First Lady Melania Trump hosted guests at the Rose Garden on Thursday, announcing a $2 million donation toward her "Fostering the Future" initiative, benefiting foster care children, from IndyCar and the Fox Corporation.

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The Western value of free speech appears to be hitting a terminal phase outside the United States, especially in the Anglosphere where censorship in the name of political correctness now runs rampant.

That’s my takeaway from the ongoing “Arday affair” which, if anything, solidifies just how pathological and ultimately tyrannical the DEI obsession has become in elite institutions in Europe and the United States.

In case you haven’t been following, this story revolves around Cambridge University professor Jason Arday.

Arday was considered a star black studies scholar at Cambridge and was touted by the media in glowing profile after glowing profile. His inspirational biography of overcoming illiteracy and autism while accomplishing countless incredible feats and ascending to a professorship was widely touted.

Unfortunately, much of his biography appears to have been fabricated and a good chunk of his scholarship was outed for being plagiarized.

I keep saying “was” because his story has become quite tragic.

When he got exposed and the accusations piled up, Arday killed himself.

It’s a terrible end to this whole ugly affair. But none of it would have happened if Cambridge hadn’t elevated a con man.

You’d think that the British academe would be eager to fix the process that made an obvious fraud a “star” professor at a university that once produced Sir Isaac Newton. They set a man up to fail, and now he is dead by his own hand.

Nope. They looked at what happened and decided it was best to shoot the messenger and threaten any future messengers with punishments and censorship.

Nathan Cofnas, who originally exposed Arday’s plagiarized work, wrote on X Thursday that he’d been suspended by Ghent University in Belgium. Cofnas noted that he would likely be fired.

The day before the before, the school rector, Petra De Sutter—who is a member of the Green Party—put out a statement on Arday and Cofnas saying that the freedom of speech is nice and all that but “that freedom is not unlimited. It goes hand in hand with responsibility and may be restricted in order to protect the rights of others.”

Interestingly, De Sutter was at one point in a bit of a scandal of his own involving fake AI quotes.

De Sutter, who is transgender, then said that what happened to Arday “should prompt reflection. We hope that lessons will be learnt from what has happened regarding the way we treat one another both within and outside the academic world, particularly when people become the subject of public controversy.”

The statement was then updated to note the suspension of Cofnas. The school said this was done “as a precautionary measure.”

It’s important to note that the accusations against Arday, of plagiarism, fabulism, and straight up fabrication of a personal biography, were never disputed. Nobody debunked Cofnas, who was merely dogged in his efforts to point out Arday’s plagiarism.

Even Arday admitted that mistakes were made and he blamed them on having autism.

What Cofnas became hated for is that he dared to tell the truth about a man whom Cambridge and the media put on a pedestal as a great, meritorious, scholar. He was hated for telling the truth and exposing the lies of the DEI regime. For that, he needed to be destroyed.

And the wrath of Arday’s institutional supporters goes beyond just destroying the career of one man.

A nonprofit group in the UK is now pushing for an inquiry by the prime minister into media coverage of the Arday affair. This inquiry has been endorsed by many members of Parliament who apparently think that a major story about a fraud professor at the nation’s top university shouldn’t be covered by the press.

Another petition signed by over 100,000 people calls for “legislative action to impose limitations on the number of news articles published about a single individual within a defined time frame” to “ … work towards creating a framework that balances the public’s right to information with an individual’s right to privacy and mental well-being.”

That right to free speech isn’t something to be “balanced” by a government agency. It either is or it isn’t.

What they are essentially proposing is that if anyone, including a public figure, claims that they are suffering “mental anguish,” this sort of law could essentially stop all media coverage of even the worst kind of scandal.

The want power to smother truth when the truth is uncomfortable.

I’m sure King George III would love to have used that kind of law on Samuel Adams. Stop all criticism of the king over his draconian laws, he has mental health issues!

Fortunately, our forefathers here in the United States would have had none of it. And they made sure we too would have none of it thanks to the First Amendment.

But across the pond the attacks on free speech are getting worse, not better. Their institutions are even more resistant to criticism and are ruthlessly punitive. Their only hope is to return to the free-speech norms that we collectively celebrated not long ago.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rushed to defend the son of her predecessor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) after the U.S. Department of State revoked his visa, and various news outlets linked him to the cartel-connected illegal fuel market. Sheinbaum claimed there is no evidence of wrongdoing on the politician’s part and that the visa revocation was carried out for political purposes.

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The NFL is the #1 ratings-grabbing sport in the country, but that doesn't mean they're happy about how those ratings are tabulated.

The post NFL Isn’t Happy with Nielsen’s Latest Methodology Changes appeared first on Breitbart.

If the Republican Party’s congressional candidates in Virginia keep even close to the semi-plurality in the lower chamber that they have currently at 5-6 seats it may be driven by the campaigns going around the Commonwealth ginning up interest in defeating the constitutional amendments that are also on the ballot.

These three amendments are very much like the redistricting amendment, bearing little similarity to the way they’re portrayed on the ballot.

It’s one thing to play “fast-and-loose” with details in a mailer promoting something or someone you are campaigning for. It’s an entirely different thing, and one that the left in Virginia has become very good at, to write ballot language that bears little correlation to the actual impact of the amendment.

They obfuscate with rhetoric like, “We only have so much space,” and “We want to make it easy for voters to understand what the vote is about,” as their excuse to write ballot text that bears little, if any, similarity to the actual amendment outside of the fact that it says this is voting for or against the amendment.

Take, for example, the marriage amendment.

Former Virginia Congressman Bob Good has taken up the presidency of the Virginia Conservative Action Fund and has been going around the Commonwealth speaking to groups, telling them that this amendment is not about whether homosexual marriages are going to be permitted as much as it’s about compelling you to comply with someone who wants you to participate in a homosexual marriage ceremony.

Good explains, “These amendments would place people in legal or criminal jeopardy at the discretion and discernment of Jay Jones, the attorney general of Virginia, to decide how to apply these new laws and how to implement these new laws and how to bring consequence to those who are perceived as not sufficiently complying.”

There’s a medical expression called informed consent, and I don’t think Virginia voters are being treated to informed consent when they’re walking into the ballot booth. If you don’t share this with as many people as you know, they might wind up voting in a way contrary to what they actually believe.

So, here is what the Virginia Department of Elections will show you on the ballot, which, by the way, you can begin voting on in 30 days’ time:

“Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to remove the ban on same-sex marriage; affirm that two adults may marry regardless of sex, gender, or race; and require all legally valid marriages to be treated equally under the law?”

Here is what the actual constitutional amendment says:

Be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the following amendment to the Constitution of Virginia be, and the same hereby is, proposed in conformity with the provisions of Section 1 of Article XII of the Constitution of Virginia, namely:

Section 15-A. Marriage.

(FROM): That only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions.

(TO): Marriage is one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness.

This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not,

(FROM): create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intend to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage.

(TO): deny the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.

(FROM): Nor shall this Commonwealth or its political subdivisions create or recognize another union, partnership, or other legal status to which are assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.

(TO): This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall recognize any lawful marriage between two adult persons and treat such marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.

The same is true about the restoration of rights for felons.

We lived through the McAuliffe administration opening the jails like it was a celebration of Bastille Day, only to find that a large number of the very people to whom he had automatically granted voting rights were back in jail or on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

Advocates for the amendment say the problem is that the governor’s office has not been good at hearing these cases, and I think I know why.

I’m not here to defend Gov. Glenn Youngkin, but as the Left made the case more and more about Republican versus Democrat rather than process versus anarchy, the more it made it impossible for the governor’s administration to grant restoration of rights, lest they be seen as “complicit” with the “defund the police” leftists like Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General Jay Jones.

I see these three constitutional amendments, including the one enshrining abortion into the constitution, as a masterpiece of “all-or-nothing” brinkmanship from the left that’s currently holding a small majority in Virginia.

I know the number of seats may seem large in the House, but each of those seats that adds to the Democrats’ majority was won by 1% to 1.5%, so they could easily be won back.

And with voter turnout teetering at the top end of 40%, you really have to wonder if the people who are holding these offices are at all representative of most Virginians or just the 20.1% that they were able to get out to vote.

That’s why the campaigns of former Congressman Good and former Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears may be just the thing to save the Republicans who are trying to hold onto their congressional seats starting on Sept. 18.

Yes, that’s when early voting starts, in less than 30 days.

We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of the Daily Signal.

The Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) Florida Senate candidate, Angie Nixon, believes that she cannot work with Republicans across the aisle, because "they are literally trying to kill us."

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The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles has changed how transgender individuals can update their identification. In doing so, the BMV is making sure to be consistent with state law.

While transgender Ohioans could previously change their ID using a professionally certified form, these individuals must now have an updated birth certificate or passport.

Reporting from The Toledo Blade on Tuesday included statements from Ohio BMV spokesman Lindsey Bohrer, who made clear that the bureau is following state law.

“The BMV has determined that BMV Form 2369 is not compatible with Ohio Revised Code Sec. 9.05. The BMV will record the sex that is stated on an individual’s birth certificate or passport as the sex that will be reflected on the Ohio driver license or ID card,” Bohrer said.

Section 9.05, titled “Sex recognition policy,” states that “‘Gender identity’ means an individual’s internal and subjective sense of self, disconnected from biological reality and sex and existing on an infinite continuum, that does not provide a meaningful basis for identification and cannot be recognized as a replacement for sex.”

“‘Sex’ means the biological indication of male and female, including sex chromosomes, naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and nonambiguous internal and external genitalia present at birth, without regard to an individual’s psychological, chosen, or subjective experience of gender,” the section also reads.

Finally, the section contains a reminder of biology: “It is the policy of the state of Ohio to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”

State Rep. Brian Stewart, a Republican, celebrated the move in a post on X, pointing out that it was “a commonsense provision” included in the most recent budget. Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, signed that budget in June.

Others, however, are not so pleased with the change, with LGBTQ+ news sites in Ohio and around the country decrying the decision, particularly because they said no notice was given.

Reporting from the Advocate referenced policies from the Trump administration, specifically how passport holders’ gender markers must align with their biological sex. Such a policy has been litigated, but the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed it to remain in effect.

The Buckeye Flame mentioned that the change in policy language due to action by the state Legislature aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive order on recognizing biological sex.

The report from The Toledo Blade cited a probate judge responsible for updating forms, who indicated it wouldn’t be an issue to comply.

“Judge Puffenberger said his office has processed 58 gender marker changes on birth certificates since 2025, noting his staff will have no trouble handling a potential uptick in applications,” the report said. The article noted that at least 10 other county probate courts also process those birth certificate updates.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI special agents arrested eleven alien crewmembers at the Port of Boston during a recent operation targeting criminals involved in child pornography-related offenses. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Tidal Wave,” brought the officers and special agents from their home office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Boston to make the arrests.

The post EXCLUSIVE: 11 Cruise Ship Crewmembers Arrested for Child Porn Offenses appeared first on Breitbart.

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., who is backed by President Donald Trump, has landed crucial endorsements from pro-life organizations in the state, causing controversy among pro-life advocates who favor Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.

Norman has earned a perfect rating from major organizations such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Students for Life Action.

Graham, however, managed to land the endorsements of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and organizations such as National Right to Life.

National Right to Life and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment.

Randy Page, a former board member of National Right to Life, was outraged over the decision and allegedly resigned from the organization after the endorsement.

“This endorsement is ill-advised and inexcusable,” Page wrote on X. “Effective immediately, I am resigning as a member of the board.”

Page did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment.

Former House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., also weighed in on the endorsements. Good described the matter as a revelation of “fraudulent” pro-life groups.

“Fraudulent ‘pro-life’ groups are revealed by their endorsement of unknown or even pro-choice Darlene Graham over proven fighter Ralph Norman,” Good wrote on X. “They exist purely to raise $ and carry compromised Republican water.”

Steve Cortes, a political strategist and founder of the League of American Workers, told the Daily Signal that he doesn’t fully understand why pro-life groups would endorse a candidate over Norman.

“Congressman Norman has a 100% pro-life record in politics,” Cortes said. “In fact, he is one of the most overall conservative representatives in the entire U.S. House. It boggles my mind how any allegedly pro-life group could endorse against him in a race?”

During a campaign event this week, Graham told a reporter that she would have to “think about” whether she supports a full ban of abortion, instead of the six-week ban implemented in the state, which she said she supports.

Graham has also been endorsed by other politicians known for their pro-life stances.

Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., and Katie Britt, R-Ala., all have A+ pro-life ratings from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

Now, ahead of Tuesday’s election, Graham will be campaigning alongside the president.

Graham’s and Norman’s campaigns did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment.

The Los Angeles Mayor's race between Mayor Karen Bass and her opponent LA City Council Member Nithya Raman is heating up, as the mayor asserted Raman is lazy and no one can work with her.

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