a warrant.
The committee has published a succinct video summary of its 47-page report on X, beginning with a question: “Think your finances are private? Think again.”
The video explains:
“The federal government has conditioned financial institutions to work for them, inducing them to hand over your sensitive financial data without a warrant
When a bank submits an inquiry with your financial details, the federal government compiles it into a searchable database. In 2023, this database was accessed by over 14,000 government employees to conduct more than 3 million warrantless searches.
The federal government’s financial surveillance program is vast and can lead to something called ‘debanking.’ If you’re flagged, you could lose access to your own money. If you buy a Bible, shop at Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, or an ammo store, your financial data could be shared.
The system is broken and your privacy is under attack. Federal law enforcement is seeking unfettered access to your finances, all while ignoring your 4th Amendment rights.
The next time you swipe your card, know that someone may be watching. And it’s not just the banks. It’s the federal government.”
Purchase of Bibles or firearms deemed by the government as signs of ‘extremism’
“It all started after a whistleblower told the Committee that following January 6, Bank of America (BoA) voluntarily provided the FBI with a list of individuals who used BoA cards in the DC area during that time—without legal process,” noted the committee in a thread on X. “The federal government used sweeping terms like ‘MAGA’ and ‘TRUMP’ to flag Americans, even treating the purchase of Bibles or firearms as signs of ‘extremism.’”
“The scale of this surveillance is staggering,” they declared on X.
“This ongoing investigation reveals a disturbing trend: The government is using financial institutions as de facto arms of law enforcement, profiling Americans and flagging them as ‘suspicious’ based on vague criteria,” continues the thread. “Without safeguards, this could lead to widespread abuse of power and debanking. This investigation is not over. The federal government’s ability to spy on Americans’ financial data cannot go unchecked.”
The committee report warns:
All Americans should be disturbed by how their financial data is collected, made accessible to, and searched by federal and state officials, including law enforcement and regulatory agencies. With the rise in e-commerce and the widespread adoption of cash alternatives like credit cards or peer-to-peer payment services, the future leaves very little financial activity beyond the purview of modern financial institutions or the government’s prying eyes. This is because, as a condition of participating in the modern economy, Americans are forced to disclose details of their private lives to a financial industry that has been too eager to pass this information along to federal law enforcement.
‘Your beliefs or your bank account: You can’t have both’
“No American should have to worry that a financial institution will deny them service based on their religious beliefs,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Jeremy Tedesco concerning a case involving the debanking by Bank of America of a conservative Christian charity that partners with Ugandan ministries to provide basic necessities for orphaned and vulnerable children. “Canceling their account hurts those in need. It also sends a disturbing message to everyone—you can have your beliefs or your bank account, but you can’t have both.”
Bank of America is not the only major financial institution engaging in this type of behavior. ADF cited examples of JPMorgan Chase denying payments or cancelling accounts associated with people and organizations who hold mainstream American values, including:
- Former Ambassador Sam Brownback
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