Reports confirm Iran was plunged into a complete internet blackout on Thursday night amid escalating nationwide protests sparked by economic grievances. Demonstrations erupted across all 31 provinces, with authorities responding violently, including reported killings and arrests. Calls for a general strike were heeded in Kurdish regions and other cities, and protests saw the toppling of a statue of Qassem Suleimani in Fars province. While the government has called for restraint, the US and other countries have issued warnings against violence and criticized Iran’s actions, while threatening further action.
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‘Blackout’—Putin’s $12 Billion Internet Shutdown Strikes Russia, and the implications are substantial, to say the least. It seems Putin has essentially constructed, and now activated, a sophisticated “kill switch” for the entire country’s internet. This isn’t just a minor tweak; we’re talking about a multi-year project costing a staggering $12 billion. The core function? To allow the Kremlin to shut down or severely restrict Russia’s connectivity at will. The intent appears clear: to control information flow and maintain political power, rather than solely focusing on security or technical necessities. One has to wonder if this will lead to a decrease in malicious online activity originating from Russia, or if those operations will simply be run by the government itself, still with internet access.… Continue reading
Iran shuts off the internet as protesters start fires in widening unrest, a move that immediately feels like a desperate play by a regime on the ropes. The complete shutdown of the internet, alongside phone lines, is a clear indication that the government is attempting to control the flow of information and isolate the protesters. It’s a tactic we’ve seen before, a classic move pulled by dictatorships clinging to power. It’s a chilling reminder of how regimes react when they feel threatened, with the silencing of voices being a standard operating procedure.
The immediate consequence of this internet blackout is, ironically, to fuel the fire.… Continue reading
The immediate subject is the shocking news that Texas A&M University has instructed a professor not to teach Plato due to the institution’s concerns about gender-related rules. This situation, as documented by Dr. Peterson, is, to put it mildly, an eyebrow-raiser. The response from the university appears to be a form of censorship, dictating the curriculum and limiting academic freedom. The irony, as many people have pointed out, is thick enough to cut with a knife: Plato, a figure foundational to Western thought and often seen as a purist and conservative himself, is now deemed too “woke” for a university.
The professor, in an effort to comply with the new restrictions, had to replace the original module on Plato with lectures on free speech and academic freedom.… Continue reading
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan has sentenced eight journalists and social media commentators to life imprisonment in absentia for terrorism-related offenses tied to their online activities supporting jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The convictions are a result of cases stemming from violent protests in May 2023, following Khan’s arrest. The court claimed the accused’s online content promoted “fear and unrest.” The rulings are part of a broader crackdown on Khan’s supporters and dissenting voices, with the court handing down additional prison terms and fines.
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CBS News delayed the broadcast of a “60 Minutes” report, “Inside CECOT,” focusing on deportees sent to a notorious Salvadoran prison under the Trump administration, while it aired in Canada. The report includes interviews with deportees who described torture and abuse at the CECOT facility, where they were incarcerated after being deported from the U.S. The segment also featured a clip of President Trump praising the prison facilities in El Salvador, alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s visit to the facility. The decision to delay the broadcast in the U.S. has been criticized by the reporter, Sharyn Alfonsi, and others, who accused the network of political motivations, despite the segment receiving internal clearance.
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A scheduled “60 Minutes” segment on El Salvador’s CECOT prison, featuring interviews with deported prisoners, was pulled from its broadcast. This decision follows Paramount Skydance’s appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News, which has drawn criticism regarding potential bias. The segment, focusing on the Trump administration’s deportation of migrants to CECOT, a prison known for alleged torture, had a teaser released before being removed along with a notice that the report would be released at a later date. This has sparked accusations of censorship and prompted discussions about the network’s editorial direction, with many commentators speculating on the reasons for the delay.
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A controversial “60 Minutes” segment on the El Salvador megaprison CECOT, which housed immigrants deported by the Trump administration, was abruptly pulled from the broadcast. An email from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi alleges that the new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, made the decision, calling it a political move. The story had already passed legal and editorial checks and was ready to air, but Weiss reportedly cited a need for additional reporting, specifically an interview with Stephen Miller. The cancellation has sparked accusations of corporate censorship and a betrayal of journalistic principles, especially since the story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices.
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CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss pulled a planned “60 Minutes” investigative segment on allegations of abuse at an El Salvador detention center, citing the need for an on-the-record comment from an administration official. The story’s correspondent, Sharyn Alfonsi, condemned the decision, believing it was politically motivated and not an editorial one. Weiss defended her decision, stating the story didn’t “advance the ball” beyond what other news outlets had already reported. This occurred shortly after Weiss’s arrival at the network, which has drawn scrutiny due to her background and the network’s shift towards more conservative viewpoints.
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John Q. Hosedrinker 
Matt Underwood